CBJ 5, TBL 2: Garland’s Two Goals Fuel Blue Jackets’ Win Over Lightning

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CBJ GOALS:  Provorov (2nd, 5:57) Garland (2nd, 6:27) Marchenko (PP) (2nd, 11:42) Garland (PP) (3rd, 3:59) Fabbro EN (3rd, 15:28)

A game highlighted by three second-period goals and two more tallies by Conor Garland helped power the Columbus Blue Jackets past the Tampa Lightning 5-2 on Tuesday night at Benchmark International Arena.

Ivan Provorov, Kirill Marchenko, and Dante Fabbro also scored for Columbus. Elvis Merzlikins made 16 saves.

Gage Goncalves and J.J. Moser scored for Tampa Bay. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 26 saves.

Tampa got on the board first with Goncalves scoring for Tampa Bay at 13:38 of the first period.

Cole Sillinger and Moser got into a fight with 50 seconds left in the first period. In addition to the five-minute majors, Sillinger got two minutes for elbowing Moser. Moser got two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct against Sillinger.

Moser not happy after the high hit by Sillinger.

Both get 5 for fighting + Moser gets 2 for unsportsmanlike conduct. Sillinger gets 2 for elbowing. #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/7dm0Acna8I

— Diandra Loux (@Diandra_loux) March 10, 2026

The Blue Jackets found their second-period offense with two goals in 30 seconds. Provorov scored first at 5:57 with a slap shot that went through several players in front. Garland scored his third goal in back-to-back days for Columbus, putting the Jackets ahead 2-1 at 6:27.

At 11:42, Marchenko scored on the power play to extend the Jackets' 3-1 lead.

The Lightning were held to six total shots on goal more than halfway through the second period as the Jackets had a 12-1 edge at one point in the middle frame. The Lightning only had four even-strength shots on goal and 12 total shots through 40 minutes. They finished with 10 even-strength shots.

Tampa Bay had consecutive second-period power plays that the Blue Jackets were able to hold to only four shots. After the power plays, Moser cut the deficit to one at 16:23 to make it 3-2 with the tally right off a face-off to Merzlikins' left.

Garland's third-period insurance marker, his second goal of the game, fourth in two days, at 3:59 of the third period, put Columbus ahead for good, 4-2. Dante Fabbro scored the 200-foot empty-net goal to put the finishing touches on the win.

"He plays the right way," Zach Werenski said about Garland. "He competes. He works extremely hard." He's a smaller guy, but he doesn't play like it, and I think that brings everyone else into the fight."

"Just watch (Garland) play," head coach Rick Bowness said. "He fits right in because he's persistent."

Here's how the Blue Jackets stretched their point streak to seven games and got back in the win column:

1st Period:

(13:38 — TBL Goal): Goncalves (8) started the scoring for Tampa Bay. The assists went to Victor Hedman (15) and Nikita Kucherov (70). There was a ton of skill on the play as the Lightning moved the puck up ice and Goncalves tipped in Hedman's shot.

Slick pic.twitter.com/GjpEdO8k7w

— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) March 10, 2026

2nd Period:

(5:57 — CBJ Goal): Provorov's eighth, assisted by Denton Mateychuk (17) and Charlie Coyle (35), started a string of three straight Blue Jackets goals.

PROVY GOT A HOLD OF THIS ONE

CBJ x @FanaticsBook pic.twitter.com/1u4mZ17z2i

— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) March 11, 2026

(6:27 — CBJ Goal): Garland (10) had gone 24 games between goals. Now he has three in consecutive days for the Blue Jackets. His second-period tally gave Columbus its first lead. Kent Johnson (14) and Sean Monahan (20) contributed with the assists.

CONOR GARLAND LOVES IT HERE

CBJ x @FanaticsBook pic.twitter.com/qlE4ZSLd5d

— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) March 11, 2026

(11:42 — CBJ Goal): Marchenko stayed red hot with his 24th goal. The assists went to Adam Fantilli (27) and Werenski (47). Marchenko is on a six-game point streak (four goals, five assists).

MARCHY ON THE POWER PLAY

CBJ x @FanaticsBook pic.twitter.com/Lup10F6Xwg

— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) March 11, 2026

(16:23 — TBL Goal): Moser scored his seventh, right off the face-off, assisted by Anthony Cirelli (24).

Swift rip off the face-off https://t.co/scnVvJEKOZ pic.twitter.com/lKSU0PV612

— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) March 11, 2026

3rd Period:

(3:59 — CBJ Goal): What is it with acquiring guys who were struggling elsewhere and then scoring in bunches with the Blue Jackets?

First, it was Mason Marchment. Now it's Garland, as he scored his second goal of the game and fourth in two days. He now has 11 goals on the year. Monahan (21) and Werenski (48) each picked up their second assists on the night. Monahan has six points (two goals, four assists) in the last six games.

4 GOALS IN 2 NIGHTS FOR CONOR GARLAND

CBJ x @FanaticsBook pic.twitter.com/w8sgbBV71u

— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) March 11, 2026

(15:28 — CBJ Goal): Fabbro (5) scored the empty-net goal, and Merzlikins (2) got the assist.

FABBRO FROM 200FT AWAY!

CBJ x @FanaticsBook pic.twitter.com/rBO0JDq3Tj

— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) March 11, 2026

Stat Chat:

• In 13 of the last 16 meetings now, the Blue Jackets and Lightning have combined for at least six goals, including 11 instances with at least seven goals.
   
• With two more goals and four in the first three games, Garland is the fastest to four goals to start a Blue Jackets career in franchise history.
   
• Marchenko's second-period goal was the 99th of his career.
   
• For the first time since 2016-17, the Blue Jackets won the season series against the Lightning, sweeping them then and now (3-0-0).

Up Next:

The Blue Jackets stay down south as they take on the Florida Panthers on Thursday. Puck drop from Amerant Bank Arena is set for 7 p.m.