How's that for a Sunday matinee?
Aleksander Barkov had three points with a goal and two assists for the Florida Panthers as they defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2 on Sunday afternoon at Nationwide Arena.
Barkov is on a three-game point streak (three goals, three assists).
Gustav Forsling had two points with a goal and an assist.
Carter Verhaeghe, Matthew Tkachuk, and Eetu Luostarinen all scored. Verhaeghe continued a five-game point streak (four goals, three assists) and picked up his 200th career point with the goal.
Sam Reinhart had four assists to extend a five-game point streak (two goals, eight assists). Sam Bennett and Niko Mikkola each had an assist.
Anthony Stolarz made 18 saves.
Yegor Chinakhov and Dmitri Voronkov scored for Columbus. Kirill Marchenko, Erik Gudbranson, Patrik Laine, and Zach Werenski picked up assists.
Gudbranson and Laine returned to the lineup for the first time since Dec. 3 following an illness. Cole Sillinger returned to the lineup for the first time since Nov. 29 following an upper-body injury.
Jet Greaves stopped 32 shots.
'Russian Line' Stays Hot
Chinakhov's goal at 7:06 tied the score 1-1. He has four points (three goals, one assist) in his last two games. Marchenko's assist on the play gives him three points (one goal, two assists) in his last two games.
Chinakhov from Marchenko and Gudbranson. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/KZM0qhtF4o
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 10, 2023
Voronkov's goal at 16:11 of the third period cut the deficit to one goal, making it a 3-2 game.
Voronkov's goal was assisted by Laine and Werenski. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/A9UOLzuM64
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 10, 2023
He remained hot with his third point (one goal, two assists) in two games. Entering Sunday's game, Voronkov came in tied for fifth among all NHL rookies with 14 points and 10th in goals with five.
Nasty Third Period
This was a relatively clean game without any penalties through 40 minutes. Things got loose in the third period with nine penalties in the first 6:49 and 11 for the game.
Things got spicy when Gudbranson was the victim of a hit by Nick Cousins that was initially considered a major but overturned to a minor.
They reversed this major into a minor. pic.twitter.com/z4qOjqVE9N
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 10, 2023
Just now Gudbranson got into a fight with Cousins to settle the score. #CBJ
That led to Gudbranson settling the score with Cousins later on.
Gudbranson taking no prisoners. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/FE6jAMfebz
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 10, 2023
Gudbranson ended up with 29 minutes all total in the third period with an instigator, fighting major, and game misconduct at 6:49. Barkov's power-play goal at 13:13 came in the final minute of a seven-minute Panthers power play.
Erik Gudbranson's 29 PIMs today were the most for any player in a single game in 2023-24. #CBJ #NHL
— Coby Maeir (@CobyMaeir) December 10, 2023
Jet Grounded
Greaves has become a story for the Blue Jackets with his play in the net.
On Apr. 4 against the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, he made 46 saves to set a franchise record in an NHL debut for the club.
In his first start this season on Friday against the St. Louis Blues, he made 41 saves in the 5-2 victory to pick up his first career win, setting another franchise mark for saves in a first NHL win.
From today's piece by Aaron Portzline in the The Athletic on Greaves:
Greaves’ 87 saves are the most by an NHL goaltender in their first two starts in 40 years. Toronto’s Ken Wregget had 48 saves in his NHL debut, an 8-6 win in Hartford on Dec. 8, 1983. Two nights later, he had 38 saves in a 3-3 tie at home vs. Calgary.
Jet Greaves is back in net this afternoon for the @BlueJacketsNHL.
— Bally Sports Columbus (@BallySportsCBUS) December 10, 2023
He became the first goalie since 1955-56 (when saves started being tracked) to record 40+ saves in each of his 1st 2 NHL games.
Here is today's matchup between the pipes. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/nA436FzgyN
Today's assignment would be tough as the high-powered Panthers were in town. They beat Greaves only 1:02 into the contest with Forsling's goal. Only 22 seconds after Chinakhov's first-period tying goal at 7:06, Verhaeghe and the Panthers responded at 7:28.
pic.twitter.com/VYjM2ds8U7 #CBJ
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 10, 2023
He held his own, however, allowing the third goal in the final minute of a seven-minute Panthers power play (see the second thing above) in the third period.
The game wasn't quite the blowout the final score would suggest, as Florida iced two empty-net goals to put this one away. Greaves allowed three goals for the game.
Off Til Thursday
The Blue Jackets are back at it on Thursday, Dec. 14, when they battle the Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. ET.
