Anaheim Ducks @ Columbus Blue Jackets: Season 25 12/16/25

 After a disappointing loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Home ice Saturday, the Columbus Blue Jackets look to tonight's home game for redemption and points. This season has been full of narrow regulation and overtime losses. That said, the Blue Jackets would come out tonight against the Anaheim Ducks and score first. In his 600th NHL Game, Zach Werenski would score his tenth goal this season at 8:21! Captain Boone Jenner adds his ninth assist this season on the primary, while Yegor Chinakov adds his third on the secondary. The Blue Jackets would lose the shots on goal battle, 9-6, but lead where it matters, 1-0 on the scoreboard! 

The Ducks came up empty in Period 1 despite good opportunities. The Blue Jackets would kill off the last of a power play early in Period 2, but the Ducks would manage to tie us with an even-strength goal at 3:35. Their goal would come from Ryan Strome, becoming goal number two of his season. Ryan Roehling gets assist number nine added to his season with the primary, while the secondary becomes assist number three this season for Ian Moore. The tie would last seconds before Zach Werenski would put himself on hat-trick watch at 3:59 with his second goal tonight, eleventh this season! Brendan Gauncee gets himself on the scoresheet with his third assist this season with the primary, while Kent Johnson joins in on the scoring fun with his sixth assist on the secondary. Seconds later, Captain Boone Jenner makes it a 3-1 home lead with goal number five of his season. Ivan Provorov has the only assist on this goal, giving him eight so far this season. Of course, the Ducks won't go away that easily, and Mikael Granlund gets his fourth goal this season at 5:29, bringing his visiting team back to within a goal of the Blue Jackets. Frank Vatrano comes away with the only assist on this goal, his second this season. After this, no other goals would be scored for the rest of the middle period, giving the Blue Jackets a one-goal lead ahead of the final period of regulation. The Blue Jackets would also win the shots on goal this period, 10-9.    

Period 3 would have incredible speed and drive for both teams. The Ducks looking to tie the game, the Blue Jackets looking to extend their lead. The Ducks would obtain their objective at 16:44 as Jackson LaCombe would bank a shot off Blue Jackets goalie, Jet Greaves' helmet, and into the net behind him! Ryan adds an assist to his goal in Period 1, giving him ten this season with the primary, while Mikael Granlund adds his second assist tonight, fifth this season overall. This brings us to a late 3-3 tie, and overtime would come...again. Shots on goal would favor the Blue Jackets again this period, but only by one, 9-8.

The Ducks and Blue Jackets would go back and forth in the bonus period, just as they had all game, but the Blue Jackets would finally close out a game with a WIN! Adam Fantilli hits the back of the net at 3:32! This becomes the twelth goal of his NHL season. Kent Johnson adds his second assist tonight, seventh this season, on the primary, while Zach Werenski adds his third point tonight, twenty-fifth assist this season, on the secondary. And that's a 4-3 WIN on home ice, 5th Line! Not only is that an extra two points and a moral boost we desperately needed, but it's the first home win against the Ducks in eight years (2017!)

All three stars of the game tonight would be Blue Jackets! Captain Boone Jenner gets the Third Star of the Game with a 1-1-2 night. 

Adam Fantilli, with the overtime winner, gets the Second Star of the Game, 1-0-1.  

Zach Werenski, who continues collecting points, gets the First Star of the Game after his 2-1-3 night!

Our next game will be against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday at home in Nationwide Arena. The puck will drop at 7:00 p.m.  It will also be Quinn Hughes' first time in Nationwide Arena as a Wild, so this game should be extra fun. I cannot wait for this. 

GO CBJ! 


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