The Columbus Blue Jackets took full advantage of the Kings’ lack of discipline, scoring all three goals on the power play in seven opportunities to earn a 3–1 win in Los Angeles. The victory was only the Blue Jackets’ fourth win in 12 games in December, and it came without All-Star defenseman Zach Werenski, who missed the game with a lower-body injury. Newly acquired Mason Marchment, traded to Columbus from the Seattle Kraken, continued his strong start with his new team by scoring two power-play goals, giving him three goals in his first two games in a Blue Jackets uniform.
Game Summary
1st Period
The Blue Jackets opened the scoring on the power play when Mason Marchment jumped off the bench and immediately attacked the Kings’ penalty kill. Marchment beat the first Kings forechecker with a strong individual move, cut into the slot, and fired a wrist shot that slipped past Anton Forsberg between the body and the blocker side at 4:07 of the first period. The goal was Marchment’s sixth of the season and gave Columbus an early 1–0 lead.
Columbus stayed aggressive with the man advantage and struck again late in the period. With 24 seconds remaining, Boone Jenner won a clean faceoff in the offensive zone, allowing Damon Severson to unload a shot from the blue line. Stationed in front of the net, Marchment redirected the puck through Forsberg’s five-hole for his second power-play goal of the night and his seventh goal of the season, doubling the Blue Jackets’ lead to 2–0 heading into the intermission.
Severson recorded his second primary assist of the period, taking over the role of power-play quarterback in the absence of Zach Werenski, while Marchment capped a dominant opening frame for Columbus.
Second Period
The game turned more physical in the second period as the Kings looked to change the momentum. Corey Perry tried to spark his teammates from the bench, getting involved in a scrum near the Blue Jackets’ bench. Perry grabbed Damon Severson around the neck, and a brief altercation followed, but no fight broke out. From that moment on, the Kings began to play with more urgency and edge.
Los Angeles was rewarded for that push late in the period. With 1:19 remaining, Andrei Kuzmenko scored the Kings’ first goal of the night, cutting the deficit to 2–1. Kuzmenko fired a wrist shot from the blue line that found its way through traffic for his sixth goal of the season. Trevor Moore provided a strong screen in front, taking away Jet Greaves’ vision, and the puck slipped through with Greaves unable to pick it up.
The late goal shifted the momentum heading into the intermission. The Kings had three power-play opportunities in the period but failed to convert, while Columbus also came up empty on two power plays of its own. After forty minutes, the Blue Jackets held a 21–17 edge in shots, but the Kings carried renewed energy into the third period after pulling within one.
Third Period
Columbus spent most of the third period managing the game and protecting its one-goal lead as the Kings pushed with urgency. The Blue Jackets stayed composed defensively and leaned on Jet Greaves to weather the pressure until a key power-play opportunity changed everything.
At 14:36, with Kevin Fiala in the penalty box for hooking Miles Wood, Columbus capitalized once again. Kirill Marchenko ripped a shot from the top of the circle that beat Anton Forsberg, restoring a two-goal cushion. The goal was Marchenko’s 11th of the season, snapped a seven-game goalless streak, and marked the Blue Jackets’ third power-play goal of the night.
From that point on, Columbus closed the game with structure and discipline, preventing Los Angeles from mounting a late comeback. The victory improved the Blue Jackets to 10-0-4 when leading at the start of the third period, highlighting their ability to lock games down when playing with an advantage.
Forsberg finished the night with 27 saves for the Kings (15-11-9), who have now lost five of their last six games (1-3-2). At the other end, Greaves earned his ninth win of the season in 19 games, continuing an impressive stretch with a 2.69 goals-against average.
From the Locker Room
Kirill Marchenko praised Mason Marchment’s impact, especially after the Blue Jackets restored their two-goal lead in the third period.
“That’s a huge goal by ‘Marchie,’ you know, to get up by two,” Marchenko said. “And I thought all night we had good chances.”
Marchenko also highlighted Marchment’s all-around game and offensive versatility.
“He’s an unbelievable player,” Marchenko said. “He can score goals, make passes, he can do everything on the ice.”
After scoring twice on the power play, Mason Marchment kept the moment light while describing his goals.
“Two is nice, three is better, you know,” Marchment joked. “Just trying to get some shots on net and happy that one went in. And then the other one was a great shot from the point and went off my chest and in, so we’ll take it.”
NOTES
- Mason Marchment’s three goals are the most by any Blue Jackets player in his first two games with the team.
- Columbus defenseman Zach Werenski did not play after sustaining a lower-body injury while blocking a shot against the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday.
- Damon Severson recorded two power-play assists for the third time in his 820-game NHL career. He previously accomplished the feat twice with the New Jersey Devils (Oct. 25, 2016 vs. Arizona; April 29, 2021 vs. Philadelphia).
- Kirill Marchenko snapped a seven-game goal drought with his third-period power-play goal.
- This game marked the final outing for Columbus before the Christmas break. The Blue Jackets return to action on Sunday, Dec. 28.
Game Stats
| Category | Columbus Blue Jackets | Los Angeles Kings |
| Goals | 3 | 1 |
| Shots on Goal | 30 | 24 |
| Faceoff % | 53.3% | 46.7% |
| Power Play | 3 / 7 (42.9%) | 0 / 5 (0%) |
| Penalty Minutes | 12 | 16 |
| Hits | 15 | 19 |
| Blocked Shots | 12 | 10 |
| Giveaways | 14 | 15 |
| Takeaways | 6 | 4 |
Columbus Players Highlights
Jett Greaves 1 goal on 24 shots .958%
Mason Marchment 2G 2PTS 2PPG GWG 4SOG
Kirill Marchenko 1G 1PTS 1PPG 2SOG
Damon Sevenson 2A 2PTS 3SOG 1BLK
Three Stars of the Game
⭐ Mason Marchment, CBJ
LW — 2 G, 0 A
⭐⭐ Damon Severson, CBJ
D — 0 G, 2 A
⭐⭐⭐ Kirill Marchenko, CBJ
RW — 1 G, 0 A
Final Thought
Special teams made the difference in this one. Columbus scored three power-play goals and shut the door defensively when it mattered, earning a structured road win despite being without Zach Werenski, who missed the game with a lower-body injury.
The victory improved the Blue Jackets’ December record to 4-6-1, a month that has been defined by tight, low-scoring games. Columbus has now played eight games in December with three goals or fewer, posting a 2-6-0 record in those contests. On this night, timely power-play execution was enough to overcome that trend.
Los Angeles showed urgency late, but Columbus managed the final minutes well and closed out the game to head into the Christmas break with a much-needed win.
Next Game
The Blue Jackets return home on Sunday, Dec. 28, to host the New York Islanders at 7:00 PM EDT.
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