In Columbus, as in every city, NHL games are 60 minutes in duration. Some clubs can get away with playing 50 minutes or so, but not the Blue Jackets.
In a Saturday matinee, the Blue Jackets took a 4-0 lead over the Carolina Hurricanes through the early minutes of the middle frame.
They then sat back and watched the Canes score seven straight, including five in the third period for a 7-4 win.
Brady Skjei and Steven Lorentz hit for a pair of goals each in the win.
“That’s what’s special about this team. There’s no question we didn’t think we would win,” Skjei said.
Carolina improved to 23-7-1.
“This game was so wide open,” Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “We were down two, down three, down four but it felt like at the end of the game we might have a chance.”
Antti Raanta started for the Hurricanes and made six saves, yielding three goals.
Frederik Andersen relieved Raanta and made eight saves.
“That was special,” Lorentz said. “Sometimes you get a game like that where a team is a little bit down and out or not getting the breaks then all of a sudden you get one and stick to the game plan and good things happen and that’s what happened.
“After two periods we kind of regrouped a bit. We said, ‘We’re right there. Once we get the next one by him the flood gates might open’ and sure enough they did.”
Zach Werenski, Adam Boqvist, and Gustav Nyquist scored in the opening frame for Columbus for the 3-0 lead.
“They just keep on their game and play the way they want to play and that’s what they did tonight,” Werenski said. “They just kept coming and coming.”
The Blue Jackets dropped to 15-14-1.
“We had to get something and answer after the goal against,” Lorentz sai
Alexandre Texier scored in the middle frame to push the lead to 4-0.
Nino Niederreiter and Ethan Bear also scored for the Canes.
Andrei Svechnikov added an empty-net goal to ice the victory.
Daniil Tarasov got the start for the Blue Jackets, and made 31 saves before getting the hook in the second intermission with a lower body injury.
“They were coming and then Daniil goes down,” Blue Jackets head coach Brad Larsen said. “It put Elvis in a tough situation.
“When it was 4-0, I never felt comfortable with how that game was played. They kept coming and we didn’t have an answer to it.”
Elvis Merzlikins made 11 saves in the final 20 minutes.
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