The Columbus Blue Jackets had another third period to forget tonight.
Matt Duchene and Bobby Ryan each potted goals in the game's final frame, and the Jackets were unable to mount a comeback tonight in Ottawa, as they fell to the lowly Senators 5-4. Ottawa scored four straight goals at one point.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLUE JACKETS | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| SENATORS | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
The good news? Zach Werenski is back. His late power play goal gave the Jackets a flicker of life near the tail end of the game, but it wasn't enough.
A scoreless first period led way to a six-goal second, with the teams each potting three goals on less than ten shots in that frame. Two of those goals belonged to Sonny Milano, who now has three in his last two games.
Some great hand-eye coordination here by Milano, after Nutivaara banks a bouncing puck off the end boards. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/xTm2PybZX4
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 30, 2017
Blink and you might miss this absurdly quick release from Sonny Milano. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/mCpkFhVsX3
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 30, 2017
Josh Anderson hit the post early in the third, and from there, and Ottawa took advantage of the near miss minutes later. That's when the Sens took over, with Duchene and Ryan lighting the lamp in quick succession to push the Sens lead to 5-3, and they didn't look back.
Not a good result for the Jackets, who took their first regulation loss since their 7-2 debacle in Boston nearly two weeks ago.
Injury Update
Werenski's return was much-needed for the Blue Jackets, but Alexander Wennberg, Cam Atkinson and Brandon Dubinsky are still out for a few more weeks. Ryan Murray is still listed as day-to-day.
Next Up
Get your party hats out, because the Jackets are hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning for New Year's Eve on Sunday. They'll play their first game of 2018 two days later in Dallas.
