Claude Giroux hits milestone, nets game-winner as Sens top Canes

Claude Giroux collected his 1000th NHL point and the game-winning score while recording two goals and an assist to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 3-2 win over the visiting Carolina Hurricanes on Monday.

Giroux entered the game with 998 points but reached the milestone before the first intermission. The veteran forward scored at 5:51 of the first period, then picked up his 1000th point assisting Tim Stutzle's goal at the 17:26 mark.

With the score tied 2-2 in the third period, a turnover near center ice sprung Shane Pinto for a partial breakaway. Giroux followed up with a backhand shot at the 9:37 mark for his 34th goal of the season, his 1001st career point and his 52nd career game-winning goal.

Ottawa (39-35-7, 85 points) has won its last two games. While the Senators will miss the playoffs, they finished their home schedule with a solid 24-14-3 record on home ice.

Stutzle added his 50th assist of the season. Brady Tkachuk had two assists.

Mads Sogaard stopped 27 of 29 shots, coming up particularly big against a Carolina flurry in the final moments of regulation.

The Hurricanes (50-21-9, 109 points) remain in first place in the Metropolitan Division, but are only one point ahead of the New Jersey Devils and two points ahead of the New York Rangers. A victory on Monday would've clinched Carolina at least a second-place finish and home-ice advantage in at least one playoff series.

Brett Pesce and Brent Burns scored for the Hurricanes, who fought back from a 2-0 deficit to tie the score on Burns' power-play marker at 2:23 of the third period. Martin Necas assisted on both goals. Frederik Andersen stopped 29 of 32 shots.

Carolina is 7-9-1 in its last 17 games, with only 39 goals scored.

Giroux is the 96th player in NHL history to reach the 1000-point threshold, with Joe Pavelski of the Dallas Stars also joining the club on Monday. Pavelski collected his 1000th point with a goal in the Stars' 6-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings.