They were exhausted while clinging to a one-goal lead in the third period of a back-to-back finale to finish a stretch of three games in four days, but the Blue Jackets figured out a way to win Jan. 31 at Enterprise Center.
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Despite being outshot by the St. Louis Blues 15-4 in the third period, the Jackets won their season-high fifth straight game. The 5-3 victory came in the second game of a road back-to-back that began Jan. 30 with a 4-2 victory in Chicago.
Isac Lundestrom, Denton Mateychuk, Damon Severson and Johnson scored goals in the first two periods for the Blue Jackets (27-20-7), who sealed the win on Mason Marchment’s empty-net goal with 30 seconds remaining. Jet Greaves, meanwhile, made 15 of his 28 saves in the third period to earn the win, including three stops on two Blues power plays.
Blue Jackets center Boone Jenner (38) controls the puck against the Blues in Columbus’ 5-3 win on Jan. 31.
The Blue Jackets did take a key loss in personnel during the game with Sean Monahan missing the third period. Monahan, who centered the second forward line, was driven headfirst into the wall by Blues forward Brayden Schenn in the first period and played the second. The team said Monohan missed the third with an illness that has been working its way through the team.
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Jimmy Snuggerud, Jonatan Berggren and Tyler Tucker scored for the Blues (20-26-9), who started Jordan Binnington (18 saves).
Trailing 4-3 to start the third, the Blues dominated the final period. They just couldn’t get the puck past Greaves despite finishing with 11 more shots and getting two late power plays.
St. Louis scored first on Snuggerud’s ninth goal of the season, giving the Blues an early 1-0 lead at 7:11 of the first period. Lundestrom, who moved from center to the wing on the fourth line, quickly countered on the next shift for the Blue Jackets to tie it 1-1 on his second goal of the season.
Mateychuk made it 2-1 with 7:06 left in the first on his ninth goal of the season, and that’s how it stayed through the first 20 minutes. Berggren tied it 2-2 on a Blues power play early in the second, but Johnson countered for the Jackets to make it 3-2 with a power-play goal about five minutes later.
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Tucker again tied it for St. Louis with 4:25 left in the second, but Severson gave the Blue Jackets a 4-3 lead after two periods by scoring with a slap shot from the high slot to beat Binnington with 3:59 left in the period.
Blue Jackets center Kent Johnson shoots as Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker defends.
Winning their fifth straight game, combined with the New York Islanders’ 4-3 loss to the Nashville Predators, pulled the Blue Jackets to within four points of third place in the Metropolitan Division with one fewer game played. That’s the division’s final playoff spot, and the Jackets were six points back of the Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins for the East’s two wild-card spots.
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After winning for the third time in four days, the Blue Jackets return to Columbus for a day off Feb. 1 before practicing Feb. 2 at Nationwide Arena. Their last two games before the NHL’s pause for the Winter Olympics will be played back-to-back Feb. 3 at the New Jersey Devils and Feb. 4 against the Blackhawks in Columbus.
Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com and @BrianHedger.bsky.social
This story was updated with new information.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets down St. Louis Blues for fifth straight win