OTTAWA, Ontario (Interstat) — Brady Tkachuk’s tiebreaking goal with 2 minutes, 13 seconds remaining in the third period lifted the Ottawa Senators to a 3-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday night at Canadian Tire Centre.

The Senators captain collected a loose puck near the right circle and fired a wrist shot past Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin for his 19th goal of the season, capping a comeback from a one-goal deficit. The goal came just over three minutes after the Islanders had tied the game, and it secured a crucial two points for Ottawa in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

A crowd of 16,785 saw a physical, grinding contest that featured two fights in the opening six minutes, setting a combative tone. The game remained scoreless through a first period dominated by blocked shots and big hits, with Ottawa holding a 12-6 edge in shots.

The stalemate was broken at 8:45 of the second period. Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock fired a shot from the point that was deftly tipped in front by rookie Matthew Schaefer for his 21st goal of the season. Bo Horvat earned the primary assist, extending his point streak.

Ottawa responded just over 11 minutes later to even the score before the second intermission. On a sustained shift in the offensive zone, defenseman Tyler Kleven moved the puck to Nikolas Matinpalo at the point. Matinpalo’s shot was redirected in front by center Shane Pinto, who beat Sorokin for his 18th goal at the 20:27 mark.

The Senators carried that momentum into the third period and took their first lead at 15:12. After a scramble in front of the Islanders net, the puck came to Warren Foegele at the side of the crease, and he shoveled a backhand past Sorokin for his 10th goal of the season. Fabian Zetterlund and Dennis Gilbert were credited with assists.

New York, which entered the night having won three of its last four, showed resilience. Just 3:50 after falling behind, the Islanders drew even. Defenseman Scott Mayfield’s point shot was tipped in the slot by Simon Holmstrom, and the rebound came directly to Brayden Schenn, who hammered a slap shot past Ottawa goaltender James Reimer for his 14th goal at 6:02.

The tie was short-lived. Following an Islanders turnover near their own blue line, Ottawa transitioned quickly. Jordan Spence moved the puck to Drake Batherson, who found Tkachuk streaking into the offensive zone. The Senators’ leader did the rest, snapping a shot that found the back of the net for the game-winner.

Reimer, making his 12th start of the season, was steady in the Ottawa net, stopping 17 of 19 shots for the win. His best save came on a second-period breakaway by the Islanders’ Mathew Barzal. Sorokin was the busier goaltender, making 37 saves on 40 shots in a losing effort for New York.

The game was penalty-filled early, with four fighting majors handed out in the first period alone. Tkachuk and the Islanders’ Anders Lee dropped the gloves just one second into the contest. Later, Schenn and Ottawa’s Ridly Greig fought after a hard hit. In total, the teams combined for 22 penalty minutes.

With the win, Ottawa improved to 35-33-0, keeping its faint playoff hopes alive in a crowded wild-card chase. The Islanders, who had been surging, saw a two-game win streak snapped and fell to 39-30-0. The result tightened the race between the two teams, with New York now just four points ahead of Ottawa in the standings, though the Islanders have played one fewer game.

The Senators were projected as pregame favorites and outperformed the Interstat game simulator’s projection of a 4-3 Ottawa win. The total of five goals went under the betting over/under line of 5.5.

Ottawa will look to build on the victory when it hosts the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. The Islanders, concluding a brief two-game road trip, will travel to Montreal to face the Canadiens, also on Saturday.