Blue Jackets rally, take down Detroit in shootout
Thursday, December 4, 2025
By Kevin Rouch
krouch@cbussports.com
Adam Fantilli celebrates his first goal of the night with the crowd at Nationwide Arena Thursday. The Blue Jackets beat the visiting Detroit Red Wings in a shootout. Photo: Kevin Rouch
The Columbus Blue Jackets flipped the script Thursday in their game against the Detroit Red Wings at Nationwide Arena. The Jackets scored the tying goal with 1:31 left in the third period after pulling goalie Elvis Merzlikins and won the contest in a shootout, 6-5, to capture two points.
It was a rollercoaster of a game. Columbus gave up the lead three times but fought back in each instance. It was a game that coaches teaching penalty killing strategy will never use as a template. Half of the 10 goals scored in regulation were on power play opportunities.
Ivan Provorov recorded the only goal of the first period with 2:05 to go before the intermission. The scoring took off after that.
Elvis Merzlikins eyes the puck before making a save during the Blue Jackets 6-5 shootout win over the Detroit Red Wings at Nationwide Arena Thursday. Photo: Kevin Rouch
Detroit captain Dylan Larkin scored on a power play just 1:09 into the second frame to tie the score. After missing four games with a lower-body injury, Kirill Marchenko was back in the lineup Thursday for Columbus. He gave the Blue Jackets the lead again on a man-advantage opportunity four minutes later.
Kent Johnson made it 3-1 at 7:11 in the second with his third goal of the season. The two-goal lead was short lived. On a double minor penalty charged to Columbus’s Dmitri Voronkov for high sticking, the Red Wings converted twice during the 5-on-4 chance to knot the game again.
Before the end of the second period, Adam Fantilli scored his first goal of the game, on a power play, to give Columbus a 4-3 lead going to the break. Detroit’s Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat each scored by the 11:38 mark of the third and the Red Wings had their first lead.
Kent Johnson (91) works near the crease for his third goal of the season during the Blue Jackets shootout win over the Detroit Red Wings at Nationwide Arena Thursday. Photo: Kevin Rouch
That led to Fantilli’s second goal and the shootout win for Columbus. In the shootout, Elvis Merzlikins stopped both Detroit attempts. There would be no third try because Johnson and Marchenko converted and that was that.
Columbus’s supporting cast made the rally win possible. Both Zach Werenski and Sean Monahan posted three assists on the night. Fantilli won 58.8% of his face offs, while Charlie Coyle (56.3%) and Monahan (54.5%) won a majority of their draws. Brendan Gaunce added a team-leading 10 hits.
Once again, the Blue Jackets take to the road. They will be in south Florida for a game with the Panthers Saturday, then on to Washington (Sunday) and Carolina (Tuesday). The contest against Florida begins at 3:30 p.m. at Amerant Bank Arena.
Columbus head coach Dean Evason has a discussion with NHL referee T.J. Luxmore during the second period at Nationwide Arena Thursday. Photo: Kevin Rouch