Blue Jackets rally twice, fall in overtime to Los Angeles
Monday, March 9, 2026
By Kevin Rouch
krouch@cbussports.com
Connor Garland celebrates his second goal of the Columbus Blue Jackets’ game with the Los Angeles Kings Monday at Nationwide Arena. Photo: Kevin Rouch
For the second straight game, the Columbus Blue Jackets came from two goals down to tie the score and send the festivities to overtime. On Monday against the Los Angeles Kings, they fell again in the extra frame, losing an opposing player in their 3-on-3 defensive scheme who made them pay with a goal.
Newly acquired forward Connor Garland scored twice in his second game with the Blue Jackets. But it was little consolation for the former Vancouver Canuck. “To fight and get a point, you know, hopefully it pays off towards the end, but you gotta start winning games.”
The Blue Jackets found themselves behind 2-0 in the first period with the Kings getting goals from Scott Laughton and former Jacket Artemi Panarin, who was playing in only his seventh game with Los Angeles after going coast-to-coast from the New York Rangers.
Goalie Jet Greaves (73) goes wide to make a save with the help of defenseman Ivan Provorov (left) during the Columbus Blue Jackets’ game with Los Angeles Monday at Nationwide Arena. Photo: Kevin Rouch
Columbus then scored three straight, a Garland goal with 2:25 left in the first period, then tallies from Denton Mateychuk and Garland in the second. Adrian Kempe tied the score at 3-3 before the second intermission, setting up another dramatic effort by both squads in the third frame.
Brian Dumoulin put the Kings on top for the second time halfway through the third. With time running down, L.A.’s Laughton was called for interference on Mason Marchment. Kirill Marchenko posted his 23rd goal of the season on the resulting power play with 1:56 left in regulation to send things to OT.
In extra time, Columbus never had the puck for any meaningful time and did not record a shot. With 2:34 gone, the Blue Jackets did not match up with Kempe as he came off the bench and he took it to the left circle before burying the slap shot for the victory.
Blue Jackets’ defenseman Denton Mateychuk (5) shoots from a tough angle for Columbus’s second goal against the Los Angeles Kings Monday at Nationwide Arena. Photo: Kevin Rouch
It was another gut-wrenching loss, but the Blue Jackets did come away with a point. Rather than blame the loss on poor defensive communication in overtime, head coach Rick Bowness pointed to control. “The biggest thing in the last two overtimes is we haven’t controlled the puck at all.”
“We got killed on face-offs tonight, all night. Se we ended up spending a lot of, too much energy chasing the puck, because they just dominated the face-off circle. And then we got control of it in the overtime and we kind of gave it to them.”
The point added to the Columbus total allowed them to stay two behind the Boston Bruins for the second wild card spot in the Eastern Division and three points, with a game in hand, behind the New York Islanders for the third slot in the Metro Division.
The Blue Jackets now head to the road for four straight contests, beginning with the Tampa Bay Lightning Tuesday at Benchmark International Arena. The opening face-off is slated for 7:00 p.m.
Columbus goalie Jet Greaves (73) keeps Adrian Kempe off the board during the Blue Jackets game with Los Angeles Monday at Nationwide Arena. Photo: Kevin Rouch