In Columbus, Oliver Bjorkstrand scored the first and last goals for the Blue Jackets on Saturday. The last was the game-winner in a 4-3 decision over the New Jersey Devils.
“We played some good minutes. Maybe some details could straighten up,” Bjorkstrand said. “We are trying to do the right things out there. Go north, be direct with the puck.”
The win snapped a tree-game skid for the Jackets.
Boone Jenner scored to give Columbus a 2-0 lead in the opening frame.
“They got a quick one on us and just a lucky goal, the second goal, and sometimes that happens, but again, we fought back,” New Jersey head coach Lindy Ruff said. “We in fact had them even by the end of the period and we played a real strong 40 after that.”
Joonas Korpisalo made 27 saves in the Columbus win.
Jimmy Vesey had a goal and two points for New Jersey in the loss.
“We’re playing good. It was a hard-fought game,” Vesey said. “They probably didn’t like the way they played the other night, so they came out a lot harder and then didn’t give us as much.”
The Blue Jackets improved to 16-16-1.
After the Blue Jackets took the 2-0 lead, New Jersey’s Nico Hischier and Vesey tied the game, 2-2, before the end of the opening frame.
New Jersey dropped to 14-17-5.
Columbus’ Yegor Chinakhov, and New Jersey’s Marian Studenic traded in goals in the middle frame for a 3-3 tie.
“It’s always harder to play the other team when they’re up,” Studenic said. “They just shut it down and they don’t go much into the offense, and it’s hard to get through them because they’re pretty much standing on the blue line.”
Mackenzie Blackwood made 30 saves in the loss.
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