The Columbus Blue Jackets entered their sport on Saturday afternoon towards the Florida Panthers hoping to start out their three-game street journey on the precise foot. However as has been customized in latest video games, time beyond regulation was required.
Sam Bennett scored the successful purpose with slightly below 4 seconds left in time beyond regulation to carry the Panthers to a wild 7-6 win over the Blue Jackets. Bennett and Brad Marchand every completed with 4 factors. Carter Verhaeghe added three factors. The Blue Jackets had factors from 13 totally different skaters within the shedding effort.
The story of this sport was the defending champions exhibiting no give up regardless of being down a number of targets at totally different factors within the sport.
Recreation Recap
The primary interval began tame sufficient. The groups every exchanged targets halfway by the primary interval. Damon Severson deflected an Ivan Provorov shot to open the scoring. Then Evan Rodrigues tied it about two minutes later.
Then issues bought actual loopy. The 2 groups scored a mixed seven targets within the second interval. The Blue Jackets stormed out to a 4-1 lead thanks to 3 targets in about 5 minutes from Dmitri Voronkov, Miles Wooden and Kirill Marchenko.
Controversy then struck. An essential name fell in favor of the Panthers.
Verhaeghe scored his first purpose of the sport to chop it to 4-2. Earlier than the purpose, it appeared the puck hit Marchand’s glove. The Blue Jackets challenged for a missed stoppage as they felt a hand go ought to have been known as. The officers dominated the puck was deflected and never deemed a hand go. That purpose was allowed to face. The Panthers then tied the sport rapidly after that.
Verhaeghe scored on the ensuing energy play from a failed problem to make it 4-3. The three minutes later, Seth Jones scored on the ability play to make it 4-4. This was not the one prevalence of the Panthers charging again from being down a number of targets.
Cole Sillinger scored with 1:34 left within the second to make it 5-4. To open the third, Isac Lundestrom scored his first as a Blue Jacket off an incredible go from Wooden to make it 6-4.
As soon as once more, the Panthers discovered a method again. Marchand scored on a drive to the web to make it 6-5. Then with 5:42 left in regulation, Anton Lundell tied the sport at 6.
Each groups had possibilities to win the sport on the ability play. The Panthers did not convert on the finish of regulation. The Blue Jackets did not convert halfway by the third and in time beyond regulation. Then the sport was determined within the remaining seconds.
Marchand was in a position to get the puck to Bennett and he beat Elvis Merzlikins to safe the 7-6 win. The Panther got here again from being down 4-1 and 6-4 to win this one.
Merzlikins made 33 saves on the 40 pictures he confronted. Sergei Bobrovsky completed with 25 saves on the day.
The Blue Jackets now need to fly to Washington D.C. for a Sunday evening sport towards the Capitals. The Panthers come proper again in addition to they may host the New York Islanders on Sunday night.
