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Tampa Bay Lighting strike often to end Columbus Blue Jackets' win streak at four games
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- Tampa Bay Lighting strike often to end Columbus Blue Jackets' win streak at four games
The good vibes from the Blue Jackets' outdoor victory Saturday at Ohio Stadium didn't carry into the start of a daunting road trip in Tampa, Florida .
The Tampa Bay Lightning brought the Blue Jackets crashing back to earth despite two more goals for Zach Werenski , ending a four-game winning streak for Columbus with a 6-2 victory at Amalie Arena.
Mar 4, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Mitchell Chaffee (41) celebrates with defenseman Emil Lilleberg (78) after scoring a goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Mitchell Chaffee tipped a shot past Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins 30 seconds into the game to open the scoring, Nikita Kucherov followed 1:07 later with a breakaway goal to make it 2-0 and the Lightning (36-21-4) added two goals in the second and two more in the third. Victor Hedman and Jake Guentzel each scored two goals and added an assist for three-point games, while Kucherov added three points on a goal and two assists.
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The Blue Jackets (30-23-8) retained the first wild card in the NHL's Eastern Conference with 68 points thanks to the Detroit Red Wings — whom they defeated Saturday — losing 2-1 to the Carolina Panthers at Little Caesar's Arena. The Red Wings (30-25-6) have 66 points to hold the East's second wild-card spot over the New York Rangers (31-26-4, 66 points) via tiebreaker, while the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens each have 65.
Mar 4, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (8) controls the puck against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Werenski's goals were his 19thand 20thof the season. It's the second 20-goal season of his career and first since setting the Jackets' single-season record for goals by a defenseman in 2019-20. Werenski also pulled within two goals of tying Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar for most goals among NHL defensemen, but his individual performance wasn't nearly enough.
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The Blue Jackets outshot 40-33 by the Lightning, including 18-8 in the second, and Mathieu Olivier 's three penalties in one scrum that period — two roughing minors plus a 10-minute misconduct — made the night even more challenging. Next up is an even tougher matchup Thursday in Sunrise, Florida, where the Jackets will face the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers .
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Tampa Bay Lighting end Columbus Blue Jackets win streak at four games
