After going 2-7-1 to start off March, the Jackets looked to finish the month off with their third straight win, and maybe put into motion a race to catch Ottawa for WC1. Unfortunately it was not to be, as the Sens would shut down the Columbus offense for most of the game and win 3-2.
1st Period
The Jackets were dealt a blow shortly before the opening faceoff, as Dante Fabbro would miss this one. No details beyond being “banged up,” but hopefully he can return soon.
Decent start for the Jackets, as they’d control the pace of play for the most part of this period, including four of the first five shots through the first seven minutes. However, Ottawa scored on their second shot of the game, a Thomas Chabot point shot tipped by Ridly Greig. However, Captain Boone Jenner answered seconds later, banging in a Werenski rebound.
SENATORS GOAL – Ridly Greig from Thomas Chabot and Shane Pinto – 7:24 1st Period
BLUE JACKETS GOAL – Boone Jenner from Zach Werenski and Denton Mateychuk – 7:55 1st Period
Columbus continued to ramp up the pressure, having a 7-2 shots advantage 11 minutes into the game. But Ottawa would reclaim their lead again, with Drake Batherson scoring off a rebound just past the 14 minute mark. While neither goal was fully his fault, Daniil Tarasov letting in two goals off the first six shots is absolutely brutal.
SENATORS GOAL – Drake Batherson from Dylan Cozens and Artem Zub – 14:08 1st Period
The Jackets would get their first (and only) powerplay after bash brother Brady Tkachuk gave Sean Monahan an extra shot. A brief scrum ensued. Kirill Marchenko missed open look late in the chance, but the Sens would kill it off. Dmitri Voronkov would also have a chance shortly after the powerplay expired.
Despite the score, it was a great first period for the Jackets, outshooting Ottawa 13-8, especially on the road on the second half of a back to back.
2nd Period
Unlike the first, the Senators came out during the second period and absolutely shut everything down. Granted they didn’t get many opportunities at even strength, a couple good rushes, but Columbus was completely prevented from anything remotely resembling a scoring chance.
At 5:40, Kent Johnson went off for slashing Claude Giroux, but the Jackets were able to kill off the Ottawa powerplay. However, a couple minutes later, the Sens scored off the rush. Shane Pinto blew by Denton Mateychuk for a loose puck, Jake Sanderson got around Zach Werenski, and a perfect pass between the two meant the Jackets were down two.
SENATORS GOAL – Jake Sanderson from Shane Pinto and Ridly Greig – 9:17 2nd Period
The Jackets got nabbed for their second penalty after Boone went off for interference, but were able to kill it off. After that, the Senators continued to counter the Jackets’ offense flawlessly and stiffle any attempts to swing momentum. The Greig-Pinto-Tkachuk line was especially effective. In all, Columbus only had four shots on goal the entire middle frame.
3rd Period
It’d look like the second period would follow the same script as the first, with the Sens playing excellent defense through the first 10 minutes. However, as the midway point of the final frame approached, the Jackets finally showed signs of life, with a great shift from the Monahan line getting pressure. Coming out of the TV timeout, Kirill Marchenko would finally get another one past Linus Ullmark, thanks to a wicked wrister off the rush. 3-2 with nine minutes left.
After the goal, the Jackets played a lot better, looking like the team that was able to get three multi-goal comebacks in their last two games. They peppered Ullmark with shots, but weren’t able to solve him again. The Jackets pulled the goalie with 2:30 to go, but ultimately fell to the Senators in this one.
This game was a bit of a mixed bag. The first period and last 10 minutes of the third were outstanding, but the other 30 minutes sucked. Tarasov made some decent saves, but also put the Jackets behind the eight ball early. And why are Justin Danforth, Zach Aston-Reese, and company out there with under a minute to go?
With the loss, the Jackets fall out of the wildcard. They have an identical record to the Montreal Canadiens, but the Habs have the regulation wins tiebreaker. The New York Rangers also have an opportunity to pass both teams tonight in San Jose; they’re up 1-0 at the time of writing. These next two days the CBJ’s last multi-day break of the season before starting a Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday-Sunday pattern for April, beginning on the first against Nashville.