DEVILS COMEBACK TOPS JACKETS IN SHOOTOUT, 4-3
Jackets earn point on the road, but skid reaches five Devils 4, Blue Jackets 3, SO
NEWARK, N.J. — Their stack of injuries is no longer the Blue Jackets’ biggest challenge.
They still have nine players sidelined, including star defenseman Seth Jones for two or more months, but the injuries have now taken a backseat to confidence — which is suddenly being put to the test with a five-game skid that followed a 19-2-5 stretch that lasted nearly two months.
Despite outshooting the New Jersey Devils 55-26 on Sunday at the Prudential Center, the third-highest shot total in franchise history, the Blue Jackets lost again, this time 4-3 in a seven-round shootout. The game included a blown 2-0 lead, a huge tying goal by rookie Kevin Stenlund in the third period, and some
outstanding work in overtime from goalie Elvis Merzlikins (23 saves).
“It’s a big part of coaching right now for us,” coach John Tortorella said afterward. “If we lose confidence and we start second-guessing ourselves … we are done.
“This is a team that is going about its business and finding its way to stay in the (playoff) hunt here because they believe. If we start second-guessing the individual or shaking your head about not scoring, we’re done. We need to be strong in that area there, and I trust our guys will be.”
This was a game that turned the heat up on that belief.
The Jackets started strong, just as they did Thursday in Buffalo — a game in which they build a 2-0 lead before losing it and then lost 4-3 in overtime. This time, they built another quick 2-0 lead just 6:19 into the game on goals by defensemen Andrew Peeke and Zach Werenski, who scored 3:51 apart to silence a sellout crowd.
Once again, though, the lead dissipated.
The Devils got three unanswered goals in the second — scored by Joey Anderson, Nick Merkley and Kyle Palmieri — to take a 3-2 lead despite the Blue Jackets outshooting them 20-15 in the period and 32-21 through the first 40 minutes.
Along with the goals,
New Jersey drew power in the second from goalie Mackenzie Blackwood, who stopped all 20 shots and also got a little help from a few misfired Blue Jackets shots during a power play.
It could’ve been enough to make the Blue Jackets crumble in the third, but they didn’t.
They got back to their defensiveoriented game plan, controlled the action for most of the third and eventually tied it on Stenlund’s goal at 8:45 — his fifth of the season.
It was a huge lift, but the next goal never arrived despite the Blue Jackets’ incredible 21-2 edge in shots for the period.
The game went to overtime, which favored the Devils, and then a shootout after Merzlikins made some dazzling stops in OT.
Jesper Bratt’s goal to lead off the seventh round decided it, after Sonny Milano missed the net with a backhand attempt in the bottom half, and that’s how the Blue Jackets’ fifth straight loss ended.
“It’s frustrating, in the OT and the shootout, we have chances to win it — we don’t,” Tortorella said. “I need to be careful. You can’t get frustrated, because I thought for the big parts of that game we developed a ton of offense and had good checking. So we’ve just got to stay with it.”