DET 5, CBJ 4: Blue Jackets Lose Heartbreaker In Final Seconds On Tough Break

By Ed Francis on January 2, 2025 at 10:16 pm
The Detroit Red Wings scored with 35.7 seconds left in regulation to break a tie game and defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets by a final of 5-4.
© Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images
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  1 2 3 F
DET 3 0 2 5
CBJ 1 2 1 4

CBJ GOALS: 
van Riemsdyk (PP) (P1, 2:42)
Werenski (P2, 11:09)
Monahan (P2, 18:40)
van Riemsdyk (P3, 17:19)

Jonatan Berggren scored the game-winning goal with 35.7 seconds left in regulation Thursday night to help the Detroit Red Wings defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets by a final of 5-4.

After the Blue Jackets took an early lead on a power play goal from James van Riemsdyk, the Red Wings answered with three straight goals. Columbus would tie the game in the second on goals from Zach Werenski and Sean Monahan. 

Detroit would regain the lead in the third period before the Blue Jackets would tie the game with 2:41 left on van Riemsdyk's second goal of the night. The Red Wings challenge for goaltender interference and quickly lose it, resulting in a Blue Jackets power play. 

Columbus is unable to do much with the power play and as it's expiring, Red Wings defenseman Ben Chiarot blocks Ivan Provorov's shot attempt. It trickles over to the stick of former Blue Jacket Tyler Motte, who pokes it ahead to Berggren for the game-winning goal.

Here's how a tough loss played out in front of a sellout crowd:

1st Period:

(2:42 — CBJ Goal): The power play stays hot with a goal in the opening minutes. Van Riemsdyk has made a career, in part, off deflection goals in front of the net — and he does that here on Cole Sillinger's shot to put the Blue Jackets in front 1-0 less than three minutes into the game. Sillinger get the primary assist with Provorov picking up the secondary apple.

(6:55 — DET Goal): The Red Wings strike three times in just a shade over ten minutes, starting with Patrick Kane's 8th of the season. The scoring sequence starts with Damon Severson having trouble clearing the puck. Alex DeBrincat fires from the slot and Kane is there to clean up a rebound a few seconds later. 

(14:39 — DET Goal): Elvis takes too much time getting set after going behind the net to play the puck and Erik Gustafsson gets his first goal as a Red Wing as a result of it. He fires from way downtown and it pings in past the glove side of Merzlikins to put Detroit in front, 2-1.

(17:09 — DET Goal): The Red Wings need just seven seconds on the power play to extend their lead to 3-1. Dylan Larkin wins the faceoff, he gets it to Mo Seider, he gets it to DeBrincat, and he gets it into the back of the net. 

2nd Period

(11:09 — CBJ Goal): Adam Fantilli wins a faceoff in Detroit's zone and that's all it takes for the Blue Jackets to trim the Detroit lead to 3-2. Fantilli's win puts the puck on the stick of Werenski, who goes top shelf for his 12th goal of the season. 

(18:40 — CBJ Goal): Detroit is caught in a line change, which is noticed by van Riemsdyk and he immediately streaks through the Detroit zone. He gets a great backhand pass over to Monahan, who has a gaping open net because Talbot was focused on JVR. That allows the Blue Jackets to easily tie the game at 3-3 in the closing minutes of the period. Werenski gets the secondary assist, his second point of the night and third multi-point game in his last five.

3rd Period

(4:54 — DET Goal): For the second time in the game, the Red Wings surging power play connects for a goal to put Detroit ahead again, this time 4-3. Larkin draws the penalty to put them on the man-advantage, then takes a great pass from DeBrincat and gets it past Merzlikins for the lead.

(17:19 — CBJ Goal): The second goal of the night for van Riemsdyk to give him his first multi-goal and three-point game as a member of the Jackets.

Detroit challenges for interference, the call stands, and the Blue Jackets get a power play. They don't do much with the power play, and as it comes to an end...

(19:25 — DET Goal): ...Berggren comes out of the box and takes Ivan Provorov's blocked shot all the way to the back of the net. 

DET GAME STATS CBJ
26 SHOTS 25
49% FACEOFFS 51%
2/3 POWER PLAY 1/2
1/2 PENALTY KILL 1/3
16 HITS 19
15 GIVEAWAYS 11
7 TAKEAWAYS 4
15 BLOCKED SHOTS 18
ALL SITUATIONS ADVANCED STATS
2.49 EXPECTED GOALS 1.67
48 SHOT ATTEMPTS 53
25 SCORING CHANCES 14
7 HIGH-DANGER CHANCES 8
Data via NHL.com & NaturalStatTrick.com

Stat Chat:

  • The goals from van Riemsdyk and Kane's goals came with a side of irony. They were the first two overall picks (Kane first, van Riemsdyk second) of the 2007 NHL Draft, which was held at Nationwide Arena. Columbus' first round pick that year was seventh overall, where they picked up Jake Voracek. Their last pick of the draft? Current Cleveland Monsters head coach Trent Vogelhuber.
     
  • Werenski's goal made it 14 straight home games with a point, the 8th longest streak in the NHL over the last 40 years by a defenseman according to NHL Public Relations. It's also tied for the longest of the 21st century at the D position.

Up Next:

Another chance on home ice for the Blue Jackets comes Saturday night when the St. Louis Blues come to town for their only visit of the season. Puck drops at 7 p.m.

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