The Columbus Blue Jackets opened their Traverse City title defense with a game against the St Louis Blues from the Centre Ice Arena in Traverse City, Michigan. The Jackets started their big line (despite no one being over 6’0″) of Oliver Bjorkstrand, Sonny Milano and TJ Tynan and it only took them 38 seconds to strike.
Tynan scored the Jackets’ first goal of the tournament when he got the puck from Bjorkstrand and went top corner. Midway through the period, Kerby Rychel went to the box for high sticking and the Blues’ Samuel Blais scored to tie it at one.
In the second, the Blues struck again when Zach Pochiro scored off a blast from the point to give Blues their only lead of the game. Later in the second, the Blues got into penalty problems first and gave the CBJ a four minute power play when Adam Musil high sticked Dillon Heatherington. 1:09 later Dmitrii Sergeev earned a trip the box giving the Jackets a full two minutes of five on three and the boys in Union Blue would capitalize.
First, 39 seconds into the power play, after a passing sequence, Oliver Bjorkstrand fired and broke his stick…but since it’s Oliver of course it went into the net and the game was tied at two. After the refs figured out the penalty clock the Jackets struck again and this time it would be Veeti Vainio (or New Player as he may become known) who banged one home from pretty much the same spot as Oliver on a very similar passing play.
In the third, Daniel Zaar scored his first North American goal when, on a turnover, he skated in and fired a shot past the Blues goaltender. Milano finished off the scoring when, with the net empty, he took a hit and slid a shot from just over the redline.
Joonas Korpisalo got the start and made 18 saves in the win including a amazing save in the second.
The Blue Jackets leadership group for today, and probably the whole tournament, was captain Tynan and alternates Rychel and Michael Paliotta.
As for player notes, Nick Moutrey was very noticeable today along with a seemingly more physical Heatherington on defense. According to the stat site (which isn’t always that accurate) Zaar led the CBJ with four shots on goal while three players had three. Blake Siebenaler was a +3 on the night.
Tomorrow, the Jackets are back at it against an old “friend” as the Jackets face off against the Minnesota Wild at 7:00 p.m.
LINES
Milano (1-0-1)-Tynan (1-1-2)-Bjorkstrand (1-1-2)
Rychel-Moutrey-Anderson
Bittner-Pelletier-Zaar (1-1-2 announced in arena with assist)
Sherwood-Quenneville-Kolesar
Heatherington-Paliotta (0-1-1 announced in arena with assist)
Siebenaler-Yevenko
Vainio (1-0-1-GWG)-LeBlanc (0-1-1)
Korpisalo (1-0-0 .900 2.00)
Clark
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