Zach Werenski scored a goal and added an assist as the Columbus Blue Jackets edged the visiting St. Louis Blues 3-2 on Saturday night for their fourth straight victory.
Charlie Coyle and Sean Monahan also scored for the Blue Jackets, who won for the sixth time in seven games. Jet Greaves made 37 saves to earn the victory.
Justin Faulk and Nick Bjugstad scored, while Joel Hofer made 32 saves for the Blues, whose winless streak reached seven games at 0-5-2.
St. Louis took a 1-0 lead 3:37 into the game. Oskar Sundqvist fed Faulk moving in from the right point for a shot that beat Greaves to his blocker side.
Columbus tied the game 1-1 61 seconds later. Coyle won a faceoff, then he created a goalmouth scramble that ended with the puck banking in off Faulk.
The Blues got a power play late in the first period, but the Blue Jackets earned the best chance: Isac Lundestrom’s short-handed breakaway that Hofer stopped.
During the second period, Adam Fantilli tested Hofer with a slot shot, and he drew a penalty driving the net. Then, Fantilli fired a shot off teammate Boone Jenner’s head and off the crossbar.
Werenski put the Blue Jackets up 2-1 to cap a Columbus offensive flurry. He fired a shot between the legs of defenseman Philip Broberg and past Hofer from the left circle.
Greaves made an alert right pad save on a deflected Faulk shot late in the second period to keep Columbus ahead.
The Blue Jackets pushed their lead to 3-1 with a power-play goal 5:07 into the third period. Werenski fired a shot through Dmitri Voronkov’s screen, then Monahan reached behind Hofer to score for his 600th career point.
Bjugstad cut the deficit to 3-2 midway through the period by scoring from the slot as the rush trailer.
The Blues applied constant pressure in the closing minutes, but Greaves made several difficult saves to seal the victory.
–Field Level Media
