ST. LOUIS (Interstat) — Kent Johnson had a goal and an assist as the Columbus Blue Jackets won their fifth straight game, defeating the St. Louis Blues 5-3 on Saturday night at Enterprise Center. Columbus scored twice in both the first and second periods to build its lead before an announced crowd of 18,096. Denton Mateychuk, Isac Lundestrom, Johnson, Damon Severson and Mason Marchment scored for the Blue Jackets, who have won nine of their last 10 games. Jimmy Snuggerud, Tyler Tucker and Jonatan Berggren scored for the Blues, who could not overcome the early deficit. Goaltender Jet Greaves made 28 saves for Columbus, which improved to 27-27. St. Louis fell to 20-35.

ST. LOUIS (Interstat) — Kent Johnson had a goal and an assist and the Columbus Blue Jackets extended their season-best winning streak to five games with a 5-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night at Enterprise Center. The Blue Jackets, who have now won nine of their last 10 games, improved to 27-27. St. Louis fell to 20-35 in front of an announced crowd of 18,096. Columbus built a multi-goal lead in each of the first two periods and weathered a persistent St. Louis push in the third to secure the win. Goaltender Jet Greaves made 28 saves for the Blue Jackets, who have outscored opponents 38-27 since Jan. 11. The Blue Jackets opened the scoring midway through a back-and-forth first period. Defenseman Denton Mateychuk netted his ninth goal of the season at the 12:54 mark, finishing a sequence with a wrist shot assisted by Johnson and Sean Monahan. St. Louis answered quickly to tie the game. Jimmy Snuggerud collected his ninth of the year just over five minutes later, converting a setup from Brayden Schenn and Dalibor Dvorsky at 7:11. Columbus regained the lead before the period ended. Just 37 seconds after Snuggerud’s goal, Isac Lundeström beat Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington for his second of the season, with Boone Jenner and Miles Wood picking up assists. The Blue Jackets extended their lead on a power play in the second period. With St. Louis’ Jordan Kyrou serving a holding penalty, Johnson deflected an Ivan Provorov shot past Binnington for his sixth goal, making it 3-1. Dmitri Voronkov had the secondary assist. St. Louis cut the deficit to one goal with a pair of tallies later in the frame. Jonatan Berggren scored his seventh at 6:15, firing a wrist shot past Greaves after a scramble in front, with assists to Pius Suter and Schenn. Just over two minutes later, Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker netted his third of the season at 8:29, with Berggren and Snuggerud earning helpers to make it 3-2. Columbus responded once more to restore its two-goal cushion before the second intermission. Defenseman Damon Severson unleashed a slap shot for his fourth goal at 12:01, with Zach Werenski recording the assist. The third period saw St. Louis control large stretches of play and outshoot Columbus 12-5, but Greaves and the Blue Jackets’ defense held firm. The Blues pulled Binnington for an extra attacker with over two minutes remaining, but Mason Marchment sealed the victory for Columbus with an empty-net goal at 17:30, his 13th of the season. Kirill Marchenko and Adam Fantilli assisted on the clinching goal. Binnington stopped 26 of 30 shots for the Blues. The game featured six minor penalties, three per side. St. Louis’ Nick Bjugstad was called for delay of game in the first period, while Kyrou was penalized for holding in the second. For Columbus, Cole Sillinger (holding), Dmitri Voronkov (slashing), Mason Marchment (slashing) and Adam Fantilli (holding) all served two-minute minors. The victory completed a back-to-back road sweep for Columbus, which defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 on Friday. St. Louis had entered the game coming off a 5-4 home win over the Florida Panthers on Thursday. According to National Statistical, the game’s final score of 8 total goals went over the pregame over/under line of 6.5. The Blues had been installed as a 1.5-goal pregame favorite. The simulator had projected a 3-2 Columbus victory, and the site’s ELO system gave the Blue Jackets a 50.3 percent probability to win. Columbus continues its road trip with a game at the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday. St. Louis travels to face the Nashville Predators on Monday.

ST. LOUIS (Interstat) — Two Central Division teams trending in opposite directions will meet Saturday when the Columbus Blue Jackets visit the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center. The Blue Jackets (25-27-0) arrive with momentum, having won seven of their last 10 games, including a 5-3 victory over Philadelphia on Wednesday. Columbus has found success recently despite a negative goal differential on the season, relying on timely scoring and improved defensive structure. In contrast, the Blues (20-34-0) have struggled profoundly, losing eight of their last 10. They snapped a five-game skid with a 5-4 win over Florida on Thursday but remain anchored near the bottom of the Western Conference standings. Defensive issues persist, with St. Louis allowing four or more goals in six of those eight recent losses. A player to watch for Columbus is forward Mathieu Olivier, who is coming off a multi-point performance (one goal, one assist) against the Flyers. His physical, energy-driven play has been a constant during the team’s improved January. For St. Louis, veteran center Nick Bjugstad will be relied upon to provide a spark. He recorded six penalty minutes in the win over Florida and scored a goal in his last productive outing on Jan. 16. The Blues need more consistent offensive contributions from their middle-six forwards. The teams last met on Nov. 1, 2025, with Columbus securing a 3-2 home victory. According to National Statistical’s game simulator, a similar tight contest is projected, with a final score of Columbus 3, St. Louis 2. The matchup pits Columbus’s recent surge against a St. Louis team desperate to build on its lone win in nearly three weeks. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST. UP NEXT Blue Jackets: Visit New Jersey on Tuesday. Blues: Visit Nashville on Monday. AP Hockey Writer