Monday, December 16, 2019 07:00 PM (ET)

Blue Jackets stop Caps' road streak with shutout

Field Level Media
Dec 16, 2019

Oliver Bjorkstrand scored twice and Joonas Korpisalo made 30 saves as the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the visiting Washington Capitals 3-0 Monday night.

Eric Robinson also tallied for the Blue Jackets, who have won six of their past seven meetings against Washington. Korpisalo posted his second shutout of the season and the third of his career.

The victory was the 635th of Columbus coach John Tortorella's career, moving him past Darryl Sutter for 15th place on the NHL's all-time list.

Goaltender Braden Holtby stopped 18 of 21 shots for the Capitals, who had their five-game road winning streak snapped, one shy of the franchise record. They dropped to 15-3-1 on the road this season.

The Blue Jackets opened the scoring at 11:32 of the first period. Alexandre Texier took a pass from David Savard at center ice and worked his way past a defender and down the right-wing boards before making a backhanded centering pass to Robinson at the top of the crease. Robinson tipped the puck past Holtby.

The score remained 1-0 until the third period.

Columbus' Boone Jenner won a faceoff in the offensive zone, with the puck going to Gustav Nyquist. He worked his way around the perimeter of the faceoff circle before centering the puck to Bjorkstrand, who deflected it past Holtby from the top of the crease 32 seconds into the third.

Bjorkstrand made it 3-0 at 8:46 of the third following a Washington turnover in the neutral zone. The puck bounced to Bjorkstrand, who carried the puck over the blue line and down the left wing, fended off defenseman Radko Gudas and slipped a forehander inside the far post. Scott Harrington and Andrew Peeke were credited with assists.

The Blue Jackets played without forwards Josh Anderson and Sonny Milano and defenseman Ryan Murray, who all suffered upper-body injuries in a 4-3 overtime loss at Ottawa on Saturday.

--Field Level Media

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