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

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

After scoring six goals on Tuesday, the San Jose Sharks only scored once on Thursday, as the Columbus Blue Jackets won 4-1.

Defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic will play in his 1,300th NHL game Thursday when the San Jose Sharks face the Columbus Blue Jackets

Tyler Toffoli scored and Alexandar Georgiev stopped 30 shots, but their San Jose Sharks fell 4-1 to the Columbus Blue Jackets in Ohio on Thursday night.

The Blue Jackets jumped up by three goals, which was too much for the struggling Sharks. The Jackets would put away San Jose 4-1.

The latest victory, Tuesday night’s 3-2 shootout triumph over Philadelphia, was a bit of a slog the entire way – a “grinding, in the mud” game, as head coach Dean Evason said – but the Blue Jackets stuck with it and got the two points.

Jason Newland is the Site Editor and Reporter for the Columbus Blue Jackets team site with The Hockey News. A resident of Columbus, Jason has spent 10 years writing about the Blue Jackets and in his spare time hangs with his son Trevor, plays softball, and watches all sports. You can follow him at @F1reTheCannon.

A perfect three-game road trip convinced the New York Islanders they were on the verge of mounting another midseason push for a playoff berth.

While the Columbus Blue Jackets can enjoy the view when they glance at the NHL standings, the New York Rangers find themselves bunched with several teams below the playoff line.

While he wasn't initially penalized, the NHL has now issued a multi-game suspension for Islanders forward Maxim Tsyplakov.