Three goals in the third period lifted the Minnesota Wild to a 5–2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night. Minnesota extended its winning streak to six games. It marked another difficult third period for Columbus, who continue to struggle late in games. With the loss, the Blue Jackets are now minus-23 in goal differential in the third period, the worst mark in the NHL, and sit at 5-6-2 when games are tied after 40 minutes.
The defeat also dropped Columbus to six losses in its past seven games and three losses in its last four at home. Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov led the Wild with three points each, while Zach Werenski scored both goals for the Blue Jackets in the loss.
Blue Jackets vs. Wild: Game Summary
1st Period Columbus struck first, taking a 1–0 lead
Columbus opened the scoring despite being outplayed for much of the first period. Minnesota generated more chances and controlled the puck, but Jet Greaves kept the Blue Jackets in the game, stopping all nine shots he faced through the first 20 minutes.
The breakthrough came at 15:20 when Zach Werenski joined the rush on a 3-on-2 and fired a slap shot past the Wild goaltender for his 12th goal of the season. Charlie Coyle picked up the assist, his 16th of the year, with a perfectly timed feed that set Werenski up in stride.
It was the only goal of the period. Columbus managed just five shots on goal, but carried a 1–0 lead into the first intermission. With the goal, Werenski extended his point streak to four games (8 points: 4 goals, 4 assists).
Second Period – Tied 2–2
The second period was largely controlled by the Blue Jackets, but rookie goaltender Jesper Wallstedt stood tall to keep Minnesota in the game. Wallstedt made several key saves, including strong stops on Adam Fantilli and Sean Monahan, as Columbus generated sustained pressure and pushed the pace.
Despite being outplayed for stretches, the Wild struck quickly with two goals in a span of 2:45. Ryan Hartman tied the game 1–1 on the power play, tipping a shot from Kirill Kaprizov for his seventh goal of the season. Moments later, Vladimir Tarasenko gave Minnesota a 2–1 lead after a turnover at the blue line by Damon Severson led to a 3-on-2 rush. Tarasenko finished a quick tic-tac-toe play with Yakov Trenin and Danila Yurov, beating Jet Greaves with a wrist shot blocker side for his sixth goal of the year.
Columbus responded before the period ended, once again led by Zach Werenski. The defenseman scored his second goal of the night at 17:39 with a sharp wrist shot to tie the game 2–2. It marked Werenski’s second straight game with two goals and gave him five points over his last two games.
The Blue Jackets finished the period with 14 shots on goal, but the game remained even heading into the third.
3rd Period – Wild finish it with three goals
This third period once again showed why the Blue Jackets are where they are in the standings. Before tonight, Columbus already sat at -20 in goal differential in the third period, and that number only got worse. You simply can’t win games when you struggle to protect leads or generate offense in the final 20 minutes — and it happened again.
The game was still tied 2-2 midway through the period, and Columbus was hanging in there. Kaprizov and Boldy pushed the pace for Minnesota, but Jet Greaves held the line with several solid saves to keep the Jackets alive.
That changed at 11:50, when Joel Eriksson Ek scored his 8th goal of the season, tipping Yakov Trenin’s shot past Greaves to give Minnesota the lead. It stood as the game-winning goal and marked Trenin’s second point of the night.
Down a goal, Columbus pulled the goalie with over two minutes remaining, and Minnesota sealed it. Kirill Kaprizov made it 4-2 with an empty-net wrist shot from the neutral zone after Eriksson Ek intercepted a Columbus pass and Matt Boldy quickly fed Kaprizov. Just 38 seconds later, Boldy added another empty-net goal — his 20th of the season — with Kaprizov picking up the assist.
Kaprizov and Boldy each finished the night with three points, and Minnesota scored **three unanswered goals in the third per
After the game: Zach Werenski
“I feel like it’s the same thing,” Werenski said. “Been saying we’re playing well enough to win but it’s getting old that we keep losing. I mean, enough is enough. It’s unacceptable. And I get the whole thing where you’ve got to stay positive and move forward, and I agree with all that, but this is getting outrageous.
“We’re a good hockey team and we’re just losing games, so maybe we’re not a good hockey team. I don’t know. At the end of the day, you have to win games to be a good team. Yeah, it’s frustrating. Definitely a good hockey team over there, but I don’t think they’re better than us. They just win.”
NOTES: Werenski has 22 points (nine goals, 13 assists) in a 12-game home point streak and 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in his past 13 games. He extended his point streak to four games (eight points; four goals, four assists). … Eriksson Ek has 10 points (four goals, six assists) in a six-game point streak. … Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes played a career-high 32:02, the highest total by an NHL player in a non-overtime game this season. … Minnesota defenseman Carson Lambos was plus-1 with one shot on goal in 10:16 of ice time in his NHL debut. … Wild forward Marcus Foligno had three hits and played 14:32 in his 900th NHL game.
Game Stats
| Stat | Wild | Blue Jackets |
| Final Score | 5 | 2 |
| Shots on Goal | 28 | 29 |
| Faceoff % | 35.8% | 64.2% |
| Power Play | 1/1 | 0/1 |
| Penalty Minutes | 4 | 2 |
| Hits | 14 | 26 |
| Blocked Shots | 18 | 12 |
| Giveaways | 19 | 16 |
| Takeaways | 6 | 6 |
3 STARS OF THE GAME
⭐ Zach Werenski (CBJ)
2 Goals
⭐⭐ Jesper Wallstedt (MIN)
27 Saves on 29 Shots (.931 SV%)
⭐⭐⭐ Joel Eriksson Ek (MIN)
1 Goal, 1 Assist (GWG)
Final Thoughts
Once again, the third period told the story for the Blue Jackets. This team simply cannot close games right now. After 40 minutes, the game was tied and Columbus was still in it, but Minnesota took over late, scoring three unanswered goals and exposing the Jackets’ biggest weakness. The Blue Jackets entered the night with a minus-20 goal differential in the third period, and that number only continued to grow.
Jet Greaves gave Columbus a chance to win, especially early, but the lack of execution late proved costly. When games tighten up, Columbus struggles to protect leads, manage the puck, and generate timely offense. You can’t expect to win consistently in the NHL when the final 20 minutes keep slipping away.
Zach Werenski was a bright spot once again, scoring both goals for Columbus and continuing to carry the load offensively. However, the Jackets need contributions from more players if they want to stop this slide. With six losses in their last seven games, finding answers — particularly in the third period — has become urgent.
Next Game
The schedule is a bit unusual for Columbus, as the Blue Jackets head to the West Coast for only two games. They will face the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday night at 10:00 PM EDT, followed by a matchup against the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night, also at 10:00 PM EDT, before returning home.
