Blue Jackets Halt Six Game Skid; Roy and His Players Have Strong Words For The Officials
Brad Penner-Imagn ImagesAdam Fantilli(22), Boone Jenner(2-SHG), and Kirill Marchenko(26) scored the goals for Columbus, and Elvis Merzļikins made 30 saves, including all three Islanders shootout attempts, to beat New York on Long Island in comeback fashion.
This game saw Sean Monahan and Erik Gudbranson return to the lineup.
The Blue Jackets erased a two-goal second-period deficit, only to lose the lead again with 48 seconds left in the second. But in the third, the CBJ would tie the game with just over seven minutes left to play when Kirill Marchenko blasted a shot past Ilya Sorokin.
Tragedy almost struck Columbus when New York seemingly scored with 10 seconds left. The refs on the ice immediately waived it off and then would be reviewed by Toronto for goalie interference. Kyle Palmieri was ruled to have interfered with Elvis, which nullified the goal, sending the game to overtime.
Neither team would score in the OT period, and Merzļikins would again stand tall to win the skills competition, stopping all three Isles shots. The Jackets won 4-3 and are now 5-1 in shootouts this season. Their five shootout wins are tied for first in the league.
One thing is for sure, NO ONE knows what goalie interference is.
Islanders coach Patrick Roy said after the game, “I think I saw it the same way you guys saw it. Palmieri was out of the crease and we tipped it in, and I think their goalie pushed him away at the same time. So, that’s how I see it. If Toronto is afraid to overturn calls made by their referee, we don't need Toronto. That's all I want to say.”
Kyle Palmieri said after the game, “He said there was contact initiated in the crease, and I guess the goalie needs five minutes to get reset and ready for the shot, and it looked like he couldn't wait to waive it off.”
The NHL said after the game, “Video review supported the Referees’ call on the ice that New York’s Kyle Palmieri impaired Elvis Merzlikins’ ability to play his position in the crease prior to the goal.”
Columbus is now 32-29-9 and has 73 points. They're two points behind the second wild card spot.
Final Stats
CBJ vs. NYI - CBJ APPPlayer Stats
- Adam Fantilli scored his 22nd goal of the season. He also 4 shots and 4 hits.
- Boone Jenner scored his 2nd goal of the season.
- Kirill Marchenko scored his team-leading 26th of the season on 5 shots.
- Sean Monahan recorded two assists in his first game back from IR.
- Dante Fabbro got his 12th assist and was a plus-3 on the night.
- Ivan Provorov tallied his 23rd assist.
- Erik Gudbranson played 16:18 in his first game back after missing 66 games.
- Elvis Merzļikins made 30 saves and got an assist on the Fantilli goal. He now has 5 assists for his career, putting him third in CBJ history.
Team Stats
- The Jackets power play went 0/1 on the night.
- The Columbus PK stopped all three Islanders power plays.
- Columbus won 55% of the faceoffs.
What's Next: The Vancouver Canucks visit Columbus on Friday.
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