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CBJ GOALS: |
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Sean Monahan and Dmitri Voronkov had two goals each and Zach Werenski added four assists in the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-2 route of the Boston Bruins in front of a sellout crowd at Nationwide Arena on Friday night.
Monahan got the scoring started with a power play goal in the first; Boston would respond less than four minutes later to tie the game.
But in the second period, the Blue Jackets erupted for four goals to take a 5-1 lead through forty minutes. Three of those game in a span of 2:47, starting with an Adam Fantilli break away goal at exactly 7:00 of the period. Monahan would then get his second of the night on the power play just 1:13 later, and just 1:34 after that was the first of two for Voronkov on the evening.
Voronkov would add another goal in the final minute of the period, Columbus' third power play goal of the game.
Columbus would extend the lead to 6-1 on Marchenko's goal (and third point of the night), which came on an easy put-back.
Werenski's four-point night put him at 39 points for the season, one behind Marchenko, who hit 40 points with his three-point game. Both are on pace to break Artemi Panarin's franchise record of 87 points, set in the 2018-19 season.
Elvis Merzlikins had 24 saves for the Blue Jackets. Former Blue Jacket Joonas Korpisalo stopped 27 of Columbus' 33 shots for the Bruins and moved to 0-2-0 against his former team.
Here's how it went down in the first half of a home-and-home:
1st Period:
(11:29 — CBJ Goal): Good work behind the net starts the goal-scoring sequence for the Blue Jackets here. Voronkov finds Marchenko in the corner and he fires it to Werenski in the corner of the high slot. He gets a shot off with plenty of traffic between him and Korpisalo, with the puck bouncing around and ending up on the stick of Monahan, who buries it for his 12th goal of the season to give Columbus a 1-0 lead.
Sean Monahan strikes on the power play for his 12th goal of the season, putting him just one behind Marchenko for the team lead. Boston has since tied the game; we're now 1-1 late in the opening frame. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/WEfRtr0rto
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 28, 2024
(15:13 — BOS Goal): The Bruins had just two shots on goal through the first 15 minutes of the game but tie it at 1-1 on their third shot, a roofing wrister from Pavel Zacha. Morgan Geekie doesn't get a point on the goal (David Pastrnak picked up the lone assist), but his forechecking on the play created the game-tying goal.
2nd Period
(7:00 — CBJ Goal): Adam Fantilli's sixth goal of the season puts Columbus back in front, this time 2-1. It starts with the Bruins getting caught in a line change after a long, long shift. Fantilli sees the change and goes streaking down the center and Voronkov's job is as easy as getting the puck his way to create a quick breakaway goal.
Dmitri Voronkov with a sweet find of Adam Fantilli to put the #CBJ back in front, 2-1.
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 28, 2024
That wasn't that long ago, but the Blue Jacket shave added two more since then to go up 4-1 with 9:44 left in the second. pic.twitter.com/rw6Y7cFyAS
(8:13 — CBJ Goal): Goal number two of the night for Monahan comes from a delightful look from Werenski. It looks like Z is going to take the shot — but at the very last second he finds a wide-open Monahan and with Korpisalo out of position, Monny has no problem putting it past his glove side to extend the lead to 3-1.
Sean Monahan's second goal of the night (and 13th of the season) to extend the Blue Jackets lead to 3-1.
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 28, 2024
Columbus has since added to that score and it's now 4-1. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/4MCKQpgdTA
(9:47 — CBJ Goal): The Blue Jackets power play hadn't scored twice in the same game all season — until this strike from Voronkov, who gets his second point of the game and makes it 4-1 in favor of Columbus. Kent Johnson takes advantage of a stickless Elias Lindholm and finds Voronkov, who goes backhand past Korpisalo for his 11th goal of the season. Werenski's secondary assist gives him his third point of the game, all apples.
...and the third of three goals in a span of 2:47 for the #CBJ, this time Voronkov joining the party with his 11th of the season and the second power play goal of the night for the Blue Jackets to make it 4-1 Columbus. pic.twitter.com/oXkbUguN9o
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 28, 2024
(19:14 — CBJ Goal): Make that three power play goals in the game — and Voronkov's second power play strike in less than minutes is the fourth goal of the period for Columbus and extends the Blue Jackets lead to 5-1. Marchenko's shot goes off Boston's Brandon Carlo and deflects right to Voronkov, who is at his post just outside of Korpisalo's crease.
3rd Period
(3:04 — CBJ Goal): His linemates had already combined for four goals on the night, so now Marchenko joins Voronkov and Monahan in the scoring party with his 14th goal of the season to put Columbus up by five. He takes the big rebound of a Mikael Pyyhtia shot and puts it past Korpisalo for the 6-1 lead.
The Blue Jackets hit 6+ goals for the 8th time this season on Kirill Marchenko's 14th of the season. He puts the rebound of a Mikael Pyyhtia shot past Korpisalo to make it 6-1 #CBJ.
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 28, 2024
It's now 6-2 with 10:47 left. pic.twitter.com/yppKDPHt8J
(4:08 — BOS Goal): Good transition from the Bruins sees Charlie Coyle get his 10th goal of the season and a tally in his third straight game. The unfortunate part for Boston is that it cut the Columbus lead to 6-2 — as close as they would get in the third period.
| BOS | GAME STATS | CBJ |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | SHOTS | 33 |
| 56% | FACEOFFS | 44% |
| 0/2 | POWER PLAY | 3/3 |
| 0/3 | PENALTY KILL | 2/2 |
| 18 | HITS | 15 |
| 10 | GIVEAWAYS | 21 |
| 6 | TAKEAWAYS | 9 |
| 17 | BLOCKED SHOTS | 17 |
| ALL SITUATIONS ADVANCED STATS | ||
| 2.67 | EXPECTED GOALS | 4.38 |
| 51 | SHOT ATTEMPTS | 71 |
| 19 | SCORING CHANCES | 37 |
| 8 | HIGH-DANGER CHANCES | 19 |
| Data via NHL.com & NaturalStatTrick.com | ||
Stat Chat:
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The Blue Jackets had not had a multi-goal game on the power play this season. It was also their first game with three power play strikes since February 23rd, 2021.
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In a rare change of pace, Zach Werenski did not lead the Blue Jackets in ice time. His 21:19 was eclipsed by Ivan Provorov's 21:43.
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With a 2/2 mark on the penalty kill, the Blue Jackets have now went four straight games without allowing a goal while shorthanded. They're 8/8 over that stretch.
- The Blue Jackets have outscored the Bruins 11-3 in two games this season.
Up Next:
These same two teams meet Saturday night, this time in Boston, to complete a home-and-home. It's their last meeting of the season. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.
