Senators at Blue Jackets
Sergei Bobrovsky and the Columbus Blue Jackets have the most wins in the NHL this season, but victories have been in short supply in their last several encounters with the Ottawa Senators. Bobrovsky will look to help the Blue Jackets record consecutive wins for the first time since emerging victorious in a franchise-best 16 straight contests when they host the Senators on Thursday.
Boone Jenner, who has three goals and two assists in his last five games, scored in his third straight contest in Tuesday's 4-1 triumph over Carolina and has tallied in his last three meetings with Ottawa. "He's beginning to find the net," coach John Tortorella said of the 23-year-old Jenner, who has mustered just nine goals this season after erupting for 30 in 2015-16. Senators captain Erik Karlsson hasn't been shy with his offense in this or any other season, recording four of his team-leading 29 assists during his three-game point streak, including one in Tuesday's 6-4 victory over St. Louis to open a three-game road trip. Karlsson had a career-best four assists in a 7-3 rout of Columbus on Oct. 14, 2015 and scored two goals and set up another in a 3-0 victory over the Blue Jackets the following month to help Ottawa claim five of the last seven meetings.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN5, RDS (Ottawa), FSN Ohio (Columbus)
ABOUT THE SENATORS (23-15-4): Mark Stone and Mike Hoffman each scored twice versus the Blues to continue their respective offensive surges, with the former collecting 26 points (12 goals, 14 assists) in his last 24 games while the latter has 24 (11 goals, 13 assists) in his past 22. Fellow forward Kyle Turris, who is tied with Stone for the team lead in goals (15), set up a pair of tallies on Tuesday to increase his point total to 11 (three goals, eight assists) in his last 11 games. "We've asked our players to improve since Christmas at driving the net and paying the price around the net and we certainly did that with the goals that we had," Senators coach Guy Boucher said of the power surge.
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (30-9-4): Bobrovsky made a triumphant return to the crease following a three-game absence due to illness, turning aside 24 shots versus the Hurricanes. The 2013 Vezina Trophy winner has himself in a strong position to receive the hardware again at the end of this season with a league-best 27 wins to go along with a 1.97 goals-against average and .932 save percentage. Bobrovsky has permitted just 12 goals while recording a .952 save percentage to win his last nine home games, although he was blitzed for six goals the last time the Senators paid a visit to Nationwide Arena.
OVERTIME
1. Columbus RW Cam Atkinson has erupted for 22 points (13 goals, nine assists) in his past 20 games.
2. Ottawa has four power-play goals in its last four contests after going 0-for-14 in the previous four.
3. Columbus has won 10 of its last 11 games at Nationwide Arena to improve to 17-4-1 at home this season.