Batherson, Sanderson score as Senators beat Blue Jackets 3-2

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Drake Batherson and Jake Sanderson scored for Ottawa and the Senators beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 on Saturday night in a matchup of teams vying for playoff spots.

Ridly Greig had a goal and an assist as Ottawa won for the third time in four games and strengthened its hold on the first wild card in the Eastern Conference. Linus Ullmark had 29 saves.

Boone Jenner and Kirill Marchenko scored for Columbus, which was coming off a 7-6 shootout win over Vancouver the previous night. Daniil Tarasov finished with 24 saves.

The Blue Jackets remained tied with Montreal, now two points behind the Rangers for the second wild card in the East after New York beat San Jose later Saturday night.

Marchenkov pulled the Blue Jackets to 3-2, beating Ullmark five-hole midway through the third to silence a boisterous Ottawa crowd.

The Senators took a 3-1 lead in the second when Tarasov stopped Shane Pinto before Sanderson got a piece of the rebound.

Greig opened the scoring deftly tipping Thomas Chabot' point shot. Columbus tied it 31 seconds later with Jenner burying the rebound of Zach Werenski's shot.

Batherson regained the lead for the Senators by grabbing the rebound of Dylan Cozens' shot and sweeping it under Tarasov for his 21st of the season.

Senators: Ottawa had a strong net front presence and it paid off. The Senators have a firm grip on the first wild card in the Eastern Conference.

Blue Jackets: Despite playing the night before, Columbus never let up and making it a one-goal game with 9 minutes left in the third.

Ullmark made a save on Dmitri Voronkov in the final minute of the first that proved to be crucial.

Ottawa’s Shane Pinto played his 200th NHL game Saturday and picked up his 100th point with an assist on Sanderson's goal in the second period.

Blue Jackets host Nashville on Tuesday, and Senators visit Pittsburgh on Sunday.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Columbus Blue Jackets' Erik Gudbranson (44) and Ottawa Senators' Brady Tkachuk (7) battle for the puck in front of Blue Jackets goaltender Daniil Tarasov (40) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, March 29, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Ridly Greig (71) celebrates after his goal as he skates past the Columbus Blue Jackets bench during first-period NHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, March 29, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

Columbus Blue Jackets' Dmitri Voronkov (10) battles for the puck with Ottawa Senators' Shane Pinto (12) during first-period NHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, March 29, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Jake Sanderson, right, celebrates his goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets with Shane Pinto (12) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, March 29, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Daniil Tarasov (40) looks for the puck along with Blue Jackets' Denton Mateychuk (5) and Ottawa Senators' Tim Stutzle (18) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, March 29, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Tyler Kleven (43) chases Columbus Blue Jackets' Mathieu Olivier (24) during third-period NHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, March 29, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Shane Pinto (12) passes the puck as Columbus Blue Jackets' Kirill Marchenko (86) defends during third-period NHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, March 29, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

Columbus Blue Jackets' Adam Fantilli, right, reaches for the puck as Ottawa Senators' Drake Batherson, left, looks on during third-period NHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, March 29, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) and Brady Tkachuk (7) celebrate after defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets in an NHL hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, March 29, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Jake Sanderson, left, Ridly Greig, front right, and Brady Tkachuk, top, line up for a face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets during third-period NHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, March 29, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has halted dozens of research grants at Princeton University, the latest Ivy League school to see its federal money threatened in a pressure campaign targeting the nation’s top universities.

Princeton was notified this week that several dozen federal grants are being suspended by agencies including the Department of Energy, NASA and the Defense Department, according to a campus message sent Tuesday by Christopher Eisgruber, the university's president.

Eisgruber said the rationale was not fully clear but that Princeton will comply with the law. The school is among dozens facing federal investigations into antisemitism following a wave of pro-Palestinian protests last year.

"We are committed to fighting antisemitism and all forms of discrimination, and we will cooperate with the government in combating antisemitism," Eisgruber wrote. "Princeton will also vigorously defend academic freedom and the due process rights of this University."

As President Donald Trump presses his political agenda on universities across the country, he has paid special attention to Ivy League institutions.

Columbia University was the first one targeted, losing $400 million in federal money with threats to terminate more if it didn't make the campus safer for Jewish students. The school agreed to several demands from the government last month, including an overhaul of student discipline rules and a review of the school's Middle East studies department.

The government later suspended about $175 million in federal funding for the University of Pennsylvania over a transgender swimmer who previously competed for the school. On Monday, a federal antisemitism task force said it was reviewing almost $9 billion in federal grants and contracts at Harvard University amid an investigation into campus antisemitism.

The pressure has created a dilemma for U.S. colleges, which rely on federal research funding as a major source of revenue.

Eisgruber came forward as a voice of opposition as the Trump administration ratcheted up pressure on Columbia, calling it the greatest threat to American universities in decades.

“The attack on Columbia is a radical threat to scholarly excellence and to America's leadership in research,” Eisgruber wrote in a March 19 essay in The Atlantic magazine. “Universities and their leaders should speak up and litigate forcefully to protect their rights.”

Several agencies on the federal antisemitism task force did not immediately respond to questions about the action at Princeton, nor did the agencies behind the research grants.

Princeton was among 60 universities that received a warning letter from the Education Department in March over accusations of antisemitism. It said the schools could face enforcement action if they didn't address anti-Jewish bias on campus. All but two Ivy League schools, Penn and Dartmouth, were on the list.

The Education Department launched an investigation at Princeton in April 2024 under the Biden administration. It was in response to a complaint filed by the editor-in-chief of Campus Reform, a conservative news organization, the outlet reported. The complaint cited a pro-Palestinian protest that reportedly included chants of “Intifada” and others described as antisemitic.

The outlet's editor has filed dozens of other antisemitism complaints with the Education Department.

The Trump administration has promised a more aggressive approach against campus antisemitism, accusing former President Joe Biden of letting schools off the hook. It has opened new investigations at colleges and detained and deported several foreign students with ties to pro-Palestinian protests.

Trump and other officials have accused the protesters of being “pro-Hamas.” Student activists say they oppose Israel’s military activity in Gaza.

It follows a campaign by Republican in Congress who demanded answers from university leaders after the wave of protests. A series of hearings on Capitol Hill contributed to the resignation of presidents at Harvard, Columbia and Penn.

Columbia's interim president, Katrina Armstrong, resigned last week after the school agreed to the government’s demands.

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

FILE - The Princeton University campus is in Princeton, N.J., Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

FILE - Nassau Hall at Princeton University is in Princeton, N.J., Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)