CBJ 5, DET 3: Merzlikins Makes 43 Saves, Justin Danforth Scores Game-Winner In Blue Jackets' Stadium Series Win Over Detroit

By Ed Francis on March 1, 2025 at 10:16 pm
Justin Danforth scored the game-winning goal with just over two minutes left and Elvis Merzlikins made 43 in Columbus' 5-3 Stadium Series victory over Detroit.
© Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images
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  1 2 3 F
DET 0 1 2 3
CBJ 0 3 2 5

CBJ GOALS: 
Mateychuk (P2, 5:31)
Voronkov (PP) (P2, 17:23)
Olivier (P2, 17:55)
Danforth (P3, 17:43)
Fantilli (EN) (P3, 18:52)
 

Two more points.

This time, in front of 94,751 at Ohio Stadium.

Justin Danforth scored the game-winner with just over two minutes left, Elvis Merzlikins dazzled with 43 saves, and Denton Mateychuk scored the first outdoor goal in Columbus Blue Jackets' history in their 5-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night in front of the second-largest crowd in NHL history.

After a scoreless first period — the second in three nights between the two teams — it was Mateychuk's goal at 5:31 of the second period that put Columbus in front 1-0. He said that the moments after the goal were a blur.

"After I scored, I don't even remember what my celly was or anything," said Mateychuk. "I remember hearing the crowd was pretty loud."

The Blue Jackets would keep that lead for a chunk of the period before the Red Wings tied it at the 13:06 mark of the second period. But just four minutes later, Columbus would score twice in 32 seconds to take a 3-1 lead through forty minutes.

The first goal came just eight seconds into Columbus' only power play of the night. Dmitri Voronkov took a good goal line pass from Kent Johnson and beat Detroit goalie Cam Talbot to put the Blue Jackets in front 2-1. 

Right after that, Mathieu Olivier put together one of his best shifts of the season that results in his 12th goal of the season, extending the Blue Jackets lead to two goals entering the third period.

But Detroit would not go away. The Red Wings scored twice in the third period to tie the game at 3-3, with the (briefly) game-tying goal coming with just 3:24 left in regulation. 

Enter Danforth.

He beats two Detroit defenders entering the zone and after his first shot is saved by Talbot, makes a tremendous second effort to find the back of the net and give the Blue Jackets a 4-3 lead with just 2:17 left in regulation.

Then, with just over a minute left in regulation, Adam Fantilli's empty-netter led to the cannon firing for the fifth time, putting the finishing touches on a home-and-home over the Red Wings for another crucial pair of points in the standings.

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Despite the five-goal night from the offense, it was Merzlikins who was named the First Star of the game. The goalie fought off 43 of Detroit's 46 shots, the second-highest number of saves in an outdoor game and just two off Nico Daws' record last season for the New Jersey Devils.

"The confidence that Elvis has given us all year, forget about just tonight, but clearly he was incredible tonight," said head coach Dean Evason. "(Detroit) made a conscious effort to get to the net, put pucks on the net ... and (Elvis) has competed his ass off." 

Evason was emotional after the game, for a number of reasons.

"This experience was incredible. Not just the win, obviously that's fantastic," said Evason. "All this stuff with Johnny made it even extra special. The stadium, the Pep Rally, the walk in... there was a lot of emotion here."

The team was led into the stadium earlier in the day by the family of the late Johnny Gaudreau, who was honored by both teams throughout the weekend. As they made the walk, the Blue Jackets wore hoodies and surf shop gear — clothes typically worn by Johnny around the locker room. 

It was certainly an emotional lift for a team already riding a once-in-a-lifetime high that comes with playing in an outdoor game.

Here's how Columbus picked up two more points, came away with their fourth straight game of five or more goals, and won one for Johnny:

1st Period:

No goals in the opening frame under the lights at Ohio Stadium, though both teams had good chances. The Red Wings had a decisive advantage in shot attempts (29-10) and in scoring chances (11-6), but it was the Blue Jackets who had three of the four high-danger chances through the first 20. The best chance of the period was an Adam Fantilli snapper with about six minutes left, but it went just wide of Detroit goalie Cam Talbot, keeping the score at 0-0 through one.

2nd Period:

(5:31 — CBJ Goal): Mateychuk makes history here, becoming the first Blue Jacket to score in an outdoor game. Jenner sets him up perfectly with a no-look pass into the slot, where Mateychuk is waiting, slides to the left, and fires it past Talbot to send 90,000 into a frenzy and have the cannon fire at The Shoe. James van Riemsdyk gets the secondary assist for his 7th point (three goals, four assists) in his 8th outdoor game.

(13:05 — DET Goal): The Red Wings second-ranked power play ties the game at 1-1, with Alex DeBrincat picking up his team-leading 28th goal of the season. Patrick Kane fires from the right dot and DeBrincat scoops it up and beats Merzlikins to knot the game.

(17:23 — CBJ PP Goal): It takes just eight seconds for the Blue Jackets to connect on the power play. Zach Werenski finds Kent Johnson right along the goal line and Johnson immediately slips it right to Voronkov in front of the net, who rings it off the top of the post and in to put Columbus back in front, this time 2-1. Johnson's assist gives him a point in five straight games, while Werenski's 45th assist of the season ends a brief (but long for him) two-game streak without a point.

(17:55 — CBJ Goal): Just 32 seconds after Voronkov's goal, Olivier gets his 12th of the season after a hard-working shift. He first gets the puck out of the Columbus zone and then dumps it in, then skates into the corner and gets control of the puck, getting it behind the Detroit net. Justin Danforth helps keep it there long enough for Olivier to skate in, scoop the puck up and then make a wrap-around effort that bounces around and goes into the net to make it a 3-1 Blue Jackets lead. 

3rd Period:

(3:34 — DET Goal): The Red Wings pull within one on a snipe from Patrick Kane, who gets his 15th of the season. He beats Merzlikins stick-side to cut Columbus' lead to 3-2.

(16:36 — DET Goal): The Red Wings tie it with just 3:14 left in regulation; DeBrincat's second goal of the night temporarily takes the air out of the Ohio Stadium crowd.

(17:43 — CBJ Goal): Was there a high-sticking on the game-winning goal? "It could go either way," said Evason. "If we're on the other end, we'd be speaking to it." In either event, the goal counted after a phenomenal individual effort from Danforth. Zach Aston-Reese flips the puck airborne towards the Detroit zone, and Danforth beats a pair of Detroit defenders to get to it first. He skates in and shoots, with his first attempt being saved by Talbot. The rebound comes right his way though, and with an incredible second effort he slips it through Talbot's five-hole to put the Blue Jackets in front 4-3.

(18:52 — CBJ EN Goal): Detroit's errant pass ends up on the stick of Jenner, he hits Werenski with a pass as they enter the zone together. Werenski's shot from the blueline pings off the post, but he gets a rebound and finds Fantilli right in front of the net to bury the empty-netter and give Columbus the win.

DET GAME STATS CBJ
46 SHOTS 21
49% FACEOFFS 51%
1/2 POWER PLAY 1/1
0/1 PENALTY KILL 1/2
31 HITS 25
17 GIVEAWAYS 20
5 TAKEAWAYS 7
14 BLOCKED SHOTS 22
ALL SITUATIONS ADVANCED STATS
4.72 EXPECTED GOALS 3.62
84 SHOT ATTEMPTS 45
33 SCORING CHANCES 19
13 HIGH-DANGER CHANCES 9
Data via NHL.com & NaturalStatTrick.com

Stat Chat:

  • With his second period assist, van Riemsdyk collected his seventh outdoor point. That's tied for the most in NHL history with Jonathan Toews and Henrik Zetterberg.
     
  • Boone Jenner's pair of assists gives him seven in his first four games back, including five in the pair of games against the Red Wings. Kent Johnson had an assist as well, giving him a five-game point streak. He's scored at least one point in 13 of his last 14 games.
     
  • Merzlikins faced 21 shots in the third period as the Red Wings furiously got pucks to the net. Detroit's expected goals for the game came in at 4.72, more than half of which came in the final frame (2.47). 

Up Next:

Columbus gets a few days to breathe before they begin a tough, four-game road trip that starts Tuesday in Tampa against the Lightning. Puck-drop is set for 7 p.m.

 

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