FINAL: Blue Jackets 4, Stars 3 (OT)

The Blue Jackets won a 4-3 decision against Dallas in overtime on Saturday evening at Nationwide Arena.
Game in a Paragraph
It wasn't always pretty, but Columbus stuck it out and got the win on Zach Werenski's overtime tally. The teams were tied 1-1 through 20 minutes before a late Columbus push in the second gave the home team a 3-2 lead after 40 minutes. Dallas tied the score early in the third, setting up the Blue Jackets' second overtime game in a row. Werenski was able to get the winner on a rebound with 4.5 seconds to go.

Quote of the Game
Nick Foligno: "We bent but we didn't break, and that's how you find a way to win in this league. I'm happy for us. A couple of games now we found a way to lose after playing some really good minutes. Tonight we found a way to win after playing some good minutes, and that's important."
CBJ Standouts

Quick Recap
In a tight-checking, evenly contested first period, perhaps it was fitting it was a 1-1 game through 20 minutes. Columbus opened the scoring at the 9:07 mark, as Domi got on the board. Seth Jones got the puck to Emil Bemstron along the right-wing wall in the neutral zone, and he played it forward to Jack Roslovic with speed. The Columbus native got to the right circle and centered to Domi, whose original shot was blocked but he followed the rebound and put it home to make it 1-0.
Dallas got it back, though, with 3:16 left in the period on a nicely worked play between Radek Faksa and Andrew Cogliano. Faksa fed the puck to Cogliano with speed as he entered the zone, and Cogliano got to the left dot and fired a wrist shot far side that got by Elvis Merzlikins to knot the score at 1.
Dallas nearly got another about a minute later as Merzlikins had a shot by Nick Caamano go off his glove, but Rhett Gardner got to the rebound and could only put it off the post to keep it a 1-1 game.
The Stars did take the lead early in the second period as part of a strong start to the period for the visitors, who did not allow a CBJ shot on goal in the first 11-plus minutes of the period. In addition, Andrej Sekera gave Dallas a 2-1 lead at the 7:17 mark, as the puck bounded back to him at the blue line and he ripped a slap shot over the glove of Merzlikins with Cogliano getting the first assist.
But Columbus came alive when the lines switched up near the midway point of the period, perhaps encouraged as well by an address from head coach John Tortorella during a media timeout. The Blue Jackets tied the score at 3:15 of the period off a faceoff, as Domi slid a pass to Atkinson low on the left for a quick shot that beat Oettinger and made it 2-2.
Exactly a minute later, Foligno made it a 3-2 CBJ lead with 2:15 to go in the period. He took a pass from Zach Werenski, juked Esa Lindell to his backside at the blue line, then came in with space and fired a shot from the right dot that beat Oettinger to the far side blocker to restore the CBJ lead.
The Stars retied the game at the 5:08 mark of the third on a nice passing play. A nice array of passes ended in a goal that made it 3-3 as Jason Robertson finished off the move with a dish to Denis Gurianov alone in front, and he put a shot past Merzlikins to knot the score.
Columbus had a golden chance to take the lead with 10:58 to go as Emil Bemstrom was tripped from behind on a rush and was awarded a penalty shot, but Oettinger closed the pads and made the stop to keep it a tie ballgame.
Both teams had some looks late in regulation as Oettinger turned aside a one-timer by Bemstrom and Merzlikins used his pad to kick out a rebound that David Savard nearly had bounce off him into the net.
That meant overtime, where Werenski got the winner. Oliver Bjorkstrand twice was denied by Oettinger, but the Dallas goalie couldn't find the rebound and the CBJ defenseman slid it home as time ticked down.
3 Takeaways
1. Mr. 600: For whatever reason, it always seems like players elevate their game in a milestone moment, and it was no different for Atkinson on this night as he scored career goal No. 209 in game No. 600. It was a pure Atkinson goal, finding an open soft spot in the offensive zone and then putting a shot past the goalie, making it seem like a tally we've seen before. Atkinson usually isn't one to spend too much time on milestones, but he said he was happy to have family in town for the achievement. "Honestly, time flies," he said. "600 goes pretty quick. Lucky enough to have my wife and my two boys, and my mom and dad flew in, so it just makes it that much more special." Added Domi, who has credited Atkinson with taking him under his wing in Columbus: "600 games is a lot of games. That's a lot of credit to him. I'm happy for him and I hope he plays 600 more."
2. A needed OT winner: Both Atkinson and Domi said they love playing in 3-on-3 overtime because of the open ice, but from above, it looked like the Blue Jackets were a nervous team for much of the extra frame. That will happen when you enter the game with just a 1-6 record past 60 minutes, with the lone win coming in a shootout earlier this year. But the Blue Jackets stuck with it and got the winner, as Bjorkstrand and Werenski worked a nice give and go before the CBJ defenseman finally got the puck home with the team's fourth shot attempt on that rush. "It took us right to the 11th hour, midnight almost to get it," Foligno said. "Guys stuck with it. That's the way 3-on-3 goes. That's just really gratifying for everybody in the room." It was a needed extra point, largely because it should give the team some confidence in 3-on-3.
3. Torts talk: With the Blue Jackets netting exactly zero shots on net through the first 10 minutes of the second period, Tortorella pulled the team together for a chat during a TV timeout. Whether it was the chat or the new lines he used after that moment, something clicked for the Blue Jackets, who were pulled out of their doldrums and scored twice in the second half of the period to take the lead into the third. Tortorella said it was more an encouragement than a talking to, while Atkinson added, "He just wanted us to play with some pride. It's in our home building, in front of the home fans. Give them something to cheer for." The line shakeup also seemed to help, in particular the trio of Roslovic centering Domi and Atkinson creating offensive as the game went on. "I had a lot of fun playing with those two guys," Domi said. The trio of Boone Jenner between Eric Robinson and Bemstrom also looked good as the game went on.
Notable
Merzlikins made 27 saves in the win, Oettinger 22 stops in the loss after entering 2-0 vs. Columbus this season. ... Roslovic finished with three assists to tie a career high, giving him four helpers in the past two games. … Columbus scored first for an NHL-best 20th time in 29 games and has outscored teams 27-18 in the first period. … The Blue Jackets outscored a team in the second period for the second straight game after having been outscored 34-19 in the middle frame going into Thursday night. ... Columbus' four penalty shot attempts leads the league this season. ... The Blue Jackets have points in 10 of 12 games vs. Dallas (9-2-1) in the capital city dating back to the 2012-13 season. ... Neither team had a power play in the game, with Joel Hanley's tripping call leading to Bemstrom's penalty shot the only penalty of the game. Columbus was not whistled for a penalty for the 17th time in franchise history and first time since Feb. 16, 2020, at New Jersey. ... Today's game was the first time in franchise history that both teams combined for zero penalty minutes in a game at Nationwide Arena. ... Dallas played without forwards Alexander Radulov and Roope Hintz.
Roster Report
Vladislav Gavrikov returned to the lineup after missing Thursday's game for the birth of his first child. He took the place of Gabriel Carlsson, who was scratched with fellow defenseman Scott Harrington and forward Mikhail Grigorenko.
Up Next
Columbus completes the two-game series Sunday vs. Dallas with another 5 p.m. game.