Senators 2, Bruins 0 .

BOSTON - Brian Elliott stopped 31 shots, earning his first shutout this season, and Erik Karlsson and Daniel Alfredsson scored goals as the Ottawa Senators blanked the Boston Bruins 2-0 on Saturday night.

One game after giving up four third-period goals in a 6-2 loss to Vancouver, the Senators took the early lead. Elliott held off the Bruins for Ottawa's seventh win in nine games and its third straight in Boston.

"We just wanted to make sure we bounced back," Alfredsson said. "We didn't want this to turn into a two- (or) three-game losing streak."

The Senators learned on Saturday that assistant coach Luke Richardson's 14-year-old daughter, Daron, had died. After the game, coach Cory Clouston broke down when asked about it.

"I don't think anyone can (understand), but you can imagine and it is probably worse than what you can imagine," Alfredsson said. "It's tragic. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, and hopefully they can cope with this as best as possible."

Richardson was not with the team, a Senators spokesman said.

Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas had been 8-0 this season, earning the win in each of Boston's victories. The Bruins were shut out for the first time and have lost four of five since opening with seven wins in nine games.

Thomas stopped 31 shots, but he fell behind 1-0 midway through the first period when Karlsson got the puck off a faceoff in the Boston zone and wristed it through traffic and into the net.

Boston appeared to tie it in the second period when Zdeno Chara's shot from the right circle squeezed between Elliott's left shoulder and the post before it landed on the goal line. Blake Wheeler dove for it, but his stick went over the puck and, as he slid into the net, he knocked it in with his glove.

The referee immediately waved off the goal, and the replay confirmed his call.With eight minutes left in the second, the Bruins got a short-handed breakaway when two Senators collided at mid-ice and fell. Patrice Bergeron went in alone, but Elliott made the save with his blocker.

The Senators took a 2-0 lead with 15:45 left in the game when Milan Michalek crossed the puck over to Alfredsson, who had an open net to shoot at. Alfredsson has seven goals and four assists in 11 games.

It was Elliott's seventh career shutout.

NOTES: Mark Recchi, who was sent off for fighting with Chris Campoli in the third period, earned his 1,003rd penalty minute. He is the 30th player in NHL history with at least 1,000 points (1,494) and 1,000 penalty minutes. It was his first fight since 2004 ... The Bruins won in Ottawa 4-0 on Oct. 30 ... Ottawa D Filip Kuba was back in the lineup for the first time since breaking his right leg Sept. 18. He missed miss 16 games ... Matt Carkner and Elliott played their 100th career games for Ottawa ... The Senators' road trip continues Monday in Philadelphia against the Flyers (7 p.m., Rogers Sportsnet East, Team 1200).