Jackets Blow Another Late Third Period Lead, Get Dumped By Jersey in OT

The game started and the Jackets immediately started living in the danger zone. A few tough turnovers put some pressure on the CBJ D and Elvis, but they were able to maintain and keep it scoreless.

Jake Bean put the Jackets on the board with 13:21 left in the first, assisted by Gaunce and Texier. Bean took a Brendan Gaunce rebound and left no doubt. Ondrej Palat went to the box for putting a high stick in Damon Severson's face. The Devils would kill it off and then would tie it up at 1 when Palat scored just seconds after getting out of the box. The period would end at 1-1. 

Early in the second period, Elvis Merzlikins made two incredible saves, one on Mercer and one on Jack Hughes to keep it tied at 1. Erik Gudbranson saved a goal as well. David Jiricek would rip a shot from distance and Justin Danforth would cross in front of Vanecek and tip it past the Devils goalies to make it 2-1. Adam Fantilli and David Jiricek would get the assists. Defenseman Zach Werenski got twisted up with a Devil and went down. He couldn't put any weight on his leg and immediately went to the dressing room. The Jackets would take their first penalty with 3:36 left in the period. The Jackets would kill it off and then get their own power play with 3 seconds left in the second. The period would end 2-1.

The Jackets started the third with a power play but quickly gave it away a minute into it when Yegor Chinakhov took a high sticking call. Columbus killed it off allowing two shots. Just seconds after they killed it, Luke Hughes took a tripping penalty which gave the CBJ another power play. With a minute left, Vanecek went down to the ice and seemed to be in trouble. He took a big shot to the chest and went down, but stayed in the game and killed off the CBJ power play. With 6:48 left, Brendan Gaunce was sent to the box for tripping, giving the Devils a power play. The Jackets would kill it off, but Mercer would tie it at 2 just a few seconds after the penalty was over. Yegor Chinakhov would score to make it 3-2 with just over two minutes left, the goal was unassisted. Jersey would pull Vanecek with 90 seconds left and Luke Hughes would go coast to coast to score the tying goal to make it 3-3. Off to OT we go. 

In the overtime period, Kent Johnson had an egregious turnover and Timo Meier would beat Elvis on a breakaway to end it. 4-3 Devils. 

Final Stats

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Next Up: Columbus goes back home Friday to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs for the third time since December 14th. 

Join Jason Newland's Columbus Blue Jacket page on Bunches, a new app that connects sports fans. Also, you can watch a new YouTube game show about the Blue Jackets, Around the Fifth Line.