FLA 7, CBJ 6 (OT): Blue Jackets Squander Three-Goal Lead, Lose In Closing Seconds Of Overtime

By Ed Francis on December 6, 2025 at 6:44 pm
An all-too-familiar scene plays out yet again, as the Columbus Blue Jackets blow a two-goal lead in the third period and fall 7-6 to the Florida Panthers in overtime Saturday afternoon.
© Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
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  1 2 3 OT F
CBJ 1 4 1 0 6
FLA 1 3 2 1 7

CBJ GOALS: 
Severson (PP) (1st, 7:40)
Voronkov (2nd, 5:26)
Wood (2nd, 5:57)
Marchenko (2nd, 10:24)
Sillinger (2nd, 18:26)
Lundestrom (3rd, 2:27)

No lead is safe.

Ever.

The Columbus Blue Jackets blew a three-goal lead in the second period and a two-goal lead in the final frame, eventually falling 7-6 in overtime to the Florida Panthers on Saturday afternoon.

It was the sixth time this season the Blue Jackets have lost a game in which they had a lead in the third period.

The game was tied at 1-1 after the first before the two teams combined for seven goals in a wild second period. Each team scored three straight goals in a span of less than five minutes, with Columbus doing it first to take a 4-1 lead before Florida would tie at 4-4.

Included among Florida's flurry of goals was a power play goal that came after a failed Columbus challenge for a hand pass. Head coach Dean Evason was irate after the ruling was made, perhaps still holding some anger after Columbus had a Brendan Gaunce goal taken off the board earlier for it being ruled a distinct kicking motion.

"The entire game was a joke," said Evason after the game, though not elaborating beyond repeating that sentiment multiple times.

The Blue Jackets would regain a lead in the final two minutes of the period on a Cole Sillinger goal and then go up two early in the third when Isac Lundestrom scored his first in a Columbus sweater.

But the Panthers would connect for a pair of goals to again tie the game, this time 6-6, before regulation would end.

Columbus could not capitalize on a power play in the five-minute overtime, and Florida's Sam Bennett scored the walk-off goal with just 3.2 seconds left before a would-be shootout.

Five different Blue Jackets had two points in the loss: Sillinger, Lundestrom, Dmitri Voronkov, and Miles Wood each had a goal and an assist, while Ivan Provorov assisted on the first two Columbus goals of the game.

It was another rough night for Elvis Merzlikins, who stopped 33 of the Panthers' 40 shots.

Here's how the Blue Jackets lost another point as a result of a tough third period:

1st Period:

(7:40 — CBJ Goal): Severson puts Columbus up 1-0 on a power play goal that was just about out of time. He knocks down a blast from Ivan Provorov that gets past Sergei Bobrovsky.

(9:47 — FLA Goal): The Blue Jackets turn it over in their own zone and the puck ends up on the stick of Evan Rodrigues. He skates in on Merzlikins and gets it past Elvis' outstretched leg to tie the game at 1-1.

2nd Period:

(5:26 — CBJ Goal): This one starts with another Provorov shot from the point, and ends with another tip-in up front. This time it's Voronkov who gets a stick on it, and the 100th NHL point for Big Boss puts the Blue Jackets in front 2-1.

(5:57 — CBJ Goal): Columbus gets a take away in their own zone and quickly push it up ice, creating a 2-on-1. Florida defenseman Uvis Balinskis commits to defending Charlie Coyle, which leaves Wood unopposed in front of the net. Coyle finds him there, and Wood puts the Blue Jackets up 3-1.

(10:24 — CBJ Goal): A third Columbus goal in a span of 4:58 puts the Blue Jackets up 4-1. Fantilli uses some creativity to enter the zone through Florida traffic and gets the puck to Marchenko, who skates up the slot and gets a backhand shot off that beats Bobrovsky to extend the Blue Jackets lead to three.

(11:15 & 13:11 — FLA Goals): Two goals in less than two minutes, both off the stick of Carter Verhaeghe. The first one is an even-strength goal on a tip-in from a Seth Jones shot from the point. The second one comes after a failed Columbus challenge for a hand pass, with Verhaeghe taking a seam pass from Brad Marchand and beating Merzlikins to cut Columbus' lead to 4-3. (Both goals are in the video below.)

(16:12 — FLA Goal): Columbus scored three times in 4:58 — Florida does it in 4:57. Good puck movement from the Panthers power play leads to former Blue Jacket Seth Jones getting a shot off from the point. It gets through traffic and beats Merzlikins, tying the game at 4-4.

(18:26 — CBJ Goal): A huge goal late in the second for the Blue Jackets. Mateychuk with a strong effort to clear the puck out of the Columbus zone and it bounces into the Florida zone and through a pair of Panthers. Sillinger and Kent Johnson both go for it, with Sillinger eventually collecting possession and getting his first goal since October 29th to put Columbus back in front 5-4.

3rd Period:

(2:27 — CBJ Goal): No better time for Lundestrom's first goal with Columbus than here. Brendan Smith gets a great outlook pass ahead to Wood, sparking a 2-on-1 for the Blue Jackets. Wood has the puck first, then gets it over to Lundestrom — who takes the shot and puts Columbus up 6-4.

(4:21 — FLA Goal): Marchand cuts Columbus' lead in half. Florida enters the zone on a 3-on-2 but Marchand does it himself, twisting past Mateychuk and crashing the net to beat Merzlikins and make it a 6-5 game.

(14:18 — FLA Goal): The Panthers make it a 6-6 game with 5:42 left in regulation. A stretch pass from Florida beats the Blue Jackets defense and Merzlikins comes way out of the net to play the puck. It doesn't go his way, and Lundell collects the puck and fires it before Elvis can get back in the crease and the Blue Jackets lose another two-goal, third-period lead.

Overtime:

(4:57 — FLA Goal): Florida wins it with three seconds left in overtime. Bennett.

CBJ GAME STATS FLA
31 SHOTS 40
43% FACEOFFS 57%
1/4 POWER PLAY 2/4
2/4 PENALTY KILL 3/4
15 HITS 30
21 GIVEAWAYS 12
5 TAKEAWAYS 4
20 BLOCKED SHOTS 7
ALL SITUATIONS ADVANCED STATS
2.13 EXPECTED GOALS 3.49
46 SHOT ATTEMPTS 71
21 SCORING CHANCES 37
12 HIGH-DANGER CHANCES 15
Data via NHL.com & NaturalStatTrick.com

Stat Chat:

  • The goals by Voronkov and Wood in the second period were the fastest two goals scored by Columbus this season.
     
  • The Blue Jackets penalty kill is suddenly reeling again: they've allowed seven goals on 14 attempts in their last three games, including two in this game.
     
  • The power play, though, is suddenly hot. After just one PP goal in six games, the Blue Jackets now have four in their last three games with Severson's first-period tally.

Up Next:

The Blue Jackets are right back at it Sunday, with a 7:00 p.m. puck-drop in the Nation's Capital against Washington.

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