Anderson, Bjorkstrand lead Blue Jackets past Panthers 7-3

By AP
Published

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) -- Oliver Bjorkstrand and Josh Anderson each scored twice to lift the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Florida Panthers 7-3 on Thursday night.

Boone Jenner, Tyler Motte and Markus Hannikainen also had goals for the Blue Jackets, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 31 saves. Seven goals are a season-high for Columbus, which won for the eighth time in 11 games.

Vincent Trocheck had a goal and two assists for the Panthers. Ian McCoshen and Mark Pysyk also scored. James Reimer allowed four goals on 19 shots before being replaced by Antti Niemi at 10:46 of the second period. Niemi stopped 18 shots.

The Panthers lost their third straight and have given up 15 goals in their past two games.

After Trocheck's short-handed goal tied the score 3-all at 8:43 of the second, the Blue Jackets reclaimed the lead 28 seconds later on a power-play goal by Bjorkstrand when his shot went into the top of the net. Reimer was replaced by Niemi after that goal.

Bjorkstrand's second goal, a shot from in front, beat Niemi and stretched the Blue Jackets' lead to 5-3.

Motte made it 6-3 at 3:45 of the third. The goal was Motte's second in two games since being recalled from Cleveland of the AHL on Monday.

Jenner's power-play goal, a deflection of a shot by Artemi Panarin at 6:12 of the third, made it 7-3.
















Columbus took a 3-2 lead on Hannikainen's goal at 5:21 of the second. Hannikainen grabbed a loose puck in the slot and slid it between Reimer's pads.

The Panthers tied the score 2-all 35 seconds into the second on McCoshen's slap shot from the point.

Anderson's second goal gave the Blue Jackets a 2-1 lead on his wrist shot from the right circle that beat Reimer to the stick side with 3:33 left in the first period.

The Panthers took a 1-0 lead on the goal by Pysyk when he swept in a rebound off a shot by Trocheck at 4:57.

The Blue Jackets tied it on Anderson's first goal. Brandon Dubinsky passed from the goal line to Anderson in front and he pushed he puck past Reimer with 8:28 left in the first.

NOTES: Blue Jackets RW Cam Atkinson missed the game with a lower-body injury. ... Bjorkstrand's power-play goal was the first on the road for Columbus this season in 15 tries. ... Panthers LW Connor Brickley missed his third game with an upper-body injury.

UP NEXT

Blue Jackets: Visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.

Panthers: Host the New York Rangers on Saturday.