The home success continues.
Kirill Marchenko scored in overtime as the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 Saturday night at Nationwide Arena.
Columbus has won five straight and nine out of 10 on home ice to improve their home record to 17-5-3. It's their second-most wins and points in their first 25 home games in franchise history.
Point Streak At 19
Zach Werenski’s 16th goal of the season at 9:24 opened the scoring in the game as Columbus took the early 1-0 lead. Luca Del Bel Belluz (5) and Kent Johnson (17) assisted.
Werenski gets his 16th of the season. Luca Del Bel Belluz skates into the zone and finds Z heading up ice with him. He finds him and Z fires it from near the face-off dot to give the #CBJ an early lead. The Kings have since tied it.pic.twitter.com/qXx5BRhTLq
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) January 26, 2025
The goal gives Werenski points in a franchise-record 19 straight home games dating back to Nov. 1. He has 35 points in that span (13 goals, 23 assists). Werenski and Quinn Hughes co-lead all defensemen with 54 points and Werenski is tied with Cale Makar for the most goals with 16.
Zach Werenski got the @BlueJacketsNHL on the board early, extended his home point streak to 19 games and matched John Van Boxmeer for the fifth-longest home point streak by a defenseman in NHL history.#NHLStats: https://t.co/CqAc4ymxIe pic.twitter.com/LfsJyr1XKT
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 26, 2025
Johnson runs his point streak to four games (two goals, three assists) and Del Bel Belluz is on a three-game point streak (one goal, three assists). He has seven points (two goals, five assists) in nine games this season.
Werenski had a chance for his second goal with a penalty shot in overtime but was denied.
Kirill The Thrill
Marchenko scored his 20th goal of the season at 3:45 in overtime to give Columbus the 3-2 win. He’s on a four-game point streak (two goals, two assists).
KIRILL MARCHENKO GETS THE GAME WINNING GOAL IN OVERTIME!#CBJ pic.twitter.com/OliV0gNfCn
— FanDuel Sports Network Columbus (@FanDuelSN_CBUS) January 26, 2025
Ivan Provorov (18) and Justin Danforth (6) assisted.
Marchenko is up to 53 points and an NHL-best +29. It’s his third straight season with at least 20 goals.
Merzlikins Shuts’em Down
Merzlikins needed to be on his game on Saturday night against a stingy Kings team.
He was up to the task.
With 31 saves, Merzlikins won for the sixth time in his last seven starts and was the First Star of the Game. Merzlikins' goals saved above expected was 2.72 per MoneyPuck.
5th Line, you're more important now than ever. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/dzqKeiqZAj
— FanDuel Sports Network Columbus (@FanDuelSN_CBUS) January 26, 2025
For January, Merzlikins is tied for seventh among all goaltenders in wins (five) with Saturday's counterpart, Darcy Kuemper. Kuemper made 21 saves.
This season, Merzlikins has 18 wins, a 2.95 goals-against average, and a .894 save percentage for the year. His 18 wins are his most since winning a career-high 27 games in 2021-22.
Elvis Merzlikins' last five starts:
— Dylan Tyrer (@DylanTyrer) January 26, 2025
4-1, 1.80 GAA, .934 Sv%#CBJ
Knight Time
Columbus returns to action on Thursday, Jan. 30 at 10 p.m. ET when they face off against the Vegas Golden Knights from T-Mobile Arena.
