Blue Jackets remain second wild card, top Senators

OTTAWA --The Columbus Blue Jackets remained the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference despite a 6-2 win against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday.

"We got through it without injuries," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "That's the most important thing."
Columbus (47-31-4), which won seven of its final eight games, will play the Tampa Bay Lightning, who won the Presidents' Trophy, in the first round of the playoffs. The Blue Jackets finished one point behind the Carolina Hurricanes for the first wild card.
Pierre-Luc Dubois scored twice, Oliver Bjorkstrand had a goal and two assists, and Joonas Korpisalo made 27 saves.
"We always want to finish on a good note. Just get into our game, feel good about your game going into the playoffs," Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno said. "I thought, for the most part, we did that. It's obviously a tricky game with not much at stake, but we did a lot of the good things and found a way to get a big win on the road and take that into the playoffs."
WATCH: [All Blue Jackets vs. Senators highlights]
Thomas Chabot and Mikkel Boedker scored for Ottawa (29-47-6), which lost three of its final four games. Craig Anderson allowed three goals on seven shots before being pulled in the first period. He was replaced by Anders Nilsson, who made 17 saves.
"Obviously, we didn't help [Anderson] at all," Chabot said. "Most of the goals that got scored, there's nothing really he could do."
Dubois scored short side from low in the left circle to give the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead at 3:39 of the first period.
Bjorkstrand deked Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki at the point before sending a cross-ice pass to Markus Nutivaara, who scored with a one-timer to make it 2-0 at 9:08.

Dubois extended the lead to 3-0 at 10:33 when Senators defenseman Dylan DeMelo's clearing attempt deflected off Dubois' stick and off Anderson into the net.
"We made a couple of mistakes tonight of trying to make plays that were difficult plays, the little passes into the center," Senators coach Marc Crawford said. "Those are plays that you make when you're sure. You don't make them under pressure."
Chabot scored on a backhand in the slot following a turnover by Matt Duchene to cut it to 3-1 at 8:50 of the second period, but Alexandre Texier scored his first NHL goal on a 2-on-1 to make it 4-1 at 15:35. Tortorella said Texier earned a spot on the postseason roster and will play in the playoffs.

Boedker took a pass from Chris Tierney from below the goal line and scored on a snap shot alone in the slot to cut it to 4-2 at 6:32 of the third period.
Bjorkstrand one-timed a turnover by Senators defenseman Andreas Englund in the slot to make it 5-2 at 9:28, and Riley Nash scored into an empty net to extend the lead to 6-2 with 1:17 remaining.
"It's probably been one of the most interesting years I've been involved in, as far as our locker room," Tortorella said. "Really good process within our locker room, a lot of things going on in there. Now you move by it. … Wipe that clean. Get into a philosophy of how we have to play against Tampa, because we do have to make some adjustments to our game. We'll start getting to work on that Monday with the guys."

They said it

"I think once you get to the playoffs -- there's 16 teams in there -- whether you're the first to get in or the last one to get in, it's the playoffs. It's a completely new season. It's a new game. It's not the same game, it tightens up quite a bit. A lot changes. Just to be in there, everyone has a chance." -- Blue Jackets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois
"Obviously, [Tampa Bay] can score, so we've got to defend well. But we can score, too. That's a team that likes to open it up a little bit and obviously they're going to play a little different now that it's playoffs. But I believe we can compete with anyone in this League. We've got to believe that." -- Blue Jackets forward Matt Duchene
"It wasn't the year that we wanted, success wise, but I think at the end of the day, we have some positives. We have a lot of young guys that took a big step this year, that got a big role that might not have gotten that early in their career."-- Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot

Need to know

Texier was playing in his second NHL game after being recalled from Cleveland of the American Hockey League on Thursday.

What's next

Blue Jackets: At Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of Eastern Conference First Round (TBD)
Senators: Season over