Hofmann nets 1st goal, Blue Jackets defeat Dallas 4-1

COLUMBUS — Gregory Hofmann

scored his first NHL goal and added an assist, leading the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 4-1 win over over

Dallas Stars on Monday night.

Oliver Bjorkstrand added a goal and his 100th career assist, and Zach Werenski had a goal and an assist as Columbus won for the second time in three games. Alexandre Texier scored into an empty net.

Tyler Seguin scored for the Stars.

Elvis Merzlikins stopped 31 shots and is unbeaten in four

starts this season. He turned back a barrage

of shots and cleared the zone with a confident poke check, carrying a shutout bid into the final three minutes of the game.

“I thought we had a solid game all the way through,” Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen

said. “Elvis was good all the way through. We had contributions from everybody.”

Bjorkstrand put Columbus on the board

early, taking a pass from Jack Roslovic and Hofmann at 5:53

of the first period and

beating Braden Holtby on the rush for his third goal and team leading eighth point.

Bjorkstrand has three multipoint games this season.

“Until we decide to put our best game for ward, which means preparation and play

ing with some passion and some competi tiveness, then this is what it’s going to look like,” said Rick Bow

ness, who coached his 100th with the Stars. “You can tell the pas

sion and the competi tiveness just wasn’t there. The big gaps be tween our forwards

and our defense, and when that happens you are playing slow

and you’re usually getting outworked.”

The Jackets ap peared to go up 2-0 at 7:17 of the second, but Cole Sillinger’s shot was deemed not fully across the goal line.

Hofmann made it 2-0 and brought the

home crowd to its feet with his first NHL goal at 10:39 of the sec

ond, a shot off a feed from Bjorkstrand.

“It was a great night a very special night,” Hofmann said. “I

thought maybe I could

JACKETS,