Columbus rookies Mateychuk and Del Bel Belluz have a goal and an assist each in 6-2 win over Seattle

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Denton Mateychuk and Luca Del Bel Belluz, both recent callups from the AHL, each had a goal and an assist to help lift the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Seattle Kraken 6-2 on Thursday night.

Zach Werenski also added a goal and an assist, extending his home point streak to 16 games, as the Blue Jackets won their third straight.

Sean Kuraly, Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko also scored. James van Riemsdyk contributed two assists, and Elvis Merzlikins made 29 saves for Columbus. Mateychuk’s goal was the first of his NHL career.

Eeli Tolvanen scored twice for Seattle, which has lost four straight. Philipp Grubauer stopped 14 shots before being replaced late in the second period by Joey Daccord, who saved all four shots he faced in his first game action since suffering an upper-body injury on Dec. 22 against the Colorado Avalanche.

Takeaways

Columbus rookies Mateychuk and Del Bel Belluz have a goal and an assist each in 6-2 win over Seattle | iNFOnews.ca — Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko, right, celebrates his empty-net goal against the Seattle Kraken with teammate forward Dmitri Voronkov, left, during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Columbus, Ohio, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon)

Seattle: The Kraken dominated shots and puck possession early and were competitive through the first 20 minutes. They were overwhelmed in the second period and started their five-game road trip with a loss.

Columbus: After a slow start, the Blue Jackets found their rhythm and dominated the final two periods. Contributions from recent Cleveland callups helped them secure their 14th home win this season.

Key moment

The Blue Jackets were tied after one period but erupted in the second, scoring four unanswered goals in 12:16. The surge broke the game open and forced Grubauer from the net.

Key stat