Suzuki gets go-ahead goal and Canadiens snap Senators' 6-game winning streak with 6-3 victory

MONTREAL (AP) — Nick Suzuki’s power-play goal late in the third period lifted the Montreal Canadiens over Ottawa 6-3 on Tuesday night, snapping the Senators six-game winning streak

Josh Anderson scored twice, including an empty-netter, while Lane Hutson and Christian Dvorak also had goals for Montreal. Brendan Gallagher added a second into the empty net and Sam Montembeault stopped 22 shots.

Travis Hamonic had a goal and an assist for the Senators while Michael Amadio and Drake Batherson also found the back of the net. Linus Ullmark made 27 saves.

Suzuki buried his shot into an open cage at 15:23 after Ullmark failed to properly cover the puck, helping Montreal take a 4-3 lead. The Canadiens have now won three of their last four games.

Montreal leads the season series 3-0 against Ottawa with one game remaining between the teams on April 11.

Dvorak opened the scoring on a breakaway 2:07 into the game with a deke around Ullmark, who lost his stick moments earlier on a shot from Patrik Laine.

Canadiens: Rallied from 2-1 and 3-2 deficits in the third to snap the Senators’ streak.

Senators: Lost their first game since making two trades at the NHL trade deadline. Marquee acquisition Dylan Cozens provided an assist on Batherson’s goal, bringing his totals to two goals and three assists in six games as a Senator.

Shane Pinto tripped Anderson with 6:37 remaining to send Montreal on the power play with the game tied 3-3. Suzuki then buried the winner in the dying seconds of the man advantage.

Before Tuesday’s game, Canadiens netminder Sam Montembeault was 6-0-1 with a .928 save percentage and a 1.96 goals-against average since the 4 Nations Face-Off break.

Senators: Host the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night.

Canadiens: Visit the New York Islanders on Thursday night.

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

Montreal Canadiens' Christian Dvorak (28) scores on Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) during first period NHL hockey action in Montreal on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Michael Amadio (22) is checked into the boards by Montreal Canadiens' Josh Anderson (17) during first period NHL hockey action in Montreal on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Montreal Canadiens' Patrik Laine (92) is tripped by Ottawa Senators' Artem Zub (2) during second period NHL hockey action in Montreal on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Montreal Canadiens' Juraj Slafkovsky (20) battles for the puck against Ottawa Senators' Travis Hamonic (23) in front of goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) during second period NHL hockey action in Montreal on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Michael Amadio (22) taps the puck in behind Montreal Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault (35) as Canadiens' Mike Matheson (8) looks on during second period NHL hockey action in Montreal on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Tim Stutzle (18) and Montreal Canadiens' Josh Anderson (17) battle for the puck during second period NHL hockey action in Montreal on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is meeting with oil executives at the White House on Friday in hopes of securing $100 billion in investments to revive Venezuela’s ability to fully tap into its expansive reserves of petroleum — a plan that rides on their comfort in making commitments in a country plagued by instability, inflation and uncertainty.

Since the U.S. military raid to capture former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, Trump has quickly pivoted to portraying the move as a newfound economic opportunity for the U.S., seizing tankers carrying Venezuelan oil, saying the U.S. is taking over the sales of 30 million to 50 million barrels of previously sanctioned Venezuelan oil and will be controlling sales worldwide indefinitely.

On Friday, U.S. forces seized their fifth tanker over the past month that has been linked to Venezuelan oil. The action reflected the determination of the U.S. to fully control the exporting, refining and production of Venezuelan petroleum, a sign of the Trump administration's plans for ongoing involvement in the sector as it seeks commitments from private companies.

It's all part of a broader push by Trump to keep gasoline prices low. At a time when many Americans are concerned about affordability, the incursion in Venezuela melds Trump’s assertive use of presidential powers with an optical spectacle meant to convince Americans that he can bring down energy prices.

The meeting, set for 2:30 p.m. EST, will be open to the news media, according to an update to the president's daily schedule. “At least 100 Billion Dollars will be invested by BIG OIL, all of whom I will be meeting with today at The White House,” Trump said Friday in a pre-dawn social media post.

Trump is set to meet with executives from 17 oil companies, according to the White House. Among the companies attending are Chevron, which still operates in Venezuela, and ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, which both had oil projects in the country that were lost as part of a 2007 nationalization of private businesses under Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chávez.

The president is meeting with a wide swath of domestic and international companies with interests ranging from construction to the commodity markets. Other companies slated to be at the meeting include Halliburton, Valero, Marathon, Shell, Singapore-based Trafigura, Italy-based Eni and Spain-based Repsol.

Large U.S. oil companies have so far largely refrained from affirming investments in Venezuela as contracts and guarantees need to be in place. Trump has suggested on social media that America would help to backstop any investments.

Venezuela’s oil production has slumped below one million barrels a day. Part of Trump's challenge to turn that around will be to convince oil companies that his administration has a stable relationship with Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez, as well as protections for companies entering the market.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum are slated to attend the oil executives meeting, according to the White House.

Meanwhile, the United States and Venezuelan governments said Friday they were exploring the possibility of r estoring diplomatic relations between the two countries, and that a delegation from the Trump administration arrived to the South American nation on Friday.

The small team of U.S. diplomats and diplomatic security officials traveled to Venezuela to make a preliminary assessment about the potential re-opening of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, the State Department said in a statement.

Trump also announced on Friday he’d meet with President Gustavo Petro in early February, but called on the Colombian leader to make quick progress on stemming flow of cocaine into the U.S.

Trump, following the ouster of Maduro, had made vague threats to take similar action against Petro. Trump abruptly changed his tone Wednesday about his Colombian counterpart after a friendly phone call in which he invited Petro to visit the White House.

President Donald Trump waves as he walks off stage after speaking to House Republican lawmakers during their annual policy retreat, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)