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Marchenko misfortune: 5 takeaways from Columbus Blue Jackets' OT loss to Florida Panthers
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- Marchenko misfortune: 5 takeaways from Columbus Blue Jackets' OT loss to Florida Panthers
All Kirill Marchenko could do was stare out from the penalty box in disbelief.
His accidental tap of a puck over the glass Thursday night at Nationwide Arena led to a key penalty followed by Aleksander Barkov 's winning goal for the Florida Panthers in a 1-0 overtime victory that dealt the Blue Jackets a fifth straight defeat.
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After a 2-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Monday that included a weird bounce on the winning goal, Marchenko's misfortune was another stroke of bad luck for the Blue Jackets (31-28-9), who are clinging to slim playoff hopes.
"There's nothing you can do, right?" Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason said. "Marchy's trying to do the right thing. He's just trying to whap it into the neutral zone, and it's just unfortunate, that's all. We see it all the time. ... It's just a bad break."
Here are five takeaways:
Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Yegor Chinakhov (59) falls beside Florida Panthers defenseman Nate Schmidt (88) as he brings the puck up ice during the third period of the NHL hockey game at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on March 20, 2025. The Blue Jackets lost 1-0 in overtime.
Columbus Blue Jackets keep pace within tight Eastern Conference playoff race
The OT loss added the Blue Jackets' first point since March 9. The Jackets have 71 points, which keeps them 11thin the tightly packed Eastern Conference standings. They trail the New York Rangers and New York Islanders , each with 72 points, and the Montreal Canadiens hold the conference's second wild-card spot with 74.
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The Detroit Red Wings (70 points) and Boston Bruins (69) are still hot on the Jackets' heels.
Kirill Marchenko became the latest unlucky Blue Jackets player
Bounces in hockey are often unpredictable and gutting, which the Blue Jackets are learning the hard way.
After having a puck hop over goalie Jet Greaves ' stick behind the net Monday for Jesper Bratt 's winning goal that lifted the New Jersey Devils to a 2-1 victory, the Blue Jackets' poor luck continued against Florida . Late in the third, as the Panthers circled, Marchenko twice tried to tap the puck while it dangled in mid-air near the boards on the defensive left wing.
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Florida's Anton Lundell slid over to pressure, and that's when Marchenko's second tap sent the puck over the glass. Television replays weren't conclusive on whether Lundell's stick first clipped the puck before it flipped out, so Marchenko begrudingly headed to the penalty box.
That's where he watched Barkov net the winner in OT.
"He doesn't mean to do that, obviously," Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner said. "He's battling for a puck on the wall. The puck's in the air and he's just trying to whack it and get it out of the zone. It takes a bounce over the glass and that's a penalty, so it's a bad break."
It was also par for the course in Columbus.
Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (90) stops a shot during the first period of the NHL hockey game against the Florida Panthers at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on March 20, 2025.
Elvis Merzlikins dazzled in his return to the Blue Jackets' net following a two-game absence to be with his wife, Aleksandra, after her delivery of the couple's second child.
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According to the couple's Instagram posts, Jaxon John Merzlikins spent time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Riverside Hospital before they could take him home. That was the reason for Merzlikins' personal leave of absence, which lasted until his attendance at practice Wednesday. The Panthers forced him to be sharp Thursday night and Merzlikins met the challenge with 27 saves on 28 shots.
"He competed his (tail) off," Evason said. "Made some huge saves, was calm, was a leader ... I'm very impressed, not only tonight but (with) the way he's played the game the entire season."
Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli (19) blocks the shot from Florida Panthers defenseman Nate Schmidt (88) during the first period of the NHL hockey game at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on March 20, 2025.
Adam Fantilli 's scramble to erase mistake shows Columbus Blue Jackets' playoff mentality
The Blue Jackets' desperation is easy to spot, as they now challenge all plays with sticks or body checks and sacrifice their bodies to block shots.
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In short, they're playing like a team with its playoff hopes on the line.
Second-year center Adam Fantilli showcased it in the first period during one of the game's most exciting sequences. After turning the puck over with an errant pass on a Blue Jackets power play, Fantilli hustled back to break up a short-handed rush with a diving stick check before scrambling to his feet to make a sliding block of Nate Schmidt 's shot attempt from close range.
Merzlikins immediately applauded his young teammate's hustle and selflessness by pumping his arms and hollering in the crease.
"We all saw how (Fantilli) blocked it in the first period," Merzlikins said. "He came from nowhere. I was surprised. It looked like a soccer game. That's huge. He just showed to all of us that he really cares, and he brought his (butt) back and he blocked the shot. That was huge, and that's what we need from everyone ... and that's what we are doing."
Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) stops a shot during the second period of the NHL hockey game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on March 20, 2025.
Columbus Blue Jackets' offense has become hit or miss
The Panthers swept a three-game season series against the Blue Jackets, including Sergei Bobrovsky pitching shutouts in the last two — a 3-0 victory March 6 in Sunrise, Florida and Thursday night's 1-0 triumph in overtime.
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Bobrovsky's latest blanking of his former team was the Blue Jackets' fourth shutout loss in their past seven games overall and third in the past four games. Mathieu Olivier 's goal in the third period Monday against New Jersey is the only one the Blue Jackets have scored in their past four games — which includes 12 periods plus Thursday's short OT period.
That was their seventh shutout loss, which is somewhat stunning because of the Jackets' offensive prowess most of the season. They've already set a new franchise record for a single season by scoring six-plus goals 12 times and could set a new franchise high in goals for one season.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 5 takeaways from Columbus Blue Jackets' OT loss to Florida Panthers
