Blue Jackets Bend But Don’t Break, Win Third Straight Overtime Game In A Row Against Pittsburgh

Wow. Wow wow wow wow. I’m still trying to catch my breath, and if this were a college football game, the field would have been stormed about three different times. The Columbus Blue Jackets were desperate for their sixth straight win while the Penguins were desperate to bring an end to the Blue Jackets’ streak. In the end, the desperation of a team trying to right their early season losing streak paid off above all, as the Jackets took to overtime for the fourth time in the last five games, and the third time in a row, and eventually found themselves on top of the Pens for good 4-3 in the shootout.

Nick Foligno kept up his scoring streak from Thursday and scored his third goal of the last two games to open the scoring tonight, as the Jackets had a power play and after the puck bounced off a few bodies, Foligno – who was standing right in front – put the puck home as Thomas Greiss was way out of position, leaving the left side of the net completely open. Boom, 1-0.

The only goal of the second period was the equalizing one from Pittsburgh, former Blue Jacket Blake Comeau took a shot from the wing and lit the lamp going top shelf to tie the game at one. The first two periods were just a warm up for what was to come in the third period.

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Four total goals were scored –

twice, for the Penguins (once while Pittsburgh was short handed and another to tie the game with 10 seconds left to play in regulation),

on a penalty shot to tie the game after Letang’s short-handed tally and

scored the (at the time) go ahead goal from about the same spot Comeau was in the second period to score his second of the year. And boy, was he pumped.

The goals, tonight, really aren’t as important as they are most nights. Tonight, it was the pace of play. The Blue Jackets came out fast and hard, and never let up from the intensity. Even in the middle moments of the third period, if you were watching the game and didn’t pay attention to the graphic saying what the period was, you’d think this was the opening moments of the game. They were hitting hard, racing to get to pucks, winning faceoffs…everything a team on a six game winning streak needed to do in order to continue it.

The Penguins broadcast crew said something that I thought was interesting; they likened this game to Game 7 of last year’s playoff series. And you know what? It makes complete sense. After all, it’s the first time the two have met this regular season, so why not continue the same level of play we saw back in April? It certainly didn’t disappoint, and I like the idea of this being Game 7, because that means the Blue Jackets are moving on.