The suddenly sizzling Blue Jackets scored a club-record five power-play goals Sunday night in Columbus en route to a 6-2 pasting of the hurting Ottawa Senators.

Rick Nash scored twice with the man advantage in the first period before Dan Fritsche duplicated the feat in the second frame for Columbus, which won its fourth straight.

The Blue Jackets' Dan Fritsche, foreground, celebrates a goal while the Senators' Joe Corvo skates in the background during the second period of Sunday's game in Columbus. (Terry Gilliam/Associated Press)

Ron Hainsey also scored on the power play in the second, and Manny Malhotra rounded out the game's scoring with an even-strength marker in the third for the Blue Jackets, who improved to 10-16-2 on the season.

The Blue Jackets are now 5-3 under new coach Ken Hitchcock, a span during which they've outscored opponents 26-12.

"Everyone's buying into the system Coach Hitchcock has put in," Fritsche said. "It makes it so much easier."

Columbus ended up 5-of-11 with the man advantage Sunday.

"Our power play's had good rotation now for almost two weeks," said Hitchcock, brought aboard on Nov. 22 to replace the fired Gerard Gallant.

"We're moving the puck well and we've got people in position and we've got bodies working to go to the net. We're getting a lot of garbage goals on the power play and we're getting a lot of chances."

Jackets lose 3 players

Columbus goalie Pascal Leclaire was perfect on 17 shots and steered away a penalty shot by Peter Schaefer before being forced out of the game in the second period with a lower-body injury suffered while foiling Dany Heatley on a two-on-one.

Fredrik Norrena came on in relief and stopped 14 of the 16 shots he faced.

The Blue Jackets lost two other players during the game. Defenceman Adam Foote suffered a lower-body injury in the opening period and did not return, while forward Anson Carter left in the third after colliding with a teammate.

The Senators didn't get on the board until they trailed 5-0 in the third period.

Christoph Schubert ended the Blue Jackets' shutout bid with a power-play goal at 6:43 before Mike Fisher tallied at even-strength for Ottawa (15-15-1).

Martin Gerber had a shaky outing, allowing four goals on 13 shots before being replaced in the second period by Ray Emery, who surrendered two goals on 18 shots.

"They scored when they got the chances," Ottawa coach Bryan Murray said of the Blue Jackets. "To be honest and fair, they played a very good hockey game."

The Senators — beginning a four-game road trip — were again without captain Daniel Alfredsson, who is nursing a sore hip, and top defenceman Wade Redden, out indefinitely with a chest injury.

Ottawa will be back in action Tuesday night in Detroit before visiting Nashville on Thursday and Northeast-division leading Buffalo on Saturday.

With files from the Associated Press