Columbus Blue Jackets break down 8-4 win over Nashville Predators
Kirill Marchenko netted his third career hat trick and the Blue Jackets scored a season-high eight goals to pick up a big win in a tight playoff race.
Each of the Blue Jackets’ games in this final stretch has become a ‘must-win’ situation to preserve their playoff chances.
That means there was no room for a slip-up Tuesday night at Nationwide Arena, where the Jackets avoided one with an 8-4 victory over a Nashville Predators team that’s playing out the string. Kirill Marchenko’s third career hat trick and career-high four points paced three multi-goal scorers.
“We scored tonight early, but we didn’t particularly play the right way, and it’s funny how that goes, right?” Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason said. “We had the results tonight, but the start wasn’t good. We were cheating it. We were giving up odd-man rushes. We were very fortunate early to not be behind.”
The Blue Jackets (34-30-9) moved to 77 points but didn’t gain ground on the Montreal Canadiens in their pursuit of the second wild-card spot in the NHL’s Eastern Conference. They kept pace with the Canadiens (35-30-9, 79 points), who needed goals from Nick Suzuki with nine seconds left in regulation and 29 seconds into overtime to win, 3-2, in OT against the Florida Panthers.
Columbus also moved ahead of the idle New York Rangers (77 points) via tiebreaker, moved to two points ahead of the Detroit Red Wings (75 points) and created a three-point cushion over the New York Islanders (74 points).
“Everyone’s bought in to win a game,” Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan said. “Everyone’s got a job to do. If you’re out there on the power play, you’ve got to try and score a goal or get momentum. If you’re killing penalties, keep the puck out of the net. Everyone’s been stepping up, and everyone in this locker room wants to be playing in (late) April.”
Marchenko led the way for the Jackets’ latest goal bonanza, topping the 30-goal mark for the first time in his career with his hat trick and four points. Monahan and Adam Fantilli scored two goals each and Dante Fabbro scored his seventh of the season during a game that pushed the Jackets’ single-season franchise record to 14 games with six-plus goals.
Monahan also added two assists for the eighth four-point game of his career and second of the season — the first in a 7-6 overtime win Nov. 21 over the Tampa Bay Lightning — and Kent Johnson finished with three assists for the second three-point game of his career. Zach Werenski and Boone Jenner each finished with two points on two assists, and Fabbro added an assist for a two-point night.
Elvis Merzlikins (24 saves) earned the win in net, while Nashville’s Juuse Saros took the loss after allowing seven goals on 26 shots through two periods. Saros was replaced to start the third by Justus Annunen, who allowed Marchenko’s third goal.
The Blue Jackets led 3-1 after the first period on goals by Marchenko, Fantilli and Monahan. They pushed it to 4-1 in the second on Marchenko’s second of the game, which got him to 30 goals, but the Predators cut it to 4-3 on back-to-back goals from Michael Bunting and Justin Barron.
That’s when the floodgates opened.
Fantilli, Monahan and Fabbro scored three unanswered goals to close out the second with the Blue Jackets ahead 7-3, and Marchenko’s third goal of the night pushed it to 8-3 early in the third — assisted by Monahan and Fabbro. Hats flew onto the ice from the crowd of 15,605 to celebrate the accomplishment, which couldn’t have happened at a better time for the Blue Jackets.
They also went 2 for 5 on power plays, getting both of Monahan’s goals with a man-advantage.
“i think right from the hop, the boys were ready to play,” Fantilli said. “Marchy scored his first shift. I mean, he didn’t stop from there. That whole line didn’t stop from there. our power play was great to day, which is something we’ve been looking for. It was a great all-around win.”
Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com and BrianHedger.bsky.socialÂ
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