Blue Jackets struggle in 7-3 loss to Senators

By foxsports
Published

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Bobby Ryan, Mika Zibanejad and Kyle Turris each had a goal and an assist, Erik Karlsson added a career-high four assists, and the Ottawa Senators beat the struggling Columbus Blue Jackets 7-3 on Wednesday night.

Marc Methot, Milan Michalek, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Mike Hoffman also scored to help Ottawa improve to 3-0-0 on the road for the first time since 2007-08. Ryan Stone had two assists and Craig Anderson made 37 saves.

Brandon Saad, Boone Jenner and Brandon Dubinsky scored for Columbus and Ryan Johansen had two assists. The Blue Jackets have dropped their first four games in regulation for the first time in the franchise's 15-year history.

Former Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky came in with a 4.65 goals-against-average and was shaky from the start, finishing with just 21 saves.

The teams seemingly couldn't stop trading goals over the first half of the game until Ottawa bolted ahead, aided by more sloppy defensive play and botched coverage by the Blue Jackets that grew worse as the game wore on.

Trailing 3-2 midway through the second period, Turris -- after a flub clear by Dalton Prout -- took a slick pass from Stone behind the net and ripped a shot from in close for his fourth goal of the season -- first in 13 games against Columbus. An uncontested Zibanejad put the Senators ahead late in the period, slotting home a feed from Ryan for his first.

Ottawa kept it up in the third period. After a turnover in the neutral zone, Pageau grabbed the puck and zipped a shot in full-stride behind Bobrovsky for his second to make it 5-3 just 1:45 into the period. Nick Foligno's turnover trying to clear the lone led to Hoffman's easy score about 7 1/2 minutes later. Ryan scored into an empty net with 4:05 left.

Columbus opened the scoring for the first time this season when Saad gave Columbus its first lead since a 74-second stretch late in their season opener. All three of Saad's goals have come on the man advantage.

The Blue Jackets' lead didn't last long. Methot tied it about four minutes later on a deflected shot launched from the blue line.

But with just over a minute left in the period, Anderson wondered behind his net to play the puck and got stuck in traffic. Jenner grabbed it, curled around and squeezed the puck inside the near post for his first.

Then on the power play 1:44 into the second period -- after the Blue Jackets where whistled for too many men -- an unmarked Michalek tied it 2-2 with his second.

Dubinsky scored his first three minutes later to put Columbus ahead again, converting a 2-on-1 with Cam Atkinson.

NOTES: Ottawa's No.1 goalie Andrew Hammond, who has been sidelined with a groin injury, made his first appearance of the season, suiting up as Anderson's back up. He could make his debut Thursday at Pittsburgh against the 0-3-0 Penguins. ... Saad's three power-play goals ties his career high set with the Blackhawks two seasons ago. ... Ottawa's power play is 4 for 9 on the road. ... Karlsson has seven assists on the season with the other three also coming in one game -- a 5-4 shootout win Saturday at Toronto. ... Johansen has registered a point in each of Columbus' first four games. ... The Blue Jackets have been outscored 20-9.