The Blue Jackets dropped a 3-2 decision against the Blues on Tuesday night in St. Louis in the third preseason game of the fall.
Game in a Paragraph
The Blue Jackets fell into a 3-1 hole in the first period thanks in part to two St. Louis goals in a 73-second span. Columbus controlled a lot of the puck, finishing with a 31-13 edge in shots on goal, but couldn’t create enough dangerous chances to fight back into the game despite a late power-play goal.
CBJ Standouts
- Emil Bemstrom scored twice, just as he did in a preseason game in St. Louis in 2021.
- After scoring in his preseason opener Sunday night, Alexandre Texier assisted on both Bemstrom goals.
- Jet Greaves didn’t see much rubber in the second half of the game, but the goalie stopped all three shots he faced.
Quick Recap
The Jackets got off to a solid start but found themselves in a 1-0 deficit at the 8:17 mark off of a weird play. Off a faceoff to the right of goalie Aaron Dell, the puck popped back toward the CBJ net and over the stick of Nick Blankenburg, where Jakub Vrana was able to corral it and put a backhander past Dell. Columbus then tied the score 1-1 at 13:29 as Texier fed Bemstrom on the rush, and the Swedish forward ripped a shot from the left circle off the far post and in past Jordan Binnington.
But things quickly went back St. Louis’ way with a pair of goals in 1:13. First, the Blues were able to score on a rush, as Brandon Saad drove the net from the left side and was denied by Dell, but in a scramble in the crease, Isaac Ratcliffe was able to poke the puck home at 15:18. Columbus challenged for goaltender interference and was denied, sending St. Louis to the power play, and Oskar Sundqvist’s one-timer from the slot past Dell gave the Blues a 3-1 lead.
Neither team scored in the second period, though the Blue Jackets did have an 11-1 edge in shots on goal. The Blue Jackets did have some great looks, but new Blues goalie Malcolm Subban denied James Malatesta, Blankenburg and Trey Fix-Wolansky on the power play and later stoned Blankenburg again when he nearly scored on a rebound off the back wall.
Columbus was gifted a chance to get back into the game late in the third period as St. Louis took a pair of penalties, and shortly after a 1:10 two-man advantage ended, Bemstrom drilled a one-timer off a pass from Denton Mateychuk past Subban with 4:35 left to make it 3-2. But despite pulling Greaves for an extra attacker late, the Blue Jackets couldn't get another past Subban.
Notable
Playing in his hometown, Josh Dunne fought St. Louis’ Nick Ritchie in the second period. … Bemstrom led the Blue Jackets with six shots on goal while Blankenburg had five.
Roster Report
Here is a link to the roster the Blue Jackets used for the game. It was the preseason debut for Sean Kuraly, Dunne, Justin Pearson, Nicolas Meloche, Samuel Knazko and Corson Ceulemans.
Up Next
Columbus next takes the ice for a preseason game Saturday afternoon in Buffalo for a 3 p.m. faceoff. After that, the Blue Jackets are home in Nationwide Arena for games Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.
