Columbus Blue Jackets @ Florida Panthers: Season 25 3/12/26

This game was tight to the end and beyond. Period 1 would end with a 0-0 draw. The Blue Jackets would dominate shots on goal, 14-3. Let me make this clear, especially when it comes to Kent Johnson: if not for former Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, we'd have been up by at least a few goals!  

It would take until 13:01 into Period 2 for a goal to be scored. Adam Fantilli finally beat Sergei Bobrovsky as the Blue Jackets blocked a puck sent toward Elvis Merzlikins, then redirected it for a three-on-one charge down the ice! This was goal number nineteen of Adam Fantilli's season, and it would yield only one assist, Mason Marchment's eighteenth this season. The middle period would conclude with a 1-0 Blue Jackets lead, but also a holding penalty against the Blue Jackets' Damon Severson, putting him in the box for two minutes at the start of Period 3. Shots on goal this period would again be led by the Blue Jackets, but by a smaller margin, 10-7.

1:28 into Period 3 and that 2-minute power play for the Panthers, they would even the game up at 1-1. The goal would come off the stick of Sam Bennett, and this power play goal would become his twenty-fourth this season. Sam Reinhart adds his thirty-second assist this season with the primary, while Mackie Samoskevich adds his sixteenth this season on the secondary. Now, 5th Line, I know it's hard to believe... but no other goals would be scored this period, and we'd head to overtime again! The shots on goal this period would end in favor of the Blue Jackets. but only by one, 7-6.   

Early into the five-minute overtime period, Zach Werenski would take a shot on Sergei Bobrovsk's net. The puck would bounce off the glass instead of finding the net or Sergei Bobrovsky, and Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk would race down the ice towards Elvis Merzlikins and our net. Adam Fantilli would catch up with him, but take a tripping penalty. During the Panthers' overtime power play, Sam Reinhart would score his twenty-ninth goal this season at 2:19, stealing a second point we needed tonight. Matthew Tkachuk adds his twelfth assist this season on the primary, and Mike Benning gets his first assist of the season on the secondary. The shots on goal for this overtime period would end in favor of the Panthers, 5-0. 

Sam Bennett adds the Third Star of the Game to his game-tying goal in Period 3.

Sergei Bobrovsky gets the Second Star of the Game after his workout tonight, stopping 30 of our 31 shots on his home net for a .968 save percentage.   

Sam Reinhart gets the First Star of the Game with his game-winning goal in overtime and his assist on the tying goal in Period 3. 

Our next game will be Saturday night at the Philadelphia Flyers. The game will start at 7:00 p.m. Tonight, the Boston Bruins lost in regulation, 4-2, to the San Jose Sharks. Thank you, Sharks! With us getting a point tonight, we're only behind them by a point for the second Eastern Wildcard spot. Bonus, the Tampa Bay Lightning helped us out, too, beating the Detroit Red Wings at home, 4-1. They currently hold the first Eastern Wildcard spot by just two points. So, although that extra point would've been sweet, we're still in the thick of the playoff race. A race that gets all the more pressing as we get closer to game 82 and the conclusion of our franchises' twenty-fifth regular season. On to Philly! 

Also, our point streak does extend to eight games! 

Go CBJ! 


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