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Winless Blue Jackets head to Ottawa

Oct 22, 2011 - 5:07 PM (Sports Network) - The Columbus Blue Jackets will once again try for its first win of the season when they visit the Ottawa Senators for tonight's contest at Scotiabank Place.

The Blue Jackets entered this season with high hopes, but instead the club has suffered through the worst start in franchise history. Columbus is 0-6-1 on the season and has scored two goals in every single game.

This is the first time the Jackets have ever opened the season with seven straight losses.

Columbus was dealt its most recent defeat Friday evening in Detroit, as Johan Franzen posted two goals and an assist in a 5-2 victory for the Red Wings.

"These are tough times right now. We got to make sure we stick together, stay upbeat and try to get out of this," Blue Jackets center Rick Nash said about his team's start to the season.

Aaron Johnson had a goal and an assist for the Jackets, while Steve Mason made 28 saves in another losing effort.

With goaltenders Curtis Sanford and Mark Dekanich still out with injuries, Mason has started all seven games this season. Mathieu Corbeil, a 20-year-old rookie with no NHL experience, had been serving as Mason's backup, but he was recently sent back to his junior team in the QMJHL. Allen York, a 22-year-old who also has never seen action in an NHL game, backed up Mason on Friday.

Also, prior to tonight's game, the Blue Jackets placed defenseman Radek Martinek on injured reserve and added fellow blueliner John Moore to the roster on emergency recall from the Springfield Falcons of the AHL.

Martinek suffered an apparent concussion on his first shift Friday when he was hit by Detroit's Darren Helm. The Blue Jackets have said that Martinek is expected to miss at least one week, but this is his second concussion in less than six months. The Czech Republic native also suffered a head injury at the World Championships in May.

Although they've lost Martinek for now, Columbus will get defenseman James Wisniewski back in their next game. Wisniewski, who was signed to a six-year, $33 million deal this summer, was suspended for 11 games, including the first eight tests of the regular season, for a hit to the head of Minnesota's Cal Clutterbuck in the preseason.

Wisniewski, who will be eligible to return in Tuesday's game against Detroit, had 10 goals and 51 points in 75 combined games with Montreal and the Islanders last year.

The good news for Columbus tonight is that it has won four of its last five matchups with the Senators. However, Ottawa is 3-0-1 with a tie in the five all-time meetings at Scotiabank Place.

The Senators have just two wins in their first seven games of the year, but Ottawa is coming off Thursday's victory over Winnipeg. The 4-1 decision ended a three-game slide and marked just the third time this year that Ottawa allowed less than five goals in a game.

Milan Michalek had two goals and an assist while Jason Spezza added a goal and two assists for the Senators.

"We talked about it before the game that we had to come out with our best effort," said Spezza. "We backed it up tonight and did a real solid job out there."

Craig Anderson made 35 saves to help the Sens shut down the Jets.

Peter Regin left the first period of Thursday's game with a shoulder injury and will miss tonight's contest. Regin, who has one goal and two assists in five games this year, re-injured his left shoulder in a collision with Winnipeg's Nik Antropov. The original injury caused Regin to sit out Ottawa's first two games of the season.

Ottawa is closing out a three-game homestand tonight and is 2-2-0 as the host so far this season.