OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Fabian Zetterlund scored with less that two-and-a-half minutes remaining to give the Ottawa Senators a 4-3 win over the Washington Capitals on Thursday.
Zetterlund's 10th goal of the season came less than two minutes after Washington’s Aliaksei Protas tied the game at 3-all.
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Ottawa Senators' David Perron (57) scores on Washington Capitals goalie Logan Thompson (48) during third period NHL hockey action on New Year's Day in Ottawa, on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)
Ottawa Senators' Stephen Halliday (83) screens Washington Capitals goalie Logan Thompson (48) as a shot from the point makes it way towards the net during second period NHL hockey action on New Year's Day in Ottawa, on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)
Washington Capitals' Tom Wilson (43) celebrates his goal on Ottawa Senators goalie Leevi Merilainen (1) during first period NHL hockey action on New Year's Day in Ottawa, on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)
Ottawa Senators' Stephen Halliday (83) fights for control of the puck in front of Washington Capitals goalie Logan Thompson (48) during second period NHL hockey action on New Year's Day in Ottawa, on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)
Washington Capitals goalie Logan Thompson (48) watches the puck leave his net on a goal scored by Ottawa Senators' Ridly Grieg (71) during second period NHL hockey action on New Year's Day in Ottawa, on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)
David Perron, Ridly Greig and Nick Jensen also scored for Ottawa. Leevi Merilainen made 26 saves and helped Ottawa snap a three-game skid.
The Capitals (21-15-5), playing the second game of a back-to-back, had jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals from Tom Wilson and Dylan Strome. Logan Thompson made 28 saves.
After Merilainen stopped a flurry of shots from in close Wilson jumped on a loose puck for his team-leading 22nd of the season, giving the Capitals a 1-0 lead.
Strome made it 2-0, taking a Ryan Leonard pass and wristing a long shot through traffic to beat a screened Merilainen.
Jensen cut the lead in half by scoring on a rebound of a shot by Jake Sanderson at 7:42 of the second.
Batherson had a wide-open net late in the second period, but his shot hit the post. Greig tied it with 28.8 seconds left in the period when he deflected a shot that Thompson inadvertently pushed across the goal line.
Ottawa (19-15-5) took its first lead 2:47 into the third on a goal from Perron.
Jake Sanderson recorded his 20th assist of the season and became the first defenseman in Senators’ history to reach the mark in each of his first four seasons.
Senators: Host the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.
Capitals: Host the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
Ottawa Senators' David Perron (57) scores on Washington Capitals goalie Logan Thompson (48) during third period NHL hockey action on New Year's Day in Ottawa, on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)
Ottawa Senators' Stephen Halliday (83) screens Washington Capitals goalie Logan Thompson (48) as a shot from the point makes it way towards the net during second period NHL hockey action on New Year's Day in Ottawa, on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)
Washington Capitals' Tom Wilson (43) celebrates his goal on Ottawa Senators goalie Leevi Merilainen (1) during first period NHL hockey action on New Year's Day in Ottawa, on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)
Ottawa Senators' Stephen Halliday (83) fights for control of the puck in front of Washington Capitals goalie Logan Thompson (48) during second period NHL hockey action on New Year's Day in Ottawa, on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)
Washington Capitals goalie Logan Thompson (48) watches the puck leave his net on a goal scored by Ottawa Senators' Ridly Grieg (71) during second period NHL hockey action on New Year's Day in Ottawa, on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)
Erling Haaland and Manchester City were frustrated in a 0-0 draw at Sunderland on Thursday, leaving Arsenal with a four-point lead at the halfway stage of the Premier League season.
Liverpool couldn't manage a goal against a promoted team, either, laboring to a 0-0 draw against Leeds at Anfield.
The stalemates highlighted the strength in depth in England's lucrative top flight.
They also maybe showed why Arsenal has been able to forge clear after 19 of 38 games in its bid for a first league title since 2004, with City and Liverpool — the dominant forces in English soccer over the last decade — having lost their old fluency going forward.
There were draws all round on a low-scoring night, with Tottenham held 0-0 at Brentford and Fulham scoring in the 80th minute to finish 1-1 at Crystal Palace.
City was on an eight-match winning run in all competitions but stumbled against an opponent that has drawn against Arsenal and beaten Newcastle at its Stadium of Light home over the last two months.
Haaland had opportunities either side of halftime against stubborn Sunderland but couldn't add to his league-high 19 goals for the campaign.
Indeed, it was substitute defender Josko Gvardiol who came closest for City, flicking a shot against the post and having a header saved from point-blank range.
Spain star Rodri, the former Ballon d'Or winner, made his return for City after two months out with a hamstring injury when he came on as a halftime substitute.
Liverpool extended its unbeaten run to eight games but underwhelmed again amid key absences up front.
Hugo Ekitike's misdirected header from in front of goal in the first half was the only clear-cut chance at Anfield for Liverpool, which lacked inspiration in attack with Alexander Isak injured and Mohamed Salah at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Liverpool stayed in fourth and is 12 points behind Arsenal in a disappointing title defense.
Since a 4-1 home loss to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Nov. 26, Liverpool has played seven games in the Premier League — winning four of them and drawing the other three. It has struggled to find much fluency, however, with Liverpool manager Arne Slot placing extra emphasis on being tighter at the back after the team's early season woes.
“This season multiple times we have conceded a goal in a game like this and that’s a positive thing today,” Slot said.
The other result in the recent undefeated streak was a victory at Inter Milan in the Champions League.
Jean-Philippe Mateta headed Palace in front against Fulham, only for Tom Cairney to equalize for the visitors.
That left Palace without a win in six matches in all competitions, with the absence of regulars like Daniel Munoz, Chris Richards (both injured) and Ismaila Sarr (at the Africa Cup) hitting hard.
Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Fulham's Tom Cairney (right) celebrates after scoring his sides first goal during their English Premier League soccer match against Crystal Palace in London, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2025. (Jordan Pettitt/PA via AP)
Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Sunderland's Nordi Mukiele, right, in action during the English Premier League soccer match between Sunderland and Manchester City in Sunderland, England, Thursday Jan. 1, 2026. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)
Sunderland's Brian Brobbey, left, and Manchester City's Ruben Dias in action during the English Premier League soccer match between Sunderland and Manchester City in Sunderland, England, Thursday Jan. 1, 2026. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)
Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister reacts at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Leeds United in Liverpool, England, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai, left, and Leeds' Gabriel Gudmundsson challenge for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Leeds United in Liverpool, England, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Liverpool's manager Arne Slot, left, passes the ball to Liverpool's Andrew Robertson during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Leeds United in Liverpool, England, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike controls the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Leeds United in Liverpool, England, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike, right, and Leeds' James Justin, center, challenge for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Leeds United in Liverpool, England, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
