In Columbus, Elvis Merzlikins made 33 saves and the Blue Jackets defeated the Florida Panthers, 3-2, on Thursday in the skills competition.
“The players want results,” Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella said. “They got full result tonight, played much better throughout the game as far as competitiveness. I’m glad we ended up getting two (points), not just one. We’ve been in a lot of these.
“It would not be a consistent hockey club if we went down that road and played how we played in the last game against Florida.”
Mikko Koivu and Max Domi were the Blue Jackets’ strikers in regulation.
Eetu Luostarinen knotted the game up at 2-2 late in the third period to force the extra session before the penalties phase.
“Anybody could take that (seven out of eight points), but at the end of the day, never being satisfied is what makes you better and makes you more successful,” the Panthers’ Aaron Ekblad.
“I don’t think we’re walking out of here licking our wounds by any means, but we obviously have to know that we can beat a team like this, and know you can take the lead in games, but there’s a lot to work.”
Carter Verhaeghe also scored for the Panthers who dropped to 3-0-1.
“A real good second (period),” Panthers head coach Joel Quenneville said. “The first period we were ordinary, but nearing the end of the first I thought we really had a real good stretch there with a lot of good things.”
Alexandre Texier was the lone goal scorer in the skills competition.
Chris Driedger made 29 saves in the loss.
“That was a gritty effort there,” Driedger said. “[Columbus] came out harder than they did (Tuesday). They definitely upped their game.”
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