By NICOLE KRAFT Associated Press
COLUMBUS (AP) — The Blue Jackets knew to be successful this season they needed scoring production from their younger players and strong goaltending.
On Wednesday night, they got both.
Sonny Milano and Alexander Wennberg each scored for the first time this season to lift Columbus over the Dallas Stars 3-2.
Columbus (3-3-0) won back-to-back games and pulled to .500 with its eighth consecutive victory over the Stars (1-6-1). Joonis Korpisalo turned away 30 shots to net his third win.
Ben Bishop made 32 saves for Dallas, who have lost four straight.
Zach Werenski got the scoring started at 7:42 of the first, while Wennberg made it 2-0 at 15:01.
Miro Heiskanen cut the lead to 2-1, scoring his second goal of the year for the Stars on a delayed penalty.
Milano gave Columbus insurance at 9:07 of the third with a highlight-reel goal, skating between two defenders and shooting from between his legs to go top shelf over Bishop. Jakob Lilja recorded his first NHL point with the primary assist.
“It was the best angle to get on net, and it went in,” Milano said. “I was thinking maybe to backhand it, but it went through the legs.”
Columbus coach John Tortorella called the goal “ridiculous.”
“He made a great move to enter the zone, beats a forward at the blue line and there were still two checkers coming on him,” Tortorella said. “It’s a hell of a goal.”
Joe Pavelski scored with 4.5 seconds remaining, but it was too little too late.