Dmitri Voronkov scored twice to lead the Columbus Blue Jackets past the visiting St. Louis Blues 6-4 Saturday night.
Kirill Marchenko, Mikael Pyyhtia, Adam Fantilli and Mathieu Olivier also scored for the Blue Jackets, who are 5-2-1 in their last eight games.
Sean Monahan and Ivan Provorov earned three assists for Columbus. Zach Werenski had two assists and Elvis Merzlikins made 29 saves.
Jordan Kyrou had a goal and two assists while Brayden Schenn and Cam Fowler had a goal and one assist for the Blues, who lost for just the second time in six games.
Colton Parayko also scored, Dylan Holloway had two assists and Joel Hofer made 33 saves for St. Louis.
Columbus outshot St. Louis 18-7 in the first period while taking a 1-0 lead.
The Blue Jackets finally broke the scoreless tie with 58.6 seconds left in the period. Werenski shot from the left point and Voronkov banged in the rebound at the right post.
Werenski’s assist extended his franchise-record home point streak to 15 games.
The Blue Jackets made it 2-0 with a power-play goal 2:15 in the second period. Marchenko tried a back-door pass to Voronkov at the right post, but Parayko deflected the puck into his own net while trying to break it up.
The Blue Jackets increased their lead to 3-0 with Pyyhtia’s shorthanded breakaway goal 3:44 into the third period. On the same power play, Kyrou scored from the slot to cut the lead to 3-1.
Just 31 seconds later, Fantilli broke on right wing to beat Hofer and put Columbus up 4-1.
Fowler answered with his 100th NHL goal, moving in from the right point to tap in a rebound.
Voronov made it 5-2 by shoveling a backhand shot over Hofer’s glove. Parayko, playing in his 700th NHL game, converted Pavel Buchnevich’s pass with a slap shot to pull the Blues within two goals again.
With Hofer off the ice for an extra attacker, Schenn cut the deficit to 5-4 with a rebound conversion.
Olivier’s empty net goal with 1:01 left iced the game.
–Field Level Media
