Bjorkstrand scores twice in Blue Jackets victory against Devils
Forward sustains injury in third period; Korpisalo makes 21 saves to help Columbus win fourth straight
by Craig Merz / NHL.com Independent Correspondent
Bjorkstrand's early opening tally
NJD@CBJ: Bjorkstrand beats Senn five-hole
Boone Jenner sends a spinning backhander to Oliver Bjorkstrand, who one times it through Gilles Senn to open a 1-0 lead just 24 seconds in
COLUMBUS -- Oliver Bjorkstrand scored twice, and the Columbus Blue Jackets won their fourth straight game, 5-1 against the New Jersey Devils at Nationwide Arena on Saturday.
Bjorkstrand left with 8:27 remaining in the third period with an undisclosed injury. Columbus coach John Tortorella did not have an update.
Bjorkstrand has seven points (five goals, two assists) during a four-game point streak.
[WATCH: All Devils vs. Blue Jackets highlights]
"I just think he's played a better overall game," Tortorella said. "He doesn't get stopped that often when he goes along the boards with the puck. Two years ago, he gets stopped and loses the puck. He's doing a lot of work as far as keeping the puck before he gets those chances. That's helped him and it's helped that line.
"Yeah, the puck seems to go in for him but that's a talented shooter. … His overall game has been consistent for this year and really the last quarter of last year."
Joonas Korpisalo made 21 saves for the Blue Jackets (16-14-6), who have a season-long seven-game point streak (5-0-2).
"These last games, there's not too much work for me," Korpisalo said. "I see pucks. The guys are doing a great job there clearing pucks in front, battling in front, scoring goals."
Video: NJD@CBJ: Bjorkstrand snipes twine for his second goal
Will Butcher scored for the Devils (11-19-5), who have lost two straight and are 2-8-1 in the past 11 games.
"We knew they were a hard-checking team," New Jersey coach Alain Nasreddine said. "Our wall play wasn't good enough. Our support just wasn't good enough."
Gilles Senn made 35 saves in his first NHL start for the Devils. He made his debut Friday when he relieved Mackenzie Blackwood in the third period and allowed one goal on three shots in a 6-3 loss to the Washington Capitals.
He allowed goals on the Blue Jackets' first and third shots.
"I didn't start the game like I wanted to," Senn said. "I wasn't quite ready [for the first shot], but I came back in the game and made some good saves to know the game a little bit better."
Video: NJD@CBJ: Butcher goes upstairs from the circle
Bjorkstrand made it 1-0 26 seconds into the game.
"That's on us," Devils defenseman Andy Greene said. "We didn't give him a chance to field a puck or get his feet wet. We lose a battle there, and it pops out and it's basically a one-time from the top of the circle there."
Bjorkstrand extended the lead to 2-0 at 8:06 on a wrist shot from the low slot.
"We were focused on our start," Blue Jackets forward Boone Jenner said. "I think our first 10 minutes were good and [we were] jumping on them."
Butcher cut it to 2-1 when he scored at 4-on-4 at 15:28. It was his fourth goal and first in 13 games.
Vladislav Gavrikov gave Columbus a 3-1 lead at 13:13 of the second.
Video: NJD@CBJ: Gavrikov finds twine from the high slot
Eric Robinson and Alexandre Texier each had an assist, the third time in Blue Jackets history that three rookies factored in the same goal.
"I think all the rookies are playing with more confidence each night, and it's fun to see," defenseman Zach Werenski said.
Werenski (17:08 of the third) and Gustav Nyquist (18:48) each scored shorthanded into an empty net.
It was the first time Columbus has scored two shorthanded goals on the same penalty kill.
Blue Jackets forward Ryan MacInnis had four shots on goal in 7:46 in his NHL debut. He is the son of Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman Al MacInnis, who was in attendance.
They said it
"The first shot went in, and that's not easy for a goaltender to get over, and I thought he did a pretty good job." -- Devils coach Alain Nasreddine on goalie Gilles Senn
"We're in the middle of a win streak right now, a points streak. The locker room has been awesome. It's been fun coming to the rink. We've got one more game here before Christmas so hopefully we end on a high note." -- Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski
The Blue Jackets have won eight straight in the series, outscoring the Devils 28-9. … Forward Travis Zajac played his 957th NHL game, all with the Devils, moving past Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman Scott Stevens into for fourth on New Jersey's all-time list. … Devils defenseman Connor Carrick played 5:53 in his first game since Oct. 14. He was out 28 games, 24 with a broken finger and four as a healthy scratch. … Nyquist has seven points (two goals, five assists) during a five-game point streak. … Jenner had two assists and has five points (one goal, four assists) during four-game point streak. … Blue Jackets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois has seven points (two goals, five assists) in the past five games. He played his 200th NHL game. … Blue Jackets defenseman David Savard missed his second consecutive game because of illness.
Devils: At the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday (8:30 p.m. ET; NBCSCH, MSG+ 2, NHL.TV)
Blue Jackets: At the New York Islanders on Monday (Nassau Coliseum; 7 p.m. ET; MSG+, FS-O, NHL.TV)
Video: Bjorkstrand nets a pair to lift Columbus to victory