Florida Panthers @ Columbus Blue Jackets: 2024-25 NHL Season Game 68

First and foremost, congratulations to Elvis Merzlikins, his wife Aleksandra, and their oldest son, Knox, on the newest member of their family, Jaxon, who arrived on March 16th! Also, congratulations to Scott Foard, a member of our coaching staff who also welcomed a baby this past Tuesday, March 18th! So much joy this week, and the only thing to make it better? Points tonight, because the Blue Jackets desperately need them to stay in the 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff conversation.   

Let's be honest, the last few games haven't been the best for the Columbus Blue Jackets. But after a narrow 2-1 loss against the New Jersey Devils earlier this week, Head Coach Dean Evanson made it known he thought that game was a 'turning point' after back-to-back shutouts and three consecutive losses. I believed the same. Tonight proved Dean Evanson right. If you wanted to watch two incredible goaltenders in their prime, this was the game for you because Panthers goaltender (and former Blue Jackets) S. Bobrovsky and Blue Jackets goaltender, Elvis Merzlikins weren't giving an inch, even with both teams having some incredible and impossible chances to score. 

Highlights from periods one and two included a Panthers player stealing the puck from Adam Fantilli, and Adam Fantilli catching up to the Panthers player and blocking his shot on Elvis Merzlikins. In addition, there would be some spicy moments between Panthers and Blue Jackets. C. Verhaeghe and Dimitri Voronkov would beth have 2-minute roughing penalties in period two after C. Verhaeche slashed his stick on Blue Jackets' goaltender Elvis Merzlikins. 

Period three would almost see Captain Boone Jenner score his first goal of the season and break the tie between the Panthers and Blue Jackets, but it would be called off the scoreboard by Toronto after determining Boone Jenner made a kicking motion with the puck beside his skate blade. The Blue Jackets would gain a chance on the powerplay for the second time tonight at 12:25 after S, Bennett hooked Captain Boone Jenner, but the Panthers would kill it and the 0-0 stalemate would continue. Let me tell you, this had all the speed, skill, and tension of a playoff game. Seeing the Blue Jackets battle like this after their recent week of not doing well at all was encouraging to me. After even more nail-biting shots and saves, this game would be seconds away from overtime when Kirill Marchenko would get a delay of game, 2-minute penalty, due to the puck hitting his glove and doing a cartwheel over the Nationwide Arena glass. With effort from players blocking, Captain Boone Jenner nearly clearing the puck, and Elvis Merzlikins stopping the Panthers' final shot on net of the third period, the Blue Jackets would get their first point in four games and send this one to overtime! Whew. 

Unfortunately, that Panthers' powerplay would carry over with Kirill Marchenko still in the box, and at 00:29, A, Barkov would take advantage. He'd get past Blue Jackets Defenseman, Jack Johnson, and pop it home by the post for his nineteenth goal this season. The primary assist would become number twenty-two for former Blue Jackets S. Jone, and the secondary assist would become number forty this season for S. Reinhart. So, this game would end with an overtime 1-0 shutout victory for S. Bobrovsky and the Florida Panthers, but we did get a point out of this game, and when we've seen teams make the playoffs by a single point, this game's outcome is nothing to complain about. This team has rebounded, and their fight is alive and well. Now, it's time to hit the road and see if we can win in Pittsburgh against the Penguins in their stadium for the second time this season! That game will have a start time of 7:00 p.m. as we prepare for some back-to-back home-and-away hockey on a Friday night. 

Elvis Merzlikins would earn the Second Star of the Game tonight, and, man, did he ever earn it. He would finish with a .964 save percentage after he stopped 27 of the 28 Panthers shots on his net. 

Go CBJ!