The Blue Jackets came into tonight's matchup 0-1-1 on their Western Canada swing and out of a Stanley Cup playoff spot. However, the Blue Jackets were able to secure a hard-fought 2-1 against the Vancouver Canucks to finish their three-game road trip with two crucial points and back in a second wild-card position.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLUE JACKETS | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| CANUCKS | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Columbus and Vancouver remained 0-0 after the first period. The Blue Jackets faced several dangerous chances, but Elvis Merzlikins stood tall to keep the score tied in the first frame.
The second period was an eventful scoring frame for Columbus. The Blue Jackets supplied the contest's first goal seven minutes into the middle period. After some impressive cycling, Emil Bemstrom accepted a Pierre-Luc Dubois pass from behind the net and sent the puck past Vancouver goaltender, Thatcher Demko, for the 1-0 goal.
A beautiful feed from PLD, and Bemstrom makes no mistake. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/EQLzXl3HGR
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) March 9, 2020
Eric Robinson added to the Columbus lead with 30 seconds left in the second period to make it 2-0. Similar to the previous goal, Robinson received a behind-the-net pass from David Savard and rocketed the puck past Demko for the two-goal lead.
Savard puts it on a tee, and Robinson hammers home an absolute rocket. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/1affT2WCvg
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) March 9, 2020
After an unsuccessful third period Blue Jacket powerplay, Elias Pettersson brought the Canucks within one with a 2-1 breakaway goal. Nevertheless, the Blue Jackets would defend their 2-1 lead the rest of the period to secure the win.
Next Up
The Blue Jackets return to Nationwide Arena this Thursday to face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Puck drop is at 7:00 p.m.
