Blue Jackets defeat Avalanche again on late goal

COLUMBUS -- Cole Sillinger scored with 1:02 remaining, and the Columbus Blue Jackets rallied for a 4-2 win against the Colorado Avalanche at Nationwide Arena on Saturday.

Sillinger redirected a shot from the blue line by Yegor Chinakhov.
"The puck came around and I tried to find that hole and get to the net," Sillinger said. "It deflected off my stick and went in the net."
Elvis Merzlikins made 34 saves for the Blue Jackets (7-3-0), who have won three straight despite trailing in the third in each of those games.
"I love how we came out in the third. We came to win a game," Columbus coach Brad Larsen said. "That's a good sign. They wanted to go get that win. That's a great sign for a young hockey team."
Andre Burakovsky scored twice, and Darcy Kuemper made 38 saves for the Avalanche (4-5-1), who also lost 5-4 in overtime to Columbus on Wednesday.
"The third was probably one of the worst periods we've ever played," Colorado forward Mikko Rantanen said. "In the third, we didn't have our legs on either offense or defense.
"They tied the game, and we were slow defensively, not physical enough. Sometimes it looked like we were playing just effortless."

Gabriel Carlsson scored his first of the season to put Columbus ahead 1-0 at 11:44 of the first period. He skated down behind Logan O'Connor and received a cross-ice pass from Jakub Voracek before scoring short side on Kuemper.
"We mismanaged the puck and their forechecking was really good," Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. "Most of the scoring chances against us was mismanagement of the puck."
Burakovsky, who did not play Wednesday because of an upper-body injury, tied it 1-1 at 16:16 of the first with a one-timer five seconds after a power play had expired.
Kuemper kept the game tied when he stopped Zach Werenski's shorthanded shot on a 2-on-1 at 6:21 of the second period, and three minutes later, Merzlikins made the save on a breakaway by Rantanen.
Burakovsky then made it 2-1 at 13:16 of the second with a backhand top shelf after forcing a turnover down low by Jake Bean.
Alexandre Texier tied it 2-2 at 13:37 of the third, scoring from low in the right circle after receiving a pass off the end boards from Eric Robinson.

After Sillinger gave Columbus the lead, Oliver Bjorkstrand shot into an empty net with 30 seconds remaining for the 4-2 final.
"We played two good games against Colorado," Texier said. "We have to play the same way against every team. I think we know how to play; we know how to win. We just need to do it every single night."
NOTES:Columbus' 10-game start is tied for the best in its history (2017-18). … Chinakhov had two assists for his first points in the NHL. ... Voracek has five assists in a three-game point streak. … Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri had the primary assist on Burakovsky's first goal and has six points (two goals, four assists) during a four-game point streak. … Rantanen, who missed the previous three games because of a lower-body injury, had six shots and was minus-2 in 20:09 of ice time. … Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews made his season debut following offseason shoulder injury and was plus-1 in 21:08.