Merilainen and Gaudette lead Senators to 2-0 win against Islanders

NEW YORK (AP) — Leevi Merilainen made 24 saves for his second shutout in three games and the Ottawa Senators beat the New York Islanders 2-0 on Tuesday night.

Adam Gaudette and Artem Zub scored as the Senators won their third straight and snapped New York's three-game winning streak.

Marcus Hogberg stopped 23 shots in his second consecutive start for New York, which dropped the opener of a seven-game homestand. Ilya Sorokin was available but didn't play due to illness, and Semyon Varlamov is on injured reserve.

Gaudette redirected a shot from Tyler Kleven past Hogberg at 8:42 of the first period. Zub scored his first of the season with a slap shot into an empty net in the closing minutes of the third.

Islanders forward Marc Gatcomb made his NHL debut. Jean-Gabriel Pageau did not dress because of an illness.

Senators: Ottawa defenseman Thomas Chabot left midway through the first period and did not return after being hit in the face with a puck. The team announced he was held out for precautionary reasons.

Islanders: Killed a key penalty in the third period to stay within striking distance. The Islanders have successfully killed off their last four opportunities and 12 of the past 14.

One of Merilainen’s critical stops came at 12:40 of the third when he denied Brock Nelson’s attempt off the rush.

The Islanders fell to 9-16-3 when allowing the opening goal and 9-18-6 when they do not score on the power play.

Ottawa hosts the Washington Capitals on Thursday.

New York hosts the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.

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

New York Islanders' Mathew Barzal (13) fights for control of the puck with Ottawa Senators' Artem Zub (2) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Ottawa Senators' Adam Gaudette (81) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Islanders' Pierre Engvall (18) fights for control of the puck with Ottawa Senators' Nikolas Matinpalo (33) as goaltender Leevi Merilainen watches during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Ottawa Senators goaltender Leevi Merilainen protects the net during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Ottawa Senators' Adam Gaudette, center, celebrates with teammates Shane Pinto (12) and Nick Cousins (21) after scoring a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Ottawa Senators goaltender Leevi Merilainen (1) stops a shot by New York Islanders' Noah Dobson (8) as Nick Jensen (3) defends during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland (AP) — In the aftermath of a fire inside a Swiss Alpine bar that killed 40 people celebrating the new year, survivors, friends and family members, the region’s top authorities and even Pope Leo have spoken to the public in remarks in French, Italian, German and English, reflecting the tradition of Swiss multilingualism.

Another 119 people were injured in the blaze early Thursday as it ripped through the busy Le Constellation bar at the ski resort of Crans-Montana, authorities said. It was one of the deadliest tragedies in Switzerland’s history.

Investigators said Friday that they believe sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles ignited the fatal fire when they came too close to the ceiling of the crowded bar.

Here’s a look at what people said in the wake of the disaster:

— “I’m looking everywhere. The body of my son is somewhere,” Laetitia Brodard told reporters Friday in Crans-Montana as she searched for her son, 16-year-old Arthur. “I want to know, where is my child, and be by his side. Wherever that may be, be it in the intensive care unit or the morgue.”

— “We were bringing people out, people were collapsing. We were doing everything we could to save them, we helped as many as we could. We saw people screaming, running,” Marc-Antoine Chavanon, 14, told The Associated Press in Crans-Montana on Friday, recounting how he rushed to the bar to help the injured. “There was one of our friends: She was struggling to get out, she was all burned. You can’t imagine the pain I saw.”

— “It was hard to live through for everyone. Also probably because everyone was asking themselves, ‘Was my child, my cousin, someone from the region at this party?’” Eric Bonvin, general director of the regional hospital in Sion that took in dozens of injured people, told AP on Friday. “This place was very well known as somewhere to celebrate the new year,” Bonvin said. “Also, seeing young people arrive — that’s always traumatic.”

— “I have seen horror, and I don’t know what else would be worse than this,” Gianni Campolo, a Swiss 19-year-old who was in Crans-Montana on vacation and rushed to the bar to help first responders, told France's TF1 television.

—“You will understand that the priority today is truly placed on identification, in order to allow the families to begin their mourning,” Beatrice Pilloud, the Valais region's attorney general, told reporters Friday during a news conference in Sion.

Pope Leo said in a telegram Friday to the bishop of Sion that he " wishes to express his compassion and concern to the relatives of the victims. He prays that the Lord will welcome the deceased into His abode of peace and light, and will sustain the courage of those who suffer in their hearts or in their bodies.”

— “We have numerous accounts of heroic actions, one could say of very strong solidarity in the moment,” Cantonal head of government Mathias Reynard told RTS radio Friday. "In the first minutes it was citizens — and in large part young people — who saved lives with their courage.”

— “Switzerland is a strong country not because it is sheltered from drama, but because it knows how to face them with courage and a spirit of mutual help," Swiss President Guy Parmelin, speaking on his first day in the position that changes hands annually, told reporters Thursday.

People bring flowers near the sealed off Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, where a devastating fire left dead and injured during the New Year's celebrations. (AP Photo/ Antonio Calanni)

A woman holding a stuffed animal, whose daughter is missing, gather with others near the sealed-off Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, where a devastating fire left dead and injured during the New Year's celebrations. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

People light candles near the sealed off Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, where a devastating fire left dead and injured during the New Year's celebrations. (AP Photo/ Antonio Calanni)