The Blue Jackets’ bitter loss to the New York Islanders on Nov. 2 will linger in the standings, but they’ve already moved past it.
In fact, they left it behind on the flight home after allowing goals 29 seconds apart in the final 1:07 of a 3-2 loss at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. Getting two days to simmer down helped, but the Jackets’ focus quickly shifted to a four-game road trip to Western Canada and Seattle starting Nov. 5 in Calgary.
“This might sound bad, but I feel like the fans and everyone else were more up in arms about it than we are, and I don’t mean that in a bad way,” star defenseman Zach Werenski said. “It sucks, right? That’s the worst-case scenario, but we understand that (bad stuff) happens. The whole flight home, we were like, ‘Man, we could’ve stolen that,’ but the longer you’re in this league, you quickly forget about stuff like that, and you move on, and that’s all you can do.”
Werenski and Merzlikins have each erased what happened, which is good considering their terrible luck in the final minutes. Werenski tried blocking a shot from the point with New York’s net empty for a 6-on-5 advantage, but the puck skipped off his blade and zipped over Merzlikins’ shoulder for a goal that tied it, 2-2, with 1:07 left in the third period.
“That was something crazy, especially bar down,” Merzlikins said. “It was a crazy goal, I would say. That would be, probably, a one out of 100 chance. It was just hockey, and you had to take it.”
Werenski thought about the play for a while after the game but reached the same conclusion he’d made in a split second on the ice.
“I watched it a couple of times and I wouldn’t play it any other way,” he said. “I’m trying to front it. I think if I get a stick on it, I have some room in front of me to skate to either get the empty net or just get it out. I know it’s a flutter (shot) coming at me. I’m trying to time it, and of course, right as I time it, it takes that little hop off the top of my stick.”
Werenski and Merzlikins talked it over on the team’s bus heading to the airport. They had the same reaction to what happened.
“Out of all the places that puck could’ve gone, it goes bar down,” Werenski said. “We had a laugh about it. It sucks. He played his (tail) off and no one felt worse about it than I did, but I’m not going to dwell on it. I’m not trying to tip one, bar down, into our own net and tie the game. So, move on and forget about it.”
Merzlikins is taking the same approach despite smashing his stick in frustration after allowing the winning goal on the next shift.
“Obviously, it hurts, but it’s already forgotten,” he said Nov. 4 at Nationwide Arena. “We are going on a long road trip. We have games coming up, really important points in front of us, and we have to forget about this little incident or this unfortunate, unlucky game … and just keep moving forward.”
Other than addressing what happened before a practice on Nov. 4, Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason said the whole team has fully shifted its focus to the current trip.
“I know the players are fine,” he said. “It happens. It’s a long season. A lot of things happen in a negative regard, and we talk about ‘one game at a time’ and letting it all go. … We didn’t get the outcome, but there’s a lot of positives in that game, as well.”
Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com and @BrianHedger.bsky.social