James van Riemsdyk scored twice and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the San Jose Sharks 4-1 on Thursday night to extend their win streak to six games — their longest since January 2020. Kent Johnson had a goal and an assist and Adam Fantilli scored a goal to stretch his point streak to eight games.

James van Riemsdyk scored twice, leading the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 4-1 victory over the visiting San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.

As the team wins more and more, the Blue Jackets have shot up the NHL standings. After the win against San Jose, they now sit in the first wild card spot and are just five points back of Carolina, who they face Jan. 23 during this upcoming road trip, for third place in the Metropolitan Division.

They didn’t get to six goals, but the Blue Jackets did move into the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference over the Boston Bruins by extending their season-high winning streak to six straight games Thursday at Nationwide Arena.

A strong first two periods helped the Blue Jackets survive a third-period push from the Sharks before van Riemsdyk found the empty net.

COLUMBUS -- James van Riemsdyk scored twice, and Zach Werenski extended his home point streak to 18 games when the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the San Jose Sharks 4-1 at Nationwide Arena on Thursday for their sixth straight win.

Watch the Game Highlights from Columbus Blue Jackets vs. San Jose Sharks, 01/16/2025

The Columbus Blue Jackets were about to embark on an extended road trip. They could have easily overlooked the San Jose Sharks. Thanks to a quick start and a good first two periods, the Blue Jackets avoided the trap game.