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 The Columbus Blue Jackets came up empty on their rush, leading
the Ottawa Senators down the ice in the other direction.
Defenseman Erik Karlsson finished the play with a slap shot from the
high slot, putting the Senators up 3-2 and spurring a dominating
third period that led Ottawa to a 5-2 win before 14,749 in
Nationwide Arena on Tuesday.
"Three guys coming at our net, and then four guys going back to
theirs," Ottawa coach Paul MacLean said. "We ended up getting the
goal, and that was a key sequence in the game.
"We had a really good second period. But we took off after that
goal, and maybe they drew back a little bit."
Left winger Clarke MacArthur had two goals and an assist, while
right winger Alex Chiasson and left winger Zack Smith also scored
for the Senators, while goaltender Robin Lehner had 36 saves.
The game featured two ejections -- Columbus right winger Corey Tropp
and Ottawa defenseman Eric Gryba were given game misconducts -- and
at least two hits that will get a closer look by the league for
supplemental discipline.
 The Blue Jackets got goals from defenseman David Savard and right
wing Cam Atkinson. Goaltender Curtis McElhinney -- subbing for
injured starter Sergei Bobrovsky -- stopped 29 shots.
It was another devastating night on the injury front for the Blue
Jackets.
Center Artem Anisimov left the game midway through the second with a
head injury after he was rattled by a hit from Ottawa's Eric Gryba,
and defenseman James Wisniewski missed most of the third period
after suffering a broken finger.
"Whether I've done something, or somebody's done something to the
hockey gods ... I've never seen anything like this," Blue Jackets
coach Todd Richards said.
"It seems like every time we play a game, somebody's getting hurt.
At least that's what it feels like right now."
Anisimov is day-to-day. Wisniewski is expected to miss two weeks.
They join a growing injury list that already includes Bobrovsky
(broken finger) and forwards Brandon Dubinsky (abdominal surgery),
Nathan Horton (back), Boone Jenner (broken hand) and Matt Calvert
(upper body).
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"I'm kind of sick of talking about it, actually," right wing
Jared Boll said. "I mean, the games aren't going to stop. We have to
keep playing. We have good guys, good players in this room. Yeah,
it's tough, but there are no excuses."
The Blue Jackets appeared to have a prime shot at breaking a 2-2 tie
early in the third period, but a three-on-two rush fizzled when
center Ryan Johansen passed instead of shooting.
Worse for Columbus, the Senators came the other way on a
three-on-one, leading Karlsson's game-winner at 3:41.
Chiasson's goal came at 10:04 of the third and made it 4-2. It was
scored with 26 seconds remaining in a five-minute power play made
possible by Tropp's thunderous hit from behind on Senators
defenseman Mark Borowiecki.
Only 1:02 later, MacArthur scored his second of the night off the
rush when the puck hopped over the stick blade of Blue Jackets
defenseman Ryan Murray.
NOTES: G Robin Lehner could miss Thursday's game against Chicago
because his girlfriend is scheduled to give birth by Caesarean
section earlier that day. ... Blue Jackets C Ryan Johansen has a
point in all nine games this season, one short of the franchise's
point-streak record. ... Blue Jackets RW Cam Atkinson, who needed
40-plus stitches to close a cut near his right eye on Friday in
Anaheim, returned to the lineup after a one-game absence. Atkinson
was kicked in the face inadvertently by Anaheim C Ryan Kesler. ...
Ottawa D Jared Cowen was back in the lineup after five consecutive
healthy scratches.
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