Despite missing physical forwards Mathieu Olivier and Kirill Marchenko, the Columbus Blue Jackets snapped a four-game winless streak with a gritty 5–3 win over the New Jersey Devils. In a game packed with 74 penalty minutes, fights, momentum swings, and an emotional crowd, Columbus stayed composed and dominated the third period to close out a badly needed victory.
GAME SUMMARY
1st Period — Devils explode early, Columbus hangs on
New Jersey came out firing and scored two goals in the first three minutes.
Captain Nico Hischier opened the scoring at 1:26 on a power-play deflection, and Ondrej Palat followed at 3:03 on a clean wrist shot right down the slot. Down 2–0 early, and missing Kirill Marchenko and Mathieu Olivier, it looked like the Blue Jackets were headed for another long night and a fifth straight loss.
But Columbus finally pushed back. On a power play at 9:54, Denton Mateychuk scored his 6th goal of the season, acting as the bumper and tipping in a perfect pass from Charlie Coyle to make it 2–1. The rest of the period settled down.
Jake Allen denied Sean Monahan on a dangerous chance, and Columbus escaped to the intermission still alive.
2nd Period — Total chaos, nonstop fights, and Merzlikins keeps them alive
The second period was pure madness — fights, misconducts, scrums, and a combined 64 penalty minutes.
Here’s what happened:
- Voronkov vs Dillon at 1:01 (Dillon’s 1,000th game)
- Fantilli vs Siegenthaler, with Siegenthaler given a 10-minute misconduct
- Smith vs Cotter
- Voronkov vs Noesen
- Scrums after almost every whistle
- Columbus doing all this WITHOUT Olivier and Marchenko, their two toughest wingers
In between the chaos, Sean Monahan scored his 4th of the season at 1:28 during 4-on-4, tying the game 2–2 and swinging momentum toward Columbus.
The rest of the period was all Devils pressure — 14 shots — but Elvis Merzlikins was unbeatable. He stopped every single one, keeping the game tied and giving the Jackets a real chance.
Werenski after the game:
“We stuck up for each other and had each other’s back. That’s a big part of this win.”
3rd Period — Columbus strikes 3 times on 6 shots and finishes the job
The Blue Jackets were opportunistic and clinical in the third period, scoring 3 goals on just 6 shots.
At 6:40, Charlie Coyle buried his own rebound to give Columbus a 3–2 lead.
Just 34 seconds later, at 7:14, Monahan scored his 5th, ripping a shot from the right side to make it 4–2.
The Devils got one back at 11:51 when Timo Meier scored a power-play goal to cut it to 4–3, but Columbus didn’t fold like earlier this season. Instead, they answered again.
At 13:31, Miles Wood scored his 7th after Jake Allen misplayed a puck behind the net.
Coyle grabbed the assist — his third point of the night.
From there, Columbus held their lead, something they had struggled with all season, and closed out a massive 5–3 win, snapping their four-game winless streak (0-1-3).
Coyle after the game:
“When they pushed, we held our ground. Playing physical brought out the best in us.”
Keefe on the Devils:
“We didn’t handle the emotions well. We have to be better.”
Notes
- Columbus missing Marchenko + Olivier but still won the toughest, most emotional game of the year.
- Merzlikins made 30 saves, including 14 in the wild second period.
- Werenski: 2 assists, now 26 points in 26 games.
- Columbus scored 4 straight goals to take control.
Game Stats
| Category | CBJ | NJD |
| Shots | 24 | 33 |
| Faceoffs | 64.2% | 35.8% |
| Power Play | 1/3 | 2/5 |
| Penalty Minutes | 34 | 40 |
| Hits | 21 | 23 |
| Blocked Shots | 11 | 11 |
| Giveaways | 15 | 14 |
| Takeaways | 7 | 5 |
Blue Jackets Players Highlights
Sean Monahan – 2G, 2PTS, GWG, 2 SOG, FO% 63.6%
Charlie Coyle – 1G, 2A, 3PTS, +2, FO% 64.7%
Miles Wood – 1G, 1A, 2PTS, 4 Hits, +3
Zach Werenski – 2A, 2PTS, 2 Blocks, TOI 26:57
Ivan Provorov – 1A, 1PT, +3, TOI 25:59, 3 Hits
Elvis Merzlikins – 30 saves on 33 shots (.909 SV%)
3 Stars of the Game
⭐ 1st Star — Sean Monahan (CBJ) 2G 2PTS GWG
⭐⭐ 2nd Star — Charlie Coyle (CBJ) 1G 2A 3PTS
⭐⭐⭐ 3rd Star — Zach Werenski (CBJ) 2A 2PTS TOI 26:57
My Final Thoughts
This was the type of game the Blue Jackets desperately needed. They were missing Marchenko and Olivier, they were down 2–0 after three minutes, and the second period turned into a street fight with 64 penalty minutes. But instead of folding, Columbus pushed back, played with emotion, and finally showed real character in the third period. Scoring three goals on six shots and protecting the lead late is something this group has struggled with all season, so this is a big step in the right direction.
Merzlikins kept them alive in the second, Werenski continues to play like a true No. 1 defenseman, and Monahan and Coyle led the way up front. This wasn’t a perfect game, but it was a hard-working, committed win — a true four-point victory inside the division. If Columbus can bottle this effort, they can change the direction of their season.
Next game is Thursday at home vs the Detroit Red Wings, 7:30 PM EDT.
