New Jersey Devils @ Columbus Blue Jackets: 2/14/23 Game Recap

The spark the Columbus Blue Jackets found in Toronto when they beat the Maple Leafs 4-3 on Saturday definitely carried over into tonight. The New Jersey Devils are no small task, at home or on the road, but for every goal the Devils had tonight, the Blue Jackets would counter with one of their own. Period 1 would start with a Devils goal at 10:46, as Y. Sharangovich would score the game's opening goal, zooming a puck past everyone. Johnny Gaudreau would match the Devils' goal at 19:58m scoring his fifteenth since joining the Blue Jackets this offseason. Patrik Laine would add assist number eighteen to his season's total, while Adam Boqvist would add his third. With 20 minutes in the books for this game, our score would be tied at 1-1.

Just 0:07 into Period 2, J. Bratt would score the Devils' second goal of this game. Truly, the puck dropped, and with everyone far apart for the period to start, it was a quick one-on-one for Merzlikins. Painful to see, but it wouldn't take the Blue Jackets long to even the score again. The multi-injured Adam Boqvist would finally get a moment he's waited all season. At 4:41 in this second period, Boqvist would get goal one of this 2022-23 NHL Season! Combined with the fact this tied the game again, it was a special moment. Captain Boone Jenner would add his fourteenth assist of the season on this Boqvist goal, while Gavin Bayreuther would add his fifth. These would be the only two goals of this period, leaving us tied at 2-2 with 20 more minutes to go in regulation time.

This game looked set for extra Valentine's Day hockey...but then the Devils went and broke our hearts. (Cheasey, but it works, just wait.) R. Graves would come down the ice with two seconds left and shoot the puck. With few defenders around, Merzlikins would bet on the wrong player to score, allowing R. Graves to bury the puck at 19:58. 5th Line, I can't describe how painful this is, especially with all the effort the Blue Jackets gave to stay in this game. Ugh.  

Elvis Merzlikins would take on 32 shots from the Devils, stopping all but 3. 

The best story of this game has to be Adam Boqvist. He was the only Blue Jacket with a multipoint night, 1-1-2. His first goal of the season tied this game in period 2 and kept his team in this game until less than 2 seconds remaining in this game. Tonight, he is the only Blue Jacket to get a Star of the Game, receiving the Second Star.  

We'll be back on the ice at Nationwide Arena on February 16th. The Winnipeg Jets will visit, and the puck drop is set for 7:00PM. With the classic time in the classic place, we'll see if the Blue Jackets can come back from this almost overtime-turned-loss. 

Go CBJ!  








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