The Columbus Blue Jackets kicked off their 2025-26 preseason with a 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Sunday night. Here are three takeaways from the game:

1. Voronkov's impressive performance

Dmitri Voronkov stood out, recording a goal and two assists in the Blue Jackets' win. Just out of the penalty box, Voronkov won a board battle and passed the puck to Brendan Gaunce, leading to the first goal. Later in the second period, he earned his second assist when Jake Christiansen set up Luca Del Belluz to make it 2-0. Then, with 2:29 left in the game, Voronkov scored, extending the lead to 3-1. According to coach Dean Evason, Voronkov committed to getting in shape over the summer, which was evident in his performance.

2. Solid goaltending

Ivan Fedotov made his debut with the Blue Jackets, playing 40 minutes and stopping 14 of 15 shots. In the third period, Evan Gardner played in goal and stopped all six shots he faced.

3. Sloppy Start, but Promising Chances

As is typical of preseason games, both the Blues and Blue Jackets had a somewhat disorganized start. The Blues outshot the Blue Jackets 6-3 in the first period, but the Blue Jackets had better scoring opportunities but could not get the puck past Blues goalie Joel Hofer. Gaunce scored the first goal, assisted by Voronkov, on a 2-on-0 rush.