Story by
Columbus Blue Jackets sweep a back-to-back on stunning OT comeback victory in Utah
- Story by
- Columbus Blue Jackets sweep a back-to-back on stunning OT comeback victory in Utah
The Blue Jackets are working a lot of overtime and getting quite a payoff from it.
More: Kirill Marchenko, Zach Werenski, Elvis Merzlikins help Columbus Blue Jackets top Kings
Forcing a third straight game beyond the third period late Friday in their inaugural visit to Salt Lake City, Utah, the Jackets edged the Utah Hockey Club , 3-2, on by a goal Zach Werenski 1:01 into OT.
Advertisement
After swiping the puck from Utah center Barrett Hayton with a slick poke check, Werenski carried up the ice for a 2-on-0 rush with Cole Sillinger against UHC goalie Karel Vejmelka . After sliding a cross-ice pass to Sillinger, Werenski stayed ready for a return feed and tapped the puck into the net when it arrived for his 17thgoal of the season to end it with Vejmelka caught out of position.
"We just stuck with it," Werenski told FanDuel Sports Network after the game. "It wasn't our best game by any means. I felt like we were a little bit tired, but we were just resilient, played our game, kept going and found a way to win. So, it was awesome."
Jan 31, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Dmitri Voronkov (10) misses the puck after it was blocked by Utah Hockey Club goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) during the first period at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images
The OT win was the third straight victory in that fashion for the Blue Jackets (26-19-7), who also downed the Vegas Golden Knights in OT on Thursday night at T-Mobile Arena and the Los Angeles Kings last Saturday in Columbus. Winning in Utah also pushed the Blue Jackets (59 points) past the Tampa Bay Lightning (57 points) into the first wild card of the Eastern Conference.
Advertisement
Kirill Marchenko and Kent Johnson scored in regulation for the Jackets, who trailed 2-0 early in the third period before they tallied 5:17 apart to tie it. Goalie Daniil Tarasov earned the win with 34 saves on 36 shots to continue a string of strong goaltending performances for the Blue Jackets through the month of January.
Jan 31, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Hockey Club defenseman Ian Cole (28) tries to get away from Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Justin Danforth (17) during the first period at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images
Vejmelka made 20 saves on 23 shots for Utah (21-21-9), which got its goals from Nick Schmaltz on a power play early in the second period and Alexander Kerfoot early in the third. Next for the Blue Jackets is a daunting road matchup Sunday at the Dallas Stars , who are second in the Central Division, followed by the conclusion of the trip Tuesday in Buffalo.
"We had a slow start," Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason said during his postgame interview broadcast by FanDuel Sports Network. "They're a really good first period team and we knew that, but we maybe didn't have our legs quite early enough. ... They were winning the races, the puck battles, the 'compete' game and certainly in the third period, we brought our 'compete' up."
Advertisement
Get more on the Columbus Blue Jackets with our Cannon Fodder podcast
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets sweep back-to-back with OT comeback win in Utah
