COLUMBUS, Ohio (Interstat) — The Ottawa Senators scored four times in the first period and cruised to a 6-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on Thursday. Tim Stuetzle scored twice and Michael Amadio had a goal and two assists for the Senators, who snapped a three-game skid. Ottawa’s top line combined for eight points, with Drake Batherson and Dylan Cozens each recording three assists. Boone Jenner had a goal and an assist for Columbus. The Blue Jackets, who entered as narrow pregame favorites, could not recover from the early deficit. Ottawa improved to 14-16. Columbus fell to 13-18.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Interstat) — The Ottawa Senators erupted for four first-period goals and cruised to a 6-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night at Nationwide Arena, snapping a three-game losing streak. Tim Stuetzle scored twice and Michael Amadio contributed a goal and two assists as the Senators overwhelmed the Blue Jackets early, chasing starting goaltender Elvis Merzlikins before the game was nine minutes old. Ottawa improved to 14-16, while Columbus fell to 13-18 before an announced crowd of 15,059. The Senators needed just 6 minutes, 58 seconds to build a 3-0 lead, capitalizing on a disorganized Blue Jackets defense. David Perron opened the scoring at 1:14 of the first, converting a backhand chance off assists from Dylan Cozens and Drake Batherson. Stuetzle made it 2-0 at 4:55 on a power-play wrist shot, with Batherson and Cozens again providing the helpers. Batherson then scored Ottawa’s third goal at 8:11, finishing a play set up by Perron and Cozens, which ended Merzlikins’ night after he allowed three goals on six shots. Columbus captain Boone Jenner briefly halted the onslaught, tipping in an Adam Fantilli pass at 18:04 to cut the deficit to 3-1. But Ottawa responded just 82 seconds later when Amadio buried a backhand off a feed from Claude Giroux, restoring the three-goal lead before the first intermission. The Blue Jackets showed some pushback in the second period. Dmitri Voronkov tipped in a Kirill Marchenko shot during a power play at 16:10, and defenseman Dante Fabbro blasted a slap shot past Ottawa goaltender Linus Ullmark at 6:02, bringing Columbus within 4-3. Any momentum for the home team was extinguished in the final minute of the second period. Stuetzle netted his second of the night, tipping an Artem Zub shot past replacement goaltender Jet Greaves with just 1.1 seconds remaining. The goal, assisted by Amadio and Zub, sent Ottawa to the locker room with a 5-3 advantage. The Senators locked down the game in the third period, limiting Columbus to 10 shots. Giroux sealed the victory with a wrist shot at 14:37, assisted by Amadio, for the final 6-3 margin. Ullmark made 30 saves for Ottawa. Greaves stopped 32 of 34 shots in relief for Columbus. Amadio, named the game’s top star, led all Ottawa skaters with three points. Cozens finished with three assists, while Batherson and Perron each had a goal and an assist. For Columbus, Jenner had a goal and an assist, and Zach Werenski recorded two assists. The game featured only three penalties. Columbus’ Charlie Coyle was called for holding in the first period, Ottawa was flagged for too many men in the second, and Columbus’ Cole Sillinger received a high-sticking minor in the third. The result defied the pregame projection from National Statistical’s game simulator, which had forecast a 3-2 Columbus victory. Ottawa, installed as a 1.5-goal favorite, also surpassed its 51.3% win probability in the ELO system. The combined nine goals went over the betting total of 6.5. Ottawa concludes its two-game road trip Saturday at Minnesota. Columbus continues a four-game homestand Saturday against Vegas.

Preview: Senators at Blue Jackets COLUMBUS, Ohio (Interstat) — Two teams seeking to stabilize their seasons will meet Thursday night when the Ottawa Senators visit the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. Both clubs enter the matchup with nearly identical records. The Senators are 13-15-0, while the Blue Jackets sit at 13-16-1, placing them near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. The game represents a critical opportunity for both to gain ground. Ottawa arrives after a 2-1 home loss to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, a game in which goaltender Linus Ullmark stopped 18 of 20 shots. Ullmark is expected to start and will be a key player to watch. In his last eight appearances, he is 4-3-1, including a 5-2 victory over Montreal on Dec. 2 where he made 19 saves. His performance will be vital for a Senators team that has lost three of its last four. Columbus looks to rebound from a 2-0 shutout loss in Washington on Sunday. The Blue Jackets’ offense has been inconsistent, scoring six goals in a shootout win over Detroit on Dec. 4 before being blanked by the Capitals. Center Kent Johnson, one of the team’s emerging talents, will be counted on to provide a spark. He scored a goal in the win over Detroit but was held without a point in the two subsequent losses, managing six shots on goal combined. The Senators have struggled on the road recently, with a 2-3-0 record in their last five games away from home, including a 6-1 defeat in Dallas on Nov. 30. Columbus has found points in three of its last five home contests (2-2-1), but defense has been an issue, allowing 22 goals over that stretch. This contest opens a three-game road trip for Ottawa, which travels to Minnesota on Saturday. Columbus begins a brief two-game homestand before hosting Vegas on Saturday. The teams will meet again in Ottawa on Dec. 29. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST.