Tim Stutzle scored the tiebreaking goal late in the second period and Anton Forsberg stopped 35 shots as the visiting Ottawa Senators halted a three-game losing streak with Sunday night’s 2-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
After giving up a 1-0 edge late in the first period, Ottawa regained the lead for good with 3:58 left in the second period. Stutzle broke into the host’s zone, split the Blue Jackets’ defense and showed off some nifty stick-handling to beat Columbus netminder Elvis Merzlikins (31 saves).
Defenseman Artem Zub set a career high with his fourth goal for Ottawa, which regrouped and was able to bounce back after it blew a 2-0 third-period lead during a 3-2 overtime loss at Washington on Friday.
Stutzle has 11 points in his last 13 games for the Senators, who ended a 0-4-1 rut at Columbus.
Forsberg, meanwhile, was solid all night, allowing only Sean Kuraly’s goal with 34 seconds remaining in the opening period, to end his own 0-3-1 starting slide.
Losers of two in a row, the Blue Jackets were held to two or fewer goals for a fourth consecutive contest. Columbus has averaged just 2.7 goals while going 6-14-1 over its last 21 games. The Blue Jackets have dropped three straight and five of the last six at home.
Ottawa opened the scoring 7:59 into the first period. Zub, the second-year player who has recorded three goals in his last eight games, threw a hard wrister from just inside the blue line toward the net. The puck appeared to glance off Columbus’ Oliver Bjorkstrand, then got through some net-front traffic and by Merzlikins.
Columbus, though, tied the game with 34 seconds left in the opening frame. Positioning himself in front of the net, Kuraly pushed in a Jakub Voracek pass to give the hosts some momentum going into the first intermission.
Kuraly’s goal was his first since Dec. 7, snapping a 14-game scoring drought.
–Field Level Media