Final
  for this game

Hoffman, Sens down Blue Jackets

Oct 19, 2014 - 5:45 AM Ottawa, ON (SportsNetwork.com) - Mike Hoffman's goal midway through the third period helped the Ottawa Senators defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets, 3-2, on Saturday night.

David Legwand and Erik Karlsson also scored for the Senators, who have won four straight.

Robin Lehner stopped 38-of-40 shots in the win.

"We stuck with it and found a way to get two points," said Ottawa forward Chris Neil.

Nick Foligno had a goal and an assist and David Savard scored for Columbus, which has dropped two of its last three.

"That's the way we have to play, but Robin Lehner was really good tonight," Foligno said. "They made a lot of nice plays to get the lead. We probably could have had a little bit better of a start."

Curtis McElhinney turned aside 16-of-18 shots before leaving with an injury, and Sergei Bobrovsky served up the deciding tally, making 17 saves in defeat.

The Blue Jackets outshot Ottawa, 17-10, in the third, but it was Hoffman's goal that proved to be the difference.

Hoffman skated into the Columbus zone, made a nice move to split a pair of defenders and backhanded it over Bobrovsky for a 3-2 edge.

Earlier, Hoffman's nifty stick handling led to the first goal as he sent a pass to Legwand, who backhanded the puck through McElhinney's five-hole to give Ottawa a 1-0 lead.

The Senators added another goal on an unusual play with under 13 minutes left in the second. Karlsson skated into the Columbus zone and put a shot on goal that McElhinney originally saved, but a collision in the crease forced him to go crashing into his own net and a goal was awarded.

McElhinney was removed from the game with an apparent injury after the play.

Columbus got on the board when Scott Hartnell flicked a pass up ice to Foligno, who put a shot on net and Ottawa's Curtis Lazar deflected the rebound in with 6:03 remaining in the second.

Less than a minute later, Savard's slapshot beat Lehner to tie the game at 2-2.

Game Notes

Columbus went scoreless on three power plays, while Ottawa failed to convert on its two chances with the man advantage ... Hoffman was denied by McElhinney on a penalty shot in the first period after a holding call on James Wisniewski.