Six-Tacular: Blue Jackets Score Six Goals Again, Make It Six Straight Games With A Point In Road Win Over The Blackhawks

By Ed Francis on December 1, 2024 at 5:57 pm
Six-Tacular: The Columbus Blue Jackets scored six goals again, this time in a 6-3 road win Sunday over the Chicago Blackhawks to make it six straight games with points.
© David Banks-Imagn Images
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  1 2 3 F
CBJ 2 1 3 6
CHI 1 1 1 3

CBJ GOALS: 
Provorov (P1, 4:27)
Johnson (P1, 11:23)
Monahan (P2, 4:50)
Fabbro (P3, 3:08)
Marchenko (P3, 10:52)
Voronkov (P3, 18:34) (EN)

Make it six straight with a point. 

The Columbus Blue Jackets scored in every period for the fifth consecutive game and put up 6+ goals for the seventh time as they defeated the Chicago Blackhawks by a 6-3 final Sunday afternoon. 

Ivan Provorov and Kent Johnson gave the Blue Jackets a 2-1 lead after Columbus fell behind in the first three minutes. For Johnson, his goal continued his scoring streak of nine straight games — every game he's played in this season.

Sean Monahan added a second-period goal before the Blue Jackets would unleash for three goals in the final frame, including a Dmitri Voronkov empty-netter to seal the deal in with just over 90 seconds left. 

Dante Fabbro and Kirill Marchenko also scored in the third, with Fabbro's goal the eventual game-winner at the 3:08 mark of the third period.

Elvis Merzlikins allowed three goals, but all were scored in the power play. He was 19-for-19 in even-strength shots faced and made a fantastic save in the second period to game tied.

Here's the deep dive into how the Jackets blew away the Blackhawks in the Windy City:

1st Period:

(2:59 — CHI Goal): The Blackhawks have had a hard time scoring goals — 30th in the league entering this game — but their power play, at 22.7%, is amongst the higher-ranked in the league. Connor Bedard is a big reason for that, and he strikes here just 22 seconds into a James van Riemsdyk tripping penalty. 

(4:27 — CBJ Goal): Ivan Provorov ties the game at 1-1 on his second goal of the season but Monahan makes a pair of great plays in this sequence to make it happen. First, it's good work from behind the net to maintain possession of the puck and get it to Kirill Marchenko. He has a little bit of trouble playing it but Chicago is unable to clear it because Monahan has jumped back into the play. He finds Provorov, who gets it through traffic to score the goal.

(11:23 — CBJ Goal): Halfway through the first period of his ninth game of the season, Kent Johnson gets his sixth goal and 12th point to continue an incredible start for the 22-year-old. On this goal, he enters the zone 1-on-4 but draws enough attention from the Chicago skaters that the rest of the Blue Jackets are able to get into prime position. Johnson dumps it to Sillinger in the corner, he finds Severson charging into the high slot, and then Sevo gets it back to Johnson, who goes off the post and in for the goal.

2nd Period 

(3:00 — CHI Goal): The Blackhawks power play strikes again here, this time to tie the game at 2-2. Craig Smith gets his sixth of the year. Head coach Dean Evason did not care for the power play, which came as a result of Dmitri Voronkov picking up an extra two for instigating after a fight with Chicago's Connor Murphy. The fight came after this play, where Murphy goes way-high on Marchenko:

(3:22): The save of the season by Merzlikins, but make sure you watch the replays. In real time, it's a good save. In the replays, it's eye-popping. This kept the game tied, and the Blue Jackets would take a lead less than two minutes later. You never know how a game may shake out by the goals that are never scored, but this would've been two in 22 seconds for Chicago and would've put them in front.

(4:50 — CBJ Goal): The Blue Jackets needed just 1:28 to answer Chicago's goal in the first period and here in the second period, just 1:50 before they would regain a 3-2 lead following a Blackhawks goal. Monahan gets goal number eight on the season, but check out the pass from Sean Kuraly. He threads the needle between a couple of Chicago sweaters to find Monahan, who wrists it past goalie Petr Mrazek.

The assist from Werenski on this goal made it eight straight games with a point to break the team record for consecutive games with a point from a defenseman.

3rd Period

(3:08 — CBJ Goal): One of the more simple goals in the game and really of the season to make it a 4-2 Blue Jackets lead. Werenski finds Fabbro, who skates down the right side of the ice with little resistance. As Chicago closes in, he rips a shot near the face-off dot and it beats Mrazek to make it three goals in nine games for Fabbro since joining the team. Werenski gets the primary assist on this to give him his second assist of the game and his third straight multi-point game. 

(8:08 — CHI Goal): Another power play, and another goal for the Blackhawks. This took up a good chunk of Chicago's 1:51, 5-on-3 power play, but Nick Foligno connects to cut into the lead and make it a 4-3 game.

(10:52 — CBJ Goal): Marchenko gets his team-leading 10th goal of the season on a top-shelf laser that comes after the puck is chipped at near the Chicago net and springs right to Marchy in the slot. After taking a high hit earlier in the game that resulted in a missing tooth, this goal to demoralize the Blackhawks comeback effort had to feel good.

(18:34 — CBJ Goal): Ice, Ice Baby. Dmitri Voronkov, after 17 minutes in the box for a mid-game fight standing up for Marchenko, is the apropos empty-net goal-scorer. This extends Voronkov's point streak to six games

CBJ GAME STATS CHI
36 SHOTS 31
55% FACEOFFS 45%
0/2 POWER PLAY 3/6
3/6 PENALTY KILL 2/2
30 HITS 21
14 GIVEAWAYS 11
3 TAKEAWAYS 4
11 BLOCKED SHOTS 9
ALL SITUATIONS ADVANCED STATS
3.18 EXPECTED GOALS 2.52
54 SHOT ATTEMPTS 51
21 SCORING CHANCES 19
7 HIGH-DANGER CHANCES 8
 DATA VIA:
NHL.COM & NATURALSTATTRICK.COM

Stat Chat:

  • The Blue Jackets have now scored in 16 straight regulation periods. That ties the record for longest stretch in club history. A first-period goal Tuesday in Calgary would, of course, break it.
     
  • With the goals from Provorov and Fabbro, the Blue Jackets now lead the NHL in goals by a defenseman, with 17.
     
  • Take a look at the expected goals. The Blue Jackets had a 3.18 to 2.52 advantage, but that was in all situations. Their even-strength domination this game was something to behold, including a 2.91 to 1.42 xGA and 50-37 advantage in shot attempts. When they weren't down a man, Columbus was suffocating Chicago on both sides of the puck. 

Up Next:

For the second time in five nights, the Blue Jackets will battle the Calgary Flames. This one takes place in Calgary with a 9:00 p.m. first faceoff. It's sure to be a heavy one, as the family of the late Johnny Gaudreau will be in attendance. 
 

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