Blue Jackets score late to win Stadium Series game at the 'Shoe

Saturday, March 1, 2025
By Kevin Rouch
krouch@cbussports.com

Script Ohio at OSU's CBJ game

The Ohio State athletic band forms Script Ohio on the ice before the Columbus Blue Jackets game with Detroit at Ohio Stadium Saturday. Photo: Ian Phillips

It was an historic night for Columbus, the Blue Jackets, and Ohio Stadium as the Detroit Red Wings came to town Saturday to take part in the Jackets’ first NHL Stadium Series game. After the Jackets built a 3-1 lead, the Red Wings tied it in the third period. Columbus fought back with two late goals and came away with a 5-3 win.

In front of a crowd of 94,751, the second largest outdoor crowd in the 43 games of the Stadium Series, the NHL put on an evening of spectacular entertainment, including Script Ohio from the Ohio State Athletic Band, concerts from local groups 21 Pilots and O.A.R, a transplanted cannon, and hockey action that lived up to the moment.

The first period did not produce a score, but that was not an indicator how things would go after that. The Blue Jackets got on the board first when Denton Mateychuk took a pass from Boone Jenner, who was below the goal line, and wristed one past Red Wing goalie Cam Talbot. With 7:54 left in the period Alex DeBrincat tied the game with a power play goal, the first of his two tallies on the night.

The second period would see two more goals, both from Columbus. With 2:37 left, Dmitri Voronkov scored on the Blue Jackets’ only power play of the evening. Voronkov joined his linemates, Kirill Marchenko and Adam Fantilli, as the third twenty-goal scorer for Columbus this season.

Only 32 seconds later, Mathieu Olivier added his 12th goal of the campaign. Every goal Olivier has scored since his fifth this season has been a new career high. He is not only a physical part of the Jackets’ defense, he leads the NHL in hits, but he has also become an important offensive threat.

In the third period, Detroit got scores from Patrick Kane and DeBrincat to tie things at 3-3. The Blue Jackets killed a penalty with under six minutes to play. With 2:37 left, Justin Danforth split two defenders at the Red Wings’ blue line and knocked in the rebound of his own shot to give Columbus the lead. Adam Fantilli added an empty-netterĀ  for the 5-3 victory.

Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins was the #1 star of the night. He stopped 43 of 46 shots to pick up his third straight win. He is now 22-14-4 on the season. Head coach Dean Evason was impressed with Merzlikins’ play on the ice tonight, but was more complimentary about his attitude all season. “His team first mentality has been incredible … the way that he plays within the team structure is awesome.”

With the win, Columbus moved into the top wild card spot in the NHL’s Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the Red Wings. The Blue Jackets head to the road for their next four games, beginning with a tilt at Tampa Bay Tuesday.