A wild night in Arizona.
Barrett Hayton scored the overtime game-winner to propel the Arizona Coyotes over the Columbus Jackets, 3-2, on Sunday from Mullet Arena in Tempe, Arizona.
Travis Boyd and Nick Schmaltz also scored. Troy Stecher, Christian Fischer, and Matias Maccelli earned the assists.
Boone Jenner had a goal and an assist and Patrik Laine scored for the Blue Jackets. Nick Blankenburg, Andrew Peeke, and Adam Boqvist all assisted. Boqvist is on a career-high four-game point streak (two goals, three assists).
Connor Ingram made 34 saves while Elvis Merzlikins made 22 stops.
Finding Energy
For the second straight night, the Blue Jackets were without star winger Johnny Gaudreau due to a lower-body injury. After missing Saturday's victory over the Dallas Stars and seeing his active ironman streak come to an end, he was also the last Blue Jacket to play in every game this season.
So that meant the Blue Jackets were going to need to find some juice from someone else, especially after the Coyotes scored a pair of first-period goals thanks to Boyd and Schmaltz.
Gotta love the little kid getting a nice up-front view. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/OwkgdwEDOj
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) February 20, 2023
Erik Gudbranson and Josh Brown dropped the gloves two seconds after the second-period opening face-off. In the third period, Mathieu Olivier and Nick Ritchie traded blows.
#CBJ pic.twitter.com/IFYI9KWzyn
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) February 20, 2023
The action in the final minute here can truly only be characterized as chaotic#CBJ | #Yotes pic.twitter.com/8WBqn7QGkO
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights (@HockeyDaily365) February 20, 2023
Sean Kuraly led the game with 10 of the Columbus 36 hits. After being outscored 2-0 and outshot 10-7 in the first period, the Blue Jackets scored twice and outshot Arizona 29-15 over the final two periods and overtime before falling short.
Jackets' Goal-Scoring Leaders Strike
Jenner's 17th broke the shutout at 13:23 of the second period. Blankenburg and Peeke picked up the assists.
Jenner from Blankenburg and Peeke. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/1mefVhHNW8
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) February 20, 2023
Seeking the tying goal in the third period, Laine struck for his 17th at 15:07 on the power play to even the contest at two. Jenner picked up his second point on the play with an assist and Boqvist stayed hot picking up a point.
Laine from Boqist and Jenner. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/EPLwOmAY60
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) February 20, 2023
Jenner leads the Blue Jackets with 17 goals and Laine is now second on the team with 16 goals, breaking a tie with Gaudreau.
Race Among Top 3
Patrick Kane's hat trick and four-point night helped the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, 5-3, on Sunday night. In the race for the top lottery pick, the Blackhawks are currently 30th in the league and have the same amount of points as Columbus (31st in the league) with 41 points. Anaheim is currently occupying the 32nd spot in the league with 40 points and has lost four straight.
The Coyotes are on a season-long nine-game point streak, currently tied with the New York Rangers for the longest active streak in the league, and are 27th in the league with 49 points.
Back Home
The Blue Jackets face the Minnesota Wild at Nationwide Arena on Thursday, Feb. 23 at 7:00 pm ET. It's the first of two meetings for the clubs in four days with both teams reconvening on Sunday, Feb. 26 at Xcel Energy Center. The Wild beat the Nashville Predators, 4-3, today in Minnesota.
