Laine Leads Blue Jackets to 3-1 Win Over Jets

On Thursday night, the Columbus Blue Jackets secured a 3-1 win against the Winnipeg Jets at Nationwide Arena. Joonas Korpisalo put on an impressive performance, making 37 saves for the Blue Jackets, who had lost five of their previous six games.

The victory was particularly sweet for Columbus forward Patrik Laine, who had a goal and an assist against his former team. "The bye week [last week] was good for us," Laine said. "Everyone could look in the mirror and think about what they want to do the rest of the year."

Kent Johnson gave the Blue Jackets a 2-1 lead at 9:40 of the third period with a shot from the right face-off circle that surprised Jets goaltender David Rittich. Boone Jenner then scored into an empty net with three seconds left for the 3-1 final.

Despite the loss, the Jets had a strong start to the game, with Kyle Connor scoring on the power play at 19:58 of the first period. "Give their goalie credit, he played a good game," Winnipeg coach Rick Bowness said. "But the other point is there were times we had some Grade A's we missed the net on, and too many times he saw the puck and trapped the puck, so the greasy goals weren't going to be there in that period."

The win for the Blue Jackets was an important one, as they seek to build momentum for next season and show their young players what winning hockey looks like. "Try to learn it now so we're ready for next year," Laine said.

Columbus coach Brad Larsen was pleased with his team's performance, particularly in the face of a slow start to the game. "It wasn't the start we wanted, but our goalie kept us in it," Larsen said. "There was nothing going on in that period. All the best teams, you watch them, and they have periods like that. They do. But one goal is a lot different than three. You get some momentum, and you're one shot away."

Overall, the Blue Jackets' win was a well-deserved one, with Korpisalo's impressive performance between the pipes and Laine's contributions against his former team. With several games left in the season, the Blue Jackets will be hoping to build on this victory and finish the year on a high note.