Follow usIn a thrilling contest, Boone Jenner secured the game-winning goal with a mere 12.9 seconds left in regulation, propelling the Columbus Blue Jackets to a narrow 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.
Jenner expertly maneuvered a backhanded shot between the pads of Kaapo Kahkonen, marking his team-leading 17th goal of the season. The Blue Jackets’ captain has been on a scoring spree, notching four goals in the past three games. Supporting Jenner’s efforts, Zach Werenski, Kirill Marchenko, and Dmitri Voronkov also found the back of the net. Erik Gudbranson, Yegor Chinakhov, and Johnny Gaudreau each contributed with two assists, while Elvis Merzlikins made 28 saves, helping Columbus avoid a potential third consecutive loss.
With this victory, the Blue Jackets improved their record to 4-6-1 over the past 11 games, holding an 8-12-6 record on the road this season.
On the opposing side, Anthony Duclair displayed an impressive performance, scoring two goals, and Fabian Zetterlund contributed a goal and an assist for the Sharks. Calen Addison provided two assists, and Kahkonen made 37 saves in the effort. However, the Sharks fell short, dropping to a 5-4-2 record over their past 11 games.
After two periods of intense play, the teams were deadlocked at 3-3. Voronkov and Duclair exchanged goals within 19 seconds, with Voronkov extending Columbus’ lead to 3-1 at 7:14 of the second period. Duclair responded for San Jose at 7:33.
The Sharks managed to tie the game 3-3 on a power play, as Zetterlund capitalized on an Addison pass, notching his 15th goal of the season at 15:29.
Columbus asserted dominance in the first period, outshooting the Sharks 16-8 and holding a 2-1 lead. Duclair opened the scoring for San Jose, but the Blue Jackets swiftly countered with two goals just over a minute apart. Werenski leveled the score at 1-1, and Gaudreau extended his point streak with an assist on the goal.
The victory for the Blue Jackets showcased resilience and strategic play, bringing an end to their recent struggles and securing a hard-fought win on the road against the Sharks.
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