It seemed inevitable, didn't it?
Eric Robinson had the first multi-goal game of his career and Mikhail Grigorenko put his name in the goal column for the first time since early February, but the three goals weren't enough as the Columbus Blue Jackets fell in overtime to the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-3.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLUE JACKETS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| LIGHTNING | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Ondrej Palat gave the Lightning a 1-0 lead in the first period when he took Brayden Point's pass from behind goaltender Joonas Korpisalo and rung it off the inside of the goalpost.
Tampa Bay's lead would be short-lived, as just over five minutes later the Blue Jackets would tie the game at 1-1 on Grigorenko's third of the season.
1-1
— Alison (@AlisonL) April 25, 2021
Grigorenko evens the score for #CBJ #TBLighnting pic.twitter.com/MPYXa1uDZl
Columbus would pull ahead just over two minutes later, when Robinson scored the first of his two goals with just over thirty seconds remaining in the opening period.
2-1 #CBJ
— Alison (@AlisonL) April 25, 2021
Robinson with the wrap around #TBLighnting pic.twitter.com/kJKLRs8SAi
After tying the game in the second period, the Lightning would again find themselves trailing when Robinson's second goal of the night gave the Blue Jackets a 3-2 lead just :55 into the third period.
As it's been all season though, Columbus would not hold onto the lead for long. Less than two minutes after Robinson's goal, Tampa Bay would answer with the first career goal from forward Alex Barre-Boulet. Joonas Korpisalo was injured on the play, and did not return after leaving the game with what the club said is a lower-body injury.
Overtime lasted mere seconds, as the first shot of the frame - from big defenseman Victor Hedman - would beat Elvis Merzlikins, who had come in following Korpisalo's injury.
The loss sends Columbus to a 1-10-2 record in April, with three of the four points gained this month coming against Tampa Bay. The Blue Jackets have lost nine in a row overall and are 2-12-3 in the last calendar month.
Injury Update
Joonas Korpisalo left the game in the third period with a lower-body injury. Gus Nyquist, Boone Jenner, and Zach Werenski are all done for the season after surgeries for various ailments. Emil Bemstrom is recovering from an injury and his timeline is unclear.
Next Up
Columbus returns home for the first time in over two weeks with a Tuesday night match-up against the Detroit Red Wings. Puck drop from Nationwide Arena is set for 7:00 P.M.
