Jets’ Dubois gets last laugh on Columbus
Friday marked the second time Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-luc Dubois faced the Blue Jackets, his former team, and this game turned out better for him than his first one Nov. 24 in Columbus.
The Blue Jackets downed the Jets 3-0 in Dubois' return to Nationwide Arena, but he exacted a measure of revenge in the Jets' 4-3 overtime win Friday in Winnipeg.
Aside from attempting seven shots, getting four on goal and winning 54% of his draws, Dubois played a key role in Nikolai Ehlers' breakaway that ended overtime.
Spotting a loose puck right in front of the Jets' net, he tied up Sean Kuraly's stick before the Blue Jackets center could swat it home. That allowed Kyle Connor to send a quick pass to Ehlers, who was already speeding toward the other end.
Dubois didn't get an assist for it, but Ehlers' breakaway doesn't happen and the Jackets likely end up winning if he doesn't erase Kuraly's chance. Dubois centered the Jets' top line and was strong on both sides of the puck. He also tried to get a reaction from Patrik Laine in the third period by slyly tripping him with his stick blade far behind the play.
Laine, Roslovic, Vincent cheered by Jets fans
During a stoppage about midway through Friday's first period, a video
montage played on the video board above the ice. It was a collection of memories from the times that Laine, Jack Roslovic and Blue Jackets assistant Pascal Vincent spent with the Jets.
Following the video, all three were given an ovation. Laine, whom the Jets selected second overall in 2016, acknowledged the cheers with a raised hand from the bench.
“It was cool,” said Laine, who scored 140 of his 175 NHL goals for the Jets in a five-year span. “You don't know, before, what kind of welcome you're going to
get, and I was pretty happy with mine. It was great to hear everyone clap their hands and cheer for all of us. So, it was pretty cool.”
Crazy ending
Friday's game featured a wild end to regulation that included a controversial penalty, a disallowed empty-net goal and Oliver Bjorkstrand's 6-on-4 tying tally with 14 seconds left to force OT.
“In the moment, you think the game is over,” said Bjorkstrand, who tied it 3-3 just six seconds after an apparent empty-netter for the Jets was disallowed because of defenseman Josh Morrissey's slashing penalty. “You find out they take a penalty and you're able to get out on a 6-on-4, so it definitely gives you a lift.”
The penalty was Morrissey's third minor of the game. It was also a retaliatory action against Kuraly, who'd dumped him in the right corner of the Winnipeg zone before the puck was sent down the ice toward Columbus' empty net.
It was a surprising call at that time of the game, but the Blue Jackets gladly took advantage of it. Following up a shot by Zach Werenski to start the power play — a 6-on-4 with goalie Elvis Merzlikins on the bench for an extra attacker — Bjorkstrand sent the rebound home for his 23rd goal of the season.
“We battled all the way to the end and that (Bjorkstrand) goal was exciting,” Roslovic said. “It was a great step to push back. We always seem to find a way to come back and we did it again. We couldn't finish at the end (in OT), but it's what we've been doing. We've been building.”
JETS 4, BLUE JACKETS 3, OT
Columbus 1 1 1 0 — 3
Winnipeg 2 1 0 1 — 4
First Period: 1, Winnipeg, Toninato 6 (Sanford, Dillon), 7:14. 2, Winnipeg, Connor 41 (Toninato), 12:30 (sh). 3, Columbus, Boqvist 11 (Roslovic, Nyquist), 13:01 (pp). Penalty: Morrissey, WPG (Interference), 11:35.
Second Period: 4, Columbus, Gaunce 4 (Bemstrom), 3:22. 5, Winnipeg, Morrissey 11 (Wheeler, Scheifele), 19:29 (pp). Penalties: Laine, CBJ (Tripping), 4:43; Nyquist, CBJ (Tripping), 17:41.
Third Period: 6, Columbus, Bjorkstrand 23 (Werenski, Voracek), 19:46 (pp). Penalties: Morrissey, WPG (Holding), 3:11; Danforth, CBJ (Hooking), 3:11; Morrissey, WPG (Slashing), 19:40. Overtime: 7, Winnipeg, Ehlers 20 (Connor), 0:21.
Shots on Goal: Columbus 14-7-14-1: 36. Winnipeg 4-17-11-1: 33. Power-plays: Columbus 2 of 2; Winnipeg 1 of 2. Goalies: Columbus, Merzlikins 22-15-4 (33 shots-29 saves). Winnipeg, Comrie 8-2-1 (36-33). A: 13,475 (15,321). T: 2:30.