Despite an ever-growing list of injured players, the Columbus Blue Jackets continue to find ways to win.
With nine players out due to injury or illness on Saturday night, Columbus pieced together a lineup of seasoned veterans and minor league call-ups to secure their fourth straight victory, extending their season-high point streak to seven games (5-0-2).
Oliver Bjorkstrand wasted no time, scoring 26 seconds into the game and adding a second goal later in the first period as the Blue Jackets cruised to a 5-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. Bjorkstrand left the bench in the third period with an apparent injury, but the extent of the injury remains unclear.
“Obviously, we’re missing some guys, but that’s no excuse in the NHL,” said Columbus defenseman Zach Werenski, who added an empty-net goal late in the game. “Teams go through injuries. You have to find a way to win. Every guy that’s come up has played extremely well, giving us good minutes and playing hard. That’s all you can ask for.”
Joonas Korpisalo made 21 saves, while rookie Vladislav Gavrikov and Gustav Nyquist also scored for the Blue Jackets.
“In these last few games, there’s not too much work for me,” Korpisalo said. “I can see the pucks. The guys are doing a great job clearing out in front, battling, and scoring goals.”
Will Butcher scored for the Devils, and Gilles Senn, making his first NHL start, recorded 34 saves. The Devils lost their second game in as many nights, following a 6-3 defeat against Washington on Friday. New Jersey has now dropped five of their last seven games and remains last in the Metropolitan Division, 11 points behind seventh-place Columbus.
“We don’t have enough of an attacking mentality,” Devils coach Alain Nasreddine said. “To score in this league, you must be hungry, willing to get to the net and fight in the tough areas. Tonight, some guys had it, and some didn’t. We just didn’t generate enough.”
The Blue Jackets got off to a fast start. Bjorkstrand received a pass off the wall from Boone Jenner and scored with a one-timer from the high slot. He scored his second goal at 8:06 of the first period, finishing a pass from Pierre-Luc Dubois in the slot. Both goals came on Columbus’ first three shots of the game.
Bjorkstrand now has five goals and two assists during a four-game point streak.
Butcher ended a 13-game goal drought later in the first period, beating Korpisalo from the left circle during a 4-on-4 play to make it 2-1.
Gavrikov extended Columbus’ lead with a shot past Senn’s blocker late in the second period to make it 3-1. Werenski added a short-handed, empty-net goal with just under three minutes remaining, and Nyquist followed with another empty-netter to seal the 5-1 victory.
“We’re in the middle of a win streak and a point streak,” Werenski said. “The locker room atmosphere has been great. It’s been fun coming to the rink. We have one more game before Christmas, and hopefully, we can finish on a high note.”
Game Notes:
- Columbus forward Cam Atkinson missed the game due to a lower-body injury sustained in Thursday’s overtime win against Los Angeles. He is expected to miss at least one more game.
- Dubois played in his 200th NHL game and has seven points in his last five games.
- Columbus defenseman David Savard missed his second consecutive game due to illness.
- New Jersey defenseman Connor Carrick returned to the lineup for the first time since being injured in October.
- Columbus forward Ryan MacInnis made his NHL debut.
UP NEXT:
- Devils: Travel to Chicago to face the Blackhawks on Monday.
- Blue Jackets: Head to New York to take on the Islanders on Monday.
