The Columbus Blue Jackets entered Stadium Series week looking to start off on the right foot. Thanks to contributions from all over the lineup, they defeated one of the best teams in the NHL.
Kirill Marchenko scored twice. Ivan Provorov and Adam Fantilli each recorded a goal and an assist to lift the Blue Jackets to a 6-4 win over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night. With the win, the Blue Jackets jump into a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
The story of this game was the Blue Jackets being able to withstand everything the Stars threw at them.
Game Recap
Recall the last time the Stars and Blue Jackets played, Marchenko was forced to leave the game after taking a puck to the jaw while on the bench. He decided to make amends starting just 30 seconds into the game.
Marchenko beat Jake Oettinger to make 1-0. Then Mathieu Olivier deflected a Damon Severson shot home to make it 2-0. The game wasn’t even five minutes old.
Jamie Benn was able to respond for the Stars just before the halfway mark in the first. The puck ended up crossing the line when Elvis Merzlikins punched the puck in by accident with his blocker. Outside of that, the Blue Jackets enjoyed a strong start holding the Stars to just three shots in the first 20 minutes.
The Blue Jackets extended the lead to 4-1 within the first nine minutes of the second. A great give-and-go between Marchenko and Fantilli gave Marchenko his second goal of the night. Then Provorov’s point shot beat Oettinger to extend the lead to three.
The Stars closed it to 4-3 before the second expired thanks to their top-line studs in Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson. They had a glorious chance to tie things before the end of the second thanks to a four-minute power play. The Blue Jackets killed all four minutes and went to the room up one.
That was a big momentum swing. James van Riemsdyk deflection goal made it 5-3 early in the third. Then with Oettinger pulled, Mavrik Bourque cut it to 5-4.
The Stars couldn’t find the tying goal. Dmitri Voronkov found Fantilli to hit the empty net and secure the big win. Zach Werenski’s home points streak did end at 22 games. Merzlikins made 19 saves in the win. Oettinger made 23 saves in the loss.
The Blue Jackets next two games are against the Red Wings in what’s sure to be some of the most intense hockey of the season. It’s Thursday night in Detroit and then Saturday night at Ohio Stadium.
The Stars finally head home after an extended road trip on both sides of the 4-Nations Faceoff. They will host the Los Angeles Kings on Friday night at American Airlines Center.