{{pageModel.leagueAbbr}} {{pageModel.subtitle}} | Las Vegas Review-Journal
National Hockey League
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Columbus 4, Phoenix 3
When: 7:00 PM ET, Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Where: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Referees: Wes McCauley, Brian Pochmara
Linesmen: Derek Amell, Steve Barton
Attendance: 16289


Blue Jackets 4, Coyotes 3 (OT): Ryan Johansen scored his team-leading 32nd goal at 3:33 of overtime as Columbus won its final home game of the season.

After Phoenix defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson's wrist shot beat a screened Sergei Bobrovsky to forge a tie with 15 seconds left in the third period, the Blue Jackets took advantage of a turnover to turn the tide in overtime. Blue-liner James Wisniewski wired a stretch pass to Johansen, who skated in and wristed a shot from the left circle that sailed past Thomas Greiss (26 saves) to end the contest.

Rookie Boone Jenner, Mark Letestu and Blake Comeau also tallied and Bobrovsky turned aside 29 shots for the Blue Jackets, who remained one point behind Detroit for the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Red Wings skated to a 4-2 win over Buffalo on Tuesday.

Martin Erat and Shane Doan scored for the Coyotes, who fell two points behind Dallas for the Western Conference's final wild-card spot after dropping its fifth in a row (0-2-3). The Stars beat Nashville 3-2 in a shootout Tuesday.

Phoenix claimed a 2-1 lead at 17:53 of the first period as Michael Stone's blast from the point caromed off the skate of Doan and into the net, but Letestu knotted it up at 5:25 of the second after his shot from the slot banked off the post and in. Comeau wristed a shot from above the left circle that sailed over Greiss' glove to give Columbus a 3-2 lead with 6:18 remaining in the third.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Blue Jackets will fly out immediately to Dallas for Wednesday's make-up game versus the Stars. The original contest was suspended on March 10 when Dallas' Rich Peverley collapsed on the bench. ... Columbus RW Nathan Horton returned from a four-game absence due to a lower-body injury and notched an assist on Jenner's goal. He exited the contest in the second after aggravating the injury. ... Phoenix RW Radim Vrbata notched an assist for his 50th point of the season.
Top Game Performances
 
Phoenix   Columbus
Shane Doan 1 Points Ryan Johansen 2
Shane Doan 1 Goals Ryan Johansen 1
Mikkel Boedker 1 Assists Artem Anisimov 2
N/A Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Thomas Greiss .867 Save Percentage Sergei Bobrovsky .906
Thomas Greiss 26 Saves Sergei Bobrovsky 29
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Phoenix 32 3 0-2 1-1 7 32
Columbus 30 4 0-1 2-2 9 32
Upcoming Games
  • Columbus will play their next game on the road against Dallas. The Blue Jackets have a W/L % of .487 after a win and .538 after a loss.
  • Phoenix will play their next game on the road against Nashville. The Coyotes have a W/L % of .432 after a win and .476 after a loss.