Laine scores twice in return for Blue Jackets in win against Jets

WINNIPEG -- Patrik Laine scored two goals after missing seven games with an ankle injury, and the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Winnipeg Jets 4-1 at Canada Life Centre on Friday.

"I can kind of feel it during the morning skate if I'm feeling good or not, and I felt like I was going pretty good this morning," Laine said. "So, I had good thoughts for tonight and I feel like right off the start our line was playing good hockey, and obviously had a couple mistakes every now and then. But overall, we played some good hockey. Just happy to get the win."

Johnny Gaudreau had three assists, and Joonas Korpisalo made 37 saves for the Blue Jackets (8-12-2), who had lost four of five (1-3-1).
"You saw [Laine's] shot tonight, I mean, he could have had a few more. He's just got a great shot," Gaudreau said. "Other teams tend to try to stay on [Laine] a little bit more with a shot like that, so it gives me a little more time and space, and me and Boone [Jenner] can kind of create a little more time and space and try to find 'Patty.'"
Pierre-Luc Dubois scored, and David Rittich made 22 saves for the Jets (14-7-1), who had won four of five (4-1-0).
"No team goes 82 wins and zero losses," Dubois said. "We got chances. They had quick chances and took advantage of them. There were spurts in the game where we had momentum and were going around the zone. I thought the power play could have got us going, and it didn't. That doesn't help. But it's a long season. Like I said, you can't win all 82. And we've got to learn from this one."

Laine gave the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead at 6:48 of the first period on a cross-ice pass from Gaudreau.
"That's the one thing why we came here, to get the two points," Laine said. "It didn't matter if I scored zero tonight and played a bad game as long as we win. That's the most important thing and that's why we're here, so we are really happy that we got it done. Now we've got to build from here and keep it going."
Erik Gudbranson made it 2-0 at 10:42 when his rebound deflected in off Dubois for his first goal with the Blue Jackets since signing a four-year contract July 13.
Jenner made a backhand pass from the slot that Laine one-timed from the left circle to extend the lead to 3-0 at 3:19 of the second period. It was Jenner's 300th NHL point.
"We're in a dogfight to make the playoffs," Winnipeg coach Rick Bowness said. "Every game is important, I don't care who we play … And as I told them after the game, it's on every individual to look at yourself first. Don't look at anything else. Look at yourself first and foremost."

Gustav Nyquist pushed it to 4-0 at 12:21, taking a Gaudreau cross-slot pass and scoring off Rittich's pad.
Dubois cut it to 4-1 on the power play at 15:30 of the third period, sweeping in a loose puck in front for his third goal in three games.
"We were pretty solid all the way through," Columbus coach Brad Larsen said. "We got in a little penalty trouble. In the second period [Korpisalo] was huge, obviously. He came up really big for us. They had some really good looks."
Laine was twice denied the hat trick late in the third period. With 4:13 remaining and Rittich pulled for the extra attacker, Laine shot from the Blue Jackets zone and hit the post. Then with 2:45 remaining, his shot towards the empty net from inside the Jets blue line was blocked by the skate of Blake Wheeler.
NOTES: Gaudreau has 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) in his past 10 games. … Gudbranson's goal was his 100th NHL point. … The Blue Jackets activated goalie Elvis Merzlikins off injured reserve Thursday to back up Korpisalo. He missed six games with a hip injury. … Jets forward Sam Gagner had two shots in 13:39 after being a healthy scratch the previous two games. … Wheeler had his three-game multipoint streak end but had an assist to extend his point streak to four games (three goals, six assists). … Winnipeg forward Cole Perfetti had an assist to give him six points (one goal, five assists) in a four-game point streak. … Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey (five games) and Jets forward Kyle Connor (four games) each had their point streaks end.