Marchenko's overtime goal gives Blue Jackets win over Maple Leafs

The Blue Jackets completed the
NHL Prospect Tournament in Traverse City, Mich
., with a 3-2 overtime win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday afternoon. Columbus finishes this year's version of the tournament with a 2-1 record.

Quote of the Game

CBJ Traverse City head coach Trent Vogelhuber: "It was a tough, tough first 40 minutes there, especially that middle frame. We didn't touch the puck much, couldn't connect the dots together. But that's a skill that you have to learn as a young team. You're not going to be playing or feeling your best for a lot of games over the course of a season, so you have to find a way to get in the game. … Guys brought some energy up in the third period and obviously some nice goals there from (Jordan Dumais) and Marchenko."

CBJ Standouts

• Marchenko's overtime goal gave the 2018 second-round draft pick a tally in all three games of the tournament. He also added two assists for a three-point game.
• 2022 third-round pick Dumais tied the score with 1:13 to go with his third goal of the tournament.
• 2022 first-round pick David Jiricek scored his first goal of the event in the opening minute.

Quick Recap

Columbus took a 1-0 lead on the first shift of the game as Jiricek sailed a seeing-eye shot from the right point past goaltender Keith Petruzzelli. The Blue Jackets had a chance to add to the lead shortly thereafter when Roman Ahcan earned a penalty shot, but Petruzzelli made the stop. Toronto then tied the game at 1 at the 7:16 mark as Graham Slaggert tipped a shot from the point past goalie Jet Greaves.
The Maple Leafs took a 2-1 lead just 2:07 into the second period when Alex Steeves scored, and it could have been worse for the Jackets as Toronto had the puck for most of the period only to be stymied by Greaves and fellow netminder Pavel Cajan.
It stayed 2-1 until the final minutes when Dumais tied things up with a nifty finish at the side of the net with just 73 seconds to go and Cajan off for an extra attacker. That led to a 3-on-3 overtime period, and Marchenko scored with 1:37 left when he took a pass in the neutral zone from Kent Johnson, skated into the zone, wrapped around the net and snuck the puck past Petruzzelli at the far post.

Jeff's Quick Takeaways

1. This tournament is often about the big guns showing up, and they did in a big way for the Blue Jackets both today and for the entire tournament. Johnson was pretty much dominant from the get-go, not only filling up the score sheet but earning praise from Vogelhuber for his effort and ability to win battles. The skill that makes him a special player -- not to mention the No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 draft -- was evident in all three games. Marchenko and Dumais are also talented players who can fill up the stat sheet, and each deserved his success at the tournament that featured three goals apiece. Those players in particular delivered what was asked of them.
   2. As Vogelhuber said, it wasn't the prettiest game for the Blue Jackets, but there's enough talent on this team that goals can eventually come, and they did just that when two gifted players scored the tying and winning goals for Columbus. There were times the Jackets were a step behind the Maple Leafs, but in the end Columbus was able to get the victory. A big part of that can be put on the shoulders of Greaves and Cajan, who each turned in strong performances at the tournament. The two were at their best in the second period and held the Blue Jackets in the game long enough for the comeback to happen.
   3. Now the Blue Jackets return home and get ready for training camp, which begins this week. This tournament is all about giving the youngsters a chance to shine and then come into camp with momentum, and Johnson and Marchenko will certainly do that. Both are expected to battle for spots on the NHL roster this year, and you could see their abilities throughout the three games in Traverse City. The two have shined at every level before coming to Columbus, and while the competition is only going to get better, you did nothing to hurt their chances of making the team at this event. Jiricek also is in the CBJ mix on the blue line and there was a lot to like about his game at the event, but he is also still 18 and made a few mistakes as well (as any young defenseman will do). It's still hard for me to see him as an NHL player leaving camp, but he's also not that far away, either

Notable

Johnson finished the three-game tournament with a 2-5-7 line. … The Blue Jackets and Maple Leafs have played three overtime games against one another in the past two seasons in Traverse City, with Columbus winning all three. … Greaves finished with 17 saves while playing the first 29:08, while Cajan stopped all eight shots he saw in 33:40. … Columbus goalies lead the event with a .900 save percentage. … The Blue Jackets were 0-for-5 on the power play at the event.

Roster Report

Columbus made two changes to its lineup, inserting forward Roman Ahcan and defenseman Marcus Bjork in place of forward Evan Vierling and defenseman Ole Bjorgvik-Holm.

Up Next

The Blue Jackets return to Columbus to get ready for training camp, which begins this week.