The Columbus Blue Jackets were hoping that the third time would be a charm as they fought for their first win of the season against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night.
The Lightning found the back of the net twice in the first period, carrying a 2-0 lead into the second. The Blue Jackets were able to cut the lead to one when Gavin Bayreuther scored his second goal of the year, seven minutes into the period. Unfortunately, the Lightning notched a third goal just three-and-a-half minutes later.
The Blue Jackets again cut the lead to a single goal with a score in the final frame, but it was all lightning from there as Columbus fell 6-3.
Laine Back On Track
Jack Roslovic and Patrik Laine tallied assists on Bayreuther's second-period goal. Laine then recorded another assist off of Tim Berni's third-period goal.
Those assists were his first points in six games, a rare slump for the towering Finnish forward. The hope is that he can build off of the momentum, as he is having a down year. After setting a personal record last season with 1.00 ppg, he is now averaging .67 ppg. for 2022-23.
Marvelous Marchenko
It may have been a garbage time goal as the Lighting already had this game under wraps, but Kirill Marchenko scored it nonetheless. It was an unassisted beauty with just a few minutes to go. This was his fourth goal in the past three games. He now has nine goals in 17 games, and if he plays in the rest of the CBJ's games this season, he is on track to post over 30 goals. That would be a Blue Jackets' rookie record.
MARCHENK-WHOA pic.twitter.com/DOFpmpyMyi
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) January 11, 2023
Weekday At Berni's
Four-and-a-half minutes into the final period, Tim Berni scored his first NHL goal; this was also his first point. It took him 16 games, but he was able to finally get that elusive virgin goal.
An absolutely beauty for your first NHL tally @TBerni21 pic.twitter.com/D5Z9cQJi0o
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) January 11, 2023
Next Up
The Blue Jackets return home to weather the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday. The puck drop is at 7 p.m. EST.
