Sunday, December 23, 2018 12:30 PM (ET)

Bobrovsky, Blue Jackets shut out Devils

Field Level Media
Dec 23, 2018

Sergei Bobrovsky recorded his 26th career shutout as the Columbus Blue Jackets continued their dominance of New Jersey in a 3-0 win over the Devils on Sunday afternoon in Newark, N.J.

Bobrovsky, who beat the Flyers on Saturday in Philadelphia, posted 39 saves to run his season record to 16-10-1.

The shutout was his second this season -- and second in a week -- after blanking the Vegas Golden Knights 1-0 on Monday.

Artemi Panarin tallied a goal and an assist, giving him five points over the weekend. Cam Atkinson and Oliver Bjorkstrand added markers for the Blue Jackets, who won their fourth straight and are 5-0-1 in their last six.

Columbus won for the eighth consecutive time in New Jersey since the 2014-15 season and also improved to 15-1-1 in matinee games since the 2016-17 campaign.

Mackenzie Blackwood stopped all nine shots after replacing starter Keith Kinkaid (eight saves) for the Devils, who are 1-3-1 in their last five and 3-12-0 against Columbus since the 2015-16 season.

New Jersey wore its legacy uniform - green pants with white jerseys and red trim. The last time it donned the ensemble was in Game 6 of an opening-round playoff series against the New York Rangers on April 29, 1992.

The visitors went up 2-0 in the first 22 minutes of that game 26 years ago, and it took only 5:31 of the first period to take the same lead on Sunday, with the Blue Jackets scoring on their first two shots on Kinkaid.

Panarin zipped a cross-ice feed to Atkinson, who fired home his 23rd goal at 4:03, and Bjorkstrand scored his fourth from almost the same pass and positions on the ice, with Alexander Wennberg duplicating Panarin's helper.

Panarin made it 3-0 at 10:47 of the second period after Taylor Hall's turnover, racing down half of the ice and scoring on a dazzling backhander for his 11th goal. Blackwood, who made his first NHL start in a 2-1 loss in Columbus on Thursday, immediately replaced Kinkaid.

The Columbus penalty-kill unit killed off two power plays, including a 5-on-3 for 1:40.

Bobrovsky stopped Miles Wood's breakaway in the first 90 seconds of the third period and denied the Devils the rest of the way to complete the shutout.

--Field Level Media

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