Sergei Bobrovsky made 22 saves, and Matt Duchene's first game with the Columbus Blue Jackets was a 3-0 win over his former team, the Ottawa Senators, on Friday night.
Duchene, who was dealt by Ottawa to Columbus hours before the game, was held pointless. Josh Anderson, Cam Atkinson and Oliver Bjorkstrand scored for the Blue Jackets.
Craig Anderson made 37 saves for the Senators, who were shut out for the second straight game and have lost three straight.
Columbus Blue Jackets' Matt Duchene skates during warmups before NHL hockey game action against the Ottawa Senators in Ottawa, Friday, Feb. 22, 2019. (Fred ChartrandThe Canadian Press via AP)
Ottawa has gone 125 minutes and 17 seconds since its last goal. The Senators lost 8-7 to Chicago on Monday, the last game in which they had Duchene, Mark Stone and Ryan Dzingel in the lineup. The trio has scored 77 of the Senators' 186 goals this season. Dzingel and Stone were scratched again Friday as the struggling Senators move forward with a rebuild.
Atkinson scored on a short-handed breakaway at 6:45 of the third period to put Columbus ahead 2-0. Bjorkstrand put the game out of reach with 2:46 remaining.
Duchene received an ovation from the crowd when he was introduced in the starting lineup. He was then mildly booed when he touched the puck during his second shift of the game, and again applauded during a short video tribute.
Columbus Blue Jackets' Matt Duchene's (95) shot is blocked by Ottawa Senators' Maxime Lajoie (58) during first-period NHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Friday, Feb. 22, 2019. (Fred ChartrandThe Canadian Press via AP)
The Blue Jackets led 1-0 through 40 minutes, but the main reason for that was the play of Craig Anderson, who kept the game from turning into a blowout.
The Blue Jackets had the game's first four power plays and directed seven shots at Anderson, who stopped them all.
Columbus got on the board at 14:43 of the first period when Josh Anderson put a one-timer from the face-off circle behind Craig Anderson following a pass from the corner by Pierre-Luc Dubois.
Ottawa Senators' Bobby Ryan (9) battles with Columbus Blue Jackets' Seth Jones (3) as Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) keeps his eyes on the puck during second-period NHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Friday, Feb. 22, 2019. (Fred ChartrandThe Canadian Press via AP)
Craig Anderson turned aside all 17 Columbus shots in the second period, including a short-handed breakaway by Boone Jenner.
NOTES: Adam Clendening, Alexander Wennberg and Lukas Sedlak were scratches for the Blue Jackets. ... The Senators returned LW Darren Archibald and D Cody Goloubef to AHL Belleville and recalled RW Drake Batherson and C Logan Brown on Friday. ... Jackets winger Artemi Panarin played his 300th career game.
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Columbus Blue Jackets' Cam Atkinson (13) scores against Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson (41) during third-period NHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Friday, Feb. 22, 2019. (Fred ChartrandThe Canadian Press via AP)
Blue Jackets: Host San Jose on Saturday night.
Senators: Host Calgary on Sunday.
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