PREVIEW: Blue Jackets host Senators to kick off homestand

In life, sometimes when things are going wrong, you just have to get back to basics.

That’s what the Blue Jackets were saying after another frustrating setback Tuesday in Carolina. Columbus played one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference largely even for the first two periods, then watched the Hurricanes pull away to a 4-1 victory thanks to a trio of third-period goals.

It ended a quick road trip in which the Blue Jackets lost all three games, first an overtime decision Saturday at Florida before a shutout loss Sunday at Washington and then Tuesday’s setback. Columbus was ahead, tied or down by just one goal at some point in the third period of all three games but was unable to finish off a victory.

So, where do the Blue Jackets go from here as they continue to chase the rest of the Metropolitan Division pack?

“I think just stick together,” defenseman Dante Fabbro said. “I think that’s the biggest thing. We’ve done it well so far, and it’s a very tight-knit group in here. So I think the more we can band together and continue to stick together out there, it’s going to be for our benefit. But this league is about production and winning. We have to just try and find ways to win here.”

And that’s where it goes back to keeping things simple. The Blue Jackets preached patience against Carolina, one of the most aggressive and smothering teams in the league, but gave up the game-deciding goal on a neutral-zone turnover in the third period. Offensively, they finished with 24 shots on goal but felt they left too many opportunities on the ice by looking for the perfect shot.

“We just weren’t shooting,” center Adam Fantilli said. “I thought we overpassed a little bit too much, and sometimes the first play is the right play and you gotta shoot it. I was guilty of it tonight, and it cost us. It really did. We gotta recognize when we’re in those golden areas and we gotta shoot the puck. Can’t score if you don’t shoot.”

The message was similar from head coach Dean Evason, who said postgame the Blue Jackets had to return to basics going into tonight’s matchup with an Ottawa team that’s also battling to stay in the playoff race.

“We’ve got to shoot more pucks and simplify our game a little bit,” Evason said. “We tried to get cute on some occasions and tried to get right in front of the net as opposed to just shooting, looking for second and third opportunities. So we’ll rest up tomorrow and get ready to go again two days from now.”

Scratches: F Zach Aston-Reese, D Jake Christiansen

Injured reserve/Non-Roster: F Mathieu Olivier (upper body injury), D Erik Gudbranson (upper body injury), F Boone Jenner (upper body injury)

Roster Report: The Blue Jackets were off Wednesday after playing three games in four days on the road trip, so any changes to the lineup – including the potential return of Jenner – will be discussed at the team’s morning skate.

This Day in CBJ History

Dec. 11, 2005: Nikolai Zherdev tallies twice and Bryan Berard wins by scoring with just 14 seconds left in overtime past Martin Brodeur as the Blue Jackets win a 3-2 final vs. New Jersey at Nationwide Arena.

Dec. 11, 2014: Nick Foligno tallies on the power play with 19 seconds remaining in overtime for his second goal of the game, and the Blue Jackets win their fifth straight contest, taking a 3-2 decision at Washington.

Dec. 11, 2021: Max Domi tallies twice and Jake Bean scores his second overtime goal of the season 55 seconds into the extra frame as the Blue Jackets capture a 5-4 final at Seattle.

Dec. 11, 2022: Johnny Gaudreau’s overtime goal gives the Blue Jackets a 6-5 win over Los Angeles at Nationwide Arena. Kirill Marchenko scores his first career goal in the victory, while Jack Roslovic has two goals and two assists.

The Numbers Game

Yegor Chinakhov is set to play in his 200th career NHL game, while Zach Werenski tied David Savard for fifth all-time in games in CBJ history Tuesday by playing in his 597th contest. ... Werenski remains third among NHL defensemen in goals (nine), second in points (30), first in shots on goal (112), second in average ice time (26:38) and first in multipoint games (10). He has points in 11 of the last 14 games (5-14-19) and is tied for fifth in the NHL in scoring in that span. ... Sean Monahan has three goals and four assists in the last six games. … Blue Jackets defensemen have scored 22 goals this season, one behind Washington for the most in the NHL. … Jet Greaves has posted a .915 save percentage in his last 10 starts and is eighth in the league in goals saved above average per 60 minutes according to MoneyPuck.com. ... Denton Mateychuk’s six goals tie for seventh among NHL defensemen. ... Adam Fantilli has scored 35 goals in 2025, fourth most ever by a CBJ player in a calendar year behind just Rick Nash (43 in 2009, 39 in 2006) and Cam Atkinson (42 in 2018). ... Miles Wood is one goal away from 100 in his NHL career. ... Columbus has points in eight straight games in Nationwide Arena (5-0-3). ... The Blue Jackets have five power-play goals in the last five games (5-16, 31.3 percent). ... Brendan Gaunce is set to play in his 199th career game.

Know The Foe: Ottawa Senators

Head coach: Travis Green (Second season)

Team stats: Goals per game: 3.00 (T-15th) | Scoring defense: 3.31 (24th) | PP: 24.7 percent (5th) | PK: 70.7 percent (31st)

The narrative: A year ago, a talented young core led by forwards Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stützle, Shane Pinto, Ridly Greig and Jake Sanderson helped the Sens break a seven-year streak without postseason hockey, as Ottawa returned to the Stanley Cup Playoffs only to fall to Toronto in the first round. The next step is to build on that, and Ottawa – just like Columbus – has been up and down in the early going, as the Sens sit just two points out of last place in the Eastern Conference in large part because of defensive lapses and a struggling PK.

Scoring leaders: One of the reasons the Sens have been inconsistent out of the gate is the fact captain Brady Tkachuk missed 20 games with a hand injury, limiting him to a 1-8-9 line in nine games thus far. Stützle and Drake Batherson lead the way with matching 12-14-26 lines, with Sanderson – the son of former CBJ forward Geoff Sanderson – pacing the defense with six goals and 24 points, good for eighth among NHL blueliners. Acquired late last season from Buffalo, Dylan Cozens has a 9-10-19 line, while Pinto has 12 goals.

In net: Ottawa has used just two goalies on the year, but both have struggled to get going. Linus Ullmark has made 22 starts and given up an NHL-most 68 goals while posting a 10-8-4 record, 3.05 GAA and .877 save percentage. Youngster Leevi Meriläinen is 3-4-0 with a 3.36 GAA and .876 SV%.

What's new: Injuries have taken a toll in the early going, as not only did Tkachuk miss time, but Pinto (lower body) and star defenseman Thomas Chabot (upper body) are currently out of commission. Ottawa comes in having lost three straight and five of the last six, with all six tallies in the last three games coming on the power play.

Trending: The Blue Jackets have points in five straight matchups (3-0-2) between the teams in Nationwide Arena, including a 5-2 victory in last season's Columbus matchup April 8.

Former CBJ: None