– First off, congrats to coach Jon Tortorella, who coached in his 1000th NHL game this evening. Congrats also to Fedor Tyutin, playing in his 800th NHL game.
– Goaltending matchup: Sergei Bobrovsky vs. Keith Kinkaid
– Dalton Prout with the glancing hit on Tuomo Ruutu, ending with an awkward collision into the boards. Prout would leave the game but returned later.
– Prout with a point shot, beating Kinkaid but not the post. POST COUNT: 1
– JACKETS POWERPLAY. Adam Larsson sent to the box for cross-checking Scott Hartnell. While on powerplay, Boone Jenner with a deke, sliding the puck past Kinkaid but once again, the post makes the save. POST COUNT: 2
– JACKETS PP GOAL! While still on the powerplay, Alexander Wennberg with the shot, rebound to the stick of Oliver Bjorkstrand, who’s rebound attempt is stopped. Puck to the stick of Jenner on the goal line, who passes it back to Wennberg, who then goes cross-ice to Cam Atkinson, who ripped a shot past Kinkaid. The puck was deflected by Andy Greene.
– Shortly after, another JACKETS GOAL! This time Jackets entered zone, with Scott Hartnell dropping the puck to Brandon Dubinsky. Dubinsky to Seth Jones at the wall, who fired a blast toward the net, redirected by the stick of Larsson.
– With 4:10 left, Bjorkstrand through New Jersey defenders, had Kinkaid beat but found iron. POST COUNT: 3
– Rough stuff alert. In final minutes of opening frame, Kyle Palmieri shoved Hartnell into Kinkaid, knocking his goaltender and the net off the moorings. A sign of things to come.
– Score 2-0 after one period.
– Devils with more jump to start the second.
– JACKETS GOAL! Boone with the innocent looking shot after a nice keep-in at the line by Prout, beating Kinkaid and chasing him from the game. Yann Danis now in the New Jersey net.
– Here’s where the second period started to go downhill for the Jackets. The Devils gained some momentum with the goalie change, and then Hartnell took a stupid hooking penalty.
– DEVILS PP GOAL. With Hartnell in the box, Damon Severson sent a wrister on-net from the point, where it was deflected perfectly by Palmieri in front of Bobrovsky.
– Moments later, another stupid, momentum-sapping penalty. This time Prout to the box for cross-checking.
– DEVILS PP GOAL. Adam Henrique sent in on partial breakaway, slid the puck under Bobrovsky and into the net before crashing into him.
– Jackets penalty. Another dumb penalty for the Jackets, this time Brandon Dubinsky off for clearing out Bobby Farnham late in a scrum in front of the Columbus net.
– JACKETS POWERPLAY: No joy for the Jackets with Dmitri Kalinin in the box for holding.
– With 1:36 left in the second, Nick Foligno wired a shot off the post. POST COUNT: 4
– In final seconds of the middle period, Bjorkstrand alone in front, big save by Danis.
– Third period underway, and DEVILS GOAL to tie it up. With Jones, Dubinsky and David Savard tied up in the corner with Reid Boucher, Boucher slid the puck toward the net where Palmieri was there to redirect the puck past Bobrovsky.
– With that goal, the run of poor, undisciplined play by the Jackets would end. Whole new game from that point onward.
– On the ensuing faceoff after Palmieri’s goal, fans were treated to Bjorkstrand’s FIRST NHL GOAL! after receiving a pass from Wennberg down low. What a treat for the young man, with his father in the stands to see it.
.@OBjorkstrand will never forget this one.#CBJhttps://t.co/usSZISrni8
— NHL Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) March 20, 2016
– COLUMBUS GOAL! On the next faceoff, the Jackets’ fourth line went to work, with Gregory Campbell carrying the puck down the right wing, sending it toward the net where Michael Chaput was waiting to jam the puck on Danis. Campbell gathered the rebound and slid it cross-crease to William Karlsson, who made no mistake in firing a backhand into the net.
– A few minutes later, another COLUMBUS GOAL! After excellent offensive pressure, the puck landed on the stick of Bjorkstrand just inside the Devils’ blueline. Bjorkstrand skated past the defenders and wired a laser past Danis for his second goal of the game.
– HUGE SAVE by Bobrovsky on a Joseph Blandisi breakaway.
– CBJ POWERPLAY. With 8:47 left, Bjorkstrand drew a double-minor after taking a high stick to the nose. The Jackets wouldn’t get a shot on goal, mainly due to Bjorkstrand’s teammates trying to feed him the puck.
– In the final minute Matt Calvert with an excellent chance, hitting the post. POST COUNT: 5
– HUG!!!
– FINAL SCORE 6-3 Jackets
– These teams face off tomorrow at 5pm EST in New Jersey.