Tag: Columbus Blue Jackets

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The Bruins carry a five-game points streak into their matchup with the Blue Jackets

Boston Bruins (NHL)

The Boston Bruins will look to extend their recent success after the NHL’s three-day holiday break when they face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday to start a home-and-home series.

Boston’s 4-1 win over the Washington Capitals on Monday gave them momentum, marking a five-game points streak (4-0-1) for the first time this season.

Although not all of the games have gone perfectly, Bruins interim head coach Joe Sacco is happy with what he’s seen from a team that holds a top-three spot in the Atlantic Division.

“It’s trending in the right direction,” Sacco said. “We have a process we go through every night, and they’re checking most of the boxes. There’s going to be games when you’re not at your best, but we’ve shown lately, too, when we’re not at our best we can find ways to win.”

The Bruins played well in their most recent game, holding Washington to just 11 shots on goaltender Jeremy Swayman and scoring three goals in the third period to secure the win.

Elias Lindholm sparked Boston’s comeback with the game-winning goal, and 36-year-old captain Brad Marchand (one goal, two assists) became the oldest Bruins player to record points in 10 consecutive games.

“We haven’t been great in the third period all year, and to play like that against a team like Washington, that’s all we have to do every night,” Marchand said.

Despite the strong performance, Boston has scored the fewest goals in the final period in the NHL this season, with only 27.

Marchand has been a key contributor, scoring seven of his team-leading 15 goals in December alone.

Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL)

The Bruins will also hope for good news about David Pastrnak, who left Monday’s game with an upper-body injury in the second period and did not return.

The Blue Jackets have won only two of their last eight games (2-3-3), with both victories coming in the last three games. Their latest win was a 5-4 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Monday, with Kirill Marchenko scoring the game-winner and finishing with three points (one goal, two assists) in a career-high 23:17 of ice time.

Marchenko has been a standout player for Columbus, leading the team with 13 goals and 37 points this season. He is on a six-game points streak (three goals, seven assists) and has been developing strong chemistry with Dmitri Voronkov and Sean Monahan on the top line.

“(Marchenko) has competed his (butt) off,” said Columbus coach Dean Evason. “We were talking (about) how hard he’s competed, and that’s what we’ve asked him to do — win your battles, win your puck races, win your one-on-one confrontations, and he’s done that.”

The game also marked the NHL debut of Blue Jackets defenseman Denton Mateychuk, one of the team’s top prospects. Even though he didn’t score, the 2022 first-round pick played 18:36 of ice time and was featured on the second power-play unit.

“It’s awesome to be trusted with (a special-teams role), but now you’ve got to perform and be able to take that situation and make the most of it,” Mateychuk said. “I was trying to go out there and do my thing.”

Columbus has a strong record of 11-5-4 when scoring first this season.

In the previous meeting between the teams, three first-period goals, including one from former Bruin James van Riemsdyk, helped the Blue Jackets win 5-1 in Boston on Nov. 18.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Zach Werenski Hits Back At Patrik Laine Over Comments on Jackets’ Monday Game

Montreal Canadiens winger Patrik Laine (Photo: Getty Images)

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski didn’t hold back when addressing Patrik Laine’s recent comments following Monday’s game.

“For him to bash us like that, I think it’s just unacceptable,” Werenski told reporters after their 5-4 victory.

Laine, who was playing in Columbus for the first time since being traded to the Montreal Canadiens, had some harsh words about his former team during his morning skate.

“Obviously, things happened, and that was kind of it for me,” Laine said to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline earlier that day.

“I feel like we were just doing the same thing year after year. I was tired of losing and just giving up when it’s December, and starting to focus on next year. I’m not going to do that. That’s frustrating as a player when you’re trying to win, and some people are, you know, not like that.

“They’re a little too satisfied and too comfortable where they’re at. It wasn’t really a fit for me anymore. But here (in Montreal), it doesn’t matter if we’re winning or losing, we’re always trying our best. That’s what I felt about it (in Columbus).”

The Blue Jackets were less than thrilled by Laine’s comments, to say the least.

Zach Werenskis (Photo: NHL)

“We were nothing but good teammates to him,” Werenski responded. “For him to come in and say all that, that’s bulls—. Definitely not happy about it, and none of us in this room are happy about it. That speaks more about him than it does us.”

The nine-year Blue Jackets veteran admitted that Laine’s remarks added some fuel to the team’s fire, motivating them to play a strong game.

“What’s he thinking, saying that? It’s just incredible,” Werenski said, acknowledging the added motivation within the lineup. “I’ve got no more time for that. I don’t want to talk about Patty anymore. I hope he’s all right. I just thought that was pretty ridiculous, to be honest.”

Laine didn’t exactly receive a warm welcome during his return to Columbus. He was greeted with boos the moment he touched the puck and, unlike other players in similar situations, didn’t receive a tribute video from the Blue Jackets, with whom he played for parts of four seasons.

The 26-year-old forward left the game after the first period and finished with no points in 6:15 of ice time.

Werenski, in contrast, had a standout performance, recording three assists and seven shots on goal in 28:11 of ice time.

The two teams won’t meet again this regular season, so it will be next year before they have a chance to settle the score.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Tokarski’s 27 Saves Propel Hurricanes to 4-1 Victory, Snapping Struggles Against Blue Jackets

Tokarski's 27 Saves Propel Hurricanes to 4-1 Victory, Snapping Struggles Against Blue Jackets
Tokarski's 27 Saves Propel Hurricanes to 4-1 Victory, Snapping Struggles Against Blue Jackets

Dustin Tokarski returned to NHL action after nearly 22 months, making 27 saves to lead the Carolina Hurricanes to a 4-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Tokarski, 35, had spent this season in the AHL with Chicago before stepping in for his first game with the Hurricanes, his sixth NHL team. His performance was pivotal in securing Carolina’s victory and adding to his career record of 24-34-12 across 81 NHL games.

Carolina’s offense was firing on all cylinders, with Jordan Martinook contributing a goal and an assist. Additional goals came from Sebastian Aho, William Carrier, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi, while Jordan Staal added two assists. The win was a much-needed boost for the Hurricanes, who have struggled with consistency, earning just their third victory in eight games.

Tokarski's 27 Saves Propel Hurricanes to 4-1 Victory, Snapping Struggles Against Blue Jackets
Tokarski’s 27 Saves Propel Hurricanes to 4-1 Victory, Snapping Struggles Against Blue Jackets

Key defensive moments defined the game, particularly in the opening period. The Hurricanes successfully killed three penalties in the first 14 minutes, with Tokarski making four crucial saves during that stretch. This strong defensive showing allowed Carolina to maintain control, marking their first win by more than two goals since November 20.

As both teams prepare for their next games, Columbus faces the challenge of improving their poor 4-10-2 road record when they take on Tampa Bay. Meanwhile, Carolina will look to carry this momentum into their matchup against the New York Islanders, wrapping up a four-game homestand.

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NFL (American Football)

The Devils are thriving after offseason changes and will face the struggling Blue Jackets

New Jersey Devils players celebrates after scoring

The New Jersey Devils are doing well in the 2024-25 season, looking strong in their bounce-back year.

They’ve won three games in a row and six of their last nine, putting them at the top of the Metropolitan Division, just one point ahead of the Washington Capitals, and second in the NHL. They will try to keep up their good form when they play the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday.

New Jersey, which had 112 points two seasons ago, is on track to get close to that number again this season with 45 points from 34 games.

After an 81-point finish last season, general manager Tom Fitzgerald hired coach Sheldon Keefe, brought in goalie Jacob Markstrom, and signed defensemen Brett Pesce (free agent) and Johnathan Kovacevic (trade).

This season, the Devils have improved their defense, allowing 2.56 goals per game compared to 3.43 last season.

“We had boxes to check in the summer. We did that,” Fitzgerald said Monday. “The ebbs and flows of a season and the ebbs and flows of production from certain players, it comes and goes.

We’d like to see more of it coming to take some pressure off some other guys. We’re just a one-day-at-a-time team. That’s it. We don’t get too far ahead of ourselves… Just one day at a time.”

Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL)

The Devils recently beat the St. Louis Blues 4-1 on the road, building a 3-0 lead. This win followed a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, where they scored four goals in the third period.

“It looked the same way as we’ve been playing in the last home stretch here, which is good defensive hockey, good penalty kill, good power play coming up clutch for us again,” Markstrom said after the St. Louis game. “We don’t get many chances but for us to put up three and one empty-netter, is big for us. We capitalized on our chances.”

The Blue Jackets, however, are struggling and will be trying to turn things around after losing five straight and eight of their last nine games (1-6-2). The latest loss was 5-3 against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, where they fought back from a 4-0 deficit but couldn’t complete the comeback.

In a 4-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, Columbus fell behind 2-0 in the first period.

“Down 4-0 is kind of embarrassing, especially with what happened in Carolina,” forward Adam Fantilli said. “We wanted to come in and have a great game. Obviously, that wasn’t it from the start. We tried to win with what we had left in the third. It wasn’t enough.”

Slow starts have been a big problem for the Blue Jackets in their current 0-3-2 slide. They’ve allowed the first goal in four of those games, and in three of them, they fell behind by multiple goals. They’ve trailed first 15 times in 32 games, winning just three of those games.

“We have a choice like … just give or step up, so we stepped up, but that’s not enough,” forward Mikael Pyyhtia said. “We have to play (the) full 60 minutes if we want to win the hockey games.”

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Jake Guentzel stays on fire as Lightning hold off Blue Jackets

Tampa Bay Lightning and Columbus Blue Jackets

Jake Guentzel scored for the seventh game in a row, the longest streak in the NHL this season, as the Tampa Bay Lightning held off a strong rally from the Columbus Blue Jackets to win 5-3 on Tuesday night.

Guentzel’s goal in the second period marked the longest goal streak in the league this season, surpassing the previous streak of six games held by his teammate Anthony Cirelli.

Nick Paul had a goal and two assists, matching his career high with three points, and Brayden Point scored his team-leading 21st goal. Luke Glendening added his second goal of the season, and Mitchell Chaffee scored his sixth.

Victor Hedman returned to the lineup after missing two games.

The Lightning also celebrated Andrei Vasilevskiy starting his 500th career game before the game, making him the 83rd goaltender in NHL history to reach that milestone.

Tampa Bay won their third straight game and extended their winning streak against Columbus at home to eight games.

Mikael Pyyhtia scored a short-handed goal for Columbus, and Adam Fantilli and Cole Sillinger also scored. Kirill Marchenko had two assists, and Jet Greaves made 27 saves in net for the Blue Jackets.

Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL)

Columbus was already without defenseman Jack Johnson (upper body) and lost Dante Fabbro to injury after a hard hit from Tampa Bay’s Conor Geekie.

The Blue Jackets cut the lead to 4-3 in the third period but lost their fifth straight game (0-3-2) and have gone 1-6-2 in their last nine games.

The Lightning took a 1-0 lead at 3:21 of the first period when Glendening deflected a shot by Nick Perbix.

Greaves made an incredible save against Paul on a breakaway with just four minutes left in the first period. Paul’s shot hit Greaves’ lower body and hit the crossbar, but Greaves caught the puck as it fell near the goal line.

Paul got his revenge early in the second period when he won a battle along the boards, skated into the high slot, and scored his seventh goal of the season at 1:28.

Guentzel scored his 18th goal at 7:36, following up his rebound on a strong rush with an assist from Paul.

Chaffee scored his first career power-play goal on a five-minute power play after Sillinger was penalized for misconduct, giving Tampa Bay a 4-0 lead at 14:18.

In the third period, Pyyhtia (second goal) and Fantilli (sixth goal) scored 41 seconds apart off turnovers to make it 4-2. Sillinger’s power-play goal at 14:11 made it 4-3.

With Greaves pulled for an extra skater, Point sealed the victory with an empty-net goal.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Lightning managing injuries as they head home to play against the Jackets

Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL)

The Tampa Bay Lightning begin a stretch of five home games in six matches to finish December when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night. This will be the second meeting between the Eastern Conference teams.

On November 21, Columbus trailed 3-0 at home against Tampa Bay in the first 11:52 of the game. However, they made a comeback and won 7-6 in overtime, with Zach Werenski scoring the game-winning goal.

Tampa Bay returns from a successful 3-1-0 road trip, where they defeated Vancouver, Calgary, and Seattle, but lost 2-1 to Edmonton.

The Lightning arrived in Vancouver healthy for the first time this season, but the trip led to several injuries. Anthony Cirelli (12 goals, 15 assists) was injured after a hard hit in the game against the Canucks and missed part of that game.

He and defenseman Erik Cernak were scratched for the Oilers game due to injuries, and Victor Hedman (four goals, 21 assists) was also out for the final two games of the trip.

To make matters worse, J.J. Moser was placed on injured reserve after the Flames game and will be out until at least December 22, when the team faces the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.

“We defended,” Coach Jon Cooper said after the team’s 5-1 win in Seattle. “We can score enough, but you have to defend. … We made them go through all five of us all the time.”

Jake Guentzel scored in his sixth straight game, tying Cirelli for the longest streak on the team this season.

Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL)

Nikita Kucherov has recorded 17 points (three goals, 14 assists) during his seven-game point streak, and Brayden Point extended his point streak to five games with four goals and 11 assists.

The Blue Jackets, after losing 4-3 in overtime to the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, couldn’t manage to beat Carolina’s new goalie, Dustin Tokarski, in a 4-1 loss on Sunday. Columbus only got Dmitri Voronkov’s eighth goal, lost on special teams, and struggled to generate offense.

The two losses were tough for the Jackets, especially with their third game in four nights coming up against a Tampa Bay team that scored 18 goals and allowed only 8 during their road trip.

Columbus went 0-for-5 on the power play and allowed their second short-handed goal of the season when Carolina’s Sebastian Aho scored the first goal while shorthanded.

The Jackets’ defenseman Jack Johnson was sidelined for the game after taking a high-sticking penalty to the eye area.

“Obviously, we played (Saturday), but we had some jump, we had some life,” said coach Dean Evason, whose team is 1-5-2 in its last eight games. “I think a couple of breaks go our way earlier, I think it could have been a different game.”

Evason made changes to the lines, moving Adam Fantilli up to the second line to play with Voronkov and Kirill Marchenko, who assisted on Voronkov’s goal. Cole Sillinger moved down to center the third line with Zach Aston-Reese and Mathieu Olivier.

Marchenko leads the team with 11 goals and 18 assists in 31 games.

Werenski leads the team with 31 points (10 goals, 21 assists) and has 22 points in his last 18 games. He is also the first NHL defenseman with double-digit goals.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Alex Killorn’s Overtime Winner Lifts Anaheim Ducks to 4-3 Comeback Victory Over Columbus

Alex Killorn’s Overtime Winner Lifts Anaheim Ducks to 4-3 Comeback Victory Over Columbus
Alex Killorn’s Overtime Winner Lifts Anaheim Ducks to 4-3 Comeback Victory Over Columbus

The Anaheim Ducks rallied for a 4-3 overtime victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, with Alex Killorn scoring his second goal of the game just 1:43 into overtime. Killorn capitalized on a stretch pass from Robby Fabbri, breaking away to secure the win. Ducks coach Greg Cronin noted that Killorn was not a typical overtime selection, emphasizing his defensive reliability, which ultimately worked out perfectly for the team. The victory ended Anaheim’s five-game winless streak (0-4-1).

The Ducks saw strong performances from several players, including Jackson LaCombe, who contributed a goal and an assist, and Troy Terry and Robby Fabbri, who each tallied two assists. Goaltender John Gibson was instrumental in the win, making 39 saves, 16 of which came during a critical third period. The Ducks’ forward Ryan Strome praised the team’s resilience, acknowledging the difficulty of their road trip and expressing pride in their ability to secure a win in the final game.

Alex Killorn’s Overtime Winner Lifts Anaheim Ducks to 4-3 Comeback Victory Over Columbus
Alex Killorn’s Overtime Winner Lifts Anaheim Ducks to 4-3 Comeback Victory Over Columbus

The Blue Jackets, who have struggled to maintain leads, received goals from Kirill Marchenko, Cole Sillinger, and James van Riemsdyk. Despite a strong start, Columbus let another third-period lead slip away, marking their second consecutive overtime loss after leading late. Goaltender Jet Greaves made 23 saves, but defensive lapses allowed the Ducks to capitalize. Van Riemsdyk emphasized the need for consistency, particularly in maintaining control when holding a third-period advantage.

Mason McTavish opened the scoring for Anaheim with his 100th NHL point in the first period, but Columbus quickly responded with goals from Marchenko and Sillinger to take a 2-1 lead. Killorn tied the game 2-2 in the second period, setting the stage for a tense third period. After van Riemsdyk put Columbus ahead again, LaCombe’s long shot through traffic tied the game at 3-3 with just under three minutes left, forcing overtime.

The Ducks’ win came on an emotional day, as Anaheim traded veteran defenseman Cam Fowler to the St. Louis Blues. Fowler, who spent 15 seasons with the Ducks and played 991 games, was a significant figure in franchise history. Ryan Strome acknowledged the challenge of losing a team leader but praised the group for rallying to secure a much-needed victory.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Alex Killorn scores in overtime to give Ducks 4-3 victory over Blue Jackets

Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets

Alex Killorn sealed his two-goal night by scoring 1:43 into overtime, leading the Anaheim Ducks to a 4-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.

Killorn had already scored in the second period, and in overtime, he received a pass from Robby Fabri and beat goalie Jet Greaves on a partial breakaway to end the game.

Anaheim defenseman Jackson LaCombe recorded a goal and an assist, while Mason McTavish scored a goal to reach his 100th career point.

John Gibson made 39 saves for the Ducks, who ended a five-game losing streak, their longest of the season.

Earlier on Saturday, Anaheim traded veteran Cam Fowler and a fourth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for a second-round pick and defenseman Jeremie Biakabutuka.

For the Blue Jackets, Kirill Marchenko and Cole Sillinger scored 34 seconds apart late in the first period. Jet Greaves made 23 saves. Columbus has lost six of their last seven games (1-4-2).

Columbus defenseman Zach Werenski assisted on Marchenko’s power-play goal, extending his home point streak to nine games. This ties him with Ryan Johansen (2014-15) for the fourth longest in franchise history, just one game short of Oliver Bjorkstrand (2021-22), Cam Atkinson (2016-17), and Andrew Cassels (2002-03).

Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL)

Dmitri Voronkov seemed to give Columbus a 3-2 lead with a power-play goal late in the second period, but the goal was ruled offside after Anaheim challenged it successfully, with Marchenko controlling the puck at the blue line.

Columbus took a 3-2 lead with 8:35 remaining in the third period after Damon Severson’s slap pass found James van Riemsdyk at the back post. However, the Ducks equalized with 2:46 left as LaCombe’s shot deflected past Greaves.

McTavish put the Ducks on the board with 3:27 remaining in the first period, crashing into Greaves after shooting the puck.

Anaheim’s lead lasted only 36 seconds, as Marchenko fired a shot from the slot to score on the power play. It was his 11th goal of the season and his first since Dec. 1.

Just 34 seconds later, Columbus took a 2-1 lead as Zach Aston-Reese’s pass found Sillinger in front for a quick goal. Killorn then tied the game at 13:56 of the second period after receiving a backdoor pass from LaCombe.

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Ducks and Blue Jackets face off, both aiming to find some much-needed success

Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL)

Two teams at the bottom of their division will try to start improving on Saturday when the Anaheim Ducks face the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Anaheim has struggled, scoring only seven goals during a five-game losing streak (0-4-1).

Columbus hasn’t had much more success, with only 13 goals in their last six games (1-4-1).

In Anaheim’s 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday, defenseman Jackson LaCombe recorded a goal and an assist.

Despite the loss, Anaheim head coach Greg Cronin saw some positives in his team’s effort.

“We skated more (Thursday),” Cronin said, comparing it to their 5-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday.

“Ottawa was skating 100 miles an hour, and we were skating about 60, and I thought (Thursday) we had a lot of pace and urgency. You worry about getting in late at night and some energy starts to drop. At the start of the third period, we lost a little bit of our energy but we brought it back midway through the third. It was unfortunate we couldn’t get a point.”

Anaheim won their last game against Columbus 4-2 at home on November 10. LaCombe also scored in that game, and Trevor Zegras had a season-high 22:05 of ice time.

Montreal Canadiens and Anaheim Ducks

However, Zegras will not be playing in the rematch after having surgery on Thursday to fix a torn meniscus in his right knee. He is expected to miss about six weeks.

For Columbus, Zach Werenski scored a power-play goal in his second straight game on Thursday, but the Blue Jackets lost 2-1 in overtime to the Washington Capitals.

Werenski became the first defenseman in franchise history to score 100 goals.

“It doesn’t really mean much, but it is cool for sure,” Werenski said. “When you look back at your career, as a defenseman … I don’t want to stop there, but it’s a milestone for sure. It’s a cool moment.”

His power-play goal in the second period on Thursday extended his home point streak to eight games.

Kent Johnson assisted on Werenski’s goal, extending his point streak to three games (three goals, two assists).

Like Anaheim, Columbus is also looking for positives and found one in Jet Greaves. Greaves made 35 saves in his season debut after being called up from AHL Cleveland.

“I think there are a lot of positives I’ll take going forward and also some things I’ll look at try to learn from and get better at moving forward,” Greaves said. “I felt comfortable. The guys did a good job in front of me, and that made the game a little bit simpler.”

Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason also praised the 23-year-old goaltender.

“Fantastic. Obviously, it’s a team game but I’d argue he won a point for us,” Evason said. “For us to get a point in that game is fortunate.”

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Aliaksei Protas scores in overtime to lift Capitals past Blue Jackets, extending road win streak

Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets

Aliaksei Protas scored his second goal of the game at 2:23 of overtime to help the Washington Capitals come from behind and defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1, marking their 10th straight road win.

Protas received a pass from Dylan Strome and fired a wrist shot past Jet Greaves from above the right circle.

The Capitals lead the League with 11 comeback wins this season.

Charlie Lindgren made 32 saves, including three in overtime, for the Capitals, who are 11-1-1 in their last 13 games against the Blue Jackets. Jacob Chychrun had two assists.

Zach Werenski scored the lone goal for the Blue Jackets, who have lost five of their last six games. Greaves, recalled from the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL on Wednesday, made 35 saves in his first NHL game this season.

Columbus went 1-for-5 on the power play, while Washington was 0-for-1.

Werenski gave the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead at 14:12 of the second period. On Columbus’ fourth power play, Werenski received a pass from Kent Johnson at the center point, skated forward, and fired a wrist shot through traffic.

Washington Capitals (NHL)

This was Werenski’s 100th career goal, making him the first defenseman in franchise history to reach that milestone and the eighth Blue Jackets player to do so. He also extended his home point streak to 10 games.

Protas tied the game 31 seconds into the third period. Pierre-Luc Dubois carried the puck into the left circle and passed it to Protas, who scored with a one-timer from the slot.

Protas now has five points (three goals, two assists) in his last three games.

Lindgren made an incredible save with his stick to deny Kirill Marchenko in front of the net midway through the third period, while Greaves made several key stops around the 13:30 mark to keep the game tied.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Caps aim to extend their road win streak against the Blue Jackets

Washington Capitals (NHL)

The Washington Capitals are aiming to extend their franchise-record road winning streak to 10 games when they face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.

The Blue Jackets have lost four of their last five games, including a 5-3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers at home on Tuesday night.

Kent Johnson scored one goal and assisted on another, while Zach Werenski and Sean Monahan also scored for the Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins allowed five goals and made 20 saves in the loss, as the Blue Jackets were behind 3-0 and 5-1 at different points in the game.

“We just fed into their forecheck,” Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason said. “When you don’t feel comfortable going forward, you turn back, and all you do is invite pressure. Tonight, we played south and played soft instead of going north and playing hard.”

Monahan’s goal gave him 13 points in the last 13 games, with three goals and 10 assists.

It was the 14th straight game in which the Blue Jackets allowed a power-play goal, and they will now face a Capitals team with a much-improved power play recently.

“We’ve got to throw (Tuesday’s game) out,” Evason said. “Obviously, we haven’t skated for a bit, so we’ll get a good burn (Wednesday) and get our legs going again.”

The Capitals enter Columbus with an 11-2-0 road record and are at the top of the Metropolitan Division. Even though they have been without superstar Alex Ovechkin for the past nine games due to injury, the Capitals have a plus-35 goal differential for the season.

Columbus Blue Jackets and Winnipeg Jets

There is some positive news on the injury front for Washington. Ovechkin continues to skate on his own and took passes from former teammate Nicklas Backstrom (who is also on long-term injured reserve) on Wednesday morning.

Team owner Ted Leonsis told NHL.com that Ovechkin “probably still got two or three weeks (before returning). I don’t want him to rush it.”

Forward Tom Wilson, who was hit in the face by a shot from teammate Jakob Chychrun in Montreal on Saturday, managed to return and score two goals. Wilson has a small fracture in a bone in his sinus cavity area. His doctor recommended that he wear a full shield for four weeks, but Wilson expects to play Thursday.

“I look a lot better now, if you can believe it, than I did a few days ago. When I got home after the flight? Oh man, it wasn’t good,” Wilson said, referring to the left side of his face. “You go in to get a coffee somewhere and everyone’s like … they were kinda looking at you funny.”

Washington has been off since their 4-2 comeback win in Montreal. Wilson scored two goals in the third period, Pierre-Luc Dubois had a goal and an assist, and Logan Thompson made 22 saves. The Capitals are 6-0-1 in their past seven games.

“It’s a really fun group,” Wilson said after the game. “We enjoy coming together and bearing down and finding ways to gut out these tough wins. So, it’s a great group in here. I’ve been saying that all year and we’re just having fun playing for the guy next to us.”

Washington’s win over Montreal was their third comeback win of the season. In their previous meeting with the Blue Jackets, Connor McMichael scored twice, Ovechkin had a goal and two assists, and the Capitals won 7-2 on November 2 in Washington.

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Flyers defeat the Blue Jackets to snap their 3-game losing streak

Philadelphia Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets

Travis Konecny scored two goals, and Morgan Frost had a goal and an assist as the Philadelphia Flyers ended a three-game losing streak with a 5-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.

Owen Tippett scored for the fifth game in a row, Noah Cates also scored, and rookie Matvei Michkov added two assists for the Flyers, who won their first game in four December matchups. Konecny, who scored over 30 goals in each of the last two seasons, increased his team-leading goal total to 15 with his fifth multi-goal game of the season.

Zach Werenski scored his ninth goal of the season, while Sean Monahan and Kent Johnson added late goals for the Blue Jackets, who managed only 18 shots on goal and lost for the fourth time in five games. The loss also ended Columbus’ 4-0-1 home streak.

Philadelphia started the scoring 4:37 into the game. After a scramble in front of the net and a rebound off Tyson Foerster’s shot, Cates got to the puck and was credited with a goal.

Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL)

The Flyers made it 2-0 with 9:04 left in the first period. Frost passed the puck to Jamie Drysdale, who then set up Tippett to score over the right shoulder of Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins (19 saves).

In the second period, Philadelphia added another goal at 6:11. On a power play, Konecny, left wide open, scored from the circle while Emil Andrae screened Merzlikins.

Columbus got on the board with 3:04 left in the second period, scoring on a power play. Werenski’s shot from the point found its way past Flyers goalie Samuel Ersson (15 saves).

However, the Flyers regained their three-goal lead with a minute left in the second period. Joel Farabee set up Konecny for a partial breakaway, and Konecny slid the puck under Merzlikins’ left pad.

Philadelphia made it 5-1 just 1:55 into the third period. Frost was in the right place at the right time to beat Merzlikins and finish his two-point night.