Zach Werenski (16) and Sean Monaghan (6) were the sole goal scorers for Columbus as Jett Greaves defended well, stopping 31 of 34 shots, including 10 of 11 during San Jose Sharks’ power plays, though the Blue Jackets ultimately fell 5-2 to the Sharks.
Early Period:
The first eight minutes were mostly quiet, with the Jackets taking shots on goal while the Sharks took time to find their rhythm. Damon Severson committed the first penalty for Columbus, but Greaves successfully blocked two power play shots by the Sharks. Both teams missed power play chances, and Pavol Legenda scored the first goal for San Jose with 48 seconds left in the period after a defensive breakdown involving former CBJ player Alex Wennberg. Sharks’ star Macklin Celebrini struggled, winning only 2 of 6 faceoffs with no shots.
Second Period:
The Sharks extended their lead with a goal by Alex Wennberg, a former Jacket, making it 2-0. Columbus faced multiple penalties but managed to kill them off without conceding goals. Zach Werenski scored late in the period, cutting the deficit to 2-1 with his 16th goal, the highest among NHL defensemen. A heated fight between Mathieu Olivier and Ryan Reaves ended with Olivier asserting dominance.
Third Period:
Early in the period, Adam Fantilli drew a penalty giving Columbus a power play, but they couldn’t capitalize. Midway through, Columbus outshot the Sharks but couldn’t score until Zach Ostapchuk made a breakaway goal, bringing the score to 3-1. Sean Monaghan quickly responded with a goal to make it 3-2. Mario Ferraro then sealed the game for the Sharks with an empty-net goal, followed by another goal by Macklin Celebrini. The final score was 5-2 in favor of San Jose.
Final Stats:
- Werenski leads NHL defensemen with 16 goals.
- Monaghan scored his sixth goal.
- Dmitri Voronkov, Kirill Marchenko, and Ivan Provorov each contributed assists.
- Columbus was 0-for-3 on the power play but successfully killed off four out of five Sharks power plays.
- The Jackets won 58.6% of faceoffs and blocked 16 shots.
Next up, Columbus heads to Las Vegas to face the Golden Knights on Thursday.
Fan Take:
This game highlights Columbus’s resilience despite their loss, with strong defensive goaltending and key individual performances. Hockey fans should watch closely as the Blue Jackets refine their power play and capitalize more effectively on scoring chances—critical factors for their success in the season ahead.
