Game 73 Recap: After taking TTUN’s players, Jackets take OT win out of Detroit

Following three straight home-and-home series, and the signings of TTUN’s Kent Johnson and Nick Blankenburg, the Jackets picked up their new teammates in Detroit as they faced the Red Wings. Let’s break it down!

First Period:

The first few minutes were decently even. Merzlikins and Nedeleljkovic starting off the period by both screwing up attempts to play the puck, but were able to escape with zeros in the GA column. The Wings were able to get a few chances early, with a couple low, cross-crease chances jumping over their sticks. Both would have likely been goals if they connected.

Columbus did an exceptional job this period of clogging up the neutral zone and creating turnovers, and it paid off in the 13th minute. Gus Nyquist picked off a clearing feed, which resulted in a drive by Zach Werenski to the corner. Did you know he grew up in Detroit? His very best friend Dylan Larkin got the puck from him, but Z forced a turnover, and Jack Roslovic buried it.

BLUE JACKETS GOAL - Jack Roslovic from Zach Werenski - 13:14 1st, 1-0 Columbus

The Jackets continued to maintain control for the remainder of the period, and even earned a power play for hooking with 1:05 left. However, the period would end 1-0, with the CBJ leading in shots, 14-10.

Second Period

Predictably, Columbus does nothing on their power play, before the game started to slant towards the Red Wings. After a successful kill, the home team took control, drew a power play of their own, kept control, and tied the game at 1-1 for about three seconds. Goaltender interference by Joe Velano kept the Jackets up 1-0.

Detroit would re-tie the game later on the period on a... kinda weird play. Bemstrom, in line to receive a pass, just sort of picked up his stick to let Jakub Vrana take the puck. He blew past Gavrikov to even the score. No idea what happened there.

RED WINGS GOAL - Jakub Vrana unassisted - 13:41 2nd, 1-1

This period ended up being very chippy, and both teams would pay for it. First, Joe Velano was on the receiving end of a dangerous cross check, resulting in a scrum. During the Wings power play, several red jerseys got in Elvis’s blue paint, resulting in a scrum. At 17:21, Andrew Peeke decided he’d rather shove someone repeatedly than play actual defense, resulting in a goal and a scrum.

RED WINGS GOAL - Sam Gagner from Marc Staal and Mitchell Stephens - 17:21 2nd, 2-1 Detroit

Filip Hronek and Dylan Larkin then did the exact same thing, allowing another goal and a scrum.

BLUE JACKETS 4-on-4 GOAL - Cole Sillinger from Zach Werenski and Jakub Voracek - 18:01 2nd, 2-2

Then the period ended, which was the first whistle not immediately followed by lots of shoving in almost four minutes.

Third Period

The period started slow, but didn’t stay that way. Four minutes into the third, Jack Roslovic buried his second of the night off another turn over.

BLUE JACKETS GOAL - Jack Roslovic (2) from Patrik Laine - 4:04 3rd, 3-2 Columbus

The game remained pretty even, and chippy, until the CBJ got a power play halfway through the period. It was abysmal. When your goalie makes the save of the game shorthanded, that’s a bad sign. Hopefully Detroit doesn’t take a lot of momentum from th...

BLUE JACKETS GOAL - Justin Danforth from Jack Roslovic and Gustav Nyquist - 12:34 3rd, 4-2 Columbus

Oh, Danforth scores an insurance goal off a beautiful feed from Roslovic. That should ice it. It may be stressful, b...

RED WINGS GOAL - Dylan Larkin from Lucas Raymond and Jordan Oesterle - 15:35 3rd, 4-3 Columbus

RED WINGS GOAL - Jakub Vrana (2) from Pius Suter - 16:33 3rd, 4-4

...

Well that’s not good.

In less than a minute, the Wings stormed back to tie the game. This has happened way too much this season. And shortly after, Elvis had to make a nice glove save on a breakaway to keep it from becoming 5-4.

But before they got to overtime, the Wings and Jackets did one more impression of their college football counterparts, and did their best to fight each other. Larking ran Elvis while the latter played the puck, resulting in a near line brawl. I don’t know why the refs were so committed to not having any fights this game, but there probably should’ve been at least three. Columbus power play, with 48 seconds 4-on-3 to start OT.

Overtime

The power play was hilariously bad, but the Jackets managed to avoid a shorty. Then, the glory of 3-on-3 overtime, and it’s battle of odd-man rushes, continued as normal. One feed from Gustav Nyquist later, and Roslovic ended it with his second career hatty.

BLUE JACKETS OVERTIME GOAL - Jack Roslovic (3) from Gustav Nyquist and Zach Werenski - 3:19 OT, 5-4 Columbus

Wasn’t pretty, but they (they mostly being Roslovic and Werenski) got it done. The Jackets return to Columbus Wednesday, which will likely be Kent Johnson’s debut, and possibly Nick Blankenburg. In the meantime, sound off in the comments.