The Columbus Blue Jackets are looking to avenge their recent loss against the Red Wings in Detroit. They eventually turned the tables in their favor.
Adam Fantilli scored twice, including the tying goal with 1:31 left in regulation. The Blue Jackets won the shootout on Thursday night to win the game 6-5.
The story of this game is the strength of the two teams.
game review
The first quarter started slowly as both teams tried to find their groove. Early penalties gave the Red Wings a chance to score on the power play, and they ranked 11th in the league at 21.6 percent.
But the Blue Jackets’ improvement in penalty kicks gave them the upper hand from the start. They played away from home and managed to prevent Brendan Smith’s tripping penalty.
The Blue Jackets took the lead with 2:05 left in the first quarter when Ivan Provorov’s point shot beat Cam Talbot. Seconds earlier, Ben Chiarot had swept the puck away from the goal line. It was the only goal of the game, and the Blue Jackets had an 8-6 shooting advantage in the first quarter.
Then the special teams got crazy in the second quarter. The two teams combined for five power-play goals. The Blue Jackets also got one at the same level.
Just 1 minute and 09 seconds into the quarter, Dylan Larkin knocked down Moritz Seider’s shot past Elvis Merzlikins during a power play. The Blue Jackets responded with two goals to take a 3-1 lead.
Kirill Marchenko returned to the lineup and scored a power-play goal on Talbot’s desired shot. Kent Johnson then scored his first goal in 19 games on a rebound. It was his third goal of the season and his only even-strength goal in his second season.
Dmitry Voronkov defended high in the zone, and the Red Wings scored on both ends of the double. First, Lucas Raymond chased the score to 3-2. Former Blue Jacket James van Riemsdyk then scored from his traditional spot to make it 3-3.
The Blue Jackets regained the lead 4-3 with another power-play goal. This time, Fantilli caught a pass from Zach Wilenski for his tenth of the season. Fantilli became the first player in blue to score 10 goals this season.
The Red Wings quickly attacked in the third quarter and took a 5-4 lead. Patrick Kane scored his 496th career goal to tie the game. The Red Wings took the lead about two minutes later when Alex DeBrincat scored.
The Blue Jackets got Merzlikins late. Fantilli hit the puck to the center of the ice. His shot escaped Talbot’s shot and made the score 5-5. Extra time and a penalty shootout were required.
The Blue Jackets won the penalty shootout 2-0 on goals from Johnson and Marchenko and the game 6-5. With the win, the Blue Jackets jump to 31 points. It ensured that every team in Metro scored at least 31 points. Just five points shy of eighth place.
The Blue Jackets will now travel to Florida State to face the Panthers on Saturday. The Red Wings will fly to Seattle and will face the Kraken on Saturday night.
