Music: {allcanada} Ottawa (16-18-4) at Columbus (19-15-3)

Thursday, December 30, 2010

{allcanada} Ottawa (16-18-4) at Columbus (19-15-3)

Game info: 7:00 pm EST Fri Dec 31, 2010
TV: RSNE, FSOH

Jason Spezza (notes) is out and Daniel Alfredsson (notes) is slumping, leaving the Ottawa Senators searching for someone to provide offense.

They didn't have any in their last game.

The Senators attempt to rebound from another shutout when they travel to face the Columbus Blue Jackets for the only time this season Friday night.

Ottawa (16-18-4) is among the lowest-scoring teams in the NHL, averaging 2.26 goals while being blanked five times. The Senators have scored more than three goals in just one of their last 23 games - a 6-5 overtime loss to Colorado on Dec. 17.

Losing Spezza indefinitely to a right shoulder injury and a scoring funk by Alfredsson isn't helping.

Alfredsson, the team leader with 11 goals and second with 22 points, has three goals and one assist in 17 games, and no points in the last four.

All of the Senators came up empty Wednesday in a 4-0 loss to Carolina in their first game without Spezza.

"People have got to step up, myself included," left wing Nick Foligno (notes) said. "I've got to be more consistent. We didn't get the job done (Wednesday) but it doesn't mean we're not going to. We're going to continue to work here. We're going to find some answers.

"(Spezza is) a big piece of our puzzle here. It hurts not to have him in the lineup but we know we have guys on this team that can get the job done."

Foligno, who has four goals and eight assists, scored the game-winner in a 2-1 victory over Columbus (19-15-3) on Nov. 26, 2009. Spezza had Ottawa's first goal.

Playing on the road could benefit Alfredsson, who has scored eight goals away from Ottawa this season. He hasn't managed a point in his last three games against Columbus, though.

The Blue Jackets are looking for their first three-game winning streak since a season-high five-game run from Nov. 17-24.

They're 5-9-3 since, but have followed Monday's 4-3 shootout win over Minnesota with a 3-2 victory at Toronto on Thursday.

Continued production from Kristian Huselius (notes) could keep that run going. The left wing scored twice against the Maple Leafs after getting an assist two nights prior.

He has eight goals and three assists in 15 games after missing 22 with a foot injury.

Huselius, who has topped 20 goals in seven of his last eight seasons, scored the Blue Jackets' lone goal against Ottawa last season.

Rick Nash (notes), who had two assists in each of the last two games, is trying to end a season-high eight-game goal drought. Columbus' captain has just four goals over his last 17 contests, but still leads the team with 17 goals and 30 points.

He hasn't managed a point in the two most recent meetings with the Senators after scoring three times in the previous two.