Blue Jackets Light Up Lightning in 8-5 Shootout Win, Snap Tampa’s 15-Game Point Streak
If you thought the Columbus Blue Jackets were going to quietly fade into the background of the Metro Division playoff picture, think again. On Saturday night, they delivered an offensive explosion that not only stunned the Tampa Bay Lightning but also snapped their 15-game point streak in emphatic fashion.
The Jackets, now 24-20-7 with 55 points, sit seventh in the Metro and seven points out of a wild card spot. But performances like this one suggest they’re not going away without a fight.
Let’s break it down.
A Wild One in Columbus
This game was chaos from the drop of the puck - the kind of high-scoring, back-and-forth battle that leaves coaches pulling their hair out and fans on the edge of their seats.
Columbus got goals from six different skaters: Cole Sillinger, Mason Marchment (who had three), Adam Fantilli, Dmitri Voronkov, Charlie Coyle, and Sean Monahan. Marchment and Monahan each added an empty-netter to seal the deal, and Jet Greaves stopped 25 of 30 shots in net.
Now, it wasn’t all pretty. In fact, one of the most bizarre moments of the night came when Greaves tried to clear the puck from his crease - only to see it ricochet off Isac Lundestrom’s skate and into his own net.
A month ago, that kind of fluke might’ve unraveled this team. But not this time.
Just 41 seconds later, Marchment answered with his first of the night, reclaiming the lead and swinging momentum right back to Columbus. From there, it turned into a track meet - and the Jackets had more gas in the tank.
Season Series Secured
With the win, Columbus takes the season series over Tampa Bay for the first time since 2016-17. They’re now 2-0-0 against the Lightning with one game left on the schedule (March 10 in Tampa). It’s only the third time in franchise history they’ve won a multi-game season series against the Bolts.
And this wasn’t just any win - the eight goals scored were the most the Jackets have ever put up against Tampa Bay, surpassing the seven they dropped on them in November 2024.
Streak Snappers
This isn’t the first time this season Columbus has played spoiler to a red-hot team. Earlier this month, they ended Buffalo’s 10-game win streak.
Now, they’ve snapped Tampa’s 15-game point streak. According to NHL Stats, it’s just the second time in franchise history the Jackets have ended multiple double-digit point streaks in a single season - the last time being 2016-17.
Columbus is now 6-1-0 in their last seven games and has collected points in six of their last seven at Nationwide Arena (5-1-1). Quietly, they’ve become one of the league’s hotter teams since mid-January.
First-Period Fireworks
The Jackets came out flying, netting four goals in the opening period - tying their season-high for goals in a single frame. They’ve now scored in the first 10 minutes of the game in four straight contests, and Cole Sillinger kept that trend alive with a goal just 5:47 into the first.
They’ve opened the scoring in 15 of their last 20 games and are 20-6-4 when striking first this season, including a 12-4-1 mark at home. Safe to say, fast starts are becoming their calling card.
Player Breakdown
Mason Marchment
What a night for Marchment.
The winger recorded his third career hat trick - and first as a Blue Jacket - while adding an assist and finishing +2. Since debuting with Columbus on Dec. 20, he’s racked up 8 goals and 3 assists in just nine games.
That ties him with Zach Werenski and Artemi Panarin for the second-fewest games needed to reach 10 points with the franchise.
He also became just the third player in team history to notch a hat trick within their first 10 games as a Jacket. And against Tampa? He’s been a thorn - 7 goals, 5 assists in 15 career games, with points in six of his last seven home matchups against the Bolts.
Cole Sillinger
Sillinger had himself a milestone night, scoring his sixth goal of the season and adding two assists for his fifth three-point performance of the year.
That goal also happened to be the 200th of his NHL career. He’s now posted 5 goals and 3 assists over his last seven games - a strong stretch for the 1,000-game veteran.
Adam Fantilli
The rookie continues to impress.
Fantilli tallied his 13th goal and added two assists, giving him points in four straight games against Tampa Bay. He’s now up to seven points in six career games against the Lightning.
Dmitri Voronkov
Voronkov broke a brief scoring drought with his 17th of the season. That goal gives him points in four of his last five games and ties him with Kristian Huselius for the eighth-most goals by a Blue Jacket before reaching 200 career games.
Charlie Coyle
Coyle chipped in with a goal and two assists, finishing +3. The veteran continues to provide steady two-way play and timely offense.
Sean Monahan
Monahan added his eighth goal of the season and now has 16 points in 21 career games against Tampa. He’s also been heating up at home, with points in six of his last eight games at Nationwide Arena.
Kirill Marchenko & Zach Werenski
Marchenko had two assists for his third multi-assist game of the season and now has points in nine of 10 career games against Tampa.
Werenski, meanwhile, continues to be a force from the blue line, adding two more assists. That marks his 18th multi-point game of the season and ties Rick Nash for the most multi-assist periods in franchise history.
Special Teams & Team Stats
The Jackets went 1-for-2 on the power play and gave up one goal on two Tampa Bay man advantages. Faceoffs were a struggle - they won just 39% - but they made up for it with physicality (27 hits) and timely shot-blocking (15 blocks).
What’s Next?
Columbus will look to keep the momentum going when they host the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night. If they keep playing with this kind of pace, confidence, and offensive depth, the playoff picture in the East might just get a little more interesting.