Finally.
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CBJ GOALS: Ivan Provorov (P1, 7:55), Zach Werenski (P2, 9:36) Sean Monahan (2) (P2, 13:58, P3, 18:50) CBJ ASSISTS: Zach Aston-Reese, Mathieu Olivier, Kirill Marchenko (2), Sean Monahan, Dmitri Voronkov |
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Elvis Merzlikins made a season-high 40 saves and Sean Monahan had three points with two goals and an assist as the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the New Jersey Devils 4-2 Thursday night at Nationwide Arena.
Ivan Provorov and Zach Werenski scored for Columbus. Kirill Marchenko had two assists and leads Columbus with 22 assists and 33 points.
The win snapped the Blue Jackets' five-game losing streak, while New Jersey's bid for a season-high four-game winning streak came to an end.
Jake Allen made 16 saves. Here's how it went down in Columbus:
1st Period:
(7:55 — CBJ Goal):
Provorov scored his third goal of the year to give the Blue Jackets the early 1-0 lead. Zach Aston-Reese (7) and Mathieu Olivier (5) assisted on the goal.
Provorov from Aston-Reese and Olivier makes it 1-0. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/QODwrcV6Fz
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 20, 2024
The 1-0 score stood up through the first 20 minutes. New Jersey outshot Columbus 7-6.
2nd Period:
(9:36 — CBJ Goal):
Looking to improve their second periods while trying to slow down one of the best second-period teams in the league, the Blue Jackets added to their 2-0 lead on the power play.
Whether it's Voronkov's or Werenski's, this goal made it 2-0 #CBJ pic.twitter.com/rlOT3SL6MK
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 20, 2024
The goal is Werenski's 11th of the season and pushes him into a tie for first on the Jackets with Marchenko. Marchenko (22) and Monahan (17) picked up the assists. Werenski has three goals in the last six games. The Blue Jackets' power play (26.1% since Dec. 8) is 6-for-23 over its last seven games with a power play goal in six of its last seven games.
Marchenko is on a four-game point streak (one goal, five assists). He has nine points (one goal, eight assists) in seven of his last eight games.
#CBJ take a 2-0 lead as Voronkov scores his ninth of the season on the power play. Assists to Werenski and Marchenko. With that assist, Zach Werenski has extended his home points streak to 10-straight games (7-10-17), tying the franchise record.
— CBJ Public Relations (@BlueJacketsPR) December 20, 2024
Kirill Marchenko's two assists tonight give him 100 points in his career. 42nd #CBJ player to reach the mark with the franchise.
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) December 20, 2024
As far as games played (170), Kirill Marchenko is the fourth fastest #CBJ draft pick to reach 100 points with the team after Pierre-Luc Dubois, Rick Nash and Nik Zherdev.
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) December 20, 2024
(13:58 — CBJ Goal):
Monahan's goal (10) made it 3-0 Columbus. Voronkov (7) and Marchenko (22) had the assists.
pic.twitter.com/nvmXtgYqsu #CBJ
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 20, 2024
Merzlikins made several huge stops to protect the lead and preserve the shutout.
ELVIS MERZLIKINS GRAND LARCENY pic.twitter.com/bCZ8Y0t8J1
— NHL (@NHL) December 20, 2024
New Jersey outshot Columbus 17-8 in the second. Jack Hughes led the way with eight shots on goal and 11 attempts.
3rd Period:
(17:10 — NJ Goal):
New Jersey pulled Allen with 5:30 remaining and it took even longer until Luke Hughes (2) finally solved Merzlikins to make it 3-1.
We will NOT be shutout again!
— Devils Joint (@DevilsJointX) December 20, 2024
LUKE HUGHES from PAUL COTTER (or not)#NJDevils | #NHL | #CBJ pic.twitter.com/vHpH9zhJXo
(17:10 — NJ Goal):
All of a sudden, what looked like a sure win, got tight in a hurry.
Timo Meier (11) made it a 3-2 game. Jack Hughes (29) and Luke Hughes (11) assisted on the goal.
Timo nets one. pic.twitter.com/mRLjNxYzAQ
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) December 20, 2024
Otherwise, the third period was the Merzlikins show. Really, that was the whole game.
Jack Hughes led the game with a career-high 13 shots on goal, eclipsing a previous career-high of 11 shots on Feb. 27, 2024, at San Jose. Merzlikins was the Second Star of the Game.
The Devils outshot Columbus 18-6 in the third period. Recalled from Cleveland, James Malatesta skated 10:56 in his season debut.
| NJ | GAME STATS | CBJ |
|---|---|---|
| 42 | SHOTS | 20 |
| 49.2% | FACEOFFS | 50.8% |
| 0/1 | POWER PLAY | 1/2 |
| 1/2 | PENALTY KILL | 1/1 |
| 19 | HITS | 15 |
| 22 | GIVEAWAYS | 16 |
| 8 | TAKEAWAYS | 2 |
| 8 | BLOCKED SHOTS | 24 |
| ALL SITUATIONS ADVANCED STATS | ||
| 3.8 | EXPECTED GOALS | 1.72 |
| 73 | SHOT ATTEMPTS | 35 |
| 39 | SCORING CHANCES | 14 |
| 12 | HIGH-DANGER CHANCES | 6 |
| Data via NHL.com & NaturalStatTrick.com | ||
Stat Chat:
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New Jersey has a five-game streak of limiting opponents to 20 or fewer shots.
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The Devils entered play tied for first in the NHL with 16 wins when leading after two periods (16-0-1). They also came in leading the league with 44 second-period goals but did not score a second-period goal Thursday night.
- With his goal, Werenski tied Nick Foligno for fourth all-time among points (334) in Blue Jackets history.
Up Next:
On Saturday night, the Blue Jackets head back on the road for a one-city stop in Philadelphia to battle the Flyers from Wells Fargo Center. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. ET.
