Claude Giroux broke a third-period tie and added an assist, rookie Leevi Merilainen made 34 saves and the Ottawa Senators beat Utah 3-1 on Sunday night. Giroux gave Ottawa a 2-1 lead at 7:33 and helped set up Brady Tkachuk's goal with 6:38 remaining.

The Senators swept their third straight back-to-back weekend as they beat the Utah Hockey Club by a score of 3-1.

The Utah Hockey Club has played better games than the one it had on Sunday. Here's what went wrong, in addition to some things it did well.

The Ottawa Senators are learning to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. Just a few months ago, the Senators struggled to bounce back when trailing or tied late in games.

Coming off a 2-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Battle of Ontario on Saturday, Ottawa closed out the weekend with its second straight win by knocking off the Utah Hockey Club 3-1 in front of 16,897 on Sunday night at the Canadian Tire Centre.

Claude Giroux was one of three Ottawa skaters to end lengthy scoring droughts as his third-period game-winner propelled the host Senators to a 3-1 victory Sunday over the Utah Hockey Club.

Ridly Greig hadn't scored in 13 games. Claude Giroux hadn't scored in 14. And captain Brady Tkachuk hadn't scored in 11. Those three were the goal scorers tonight, as the Sens beat Utah 3-1. Leevi Meriläinen made 34 saves in the win, and deserves the lion's share of the credit for tonight's win.

What is troubling when it relates to Giroux is how, for his first two seasons in Ottawa, he was an absolute monster who showed up in big moments or whenever the team needed a mome

Josh Norris returned to the Senators lineup after missing the last two games with an upper-body injury. With the win, the Senators moved ahead of the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning into third in the Atlantic Division. Senators: Ottawa's power play has been anemic of late going 1-for-14 through its last five games.

A commitment to defence has been a central theme for the Senators, not just Tkachuk, under new head coach Travis Green. The Senators have the sixth-best goals-against rate in the league, a 180-degree turn from the fifth-worst in the league last season.

Artturi Lehkonen scored the tiebreaking goal with 14.7 seconds left and Mackenzie Blackwood made 33 saves and the Colorado Avalanche defeated the New York Rangers 5-4 on Sunday. Defenseman Cale Makar scored twice and assisted on the winning goal while Jack Drury and Juuso Parssinen also scored for the Avalanche,

Claude Giroux scored the game-winner and broke a long personal scoring drought as the Senators defeated the Utah Hockey Club 3-1.