DEVILS 4, SENATORS 2: Ilya Kovalchuk scored twice and rookie Stephen Gionta added the game winner for his first NHL goal as New Jersey defeated visiting Ottawa for its sixth straight win.

Alexei Ponikarovsky drove hard to the net late in the third period and Gionta followed the play, cleaning up the rebound to give the Devils a 3-2 lead.

Kovalchuk concluded the scoring with an empty-netter for the Devils, who will face the Florida Panthers on the road to open the postseson.

The Senators dropped to eighth place in the East and will face the New York Rangers in the opening round of the playoffs.

Matt Gilroy opened the scoring for the Senators at 10:59 with his third goal of the campaign.

Kovalchuk tied the game 1-1 on a power play at 15:26 when he criss-crossed with Patrik Elias, took a pass from him and fired a wrister far-side on Anderson for his 36th of the season.

Jim O’Brien gave the Senators a 2-1 lead with his third goal of the season when he beat Martin Brodeur with a wrist-shot sort-side at 13:59.

Petr Sykora pulled New Jersey into a 2-2 tie at 17:43 of the middle frame by capping off a rare 5-on-1 rush. On the power play, Sykora snapped home his 21st of the season after a pretty passing play that started with Dainius Zubrus and rookie Adam Henrique.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Both Ottawa and New Jersey missed the playoffs last season. … New Jersey won three of four meetings between the clubs. … The Senators have lost three times in their last seven outings. … Elias extended his point-streak to five games. … Ottawa’s Jason Spezza had his six game point-streak snapped.