CBJ 8, NSH 4: Marchenko's Hat Trick, Two-Goal Nights From Monahan, Fantilli Lead Blue Jackets Offensive Explosion In Win

By Ed Francis on April 1, 2025 at 10:27 pm
Kirill Marchenkos third career hat trick and two-goal nights from Sean Monahan and Adam Fantilli led the way in the Blue Jackets' huge 8-4 win over the Nashville Predators.
© Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images
6 Comments
  1 2 3 F
NSH 1 2 1 4
CBJ 3 4 1 8

CBJ GOALS: 
Marchenko (P1, 1:15)
Fantilli (P1, 16:34)
Monahan (P1, 18:50)
Marchenko (2) (P2, 4:12)
Fantilli (2) (P2, 12:00)
Monahan (2) (P2, 16:47)
Fabbro (P2, 19:41)
Marchenko (3) (P3, 5:23)

The cannon got a workout Tuesday night.

Kirill Marchenko notched the third hat trick of his career and Sean Monahan and Adam Fantilli scored two goals each Tuesday night in the Columbus Blue Jackets' dominant 8-4 victory over the Nashville Predators.

Marchenko got the scoring started early, picking up his first of the night just 1:15 into the game. The goal ended a streak of nine games in which the Blue Jackets had allowed the first goal of the game.

Fantilli and Monahan scored 2:16 apart late in the first period to extend Columbus' lead to 3-0 before the Predators would get one back to send it into the first intermission 3-1. 

Marchenko, Fantilli, and Monahan would score in the same order in the second period, with Marchenko's second of the night giving Columbus a 4-1 lead before two more goals from Nashville made it a 4-3 game prior to Fantilli and Monahan striking again. 

Dante Fabbro added a goal in the closing seconds of the middle frame to make it a 7-3 game entering the third. 

Marchenko's second of the night made him the first 30-goal scorer for the Blue Jackets since Cam Atkinson had 41 in the 2018-19 season. He's the 8th Blue Jacket to score 30 goals in a season. 

Just over five minutes into the third, Marchenko would complete the hat trick, putting hats on the ice at Nationwide Arena for the first time this season. 

Here's how the eight-goal outburst went down:

1st Period:

(1:15 — CBJ Goal): Marchenko gives the Blue Jackets an early 1-0 lead. Dmitri Voronkov falls and loses the puck and it looks like an easy clear from Nashville out of their own zone — but a great effort play by Marchenko keeps it in. Seconds later, Werenski has the puck near the left dot and finds Marchenko in the low slot, sliding a pass to him for a quick snapper.

(16:34 — CBJ Goal): Nashville is gassed, Columbus knows it, and the result is a clinic of a goal. Crisp, solid passing between Kent Johnson and Denton Mateychuk leads to the latter finding Fantilli at the left dot. He fires a slapshot past a sprawling Juuse Saros to put the Blue Jackets up 2-0.

(18:10 — CBJ Goal): Monahan and the power play: a combination that the Blue Jackets sorely missed. Johnson and Werenski pass back and forth at the point before Johnson sees Monahan to his right with no one near him. He rips it from the dot and past Saros to give the Blue Jackets a 3-0 lead.

(18:34 — NSH Goal): ...the 3-0 lead lasts 24 seconds. For as good as he already is, Filip Forsberg seems to be even better against the Blue Jackets: he picks up his 15th goal in 28 games against Columbus, going off the post and in for his 29th of the season to trim the lead to 3-1. 

2nd Period:

(4:12 — CBJ Goal): Marchenko becomes the first Blue Jacket to get his second of the night here. A little good back and forth here between him and Monahan once they enter the zone. Marchenko has room to skate in on Saros and does just that, taking a pass from Monahan near the low slot and giving Columbus a 4-1 lead just over four minutes into the second.

(5:43 — NSH Goal): Nashville's goal starts with Kent Johnson misplaying the puck in Columbus' own end. Michael Bunting ends up with the puck, turns and fires from the dot and it gets through traffic and past Merzlikins to cut Columbus' lead to 4-2. 

(6:26 — NSH Goal): One quick response from Nashville was bad enough, but just 43 seconds after they get one back, they get another back and make it a 4-3 game. Justin Barron takes a pass from Jakub Vrana behind the net and buries it from nearly the same spot Bunting did just seconds earlier. 

(12:00 — CBJ Goal): Fantilli joins Marchenko in the two-goal party to give Columbus a 5-3 lead. The Predators sloppily turn it over in their own zone and it ends up on the stick of Jenner. He dishes to Fantilli just past center-ice and Mo has just one defender to beat. He does it, skates in on Saros and beats him five-hole to restore a two-goal lead.

(16:47 — CBJ Goal): Another 'second goal of the night' as Monahan and the power play strike again. Smart hockey by the Blue Jackets man-advantage unit as they keep the puck along the boards until Boone Jenner sees Marchenko in the slot. He fires and Saros make the save but gives up a rebound that is quickly spotted by Monahan, who tucks it around and behind Saros before tapping it in to give Columbus a 6-3 lead. 

(19:41 — CBJ Goal): Fabbro joins in the fun as the Blue Jackets again capitalize on strong play along the boards. There's not much else to this one as Fabbro gets the puck just inside the blue line and fires. It gets through some limited traffic and past Saros to send Columbus into the second intermission with a four-goal lead at 7-3.

3rd Period:

(5:23 — CBJ Goal): Marchenko completes the hat trick to make it 8-3. The Blue Jackets win the faceoff and quickly fire on Justus Annunen, who replaced Saros after the second period. He makes the first save, but the Blue Jackets get it back on the rebound and quickly reset. Fabbro gets it to Monahan in the slot, who taps it to Marchenko. His slapshot beats Annunen glove-side and the hats come raining down.

(9:02 — NSH Goal): Jordan Oesterle scores for Nashville, making it an 8-4 game. He beats Merzlikins from just outside the circle.

NSH GAME STATS CBJ
28 SHOTS 37
43% FACEOFFS 57%
0/4 POWER PLAY 2/5
3/5 PENALTY KILL 4/4
10 HITS 22
11 GIVEAWAYS 12
2 TAKEAWAYS 6
14 BLOCKED SHOTS 12
ALL SITUATIONS ADVANCED STATS
3.72 EXPECTED GOALS 2.76
59 SHOT ATTEMPTS 62
31 SCORING CHANCES 25
14 HIGH-DANGER CHANCES 13
Data via NHL.com & NaturalStatTrick.com

Stat Chat:

  • Tonight's game was the third time in franchise history that four or more players had three or more points in a game. It happened in the inaugural 2000-01 season, and then again in the 2018-19 season.
     
  • Marchenko's hat trick was the third in his career, tying Tyler Wright for the third-most in franchise history. Only Atkinson (6) and Rick Nash (5) have more.
     
  • Columbus' two power-play goals was just the third time this season they've scored 2+ on the man-advantage and the first since Jan. 7th, the game Monahan went out with his wrist injury.
     
  • The Blue Jackets scored eight or more goals for the first time since a 9-4 win in Buffalo on Dec. 19th, 2023. It was their first time firing the cannon at Nationwide Arena eight times or more since opening night of the 2021-22 season. 

Up Next:

Another home game awaits Thursday night, but it's a big test this time as the Colorado Avalanche come to town. Puck drop is 30 minutes later than typical: 7:30 p.m.

6 Comments

Three Things: Starting Right, Adding On, Finishing Strong

Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Kirill Marchenko (86) celebrates his hat trick goal against the Nashville Predators during the third period at Nationwide Arena.

Game Day #73: Blue Jackets Face Predators As Playoff Push Continues

Game Day #73: The Columbus Blue Jackets continue their playoff push Tuesday night when the Nashville Predators visit Nationwide Arena.
View 6 Comments