Everything but the kitchen sink.
Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt scored 39 seconds apart and Jake Allen made 45 saves as the New Jersey Devils beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 on Monday at Nationwide Arena. The Blue Jackets have lost four straight.
A Different Goalie, A Similar Result
Jet Greaves made his sixth start of the season for Columbus and stopped the first shot of the game which is not something either Elvis Merzlikins or Daniil Tarasov could say after the last two games. This isn’t meant as a serious shot at either Merzlikins or Tarasov but with the way things have been going lately, it sort of bears mentioning.
Progress is often measured in little steps. For the first time in three games, #CBJ goaltender has made a save on the game's first shot. Jet Greaves, ladies and gentlemen.
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) March 17, 2025
Greaves was brought up Friday on emergency recall. Merzlikins is unavailable because his wife will give birth to the couple's second child any day.
Both goaltenders, Greaves and Allen, played more than halfway through the game before the first goal by Meier at 13:35 for his 20th to extend a four-game point streak. Stefan Noesen (16) and Nico Hischier (25) assisted. Hischier is on a four-game point streak (two goals, two assists).
Only 39 seconds later, Greaves misplayed the puck behind the net to lead to the Devils’ second goal and Bratt’s 20th at 14:14. Brian Dumoulin (16) and Cody Glass (14) picked up the assists.
New Jersey goal!
— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) March 18, 2025
Scored by Jesper Bratt with 05:46 remaining in the 2nd period.
Columbus: 0
New Jersey: 2#NJDvsCBJ #CBJ #NJDevils pic.twitter.com/D7whrItN7B
Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt each scored their 20th goal of the season 39 seconds apart and Bratt reached the 80-point mark for the second time in as many seasons for the @NJDevils. #NHLStats: https://t.co/y6JtAsmNWR pic.twitter.com/0bSPHOg6ww
— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) March 18, 2025
Greaves made 18 saves.
Shutout Streak Over
Mathieu Olivier keeps extending his career high in goals.
The Blue Jackets, desperate for a goal to end the scoring drought, got a big one from Olivier, his 16th, at 13:24 of the third period to cut the deficit to 2-1 and end the shutout streak at 182:55. The assists went to Justin Danforth (9) and Zach Aston-Reese (11).
Columbus goal!
— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) March 18, 2025
Scored by Mathieu Olivier with 06:36 remaining in the 3rd period.
Assisted by Justin Danforth and Zachary Aston-Reese.
Columbus: 1
New Jersey: 2#NJDvsCBJ #CBJ #NJDevils pic.twitter.com/FdXWWHpxPz
First home #CBJ goal in 174:32 by Mathieu Olivier. The franchise record stands at 178:48. Four minutes away from infamy.
— Mark Scheig (@mark_scheig) March 18, 2025
Columbus had just finished a power play in which they couldn’t convert but saw several good chances, the theme of the third period and the game for that matter. Columbus tweaked their lines at the start of the third period trying to find something that would work offensively.
Dean Evason on taking the way the team played in the third period into Thursday. They feel that its moving in the right direction that the momentum has shifted.
— Dave Maetzold (@DMaetzMedia) March 18, 2025
Columbus outshot New Jersey 46-20 and had 80 shot attempts (5v5) to the Devils’ 38 and a 44-6 third-period edge.
The Devils are 30-0-2 when leading after two periods this season.
Olivier set a franchise record with his 249th and 250th hit of the season, surpassing Brandon Dubinsky (248) in 2016-17.
Dean Evason on taking the way the team played in the third period into Thursday. They feel that its moving in the right direction that the momentum has shifted.
— Dave Maetzold (@DMaetzMedia) March 18, 2025
The Resulting Outlook
In a 1-6-0 tailspin, Columbus remains two points out of a playoff spot but with a few teams in front of them in the wild-card race.
With 71 points, the Montreal Canadiens trail the Rangers (72 points) by one point for the East’s final wild-card spot. The Detroit Red Wings are deadlocked at 70 points with Columbus but hold the tiebreaker with one more regulation win.
The Boston Bruins picked up a point in Monday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Boston is one point behind Columbus. The New York Islanders have 68 points and are the Jackets’ opponent next Monday. And if you thought Friday’s opponent, the Pittsburgh Penguins, were left for dead, they’ve won four straight and are four points back of the Jackets.
On Tuesday, the Canadiens battle the red-hot Ottawa Senators, the New York Rangers host the Calgary Flames, the Penguins host the Islanders, and the Red Wings are at the Washington Capitals.
The Next Biggest Game
Columbus wraps up its four-game homestand with the Florida Panthers on Thursday, Mar. 20 at 7 p.m. ET.
