COLUMBUS — For the second consecutive game, the Columbus Blue Jackets rallied from a two-goal deficit to win their second straight game 5-3 over the Nashville Predators on Thursday night.
Nick Blankenburg scored the go-ahead goal with 1:23 left in the game off a cross-ice pass from teammate Jakub Voracek, that zipped past Kevin Lankinen's right blocker pad to cap off a comeback that saw the Blue Jackets score four goals during the final period.
Blankenburg, who had been a healthy scratch the first three games this season, also had an assist. Johnny Gaudreau had two goals, Jake Bean and Justin Danforth also scored and Yegor Chinakhov finished with two assists. Elvis Merzlikins stopped 23 shots for Columbus.
For Nashville, Tanner Jeannot and Yakov Trenin each had a goal and an assist, and Ryan Johansen also scored. Colton Sissons had two assists. Lankinen stopped 37 for the Predators.
Nashville has now lost four straight games.
Jeannot put Nashville on the board at 3:16 of the first with his second goal in two games, slapping at a bouncing puck until it slipped by Merzlikins for the score. Midway through the first, former Blue Jacket Johansen would make it 2-0 with a backhander off a rebound.
Nashville appeared to go up 3-0 early in the second, but Roman Josi’s goal was waved off for offsides.
Columbus would finally get on the board in the second period, as Bean would place a wrist shot over Lankinen's right shoulder at 16:09 in the period, just seconds after a Predators penalty kill.
Columbus was unsuccessful on all three power play opportunities last night, putting their season total at 0-for-11. The Blue Jackets are the only remaining team in the NHL without a power play goal.
Trenin padded the Nashville lead 1:31 later after digging the puck out along the wall and firing it high into the net.
Gaudreau would get Columbus within one score just 38 seconds into the third period with a breakaway, scoring over Lankinen’s left shoulder. Danforth would pull the Blue Jackets even at 12:07 of the third with his second goal in two games and set the stage for Blankenburg's game-winner.
Gaudreau would finish things off with an empty-net goal at 19:14.
Columbus will be back in action on Sunday when they hosts the Pittsburgh Penguins at Nationwide Arena.
Nashville 2 1 0 = 3
Columbus 0 1 4 = 5
First Period
NAS - Tanner Jeannot (2) - Assists: Colton Sissons (2), Yakov Trenin (1), 3:16
NAS - Ryan Johansen (2)Assists: Mattias Ekholm (2), Nino Niederreiter (1), 10:45 Second Period
CBJ - Jake Bean (1) - Assists: Kent Johnson (2), Yegor Chinakhov (3), 16:09
NAS - Yakov Trenin (1) - Assists: Tanner Jeannot (1), Colton Sissons (3), 17:38 Third Period
CBJ - Johnny Gaudreau (3) - Assists: Nick Blankenburg (1), :38
CBJ - Justin Danforth (2) - Assists: Yegor Chinakhov (4), Andrew Peeke (1), 12:07
CBJ - Nick Blankenburg (1) - Assists: Jakub Voracek (3), Jack Roslovic (1), 18:37
CBJ - Johnny Gaudreau (4) (Empty Net) - Assists: Gustav Nyquist (1), 19:14
Opmerkingen