Mathieu Olivier scored 28 seconds after the opening faceoff, Charlie Coyle and Valeri Nichushkin had goals 39 seconds apart in a four-goal second period, and the host Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Colorado Avalanche 7-2 on Tuesday night.
Coyle finished with two goals and tied a career high with four points, and Olivier added two assists for the Blue Jackets. Cole Sillinger had a goal and an assist, Jake Christiansen and Ivan Provorov each scored a goal and Zach Werenski added two assists for Columbus, which ended a two-game skid with a season high in goals.
The Blue Jackets came into the night 29th in the NHL at 2.33 goals per game and surpassed that average on Christiansen’s goal at 4:19 of the second period. That ignited a flurry for Columbus, which turned a 2-1 lead into 6-1 midway through the middle frame.
Sillinger scored at 7:20 and Coyle and Nichushkin piled on with goals against their former team. Nichushkin added an assist and ended an eight-game goal drought.
Sillinger’s goal chased Colorado goaltender Scott Wedgewood, who allowed four goals on nine shots. Mackenzie Blackwood came on and made 12 saves.
Cam Talbot turned away 27 shots for the Blue Jackets.
Cale Makar had a goal and an assist, Nazem Kadri also scored and Nathan MacKinnon added two assists for the Avalanche, who lost for the fourth time in their last five road games. Colorado won 5-2 at Chicago on Monday night to snap a three-game skid away from home.
The Avalanche allowed a goal in the first minute against the Blackhawks and were down 2-0 just 7:05 into the game. They tied it by the end of the first and went on to the win.
Columbus followed that blueprint, going ahead 2-0 on Provorov’s goal at 7:37 but Makar made it 2-1 when he scored off MacKinnon’s pass through the slot at 10:57. The Avalanche had a chance to tie it when they opened the second period with a power play but couldn’t capitalize.
Kadri scored at 16:35 of the second and Coyle got his second goal of the night at 11:21 of the third.