Tim Stutzle's 2 goals propel Senators past Blue Jackets

Tim Stutzle scored twice to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 6-3 win over the host Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.

Drake Batherson and Michael Amadio each had a goal and two assists while David Perron and Claude Giroux added a goal and an assist apiece for the Senators, who had lost five of their previous six games. Dylan Cozens logged three assists, and Linus Ullmark made 23 saves.

Giroux, who now has 1,135 career points, passed Marian Hossa to move into 62nd place in NHL history.

Boone Jenner posted a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets, who lost their fourth consecutive contest (0-3-1). Dmitri Voronkov and defenseman Dante Fabbro also scored, and defenseman Zach Werenski had two assists.

Columbus' Elvis Merzlikins allowed three goals on five shots before being pulled in favor of Jet Greaves, who stopped 21 of the 23 shots he faced.

Ottawa led 4-1 after the first period.

The Senators scored on two of their first three shots as Perron and Batherson lit the lamp 1:13 apart. Perron one-handed in a loose puck from Merzlikins' left at 6:58, and Batherson soon connected from the high slot off a rush.

Batherson has three goals in his past two games and five in his past five.

Ottawa ended a three-game run in which its only goals came on the power play.

The Senators then did tally on a man advantage when Stutzle scored at 14:55 of the first. Ottawa's fifth power-play goal in the team's past five chances and sent Merzlikins to the showers.

Jenner, back after sitting out 14 games due to an upper-body injury, put Columbus on the board with 1:56 remaining in the opening period.

However, Amadio quickly solved Greaves, restoring the three-goal lead with 34 seconds left in the frame.

Second-period goals by Fabbro at 3:02 and Voronkov on a power play at 8:10 pulled the Blue Jackets within 4-3. However, Stutzle's second goal of the night, off a goalmouth scramble with 2:01 left in the second, made it 5-3.

Giroux added an empty-net goal with 1:23 left in the third period.

Ottawa's Lars Eller left during the second period because of a lower-body injury.

--Field Level Media