Denton Mateychuk scored his first career NHL goal and Luca Del Bel Belluz notched his second as the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the visiting Seattle Kraken 6-2 Thursday night.
Sean Kuraly, Zach Werenski, Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko also scored and James van Riemsdyk added a pair of assists for the Blue Jackets, who won their third game in a row. Goaltender Elvis Merzlikins made 29 saves.
Eeli Tolvanen tallied twice for the Kraken, whose winless streak reached four games (0-3-1). Philipp Grubauer, making his sixth consecutive start, was pulled at 15:45 of the second period after allowing five goals on 19 shots. Joey Daccord (lower body), who was activated off the injured list Wednesday, stopped all four shots he faced the rest of the way.
With the score tied 1-1, the Blue Jackets scored four unanswered goals in the second period to pull away.
Del Bel Belluz, who scored in his only previous NHL game last season, sparked the rally on a backhander at 3:29 of the period. Del Bel Belluz was recalled Wednesday from Cleveland of the American Hockey League.
Werenski made it 3-1 at 10:53 and Mateychuk, a first-round draft pick in 2022 playing in his eighth career game, scored on a wrist shot at 12:27 after van Riemsdyk took the puck from behind the net and sent a pass across the top of the crease.
Johnson scored off a pass from Werenski at 15:45 to extend Columbus’ lead to 5-1.
Kuraly opened the scoring at 11:58 of the first, setting up alone in front of the net and tipping Ivan Provorov’s shot from the blue line past Grubauer.
Tolvanen tied the score just 10 seconds later, on a one-timer from the top of the left faceoff circle after teammate Shane Wright won a battle for the puck along the side boards.
Tolvanen, who had been goalless in his previous 12 games, tallied again at 8:44 of the third.
Marchenko capped the scoring on an empty-netter with 27.4 seconds remaining.
Columbus forward Cole Sillinger didn’t play because of an illness, allowing his older brother Owen, 27, an emergency recall from Cleveland, to make his NHL debut.
“The ironic thing is if ‘Silly’ can’t go, ‘Silly’ is going to go,” Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason said before the game.
–Field Level Media
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