Kent Johnson Scores "The Michigan" As Blue Jackets Beat Islanders 5-4 in OT

By Coby Maeir on March 24, 2023 at 9:50 pm
Erik Gudbranson and Anders Lee collide in the Islanders vs. Blue Jackets game.
Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
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Kent Johnson scored "the Michigan" and Boone Jenner scored the overtime winner as the Blue Jackets beat the New York islanders 5-4 on Friday at Nationwide Arena.

1st Period

The Jackets had a chance to score early as Eric Robinson found a loose puck in the low slot, turned around, and fired a shot that was stopped by Ilya Sorokin. 

Jack Roslovic had a chance to open the scoring at 4:58 but was robbed by Sorokin from the left doorstep.

  1 2 3 F/OT
BLUE JACKETS 0 4 0 5
NY ISLANDERS 1 1 2 4

Emil Bemstrom missed the net from the left circle at 5:42, leading to a breakaway from Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who was stopped by Michael Hutchinson.

Hutchinson made a great save on Alexander Romanov at 12:24 to rob a backhand attempt from the left doorstep.

The Islanders opened the scoring at 13:37 when Zach Parise was left open in the slot and fired a wrist shot past Hutchinson. 

New York took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission while trailing 8-7 in shots on goal.

2nd Period

Johnny Gaudreau tied the game on the power play at 4:58 with a wrist shot from the left circle.

After a Liam Foudy turnover halted a Blue Jackets clearing attempt, Brock Nelson was left wide-open at the right circle where he scored at 5:30.

Foudy redeemed himself at 8:59 after Johnson won a board battle, moving the puck to Foudy, who found Roslovic, who then found Foudy in the slot where he beat Sorokin.

Exactly 27 years after the original "Michigan" goal, Johnson pulled off "the Michigan" in one of the best individual efforts you will ever see at 17:06 to give the Jackets a 3-2 lead. 

Robinson doubled Columbus' lead at 17:46 when he deflected Bemstrom's feed at the doorstep.

The Blue Jackets took a 4-2 lead into the final period of regulation trailing 24-16 in shots on goal.

3rd Period

Kyle Palmieri deflected a shot by Adam Pelech past Hutchinson at 3:34 to cut the Islanders' deficit in half.

Nelson scored his second goal of the game at 8:00, tying the game with a wrist shot from the right circle on the power play. 

The teams were tied at four after regulation with the Islanders leading 38-26 in shots on goal.

Overtime

Jenner deflected Adam Boqvist's slap shot on the power play past Sorokin at 0:40 to win the game for the Jackets.

With the victory, the Jackets improve to 23-41-7.

Stats

  • Shots on Goal: NYI 38-27 CBJ
  • Faceoff %: NYI 53.8-46.2 CBJ
  • Power play: NYI 1/1-2/5 CBJ
  • Takeaways: NYI 8-4 CBJ
  • Giveaways: NYI 1-4 CBJ
  • Blocked shots: NYI 14-18 CBJ
  • Hits: NYI 27-22 CBJ
  • 5-on-5 stats (via naturalstattrick.com):
    • Expected Goals (xG): NYI 3.37-2.43 CBJ
    • Chances (CF): NYI 72-47 CBJ
    • Shots (SF): NYI 35-23 CBJ
    • Scoring Chances (SCF): NYI 39-27 CBJ
    • High-Danger Chances (HDCF): NYI 15-9 CBJ

Injury Update

Sean Kuraly returned to the lineup tonight after missing the last nine games with a left oblique strain.

Patrik Laine is out for the next two-to-four weeks after suffering a triceps strain in Thursday's practice. 

Mathieu Olivier (lower-body injury) and Erik Gudbranson (upper-body injury) did not return to the game after leaving in the first and second periods, respectively. 

Next Up

The Blue Jackets are back in action Saturday when they'll take on the Canadiens in Montreal at 7 p.m. ET on Bally Sports Ohio.

The club will head south to New York to take on the Rangers on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET on Bally Sports Ohio.

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