A solid win to cap off the road trip.
Kent Johnson scored two three-period goals in 2:27 as part of a three-goal third, and four unanswered goals in total, as the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Winnipeg Jets 4-1 on Sunday at Canada Life Centre.
Kevin Labanc played in his 500th career game. Yegor Chinakahov missed his sixth consecutive game with an upper-body injury. After blocking a shot, Cole Sillinger left the game due to a lower-body injury and did not return.
Solid Dub
A win to cap off a five-game road trip is always nice.
Especially after dropping three straight games and getting even with a Jets team who schooled you in your own barn 6-2 in early November.
In addition to Kent Johnson’s two third-period goals (7 and 8), including the eventual game-winning goal at 7:15 of the third period to make it 2-1, and the insurance marker moments later at 9:42, the Jackets also had Dimitri Voronkov’s power-play goal to tie the game 1-1 at 13:53 of the first period and Sean Kuraly’s (3) unassisted empty-net goal at 18:38.
It took 27 games but the #CBJ now have scored exactly four goals in a game.
— CBJ Stats (@BlueJacketStats) December 9, 2024
Elvis Merzlikins made 24 saves on 25 shots and Eric Comrie made 24 saves on 27 shots.
Columbus didn’t face Connor Hellebuyck in the first meeting between these clubs on Nov. 1 and didn’t have to face him again on Sunday as he started in Winnipeg’s 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.
Ivan Provorov played after leaving Friday's game in Vancouver to a gruesome-looking thumb injury that looked like he would miss significant time.
#CBJ head coach Dean Evason on Ivan Provorov: "He's a tough guy. He wants to be out there. If he can go, he's gonna be out there."
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) December 8, 2024
Provorov hasn't missed a game with the Blue Jackets; in fact, he's missed just three his entire career.
#NHL GameScore Impact Card for Columbus Blue Jackets on 2024-12-08:#CBJ pic.twitter.com/qDbjNEnRET
— HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) December 9, 2024
Winnipeg lost at home for only the third time this season.
Winnipeg is the first team in the NHL to 20 wins this season and had beaten #CBJ by a combined score of 17-3 in the teams last three games.
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) December 9, 2024
That was quite a performance by the Jackets to cap a five-game, eight-day trip.
Ivan Provorov: I think it shows a lot of character.
Twice As Nice For KJ
You’ve read about it and now you should see it.
Johnson No. 1 from Sean Monahan (15) and James van Riemsdyk (3):
The first of two goals by Kent Johnson in less than three minutes. This one came at 7:15 and gave the #CBJ a 2-1 lead. He made it a 3-1 game with another goal 2:27 later. That's where we stand with 8:10 left.pic.twitter.com/sRm9T3Q78L
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 9, 2024
Johnson No. 2 from van Riemsdyk (4) and Provorov (8):
...and KJ's second goal to make it a 3-1 #CBJ lead. That's where we stand now with 5:53 left in the final frame.pic.twitter.com/hwjBRSZWg4
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 9, 2024
This is Kent Johnson's second two-goal game of the season. 14 points in 13 games. He's just so fun to watch.
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) December 9, 2024
With assists on both of KJ's goals, James van Riemsdyk now has his first multipoint game with the #CBJ
Johnson is up to 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in 13 games.
Voronkov Awakens Power Play
For the first time on the road trip, Columbus finally converted on the power play with Voronkov’s tally at 13:53 of the first period. Kirill Marchenko (16) and Zach Werenski (20 had the assists.
Dmitri Voronkov gets his seventh goal of the season this one on the power play to make it a 1-1 game in Winnipeg at 13:53 of the middle frame. We're still 1-1, now with just under three minutes left in the second. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/MNv4hhZ1aI
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 9, 2024
Columbus had been 0-for-9 on the power play on the trip with their last power play goal coming in the 5-2 win over the Calgary Flames on Nov. 29.
While Columbus was 1-for-2 with the man advantage, Winnipeg also converted a man-up with Kyle Connor's (15) goal at 11:51 of the second period, assisted by Josh Morrissey (24) and Mark Scheifele (17). That’s 13 straight games that the Blue Jackets have allowed an opposition power play.
Matter of time. #GoJetsGo make it 1-0 at 11:51 of the second. Connor wires one from the right dot, beats Merzlikins to the near post.
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) December 9, 2024
1-0 Winnipeg.#CBJ have allowed a power play goal for a 13th straight game, the longest such streak in the league since 2009 (Washington).
Overall this season, Columbus' power play is 24th in the league (17.4%).
Friendly Confines
The Blue Jackets return home to Nationwide Arena to start a three-game homestand. They play the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday, Dec. 10, at 7:00 p.m. ET.
