Bjorkstrand, Blue Jackets top Devils 4-3 to stop 3-game skid

Updated Jan. 8, 2022 10:19 p.m. ET
Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Oliver Bjorkstrand scored twice to lead the Columbus Blue Jackets over the New Jersey Devils 4-3 on Saturday night, halting a three-game skid.

Boone Jenner and Igor Chinakhov also scored for the Blue Jackets, who rebounded from Thursday's loss at New Jersey and beat the Devils on home ice for the sixth straight time.

Jakub Voracek and Adam Boqvist each had two assists. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 27 shots for his first win since Nov. 22.

Nico Hischier, Jimmy Vesey and Marian Studenic scored for New Jersey. Mackenzie Blackwood made 30 saves.

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Bjorkstrand broke a 3-all tie exactly five minutes into the third period with his second goal of the night, a wrist shot from the right circle.

Voracek got his 24th assist on the play. He and Bjorkstrand lead the Blue Jackets with 25 points apiece.

Bjorkstrand put Columbus on the board with a power-play goal at 2:01 of the first, and the Blue Jackets made it 2-0 at 4:03 when Jenner’s centering pass from behind the net took a fortunate bounce off the skate of a Devils player.

Hischier cut the lead in half at 14:41 with a shot from the slot for his fourth goal in his last three games. New Jersey pulled even when Vesey scored over Korpisalo’s glove with 19.6 seconds left in the first for his first goal since coming out of COVID-19 protocol.

Columbus pulled ahead when a hard-charging Sean Kuraly found Chinakhov from behind the net at 9:31 of the second, but the Devils tied it again when Studenic hammered home a pass into the crease from Jesper Boqvist at 13:32.

UP NEXT

New Jersey hosts Tampa Bay on Monday.

Columbus hosts Chicago on Tuesday.

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