Boone Jenner’s late winner pushes Blue Jackets past San Jose Sharks
Feb 17, 2024, 10:42 PM | Updated: Feb 18, 2024, 7:33 am
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 17: Ryan Carpenter #22 of the San Jose Sharks collides with Damon Severson #78 of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the third period at SAP Center on February 17, 2024 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Boone Jenner scored the game-winning goal with 12.9 seconds remaining in regulation as the Columbus Blue Jackets edged the host San Jose Sharks 4-3 on Saturday.
Jenner put a backhanded shot between the pads of Kaapo Kahkonen for his team-leading 17th goal of the season. The Blue Jackets captain now has four goals in his past three games.
Zach Werenski, Kirill Marchenko, and Dmitri Voronkov had the other goals for Columbus. Erik Gudbranson, Yegor Chinakhov and Johnny Gaudreau each had two assists, and Elvis Merzlikins made 28 saves for Columbus, which avoided a third straight loss.
The Blue Jackets improved to 4-6-1 over their past 11 games and are 8-12-6 on the road this season.
Anthony Duclair scored a pair of goals, while Fabian Zetterlund added a goal and an assist for the Sharks. Calen Addison had two helpers, and Kahkonen stopped 37 shots.
The two teams were tied 3-3 after two periods. Voronkov and Duclair exchanged goals 19 seconds apart. Voronkov made it 3-1 Columbus at 7:14 of the second, putting home the rebound of Chinakhov’s shot for his 14th marker of the season.
Duclair responded for San Jose on a partial break, tucking the puck just inside the post on Merzlikins at 7:33.
The Sharks tied it 3-3 on a power play, as Zetterlund one-timed an Addison pass past Merzlikins for his 15th goal of the season at 15:29.
The Blue Jackets outshot the Sharks 16-8 and led 2-1 after 20 minutes. Duclair opened the scoring 3:39 into the first period on a breakaway, putting a bouncing puck between the pads of Merzlikins for his 10th tally of the season.
Columbus then scored twice 1:08 apart.
Werenski tied it 1-1 at 15:16 as his shot from the point got past a screened Kahkonen for his second goal of the season and first in 39 games. With the assist on the goal, Gaudreau extended his point streak to six games.
The Blue Jackets took their first lead of the game when Marchenko put a snap shot glove-side past Kahkonen for his 16th goal of the season at 16:24. San Jose dropped to 5-4-2 over its past 11 games.
The Blue Jackets and the San Jose Sharks wrap up the season series in Columbus on March 16.
Thank you for reading SactownSports.com. Follow us on Twitter and Google News, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
–Field Level Media
