The Blue Jackets found a new way to absorb a gut punch from the Florida Panthers on Dec. 6 in Sunrise, Florida.
Rather than getting blown out or shut out, as usually happens there, they scored six goals against former Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and lost 7-6 on Sam Bennett’s goal with 3.2 seconds left in overtime, after failing to protect three separate leads in the opener of a back-to-back that concludes Dec. 7 at the Washington Capitals.
Despite leading 1-0 in the first period, 4-1 in the second and 6-4 in the third, the Blue Jackets (13-9-6) couldn’t make a single one stand up against a two-time defending Stanley Cup championship team missing six injured players.
Cole Sillinger scored late in the second period to break a 4-4 tie and Isac Lundestrom’s first goal as a Blue Jacket gave Columbus a 6-4 lead early in the third, but the Panthers tied it 6-6 on goals by Brad Marchand and Anton Lundell to force the Blue Jackets’ 10th trip overtime in their past 14 games and 12th in 28 games.
After failing to score on a 4-on-3 power play in overtime, the Jackets lost on Bennett’s goal to cap a 2-on-1 rush after the Blue Jackets turned it over in the neutral zone.
Kirill Marchenko, Dmitri Voronkov, Damon Severson and Miles Wood scored the other four Columbus goals and goalie Elvis Merzlikins allowed all seven Florida goals on 40 shots. Bobrovsky allowed six goals on 31 shots for the Panthers (13-12-2), who ended a four-game winless streak.
Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com and @BrianHedger.bsky.socialÂ