Just when it looked like they would leave the Pepsi Center empty-handed, the Blue Jackets bounced back and stole two points from the Colorado Avalanche winning 4-3 in overtime – and it’s not a stretch to call it their biggest win of the season.
For the second consecutive game, Columbus found itself in a penalty-killing situation late in the third period and once again it came back to bite them – but only in the short term. Stefan Elliot capitalized on a Nikita Nikitin hooking penalty to give the Avalanche a 3-2 lead late in regulation, but as RJ Umberger said post-game, there wasn’t a flash of panic on the Blue Jackets bench. On their very next shift, Umberger received a perfect pass from Ryan Johansen and backhanded the tying goal through the pads of J.S. Giguere, securing a massive extra point for Columbus in its pursuit of the playoffs.
But they were far from done.
After seeing their only power play chance of the game evaporate in the third period/start of overtime, the Blue Jackets were undeterred. Much like they’ve done time and again throughout this season, they poured it all on the ice and got a big play from their most consistent line of the night: Fedor Tyutin made a great play at this own blue line to get the puck ahead to Nick Foligno, who broke in on a 2-on-1 with Umberger as overtime dwindled away.
Foligno snapped a wrister through Giguere with 28 seconds left in overtime to lock down a huge win, pulling the Jackets even in points with eighth-place Detroit (47 points). Sergei Bobrovsky was masterful once again, making 29 saves – several of game-breaking fashion – to both keep the Jackets in the battle and stave off an Avalanche club that kept pushing the pace.
Todd Richards said after the game that it’s all about finding ways to win this time of year, and the past two nights, they’ve done exactly that. Monday night marked their fourth consecutive win and second straight to begin a six-game road trip that continues in Anaheim on Wednesday night.
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