Call it the One Boot, Shoot goal.
Zach Werenski’s goal in the fifth round of a shootout handed the Blue Jackets a 4-3 win they desperately needed over his hometown Detroit Red Wings on April 7 at Little Caesar’s Arena, but the backstory was even better.
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More: Columbus Blue Jackets top Detroit Red Wings in shootout. Replay
Picking up the puck at center ice, Werenski’s right skate was tightly laced and sturdy while the left was held together by clear plastic tape applied by the Jackets’ equipment staff on the bench after a fall late in overtime cut his laces.
“My laces were all messed up, and I couldn’t really skate,” Werenski said, smiling. “So, when they called me, I was like, ‘Are you sure? I’m kind of on one leg here.’ My foot was in the skate, but pretty wobbly.”
Apr 7, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets center Charlie Coyle (3) receives congratulations from teammates after he score on Detroit Red Wings goaltender John Gibson (36) during shoot out to win the game against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
For what it’s worth, it didn’t look like it.
Werenski took the puck, skated to his right, cut left into the slot and fired a hard wrist shot that beat Red Wings goalie John Gibson inside the left post.
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It was a rocket, fired by a guy who boosted his Norris Trophy candidacy by helping the Blue Jackets (39-27-12) stay two points behind the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers for playoff spots in the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference.
Along with his one skate greatness in the shootout, Werenski scored a big tying goal to cap a power play in the second period, assisted on Adam Fantilli’s goal with 16.2 seconds left in regulation to force overtime and logged a career-high 33:26 on 32 shifts.
He spent the last 35 seconds of that ice time desperately defending in 3-on-3 overtime with a loosened left skate after the laces were cut.
“He was trying to yell at me in overtime, and I had no clue what he was saying,” Fantilli said. “Then, after it was over, he calls me over and shows me his skate, and it was just all clear taped up, and I was just laughing. I had no clue what he was trying to say mid-game because I was so gassed, but that’s pretty funny.”
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Werenski found it calming.
Apr 7, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin (71) skates with the puck in overtime defended by Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (8) at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
He’d only been chosen for three previous shootout attempts in the NHL and hadn’t scored on any of them. This time, his wonky skate forced him to go basic.
“It probably made me feel more calm, to be honest, because I was like, ‘You know what? Nothing to lose, really … just go down there and fire it,’” Werenski said. “I was kind of thinking (about) what I was going to do when I went out there, and then I was like, ‘What am I thinking? Just shoot it. I can’t really do anything else.’ So, I just stuck with it and I’m glad it found its way in.”
Doing it near his hometown of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, a Detroit suburb, was even better. After pumping his fist and celebrating the win, Werenski went to see his family.
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“I saw my parents after the game in the stands (and) I saw my brother up there,” Werenski said. “Those are the moments that you play the game for, and I think that’s what makes it better. It would’ve been fun in any building at this time of year, given what’s on the line, but I think just seeing them after the game, it definitely ranks pretty high up there for moments in a regular season game, for sure.”
Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com and @BrianHedger.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Zach Werenski gives Columbus Blue Jackets Detroit Red Wings