A weird one on Sunday in Dallas.
Evgenii Dadonov scored two third-period goals as the Dallas Stars beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-3 at American Airlines Center on Sunday.
Casey DeSmith made 27 saves to improve to 5-0-1 against Columbus in his career. Elvis Merzlikins made 34 saves.
Sillinger Hits Century Mark
Cole Sillinger has points in three straight games (two goals, one assist) since returning from an injury last Thursday in Vegas. He opened the scoring on Sunday with a first-period goal at 6:43 for his ninth.
The goal came on Columbus' first shot on goal, as Dallas had a 6-1 shots advantage.
One shot, one goal!
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) February 2, 2025
Cole Sillinger gets his 9th goal of the season on the first shot of the game for the #CBJ.
Blue Jackets still up 1-0 with 9:32 left in the first. pic.twitter.com/YLXagdjTub
The point is the 100th of Sillinger’s career. Kent Johnson (19) and James van Riemsdyk (13) each assisted on the goal.
A post-game X-ray revealed one tooth was still lodged in his bottom lip after it was stitched. So a stitch was removed, the tooth was dislodged and he stitched again.
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) February 2, 2025
Then came a bone graft and root canals. Hes eating through a straw.
Will play tonight vs. #TexasHockey #CBJ
2/2 https://t.co/1FhGP5Ma4W
Black And Blue 2nd
The Jackets and Stars traded goals all second period with each team scoring twice and heading into the third period tied 3-3.
The goal sequence so far today: CBJ DAL CBJ DAL CBJ DAL#TexasHockey pulls even for a third time. Wyatt Johnson ramps one up off a Harley feed in front.
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) February 3, 2025
2-2 at 15:49 of the first, a power play goal
One of the major storylines for Columbus was the injury front.
Dante Fabbro left the game due to an upper-body injury after taking a stick up high to the face. Dmitri Voronkov took his place in the penalty box to start the second period.
Mikael Pyyhtia took a puck high. Zach Aston-Reese took a stick to the face. Werenski was in discomfort on the bench and left in the second but returned for the third. Kirill Marchenko was hit by an errant puck while sitting on the bench and did not return for the third period. While it sounds like Fabbro will miss time, it was announced on Monday by The Athletic's Aaron Portzline that Marchenko has a broken jaw.
Looked like Zach Werenski got his left arm tangled up with Lian Bichsel on his last shift as he was battling for a puck after driving into the offensive zone. Provorov actually scored later in the shift.
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) February 3, 2025
The only postgame injury update from Dean Evason was that Dante Fabbro is not going to be available to us after leaving tonights game with an upper body injury. Took an elbow up high in the lead-up to the Stars first goal. #CBJ
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) February 3, 2025
@Aportzline is reporting that Kirill Marchenko suffered a broken jaw last night in Dallas and was taken to the hospital to have it reset.
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) February 3, 2025
There is no official timetable for his return, but the injury is typically one that sees a player out for 6-8 weeks. #CBJ
Goal Controversies
Through all the bumps, bruises, and goals in the second period, the Jackets were battling adversity but still in a position to win a hockey game.
Although it was not to be on this night.
Back in the second period, Dallas tied the game 2-2 when Logan Stankoven (7) scored but Kent Johnson was spun around on the play. Mikael Granlund picked up his first assist as a Star following Saturday's trade from San Jose.
Logan Stankoven - Dallas Stars (7) pic.twitter.com/ex5QNZ7XQu
— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) February 3, 2025
Dallas scores 1:05 after the CBJ goal to tie things up 2-2. Kent Johnson is spun around and loses the puck. Mikael Granlund centers across the crease to Logan Stankoven for the goal. Elvis was not happy.
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) February 3, 2025
Dadonov scored twice in the third to put this one away. The go-ahead goal at 11:22, his 14th, assisted by Thomas Harley (19) and Ilya Lyubushkin (11), appeared to be a high stick, although the officials reviewed and deemed it a good goal. He scored his 15th at 15:47, assisted by Wyatt Johnston (30) and Jamie Benn (19).
Dallas goal!
— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) February 3, 2025
Scored by Evgenii Dadonov with 08:38 remaining in the 3rd period.
Assisted by Thomas Harley and Ilya Lyubushkin.
Dallas: 4
Columbus: 3#CBJvsDAL #TexasHockey #CBJ pic.twitter.com/7VIQ5CQ31m
From the NHL situation room: Video review confirmed that Evgenii Dadonovs stick was at or below the height of the crossbar when he directed the puck into the Columbus net. #CBJ
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) February 3, 2025
Dean Evason on the high-sticking controversy in the 5-3 #CBJ loss:
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) February 3, 2025
"It's not a bad break. It's a bad call. It's a high-stick. I just don't understand it."
"I guess we'll have to wait and hear back and see what angles they don't have maybe that we do."
"We grind and we battle
Going For Winning Trip
Columbus caps off its four-game road trip when they play the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. ET from KeyBank Center.
