Blue Jackets Open Pres season with 4-1 win over Blues – The Hockey Writers Columbus Blue Jackets Latest News, Analysis and more

The Columbus Blue Jackets opened their 2025-26 on Sunday evening with the first of four games in four nights. They could find a good result.

Dmitri Voronkov registered a goal and two assists. Ivan Fedotov made the debut of his Blue Jackets and stopped 14 of 15 in 40 minutes of action.

The Blue Jackets defeated the St. Louis Blues 4-1 on Sunday evening. Voronkov made his presence early and often in this.

Summary

The Blues and Blue Jackets went on a bit of a sloppy start as you would expect two teams to shake up the rust. Although the Blues de Blue Jackets 6-3 surpassed in the period, it was the blue coats that had the chances better. They could not solve Joel Hofer.

Then Voronkov won a board battle just after he came out of the penalty box. He was able to get the puck to a striping Brendan Gaunce. Gaune took the shot on a 2-on-0 Rush and Hofer defeated the pads for a 1-0 lead.

Later in the second, Voronkov earned his second assist of the night when Jake Christiansen Luca del Belluz prepared to bring the score to 2-0. Voronkov showed his game the kind of work he put in this summer.

Here is Dean Evason on Voronkov Postgame: “We asked him, are you in shape? As before he even did something and he is like yes. And you can tell it, right? We told him and I will be honest with you. We have told him that you are not alone to play.

The blues received one at the end of the second when Nikita Alexandrov blanked the shot of Justin Carbonneau past Fedotov to bring the score to 2-1. That is all the blues that can come at night.

Evan Gardner stopped all six shots in the third period. Voronkov scored with 2:29 to extend it to 3-1 before Mathieu Olivier De Bullseye hit to bring the score to 4-1.

The blues now get six days off before they play their next pre -season match against the Dallas Stars. They lost 2-1 in a shootout on Saturday evening.

The Blue Jackets will be back on Monday evening when they organize the Buffalo Sabres in the first of a home and home series. They will play in Buffalo on Tuesday evening.