Blue Jackets – Blues split players and wins

Home ice was meaningful in a pair of split squad games played between the Columbus Blue Jackets and St. Louis Blues Tuesday night (Sept 22).

In Columbus, the Blues Jackets earned a 3-1 win while St. Louis grabbed a 5-2 edge at the Scottrade Center.

It was the first two games of the pre-season for the 1-1-0-0 Blues while the Blue Jackets are now at 1-1-0-1.

Blue Jackets 3 Blues 1

Blue Jackets picked up unanswered markers in the first and second period, Sonny Milano, 19 helping his chances to stick with the team with his second period tally and Ryan Johansen scoring the first one — both of them on assists from new captain, Nick Foligno and Johansen also helped out on Milano’s goal.

Dmitrij Jaskin scored the lone Blues goal from Jordan Schmaltz early in the third, but Gregory Campbell put this one away sinking one into an empty net with 12 seconds to go, asssisted by Matt Calvert.

Anton Forsberg stopped 11 of 12 shots faced in the third period for the Blue Jackets after Sergei Bobrovsky was unbeaten on 24 shots through the first two periods.

For St. Louis, Jake Allen stopped three of four in the first and Jordan Binnington handled 13 of 14 before racing to the bench with 51 seconds to go in the game.

Johansen, Foligno and Bobrovsky earned Three Star honors in the game.

Blues 5 Blue Jackets 2 

The St. Louis version was a little more wide open with the Blues dominating down the stretch.

All even at 1-1 after a period, both teams added another in the first half of the middle period but the final three markers belonged to the host Blues.

Alex Steen and Vladimir Tarasenko both enjoyed a big offensive night with a goal and two assists while defenseman Colton Parayko picked up where he left off at the Prospects Tournament the previous week, setting up a pair for the Blues.

Paul Stastny, Alex Pietrangelo and Spencer Asuchak had the other Blues’ goals. In goal, Brian Elliott handled eight of nine in the first period, Phoenix Copley taking it home with 13 stops on 14 shots in the final two frames.

Boone Jenner and Justin Falk both scored for the Blue Jackets with assists for John Ramage and Antti Pihlstrom.

Curtis McElhinney stopped 31 of 36 shots against in goal for the Blue Jackets.

Tarasenko, Steen and Parayko earned the Three Star honors.

The Blue Jackets’ next game will be Thursday (Sept. 24) against the visiting Minnesota Wild and the Blues will also play on the same night at home to Dallas Stars.