The Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings delivered one of the most entertaining back-and-forth games of the season, a matchup filled with momentum swings, high-skill plays, and late-game drama. Both teams came in searching for stability — Columbus looking to build on a much-needed win, Detroit trying to stop a slide — and the energy reflected it. What followed was a wild night at Nationwide Arena where offensive execution, special teams, and rising stars took center stage.
Game Summary
1st Period Columbus take the lead 1-0
Columbus welcomed back their star winger Kirill Marchenko, who returned to the lineup after missing time since Nov. 22. The opening half of the period wasn’t pretty for either side — both teams struggled to execute clean plays, and Detroit couldn’t take advantage of an early power play at 2:36, generating just one shot with the man advantage.
Momentum shifted midway through the frame when Columbus’ defense started activating more often and joining the rush. That pressure finally paid off. The Blue Jackets thought they had scored earlier in the shift, but Ben Chiarot bailed out Cam Talbot with a desperation play to sweep the puck off the goal line. Only seconds later, Ivan Provorov made it count. His slap shot — his fourth of the season — beat Talbot cleanly to give Columbus a 1–0 lead at 17:55.
The Blue Jackets closed the period with an 8–6 edge in shots and carried the stronger push into the intermission.
2nd Period Summary Wild Period: 5 Power Play Goals
The second period turned into a wild 20-minute stretch featuring six goals, five minor penalties, and momentum swings in every direction. The referees had their whistles going early, and both teams took advantage on the power play.
Detroit tied the game 1–1 just 1:09 into the period when Dylan Larkin redirected a Moritz Seider point shot while Ivan Provorov was serving a delay-of-game penalty. Crisp puck movement between Seider and Lucas Raymond opened the lane, and Larkin applied the perfect tip in front.
Columbus answered quickly. At 5:18, Kirill Marchenko — back in the lineup for the first time since Nov. 22 — ripped a wrist shot home on the power play for his ninth of the season, restoring the Blue Jackets’ lead. Less than two minutes later, Kent Johnson extended the gap to 3–1, scoring his first goal in 20 games. The play started with Denton Mateychuk keeping the puck in at the blue line before feeding Cole Sillinger, whose shot produced a rebound that Johnson buried.
3rd Period: Tied – Lead – Tied
The wild night was far from over. Columbus once again struggled to protect a lead — a theme that has followed them early this season — and the Red Wings took full advantage. Up 4–3 to start the period, the Blue Jackets lost control midway through the frame when Detroit struck twice in just 2 minutes and 3 seconds.
Patrick Kane tied the game at 9:35 with his fourth of the season, finishing a clean setup off the rush. Moments later, Alex DeBrincat gave Detroit its first lead of the night with a wrist shot from nearly 40 feet out. Elvis Merzlikins will want that one back, as the puck slipped past him cleanly and silenced the crowd.
But after taking the lead, Detroit sat back, and it proved costly. The Red Wings stopped pressuring the puck and allowed Columbus to come in waves. Talbot held strong through multiple Grade-A chances, but the Jackets finally broke through with the extra attacker on the ice. With the net empty, Adam Fantilli curled into the high slot and beat Talbot five-hole to tie the game 5–5 with 1:31 left. It was his second of the night and the 100th point of his young NHL career — a huge milestone delivered in a massive moment.
The period featured 24 shots total, with Columbus outshooting Detroit 13–11. The Blue Jackets extended their home point streak to eight games (5-0-3) to tie the second-longest stretch in franchise history (8-0-0 in 2017-2018). The longest run in club history is 12 games set in 2012-13 (9-0-3).
Overtime : Not much action…
Overtime didn’t deliver the usual 3-on-3 chaos. Both teams played cautiously, focused more on possession than attack. The entire extra session produced only one shot on goal — from Columbus — and neither side generated a real scoring chance. After a quiet five minutes, the game moved on to the shootout.
Shootout
Columbus won the shootout 2–0 with goals from Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko, while Elvis Merzlikins stopped both Detroit attempts.
- Kent Johnson (CBJ) — Scored (game-winning shootout goal)
- James van Riemsdyk (DET) — Stopped
- Adam Fantilli (CBJ) — Stopped
- Lucas Raymond (DET) — Stopped
- Kirill Marchenko (CBJ) — Scored
Columbus goes two-for-three, Detroit goes zero-for-two, sealing the 6–5 victory for the Blue Jackets.
Comments after the game:
Kirill Marchenko:
“I feel fresh. I was injured, but now I have energy and power.”
Kent Johnson:
“We’ve been losing games and I’m not producing — it’s obviously frustrating. But we play so many games in the NHL. You just try to move past it, keep working, stay positive, and stay hungry.”
Dean Evason, Head Coach:
“Do you want to get to that point? No. But do you want to get reinforced that you can do the right things? We did. We got the puck to the net, got people to the net, and scored a goal the way you’re supposed to in those situations.”
Adam Fantilli:
“That was a lot of fun. Playing from behind isn’t what you want, but it makes for some fun hockey when you keep coming back.”
Game Stats
| Category | Detroit | Columbus |
| Final Score | 5 | 6 |
| Shots on Goal | 33 | 31 |
| Faceoff % | 45.2% | 54.8% |
| Power Play | 3/5 | 2/3 |
| Penalty Minutes | 6 | 10 |
| Hits | 15 | 24 |
| Blocked Shots | 21 | 11 |
| Giveaways | 15 | 5 |
| Takeaways | 6 | 15 |
Columbus Blue Jackets Highlights
Sean Monahan — 3A, 3PTS
Adam Fantilli — 2G, 2PTS, 3 SOG
Kirill Marchenko — 1G, 1PTS, 4 SOG
Zach Werenski — 3A, 3PTS, 2 SOG
Ivan Provorov — 1G, 1PTS, TOI 29:27, 4 SOG, 2 BLK
Three Stars of the Game
1st Star — Adam Fantilli (CBJ) 2 G, 0 A, 2 PTS, 3 SOG
2nd Star — Zach Werenski (CBJ) 0 G, 3 A, 3 PTS, 2 SOG
3rd Star — Kirill Marchenko (CBJ) 1 G, 0 A, 1 PTS, 4 SOG
Final Thoughts
The Blue Jackets didn’t play a perfect game, but they showed resilience in a matchup filled with momentum swings and pressure moments. Columbus gave up leads, battled back twice, and ultimately found a way to secure two points through special teams, depth scoring, and a strong finish from their young core. Adam Fantilli delivered a milestone night, Kirill Marchenko returned with impact, and Zach Werenski and Sean Monahan continued to drive the offense from the back end and the middle of the ice.
Defensively, there are still areas that need tightening — especially when holding a lead — but the response, work ethic, and ability to generate high-danger chances late were all positives. The shootout sealed a win that could easily have slipped away, and with eight straight home games earning at least a point, Columbus is building the kind of momentum that can carry into December.
The schedule doesn’t get easier, but the confidence from this comeback should. The Jackets will look to clean up their details and continue leaning on the chemistry forming between their top players as they push deeper into the season.
Next Game
The Blue Jackets are back in action on Saturday, December 6 at 3:30 PM, heading to Florida for a matchup against the Panthers.
Home › Forums › Fantilli Leads Jackets to Shootout Win
Tagged: Columbus Blue Jackets, nhl