Brady Tkachuk nets three as Senators top Jackets

Brady Tkachuk's second career hat trick propelled the Ottawa Senators to a 6-3 victory over the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.

Claude Giroux scored a goal and added two assists and Ridly Greig and Erik Brannstrom added the others for the Senators, who extended their winning streak to a season-best four games.

Anton Forsberg, returning to the Ottawa net after missing 11 games with a groin injury, made 37 saves to improve to 8-5-0 on home ice this season.

Dmitri Voronkov, Boone Jenner and Jack Roslovic scored for Columbus, which has lost back-to-back games since returning from the All-Star break. Daniil Tarasov stopped 24 shots in the loss.

Ottawa led 5-3 after the second period.

Greig gave Ottawa a 4-1 lead, redirecting a Vladimir Tarasenko point shot past Tarasov for his ninth of the season at 5:37 of the second.

Columbus scored twice in a 3:13 span to pull to within one.

Jenner put a shot glove-side past Forsberg at 10:41 of the middle frame for his team-leading 16th of the season.

Roslovic then beat Forsberg short side for his third of the season at 13:54, pulling the Blue Jackets within 4-3.

Tkachuk completed his hat trick by beating Tarasov stick side on a power play at 16:48 of the middle frame.

Brannstrom's empty-netter with eight seconds to play in the third capped the victory.

Columbus took an early 1-0 lead, but the Senators scored three unanswered to lead 3-1 after 20 minutes.

Voronkov opened the scoring by redirecting Kent Johnson's centering pass past Forsberg for his 13th of the season at 7:11.

Tkachuk responded with two goals in 48 seconds.

The Senators captain tied the game 1-1 on a power play at 9:48, one-timing a Josh Norris feed past Tarasov.

Tkachuk then gave Ottawa its first lead on a partial break, putting his own rebound past Tarasov at 10:36 for his 24th of the season.

Giroux made it 3-1, beating Tarasov glove-side, off the crossbar and in, for his 17th of the season on a power play at 14:46.

The Blue Jackets doubled up the Senators 4-2 on Dec. 1 in Columbus. The clubs conclude the season series in Columbus on March 14.