OTTAWA (Interstat) — Shane Pinto scored the shootout winner and Linus Ullmark delivered a perfect tiebreaker as the Ottawa Senators beat the New York Islanders 2-1 on Thursday at Canadian Tire Centre. Ridly Greig scored in regulation for Ottawa, which improved to 6-2-0. Ullmark made 20 saves on 21 shots and has won his first six starts of the season. The Islanders fell to 3-4. An announced crowd of 14,534 watched the Senators earn their sixth victory in eight games. Matias Maccelli scored for New York, which led after the first period but could not solve Ullmark again in regulation, overtime or the shootout. The Senators controlled play for long stretches but needed the shootout to secure the extra point.

The Islanders opened with energy in the first period. Jean-Gabriel Pageau was active in the faceoff circle and on the forecheck, while Bo Horvat and Matthew Schaefer generated chances. Ullmark stopped Matthew Kessel and Emil Heineman early, then denied Horvat on a tip-in attempt. Ottawa’s Claude Giroux and Ridly Greig won key faceoffs, and Andre Burakovsky forced Semyon Varlamov into a save. The Senators also blocked shots from Anthony Duclair and Calum Ritchie. Pageau won faceoffs against Greig and Stutzle, and Casey Cizikas and Kyle Palmieri delivered hits. New York broke through late in the period when Maccelli took advantage of a takeaway and beat Ullmark with a wrist shot. The unassisted goal came with 12 seconds left in the first period and gave the Islanders a 1-0 lead.

Ottawa pushed back in the second. Greig won faceoffs, Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson created pressure, and Varlamov made saves on Burakovsky, Tyler Kleven and Stephen Halliday. The Senators killed off a high-sticking penalty to Thomas Chabot and later received power-play chances when New York’s Logan Stanley was called for tripping, Calum Ritchie for hooking and Anthony Duclair for holding. Ullmark held the deficit at one with saves on Schaefer, Brayden Schenn and Ritchie. Ottawa finally tied it when Greig scored on a wrist shot, with Warren Foegele and Artem Zub picking up assists. The goal evened the score and shifted momentum toward the Senators.

The third period was tight and physical. Pageau continued to win faceoffs for New York and tested Ullmark with a tip-in, while Ondrej Palat and Adam Pelech also put shots on net. Ottawa’s Nick Cousins was called for high-sticking, but the Senators penalty kill held. Batherson, Giroux and Burakovsky kept pressing for Ottawa, and Varlamov turned aside a slap shot from Carter Yakemchuk. New York’s Cizikas and Heineman kept the forecheck active, while Ottawa’s Zub blocked shots and finished checks. Both goaltenders stood firm, and neither team could break the 1-1 tie. New York’s best late chance came from Pageau, but Ullmark was square to the shot. Ottawa’s best sequence included a Batherson backhand and a Giroux slap shot that Varlamov stopped.

Overtime brought more chances but no decision. Ottawa nearly won it when Batherson tipped a shot off the left post. Shane Pinto also hit the left post during the extra period. Ullmark made saves on Horvat, Maccelli and Schaefer, while Varlamov denied Batherson and Stutzle. Penalties to Ottawa’s Dylan Cozens for tripping and New York’s Pelech for hooking created power-play opportunities, but neither side converted. The Senators had the better of the overtime chances, yet the game remained tied and moved to a shootout. New York’s best overtime look came from Maccelli, but Ullmark was there.

In the shootout, Varlamov stopped Batherson, and Stutzle fired wide. Ullmark answered by denying Schenn and Horvat. Pinto then scored the decisive goal with a wrist shot, putting Ottawa ahead in the tiebreaker. Ullmark sealed the win when Holmstrom could not convert. Ullmark’s calm performance in the shootout capped a strong night in which he was named Ottawa’s top star. Pinto’s shot beat Varlamov cleanly, and the Canadian Tire Centre crowd erupted. The Senators bench celebrated as Pinto’s goal stood as the difference.

Ullmark finished with 20 saves on 21 shots. He improved to 6-0-0 in his first six starts and has been a key part of Ottawa’s strong start. Greig recorded one goal on two shots. Maccelli scored one goal on two shots for New York. Horvat had four shots and one hit. Foegele added an assist and one shot. Pageau had two shots and one hit. Zub contributed an assist, one shot and six hits. Batherson recorded two shots. Giroux had two shots. Burakovsky finished with two shots and one hit. Varlamov made several important saves for the Islanders, including stops on Burakovsky, Kleven and Yakemchuk. Ullmark’s recent stretch has been excellent. He stopped 29 of 30 shots at New Jersey, 16 of 18 against Nashville, 28 of 29 against Philadelphia and 10 of 10 at Boston.

Ottawa’s recent run includes wins over New Jersey, Nashville, Philadelphia and Boston, with Ullmark in net for each victory. The Senators will next travel to Philadelphia to face the Flyers. The Islanders, who had won three of their first seven games, will visit the Toronto Maple Leafs. New York’s previous results this season include a win over Vancouver, a victory against Chicago and a road loss to Toronto. Ottawa’s loss to St. Louis earlier in the week was its second defeat of the season. The Senators improved their record to 6-2-0 with the shootout win. The Senators’ upcoming schedule includes a home meeting with Florida and a road swing through Vegas, Los Angeles and San Jose. The Islanders are scheduled to host Anaheim, Los Angeles and Carolina in the coming weeks.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Ottawa 3, New York Islanders 1. Interstat’s ELO system gave Ottawa a 60.4 percent probability to win. Ottawa was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 3 went under the over/under line of 5.5.