Three days ago in Edmonton, the Columbus Blue Jackets blew a 4-2 third-period lead and watched the Oilers steal a 5-4 OT win. Not this time.
Columbus got their payback at Nationwide Arena, jumping ahead early and hanging on late for a hard-earned 5-4 win over the Oilers. Mathieu Olivier and Charlie Coyle each picked up three points, Adam Fantilli stayed hot, and the Jackets showed real pushback after what happened Monday night.
Game Summary
1st Period — Blue Jackets Control the Pace, Olivier Breaks It Open
The Jackets came out with a clear goal: fix the mistakes from Monday and dictate the pace early. Right from the opening draw, Columbus tightened the neutral zone, clogged the middle, and forced Edmonton to dump pucks instead of carrying them in with speed.
That slowed down McDavid’s line and gave the Jackets the rhythm they wanted.
Columbus rolled four lines smoothly, winning races and working below the goal line. The forecheck — especially from the Olivier–Coyle line — set the tone.
They hemmed Edmonton in for long shifts, forcing tired clears and preventing the Oilers from getting any kind of transition game going.
The breakthrough came late. After a long, grinding shift, Charlie Coyle floated a low shot from the right point, exactly the type of puck you throw on net when bodies are stacked in front.
Mathieu Olivier fought for position, boxed out his man, and just got a piece of it, redirecting it past Pickard. That wasn’t luck — that was a designed forecheck sequence ending in a net-front win.
Columbus outworked Edmonton for most of the period, allowing only four shots, and went to the room with the kind of disciplined, patient period they needed.
After 1: Columbus 1, Edmonton 0
2nd Period — Chaos, Momentum Swings, and a Big Blue Jackets Answer
The second period exploded right away. On Edmonton’s very first breakout, Olivier picked Connor McDavid’s pocket behind the net — a rare mistake from 97 — and immediately fed Coyle alone in front. Coyle didn’t overthink it: one stride, quick snap, 2–0 Jackets.
A goal created entirely by pressure and winning a puck battle against one of the best in the world.
But the period didn’t stay calm for long. Columbus got sloppy with a couple of icings, letting the Oilers roll out their big guns with fresh legs. That’s where the tide swung.
First, Edmonton used a clean win on the faceoff to set up point pressure. Evan Bouchard’s shot had eyes all night, and Matt Savoie tipped it perfectly, cutting the lead to 2–1.
Not a defensive breakdown — just a traffic-and-timing play that elite teams make.
Then came the punch back: Draisaitl found soft ice, drifting to his one-timer spot, and Bouchard hit him with a cross-ice feed. Greaves got a piece, but not enough — and suddenly it was 2–2, and Nationwide got quiet.
This is where Columbus showed growth. Instead of sagging like Monday, they answered right away.
Only thirty seconds later, Denton Mateychuk jumped into the rush, grabbed a rebound in stride, and fired it short-side. That wasn’t a hopeful shot — that was a confident read from a young defenseman who understood the moment.
The Jackets owned the rest of the period. They won battles, controlled the offensive-zone cycle, and eventually Fantilli cleaned up a rebound at the left post off a point shot, continuing his scoring streak and pushing it to 4–2 after forty minutes.
It was a roller coaster, but Columbus won the big moments.
After 2: Columbus 4, Edmonton 2
3rd Period — Jackets Try to Close, Oilers Surge, and Greaves Stands Tall
Columbus opened the third knowing the next goal could end it — or open the door. They went hunting for insurance instead of sitting back, and it paid off.
Seven minutes in, Olivier found soft ice between Edmonton’s defenders, took a pass from below the goal line from Coyle, and snapped home his second of the night.
That’s a line that simply outworked Edmonton all game. At 5–2, it felt comfortable.
Too comfortable.
On the very next shift, Columbus got caught in a slow change. Edmonton attacked with speed, and Vasily Podkolzin capitalized, beating everyone to a loose puck in the slot and making it 5–3. That woke the Oilers up.
Then the pressure snowballed. Draisaitl’s line came over the boards with purpose, and after extended zone time, Draisaitl burned them again, pulling Edmonton within one.
Suddenly, the Jackets were boxed in, unable to clear pucks cleanly as the Oilers poured on 13 shots in the period.
This is exactly where Monday’s game slipped away — but this time, the Jackets didn’t panic.
Jet Greaves made two massive stops late: one on McDavid walking down Broadway, and another off a broken play in the crease. Columbus blocked shots, battled for every chip out, and iced the puck only when they had no other option.
This time, they closed the door. This time, they held on.
Final: Columbus 5, Edmonton 4
Game Stats
| Stat | Blue Jackets | Oilers |
|---|---|---|
| Shots on Goal | 25 | 29 |
| Faceoff % | 59.3% | 40.7% |
| Power Play | 0/1 | 0/2 |
| Hits | 12 | 15 |
| Blocked Shots | 15 | 11 |
| Giveaways | 14 | 13 |
| Takeaways | 7 | 2 |
Columbus Blue Jackets Players Highlights
M. Olivier — 2G, 1A, 3 PTS, TOI 17:16, 3 SOG, 3 Hits, +2
C. Coyle — 1G, 2A, 3 PTS, TOI 17:39, 2 SOG, FO% 60.0, +2
A. Fantilli — 1G, 1 PTS, TOI 19:20, 3 SOG, FO% 61.5
D. Mateychuk — 1G, 1 PTS, TOI 21:25, 3 Blocks
Z. Werenski — 1A, 1 PTS, TOI 24:21, 4 SOG, +2
Three Stars
- Mathieu Olivier (CBJ) – 2G, 1A
- Charlie Coyle (CBJ) – 1G, 2A
- Leon Draisaitl (EDM) – 2G
Final Thoughts
The Blue Jackets didn’t just win — they answered a test. After collapsing in Edmonton three days ago, Columbus came back with purpose, controlled long stretches, and showed real maturity when the pressure hit late.
The Olivier–Coyle line carried the offense, the young core delivered big moments, and the team defended with urgency when the Oilers pushed in the third.
It wasn’t perfect, but it was a hard-earned, character win — the kind a growing team needs in a tight season.
Next Game
Saturday vs New York Rangers — 7:00 PM EDT at Nationwide Arena
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