Columbus Blue Jackets Triumph Over Tampa Bay Lightning
In a thrilling matchup on Saturday night, the Columbus Blue Jackets triumphed over the Tampa Bay Lightning with a score of 8-5, marking a significant interruption to the Lightning’s impressive run of 15 consecutive games without a regulation loss. Mason Marchment stood out with his third career hat trick, propelling his team to victory.
Key Performers
Supporting Marchment, Charlie Coyle marked his milestone 200th career goal and contributed two assists. Adam Fantilli also shone brightly, netting a goal and assisting on two others, while Dmitri Voronkov and Sean Monahan each scored for Columbus. Zach Werenski‘s exceptional play included two assists, and goaltender Jet Greaves demonstrated skill with 24 saves. Remarkably, the Blue Jackets recorded four goals in the first period, their highest tally for this opening frame since March 15, 2003.
For the Lightning, Jake Guentzel had a strong outing with two goals and an assist, aided by Nikita Kucherov, who had a goal along with three assists. Anthony Cirelli contributed a goal and two assists, and Brandon Hagel added two assists of his own. Jonas Johansson manned the net for Tampa Bay, making 23 saves.
Injuries and Game Highlights
The match saw its share of injuries, notably when Erik Cernak had to exit after a hit by Mathieu Olivier late in the first period. Another player, Charle-Edouard D’Astous, departed the scene after colliding near the blue line in the third period.
The scoring commenced in the first period when Cole Sillinger capitalized on a turnover to give Columbus an early lead. However, less than two minutes later, Tampa Bay quickly replied after a clearing attempt from Greaves deflected off Isac Lundestrom into the net, with the credit going to Guentzel. Fantilli scored his long-awaited goal by following up on his rebound, ending a 17-game drought dating back to December 16. The second period saw Kucherov hitting his 26th goal of the season, leading to Cirelli’s equalizer at 4:58. Nevertheless, Marchment snatched back the lead for Columbus by scoring just six seconds after exiting the penalty box.
Looking Ahead
This match sets the stage for upcoming games, with the Lightning preparing to host Utah and the Blue Jackets looking forward to a game against Los Angeles, both scheduled for Monday.
___AP NHL
