Boone Jenner and Patrik Laine each contributed a goal and an assist, while Jake Christiansen netted his first career goal. The Columbus Blue Jackets won 4-3 over the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night, snapping a two-game losing streak.
Oliver Bjorkstrand also scored, and Jakub Voracek added two assists for Columbus. The Blue Jackets have defeated the Devils at home seven consecutive times since 2018. Goalie Elvis Merzlikins made 30 saves to secure his 19th win of the season.
Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Pavel Zacha scored for New Jersey, with Nico Daws stopping 27 shots.
Hughes gave the Devils an early 1-0 lead just 54 seconds into the game after a scramble in front of Merzlikins.
Christiansen, recalled from the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, tied the game with about seven minutes left in the first period, firing a sniper shot off a cross-ice pass from Cole Sillinger. Bjorkstrand then put Columbus ahead 2-1 with a one-timer from between the circles with 2:25 left in the period.
“It was great to see (Christiansen) get his first,” Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen said. “They are doing a great job in Cleveland working with these guys, getting them prepared when they come here. They haven’t missed a beat.”
Jenner capitalized on a two-man advantage to extend Columbus’ lead to 3-1 just 46 seconds into the second period, scoring his team-leading eighth power-play goal and 23rd overall.
“He’s really good around the net,” Voracek said of Jenner. “Not that many guys are that good. If you know how to move around the net and where the puck will bounce, you will put them in.”
Hischier scored the Devils within a goal with four minutes left in the second period. However, Laine restored Columbus’ two-goal lead, making it 4-2 with his 20th goal of the season and 23rd point in the last 14 games.
“I had a lot of speed coming through the neutral zone,” Laine said. “I was planning on shooting. I kind of lost it in my feet for a second or two. I was lucky to get it off. It’s a good thing it went in.”
Zacha cut the lead to 4-3 at 7:07 of the third period with a wrister off the rush, just one second after a Columbus penalty expired.
“In the first period, we came out and created a lot of chances and didn’t capitalize,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. That was probably the biggest difference in the game.”
HELPING HAND
Voracek’s primary assist on Bjorkstrand’s goal tied him for third in the NHL with 29 assists. Of his 40 points this season, 38 are assists.
STREAKS OF NOTE
Hughes’ goal brought him to a career-high 34 points and extended his point streak to six games. Dougie Hamilton’s assist on Zacha’s goal extended his point streak to three games.
THAT WAS QUICK
Tuesday marked the fifth game this season in which the Devils scored in under a minute, the most among NHL teams.
MILESTONES
Max Domi recorded his 300th NHL point with the secondary assist on Christiansen’s first-period goal.
CALL IT A COMEBACK
The Blue Jackets have come from behind in 18 of their 28 wins, the most in the NHL.
INJURY UPDATE
Blue Jackets’ center Brendan Gaunce left the game in the first period with an upper-body injury and did not return. Defenseman Adam Boqvist was kept out of the lineup due to an upper-body injury, preventing him from playing against his older brother, Jesper, who plays for the Devils.
UP NEXT
- Devils: Visit the Rangers on Friday.
- Blue Jackets: Host the Kings on Friday.
