Stützle scores 2 as Senators use 4-goal 1st period to beat Blue Jackets 6–3

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Tim Stützle scored twice, and the Ottawa Senators used a four-goal first period to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 6–3 on Thursday night, snapping a three-game skid.

Michael Amadio had a goal and two assists, David Perron and Drake Batherson each had a goal and an assist, and Claude Giroux also scored. Dylan Cozens finished with three assists, and Linus Ullmark made 22 saves for Ottawa, which had lost six of its past eight but has now won two straight on the road.

Boone Jenner had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets in his first game back after missing 14 with an upper-body injury. Dante Fabbro and Dmitri Voronkov also scored, and Zach Werenski added two assists as Columbus dropped its fourth straight.

Elvis Merzlikins was pulled after making two saves on five shots, allowing three goals for the 12th time in 13 starts. Jet Greaves stopped 21 in relief.

Perron opened the scoring at 6:58 of the first, poking in a loose rebound, and Batherson doubled the lead just over a minute later with a wrister from outside the crease. Stützle’s power-play goal with 5:05 left in the period made it 3–0 and sent Merzlikins to the bench.

Jenner cut the deficit with 1:56 remaining in the first, but Amadio restored Ottawa’s three-goal lead with 34 seconds to go.

Fabbro made it 4–2 at 3:02 of the second, and Voronkov pulled Columbus within one on a power play at 8:10. Stützle answered with his second of the night with 2:01 to go in the period, and Giroux sealed the win with an empty-netter with 1:23 remaining in the game.

Up next

Senators: At Minnesota on Saturday.

Blue Jackets: Host Las Vegas on Saturday.

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AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL