COLUMBUS, Ohio – Clarke MacArthur and the Ottawa Senators used a big third period to put away the injury-riddled Columbus Blue Jackets.
MacArthur had two goals and an assist, and Ottawa beat Columbus 5-2 on Tuesday night in the Blue Jackets’ first game since star goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was sidelined by a broken finger.
“Our leadership group stepped up tonight on the road to make sure we went home with some points,” Senators coach Paul MacLean said.
Erik Karlsson added a goal and assist for Ottawa, which scored three times in the third while stopping a two-game slide. Zach Smith and Alex Chiasson also scored, Kyle Turris had two assists and Robin Lehner had 36 saves.
“We played pretty good hockey in the third period,” said MacArthur, who has four goals this season. “We gave up a couple of chances but Lehnny was right there to make the big saves when we needed him.”
David Savard and Cam Atkinson scored for Columbus, which has lost three in a row due in part to a rash of injuries.
Center Artem Anisimov went down after taking a shoulder in the second period that sent his helmet into the air and left him face down on the ice. Columbus coach Todd Richards said defenseman James Wisniewski broke a finger in the third and likely will miss one to two weeks.
“Whether I’ve done something or someone’s done something to the hockey gods, I’ve never seen any like this,” Richards said. “It seems like every time we play a game somebody is getting hurt. At least that’s what it feels like right now.”
Curtis McElhinney had 29 saves subbing for Bobrovsky, who was injured in practice on Monday and is expected to miss at least a week. It was McElhinney’s first appearance since injuring his neck in a goal-mouth collision on Oct. 18 in a 3-2 loss at Ottawa.
The Blue Jackets also had a scare in Sunday’s 5-2 loss at Los Angeles when Nick Foligno was carted off on a stretcher in a neck brace. Forwards Brandon Dubinsky, Boone Jenner and Nathan Horton have yet to play this season because of serious injuries.
While Columbus was struggling with injuries, Ottawa got better as the game went along.
“We stuck to it and executed when we had to,” Karlsson said.
The game was tied at 2 before Ottawa converted a 3-on-1 at 3:41 of the third period, with Karlsson beating McElhinney with a wrist shot for his third of the season.
“It was nice, Karl snuck it in five-hole there,” Lehner said. “It’s one of those good shots he does. A little sneaky. That’s why he’s one of the best.”
The Senators then got a power-play opportunity when Corey Tropp was issued a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for checking Mark Borowiecki into the corner dasher board from behind. Ottawa used a nice passing combination down low to make it 4-2 on Chiasson’s third of the season at 10:06. Borowiecki did not return.
“The specialty teams I think end up being the difference in the game,” MacLean said.
A minute later, MacArthur scored again, slipping home a bouncing puck that had eluded defenseman Ryan Murray.
Each team converted a power play in the first period. Savard fired a slap shot from the right circle for his second at 5:18. MacArthur tied it a minute later on a nifty waist-high redirection from the slot.
Ottawa made it 2-1 early in the second period on another redirection. After a sloppy Columbus breakout, Cody Ceci found Smith down low for his second.
At the 8:04 mark, Anisimov, with his head down skating near the puck, was leveled along the boards by Eric Gryba in what the on-ice officials called a hit to the head. Gryba was assessed a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct, but Columbus couldn’t convert the opportunity.
Columbus did respond with just over a minute left in the period. After a faceoff win and quick touch pass from Wisniewski, Atkinson scored from the right circle.
“Tonight, I thought the players took charge of it and did a real good job,” MacLean said.
NOTES: Rookie G Anton Forsberg was added to the Columbus roster on emergency recall from the team’s AHL affiliate. … Blue Jackets C Ryan Johansen’s eight-game points streak came to an end. … Lehner made 38 stops in Ottawa’s win over visiting Columbus on Oct. 18.
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