Brady Tkachuk scores in OT to lift Senators to 3-2 win over Penguins

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Brady Tkachuk scored 1:46 into overtime and the Ottawa Senators beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 on Saturday night for their first three-game winning streak of the season.

Thomas Chabot had a goal and an assist, and Drake Batherson also scored for the Senators. Linus Ullmark was forced into playing for the second straight night after backup Anton Forsberg suffered an injury before warmups, had 25 saves.

Blake Lizotte and Kris Letang scored for the Penguins, who lost for the third time in five games. Tristan Jarry finished with 28 saves.

Chabot opened the scoring at 7:34 of the first after Jarry was caught out of his net. It marked Chabot’s first goal in 26 games.

Ullmark made a pair of stick saves, first on Erik Karlsson midway through the first period and then on Sidney Crosby late in the second to keep the Penguins off the scoreboard.

Lizotte tied it at 2:40 of the third with his seventh.

Chabot's shot went off Batherson's skate nearly 4 minutes later to put the Senators back ahead, but Letang managed to get a shot through traffic to tie it again with 7:18 remaining.

Senators: Despite playing a back-to-back, the Senators dominated long stretches of play and created a number of chances.

Penguins: The Penguins were slow to get started but came out with a solid third-period effort to get back in the game.

Ullmark made a huge stick save, stretching out to stop what appeared to be a sure goal by Karlsson at 9:58 of the first period.

The Senators have scored first in six straight games and are 5-0-1 in that stretch.

Penguins host Los Angeles on Tuesday, and Senators visit Seattle to open a nine-game trip.

AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry (35) makes a save against Ottawa Senators left wing Noah Gregor (73) as Gregor is pressured by defenseman Marcus Pettersson (28) during first-period NHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators center Josh Norris (9) tries to tip a shot past Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry, left, during second-period NHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark makes a save during first-period NHL hockey game action against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) deflects a shot by Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby, foreground, over the net during second-period NHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (7) celebrates after his winning goal with teammate Thomas Chabot (72) at the end of overtime NHL hockey game action against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Ottawa, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Richard “Dick” Codey, a former acting governor of New Jersey and the longest serving legislator in the state's history, died Sunday. He was 79.

Codey’s wife, Mary Jo Codey, confirmed her husband’s death to The Associated Press.

“Gov. Richard J. Codey passed away peacefully this morning at home, surrounded by family, after a brief illness,” Codey's family wrote in a Facebook post on Codey's official page.

"Our family has lost a beloved husband, father and grandfather -- and New Jersey lost a remarkable public servant who touched the lives of all who knew him," the family said.

Known for his feisty, regular-guy persona, Codey was a staunch advocate of mental health awareness and care issues. The Democrat also championed legislation to ban smoking from indoor areas and sought more money for stem cell research.

Codey, the son of a northern New Jersey funeral home owner, entered the state Assembly in 1974 and served there until he was elected to the state Senate in 1982. He served as Senate president from 2002 to 2010.

Codey first served as acting governor for a brief time in 2002, after Christine Todd Whitman’s resignation to join President George W. Bush’s administration. He held the post again for 14 months after Gov. Jim McGreevey resigned in 2004.

At that time, New Jersey law mandated that the Senate president assume the governor’s role if a vacancy occurred, and that person would serve until the next election.

Codey routinely drew strong praise from residents in polls, and he gave serious consideration to seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in 2005. But he ultimately chose not to run when party leaders opted to back wealthy Wall Street executive Jon Corzine, who went on to win the office.

Codey would again become acting governor after Corzine was incapacitated in April 2007 due to serious injuries he suffered in a car accident. He held the post for nearly a month before Corzine resumed his duties.

After leaving the governor’s office, Codey returned to the Senate and also published a memoir that detailed his decades of public service, along with stories about his personal and family life.

“He lived his life with humility, compassion and a deep sense of responsibility to others,” his family wrote. “He made friends as easily with Presidents as he did with strangers in all-night diners.”

Codey and his wife often spoke candidly about her past struggles with postpartum depression, and that led to controversy in early 2005, when a talk radio host jokingly criticized Mary Jo and her mental health on the air.

Codey, who was at the radio station for something else, confronted the host and said he told him that he wished he could “take him outside.” But the host claimed Codey actually threatened to “take him out,” which Codey denied.

His wife told The Associated Press that Codey was willing to support her speaking out about postpartum depression, even if it cost him elected office.

“He was a really, really good guy,” Mary Jo Codey said. “He said, ‘If you want to do it, I don’t care if I get elected again.’”

Jack Brook contributed reporting from New Orleans.

FILE - New Jersey State Sen. and former Democratic Gov. Richard Codey is seen before New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at the statehouse, in Trenton, N.J., Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)