Jet Greaves, Yegor Chinakhov power Blue Jackets past Blues

Field Level Media|published: Fri 8th December, 21:56 2023

Dec 8, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Yegor Chinakhov (59) chips the puck past St. Louis Blues defenseman Nick Leddy (4) during the second period at Nationwide Arena. credits: Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports

Jet Greaves made 41 saves in his second NHL start and first this season to help the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 5-2 win against the visiting St. Louis Blues on Friday night.

Yegor Chinakhov had two goals and an assist, Kirill Marchenko had a goal and an assist and Dmitri Voronkov added two assists for the Blue Jackets, who ended a three-game losing streak.

Robert Thomas scored both goals and Joel Hofer made 17 saves for the Blues, who have lost three of four.

Greaves, 22, earned the start after Spencer Martin started in goal against the New York Islanders on Thursday and surrendered seven goals in the 7-3 loss. Elvis Merzlikins was unavailable because he was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday with an illness.

In his only other NHL start, Greaves set franchise records for saves (46) and shots faced (49) by a Columbus goalie making his NHL debut in a 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 4 of last season.

The Blue Jackets grabbed an early 1-0 lead when Marchenko squeezed the puck through Hofer's pads from in close at 1:42 of the first period.

Greaves stopped the first nine shots before Thomas scored on a breakaway to tie it 1-1 at 14:36 of the first.

Columbus moved back ahead before the end of the period when Adam Fantilli scored off the rush to make it 2-1 at 17:01. Fantilli, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, has three goals and an assist in the past two games.

The Blue Jackets stretched the lead to 3-1 at 6:26 of the third period after Voronkov stole the puck in the St. Louis zone and led the rush the other way. He passed the puck to Marchenko, who fed Chinakhov for the redirection.

Chinakhov scored on a one-timer from the high slot while on a power play to extend the lead to 4-1 at 12:21.

Thomas scored from in close with Hofer pulled for the extra attacker to cut the lead to 4-2 with 2:22 left, but Alexandre Texier scored into an empty net with four seconds left to make it 5-2.

Columbus also played its second straight game without forward Patrik Laine and defenseman Erik Gudbranson because of illnesses.

Blue Jackets leading goal-scorer Boone Jenner did not return after getting hit in the face with a shot by teammate Ivan Provorov with 7:51 left in the second period.

—Field Level Media

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