Blue Jackets recover for 5-4 win over Coyotes

In Glendale, the Coyotes gave it ride, but came up short in a 5-4 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.

Elvis Merzlikins made 25 saves in the skills win.

Boone Jenner hit for two goals in regulation for the Blue Jackets.

“It was a different game. It seemed like whenever one team scored, the other came right back,” Jenner said. “We just stuck with it and we found a way to get that extra [point].”

Yegor Chinakhov was credited wit the deciding goal in the skills portion of the evening.

“We really coughed up too many (scoring chances) but, in saying that, we found a way,” Columbus head coach Brad Larsen said. “The guys worked their tails off and we found a way to come back twice in the shootout, we were to our last guy, but we found a way to stay alive and get it done.”

Arizona’s Jakob Chychrun knotted the game, 4-4, with just over five minutes left in the game. The Coyotes replied to each of the Columbus offensive successes on the night.

“It was nice to come back a couple of times, to have that adversity and be able to stick with it and keep tying the game up,” Chychrun said. “We wanted to get two points, but there’s some good things to get one point.”

Zach Werenski and Justin Danforth also hit for goals in regulation for the Blue Jackets.

“At the end of the second, we just gave them those opportunities and they capitalized, but other than that I thought we played a pretty solid game,” Chychrun said. “You need to rely on your goalie a lot in this league, and to have a guy (Wedgewood) playing with confidence is always key.”

Phil Kessel, Lawson Crouse, and Ryan Dzingel (power play) also scored for the Coyotes.

Scott Wedgewood made 42 saves in the Arizona loss.