Blue Jackets Concede Three Goals in the Third Period, Fall 5-2 to the Blues and Drop to 0-3-0

By Coby Maeir on October 15, 2022 at 10:38 pm
Jordan Binnington
Jeff Le-USA TODAY Sports
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The Blue Jackets' losing streak to start their season extended to three.

 

  1 2 3 F
BLUE JACKETS 0 2 0 2
BLUES 1 1 3 5

Game Recap

The Blue Jackets' tough start to the season continued early in the first period against the Blues after they surrendered a power-play goal just over five minutes into regulation. Pavel Buchnevich one-timed a pass from Torey Krug from the right circle past Elvis Merzlikins, who made his season debut tonight. 

Neither team scored for the rest of the period as the Blues took a 1-0 lead into the locker room. The Blue Jackets outshot St. Louis 6-4 in the opening frame.

The Blues doubled their lead just 64 seconds into the second period when Vladimir Tarasenko fired a wrist shot from the right circle. 

Columbus didn't back down, though, as just 1:17 later, Erik Gudbranson took a hit to make a play ahead to Johnny Gaudreau whose shot on goal was stopped but then finished by Gustav Nyquist. 

Gaudreau's assist was the 400th of his career. 

Just 18 seconds later, the Jackets struck again, as Mathieu Olivier found Sean Kuraly with a bank pass off the left dasher boards and Kuraly beat Blues goalie Jordan Binnington on the short-side from the bottom of the left circle to tie the game at two.

Both teams had their fair share of chances throughout the rest of the period, including a power play for each side. St. Louis nearly took the lead when Jordan Kyrou was denied on a partial breakaway by Merzlikins. 

The Blues threatened again late in the second period with six shots on goal in the last minute, but Merzlikins stood up to the task and kept the game level at two heading into the third period. Both teams recorded 13 shots on goal in the middle frame.

Merzlikins had to stand tall 1:11 into the third period when he denied Buchnevich from point-blank range.

The Blues broke through midway through the period when Ivan Barbashev's wrist shot from the high slot beat Merzlikins to the blocker side with 9:17 to play. 

St. Louis doubled its lead just 20 seconds later when Jake Neighbours beat Merzlikins to the glove side with a backhand shot in front of the net. 

Eric Robinson almost cut the lead in half for the Blue Jackets on a breakaway, but he was denied by Binnington.

Tarasenko scored his second of the night after he took the puck off Gaudreau's stick and fired the puck between Merzlikins' body and his arm into the net. 

The 5-2 score would be the final, as the Blue Jackets dropped their third straight game to start the season.

Stats

  • Shots on Goal: CBJ 25-25 STL
  • Hits: CBJ 14-28 STL
  • Faceoff%: CBJ 57-43 STL
  • Power play: CBJ: 0/2, STL: 1/3
  • Giveaways: CBJ 9-5 STL
  • 5v5 stats (via naturalstattrick.com):
    • xG: CBJ 1.8-2.29 STL
    • Chances: CBJ 42-44 STL
    • Shots: CBJ 24-21 STL
    • Scoring chances: CBJ 24-27 STL
    • High-danger chances: CBJ 5-7 STL

Injury Update

Patrik Laine missed his second consecutive with an elbow sprain that will cause him to miss three-to-four weeks. He is currently on injured reserve. 

Next Up

The Blue Jackets return to Columbus for a three-game home stand on Tuesday when they'll take on the Vancouver Canucks at 7 p.m. ET on Bally Sports Ohio and 97.1 FM The Fan.

Columbus will be back in action on Thursday night when they host the Nashville Predators at 7 p.m. ET on Bally Sports Ohio and 97.1 FM The Fan

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