COLUMBUS-- The Columbus Blue Jackets won their season-high seventh straight game to maintain the first wild card from the Eastern Conference, 2-1 against the Ottawa Senators at Nationwide Arena on Saturday.
The Blue Jackets (39-28-5) are one point ahead of the New Jersey Devils for the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs and trail the Philadelphia Flyers for third place in the Metropolitan Division because they have one fewer regulation/overtime win (34-33). WATCH: [All Senators vs. Blue Jackets highlights] "This is one of those games that was tight," Blue Jackets forward Oliver Bjorkstrand said. "We tried to score goals. We got the lead and stuck with it. "We're feeling more comfortable having a tight game in the third. Tonight we did a good job of blocking the shots and being strong in the defensive zone."
Boone Jenner tied it and Markus Nutivaara scored the game-winner in the second period for Columbus. Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves. Alexandre Burrows scored for the Senators (26-34-11), who had won three in a row, including a 3-2 home win against the Dallas Stars on Friday. Mike Condon made 33 saves. "The effort's there. The heart's there, which is important," Condon said. "That's what we're asking of the guys right now." Ottawa is 5-3-1 in its past nine games and trails New Jersey by 19 points for the second wild card. Burrows made it 1-0 at 12:16 of the first period when he scored off a scramble at the crease. "That's how we drew it up as a line," he said. "We wanted to throw pucks in to create some traffic in front of Bobrovsky. We did that and got rewarded."
Jenner extended his goal streak to three games with his 10th at 16:21 to make it 1-1. He took advantage of a chip pass by Thomas Vanek that went over the stick of Ottawa defenseman Ben Harpur. "I can't overstate how important that goal was to get us tied," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "A huge play to get us even before they get a chance to get another." Jenner, who has six points (four goals, two assists) in a five-game point streak, has been playing on a line with Alex Wennberg and Thomas Vanek. "We feel comfortable together," Jenner said. "Each game we're talking a lot, communicating and seeing what we can do better. It's been fun playing with them." Nutivaara put Columbus ahead 2-1 at 16:01 of the second period on a power-play goal from the blue line with Vanek providing the screen. It was his first NHL game-winner (120 games). "We couldn't find a way to create enough offensively and put the puck in the net," Senators captain Erik Karlsson said. "They capitalized on the power play they got."
Ottawa forward Ryan Dzingel left with 10:25 remaining in the third period after a shot by teammate Mike Hoffman hit him in the back of the helmet. "He's fine," Senators coach Guy Boucher said. "More fear than anything right now."
Goal of the game
Nutivaara's goal at 16:01 of the second period.
Save of the game
Bobrovsky's save against Tom Pyatt at 15:08 of the third period.
Highlight of the game
Jenner's goal at 16:21 of the first period.
They said it
"We gave every bit we had. This was our back to back. They were waiting for us. This was our fourth back to back in 15 days and an all four were against teams that were not on the back to back. It's extremely difficult and our players have been fighting through it." -- Senators coach Guy Boucher "Our first period wasn't good for us the way we were competing and on pucks. They took it to us. The second period we were able to come back and get that big power-play goal. We played well in the second and had some good shifts in the third." -- Blue Jackets forward Boone Jenner
Need to know
Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones did not play because of an upper-body injury sustained March 8 against the Colorado Avalanche. … Jim O'Brien's assist on Burrows' goal was his first NHL point in five years and a day (March 16, 2013), a span of 18 games played. … The Blue Jackets have won seven straight at home, outscoring opponents 27-13. They are 26-3-2 when leading after two periods, including 17-0-0 at home.
What's next
Senators: Host the Florida Panthers on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET; TSN5, RDS, FS-F, NHL.TV) Blue Jackets: At the Boston Bruins on Monday (7 p.m. ET; SN, TVAS, NESN, FS-O, NHL.TV)
