Dylan Cozens scores a power-play goal to lift the Senators past the Flames 4-1

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Dylan Cozens scored a power-play goal 6:33 into the third period to snap a tie and lift the Ottawa Senators to a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Thursday night.

Brady Tkachuk found Cozens alone in front and he beat Devin Cooley on the blocker side to give the Senators a 2-1 lead. Tim Stutzle and Shane Pinto added empty-netters for the final score. Lars Eller also had a goal as the Senators, who are 7-1-2 in their last 10 games, moved within four points of the Boston Bruins for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Eller’s goal ended a 34-game goalless drought. His last goal came on Oct. 30 against Calgary.

Linus Ullmark made 19 stops to improve to 8-0-3 in his last 11 decisions.

Martin Pospisil scored his first goal of the season for Calgary and Cooley made 33 saves.

Ottawa has been strong of late with the man advantage, entering the game 5 for 12 over its previous five games. The Senators finished 1 for 4 against Calgary.

Down 2-1, the Flames got a power play of their own with just over three minutes to go in the third period. But Stutzle intercepted Yegor Sharangovich's pass and scored into the empty net to put the game on ice.

Stutzle extended his point streak to 11 games (seven goals, eight assists).

The loss dropped the Flames to 31st overall in the league standings, ahead of only the Vancouver Canucks. Calgary is 0-3-1 in its last four games.

Senators: Visit the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.

Flames: Host the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.

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

Ottawa Senators' Jordan Spence, left, checks Calgary Flames' Nazem Kadri during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Calgary, Alberta, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Nick Cousins, centre, is checked by Calgary Flames' Brayden Pachal, right, in front of goalie Devin Cooley during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Calgary on Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Drake Batherson, top, is checked by Calgary Flames' Matt Coronato during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Calgary on Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Shane Pinto, left, has his shot stopped by Calgary Flames goalie Devin Cooley during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Calgary on Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Dylan Cozens, right, celebrates his goal as Calgary Flames' Kevin Bahl looks away during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Calgary, Alberta, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — Venus Williams lost again in her return to the BNP Paribas Open, falling in the first round Thursday, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-1 to Diane Parry of France.

The 45-year-old Williams, who has dropped her last eight WTA singles matches, received a wild card into the singles and doubles draws for the tournament in the Southern California desert. It came 30 years after she made her Indian Wells debut in 1996 when she was 15.

After Williams rallied in the second set to tie it, the 23-year-old Parry, ranked 111th in the world, took control and cruised in the third.

It was Williams' 10th career appearance in the tournament and first since 2024, when she also lost in the first round as a wild card. The seven-time major winner was given a wild card last year, but didn’t accept it.

“Of course losing isn’t fun, but it’s great to play in front of a home crowd,” the Southern California native said. “They were behind me the whole way, and that was really fun for that.

“I have amazing fans that believe in me and it’s fun to play for them, or even in practice when they come out. It’s very thrilling. Yeah, today was a tough one, but that’s sport and that’s life, and I’ll take what I need from it.”

Parry will face 15th-ranked American Madison Keys in the second round Saturday.

Williams entered the BNP Paribas Open having lost her last seven matches, with the only win in her comeback to the tour coming in her return at Washington last year.

She competed in the Australian Open in January and lost in the first round in both singles and doubles. Williams was the oldest woman to compete in an Australian Open singles main draw, surpassing the mark set by Japan’s Kimiko Date, who was 44 when she lost in the first round in 2015.

Williams most recently participated in the ATX Open in Austin, Texas, last month as a wild-card entry and lost in the first round of singles to Ajla Tomljanovic.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

FILE -Venus Williams, of the United States, returns a shot to Lyudmyla Kichenok, of the Czech Republic, and Ellen Perez, of Australia, during a first round women's doubles match of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File)