Zach Werenski scored 1:26 into overtime to give the Columbus Blue Jackets a 7-6 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning at Nationwide Arena on Thursday. Werenski finished the game with two goals and three assists, ending a high-scoring contest in which Columbus overcame an early three-goal deficit.
Tampa Bay built a 3-0 lead in the opening period. Brayden Point began the scoring on a power play at 1:51, Brandon Hagel added an even-strength goal at 3:58, and Cam Atkinson deflected in his first goal of the season at 11:52. Sean Monahan answered for Columbus at 13:35 of the period with a snap shot.
The second period featured six combined goals in a span of under six minutes. Dmitri Voronkov and Kent Johnson scored early for the Blue Jackets to tie the game at 3-3. Mitchell Chaffee briefly restored the Lightning lead 16 seconds later, but Werenski and Egor Chinakhov scored consecutive goals to put Columbus ahead 5-4. Anthony Cirelli tied the game again for Tampa Bay at 6:18.
Special teams shaped the third period. Johnson scored a shorthanded goal at 10:39 to put the Blue Jackets ahead 6-5, but Conor Geekie converted on the same Tampa Bay power play 44 seconds later to tie the game 6-6. In overtime, Werenski scored the winning wrist shot off assists from Cole Sillinger and Ivan Provorov.
Both teams produced on the man advantage, as Columbus converted on its lone power-play opportunity and Tampa Bay went 2 for 2. Elvis Merzlikins stopped 24 of 30 shots to earn the victory for the Blue Jackets, while Jonas Johansson turned aside 36 of 43 shots in the overtime loss.
The win gave Columbus its second straight victory and moved its record to 8-9-2 on the season, while Tampa Bay fell to 10-6-2. Monahan recorded four points with a goal and three assists for the Blue Jackets, and Nikita Kucherov collected three assists for the Lightning.
