| 1 | 2 | 3 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
1 | 0 | 0 (1) | 2 |
 |
1 | 0 | 0 (0) | 1 |
|
CBJ GOALS: |
||||
Cole Sillinger scored the overtime game-winner and Elvis Merzlikins was on his game yet again as the Columbus Blue Jackets picked up two more points Thursday night in a 2-1 win over the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Blue Jackets weathered an early storm from Vegas, who took a 1-0 lead in the first five minutes on a goal from Tomas Hertl.
Adam Fantilli, playing in his 100th career NHL game, would bring the game back to even late in the first period with a textbook greasy goal.
From there, the Blue Jackets turned it into a playoff-style game, focusing on not giving Vegas' high-octane offense any unnecessary chances and playing a more reserved style of hockey.
Head coach Dean Evason said that was all part of the plan.
"One of our keys was to try to be a frustrating group tonight," said Evason. "That meant not opening things up, that meant not giving them any life, it meant making it a boring game. So if that makes it look like it's a little bit of a slow start, fine. We're okay with that."
It worked.
Merzlikins, who won for the seventh time in his last eight starts, would save all 14 of Vegas' shots on goal in the final two periods and neither team would score again until Sillinger's game-winner.
For his 25 saves on 26 shots, Merzlikins was the game's Third Star of the Game. It was the third straight start for Elvis that he's been named one of the Three Stars of the game.
More importantly, it was two more points in the standings on a busy night across the NHL.
"It's a good team win," said Sillinger. "We've got the first one done and now we got three more on this road trip that we've got to take care of."
Here's how Columbus started their road trip off with a victory:
1st Period:
(4:58 — VGK Goal): Hertl extends his point streak to 11 games with an early Vegas goal. The Golden Knights take a 1-0 when they quickly enter the zone and Hertl goes across the ice, keeping the puck just out of the reach of the Blue Jackets' sticks. He rips it from near the left face-off dot and beats Merzlikins.
(18:34 — CBJ Goal): Active sticks in their own zone help the Blue Jackets tie it up. They quickly shoot up the ice after the clear and Voronkov fires from the left dot. Vegas goalie Ilya Samsonov can't control the puck and all of the Columbus forwards — Voronkov, Fantilli, and Marchenko are all right on the doorstep, feverishly trying to get the rebound opportunity. Fantilli eventually does and makes it a 1-1 game in the closing minutes of the period
Ready for period two between the #CBJ and Vegas. Vegas scored early, but Fantilli scores in his 100th career NHL game late in the first to make it 1-1 as we enter the second frame.pic.twitter.com/nWuFwcibTB
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) January 31, 2025
2nd Period
No scoring in a relatively quiet period of hockey. No scoring, no fights, no penalties. The Golden Knights had a slight edge in shots on goal at 7-6, but neither team had more than 15 shot attempts for the period. Vegas did get the puck in the back of the Columbus net with just 12 seconds remaining in the period, but it was quickly waived off for goaltender interference.
3rd Period + Overtime
(OT 0:52 — CBJ Goal): After the third period was just as quiet as the second, the Blue Jackets would get the overtime game winner on a sequence that starts with a good poke check from Kent Johnson. He goes up the ice on a breakaway but is turned away by Samsonov, who leaves a juicy rebound for the trailing Zach Werenski. He too, is turned away, but the puck trickles right in front of the grease where Sillinger is there to bang it home and give the Blue Jackets the 2-1 overtime win.
Still up?
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) January 31, 2025
You deserve to see this game-winner again. #CBJpic.twitter.com/Z6GDqCXR93
| CBJ | GAME STATS | VGK |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | SHOTS | 26 |
| 41% | FACEOFFS | 59% |
| 0/1 | POWER PLAY | 0/1 |
| 1/1 | PENALTY KILL | 1/1 |
| 18 | HITS | 10 |
| 17 | GIVEAWAYS | 11 |
| 5 | TAKEAWAYS | 4 |
| 13 | BLOCKED SHOTS | 11 |
| ALL SITUATIONS ADVANCED STATS | ||
| 2.39 | EXPECTED GOALS | 2.43 |
| 47 | SHOT ATTEMPTS | 57 |
| 25 | SCORING CHANCES | 29 |
| 10 | HIGH-DANGER CHANCES | 9 |
| Data via NHL.com & NaturalStatTrick.com | ||
Stat Chat:
-
Fantilli scored in his 100th game, but he also won six of his first eight faceoffs to help keep chip away at Vegas' early momentum. Fantilli finished 9/17 at the dot for the game. He also led all forwards in ice time, at 18:12.
-
Seven of Vegas' nine high-danger chances for the night came in the opening period, a testament to the Blue Jackets defensive prowess in the final two-plus periods.
- This was the 8th time in the last ten games that the Blue Jackets have allowed two goals or less. They're 7-0-1 in those games.
Up Next:
The puck drops at 9 p.m. Friday night as the Blue Jackets complete their back-to-back with a game against the Utah Hockey Club. This will be Columbus' first trip to Salt Lake City.
