Kirill Marchenko recorded a hat trick, and the Columbus Blue Jackets pulled away for a 7-4 win over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday evening in St. Paul, Minn.
Zach Werenski and Boone Jenner tallied one goal and two assists apiece for Columbus, which earned its first win. Adam Fantilli notched a goal and an assist.
Kirill Kaprizov had two goals and one assist for Minnesota. Matt Boldy had one goal and two assists, and Zeev Buium finished with one goal and one assist.
Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins stopped 48 of 52 shots in his season debut.
Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson allowed six goals on 31 shots.
Columbus opened the scoring 2:29 into the first period. Miles Wood carried the puck down the left side of the ice and lifted a shot for his first goal as a member of the Blue Jackets.
The Blue Jackets increased their lead to 2-0 seven seconds into the second period. Columbus won the faceoff, and Marchenko ripped a wrist shot from the slot moments later.
A power-play goal allowed the Wild to pull within 2-1 with 13:42 remaining in the second period. Merzlikins knocked down a long shot by Kaprizov, but Boldy found the loose puck in front of the net and punched it in for his second goal in as many games.
Kaprizov scored on the power play about two minutes later to even the score at 2-all. He fired a one-timer from a sharp angle, and the puck deflected off Merzlikins and into the net.
The Blue Jackets regained a 3-2 lead on Marchenko’s second goal with 1:12 remaining in the second period.
Seventy-one seconds into the third period, Columbus increased its lead to 4-2. Werenski ripped a slap shot from the high slot for his first goal of the season.
The Blue Jackets made it 5-2 less than two minutes later. On a two-man advantage, Marchenko blasted a one-timer from the left circle for his third goal.
Buium tallied his first career goal with 10:06 remaining. The rookie scored on the power play to pull Minnesota within 5-3.
Fantilli made it 6-3 for Columbus with 9:13 to go.
Kaprizov cut the Wild’s deficit to 6-4 on a power-play goal with 4:11 remaining.
Jenner capped the scoring on an empty-net goal with 1:26 left.
