Columbus falls to Tampa Bay 6-2 at Amalie Arena.
Zach Werenski (19,20) scored the only goals for Columbus, and Elvis Merzļikins stopped 34 of 39 Lightning shots in a convincing Tampa win.
Tampa Bay scored twice in the first 1:37 of the game to put this one away quickly. It was clear they were upset about losing their 8-game win streak to Florida the night before, and they took it out on the Jackets.
Zach Werenski was the best player on the ice for the CBJ, and he showed it, scoring once at even strength and once shorthanded. He’s now just one point behind Cale Makar for most points by a defenseman.
Other than that, nothing really went right for Columbus.
The Blue Jackets must write this game off quickly, as they go against reigning Cup Champion Florida.
Final Stats
Player Stats
- Zach Werenski scored his 19th and 20th goals of the season. His 20 goals and 66 points are second in each category among all NHL defensemen. He also had 4 shots on the night.
- Adam Fantilli tallied his 20th assist of the season.
- Kent Johnson recorded his 23rd assist.
- Joseph LaBate had 6 blocked shots and 3 hits.
- Yegor Chinakhov played his first game since November. He played 13:25, had 2 shots, and 3 hits.
- Elvis Merzļikins stopped 34 shots. He’s now 22-15-4 on the year.
Team Stats
The Jackets power play went 0/2 on the night.
- The Jackets power play went 0/2 on the night.
- The Columbus PK stopped 2 of 3 Tampa Bay man advantages.
- Columbus won 47% of the faceoffs.
What's Next: Columbus travels to Sunrise, Fl, to take on the Panthers on Thursday.
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