In 64 seconds on Tuesday night, the Blue Jackets flipped the script on the Philadelphia Flyers.
In 79 seconds tonight, the Carolina Hurricanes flipped the script on the Blue Jackets.
That’s just the way it goes.
Holding a 1-0 lead after two periods in front of a lively home crowd at Nationwide Arena, Columbus was in good shape: 40 shots on goal, plenty of chances, and a breakthrough goal from Matt Calvert late in the middle frame to validate their work.
And in a short span, it all came undone.
Carolina scored three times in the aforementioned 1:19 span, turning a one-goal deficit into a two-goal cushion, and they held on down the stretch for a 3-2 win in large part due to goaltender Eddie Lack, who made 42 saves and was the game’s No. 1 star.
For the Blue Jackets, this particular defeat was frustrating because the game was in their grasp, but it slipped through their fingers in the third period.
“We can’t let that happen,” Boone Jenner said. “57 minutes of that game was good, and that (stretch) cost us.”
Victor Rask got the Hurricanes off to a rousing start in the third period, curling, dragging and shooting through Ryan Murray’s legs – a perfect shot, if you will – to tie the game only 52 seconds into it.
Sergei Bobrovsky, who finished with 21 saves, never got a good look at the puck as it came through a screen and through a set of legs. Just a terrific finish, and one where you tip your cap to the shooter.
Trouble really percolated for the Blue Jackets when Chris Terry took an alley-oop pass from blue line to blue line courtesy of Jaccob Slavin and walked in alone on Bobrovsky. A slick move to the forehand fooled Bobrovsky and Terry made no mistake, putting Carolina ahead for the first time with his eighth goal of the season.
The eventual game-winner was a deft re-direction in front of the net from Elias Lindholm, who snuck in behind the Blue Jackets defense and got a stick on Jordan Staal’s quick toss toward the front.
A late push proved fruitless for the Blue Jackets, who fired 44 shots on goal tonight after pumping 53 in Tuesday’s shootout win over the Flyers.
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