Somehow, the Blue Jackets lost tonight.
Despite a strong third-period push, the Blue Jackets couldn't come back from a 3-1 deficit tonight, falling 3-2 to the New York Rangers despite dominating most of the game and outshooting the Rangers, 46-19.
The Blue Jackets dominated the first period, and got on the board first thanks to Cam Atkinson's fifth goal of the season off of a great feed from Nick Foligno. However, with just eight seconds left in the period, the Rangers tied it up on a goal from Brendan Lemieux. At the end of the first period, shots on goal were 18-6, Blue Jackets.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLUE JACKETS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| RANGERS | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
It wasn't an ideal second period for the boys in blue. A power play goal from Jacob Trouba made it 2-1, and the Rangers weren't done. In his return to Columbus, Artemi Panarin made it 3-1 before the period was over.
As the third period began, it was clear that the Blue Jackets were not going to go down without a fight. They drove play from the start. Seth Jones drove through the offensive zone and added a pretty finish to make it 3-2. For the rest of the period, it was more of the same. The Blue Jackets generated one high-danger chance after another, but, like most games this season, they just couldn't find the back of the net.
It was a frustrating loss in a game that the Blue Jackets absolutely should have won. They hit multiple posts and crossbars and squandered several golden opportunities.
Injury Update
Zach Werenski (shoulder) is expected to miss up to a month. Markus Nutivaara (upper body) has resumed practicing but a timetable for his return is currently unclear.
Next Up
The Blue Jackets will head down to Florida to take on old friend Sergei Bobrovsky and the Florida Panthers on Saturday night. Puck drop is slated for 7:00.
