Blue Jackets Hold Off Oilers for Crucial Nationwide Arena Victory
COLUMBUS, OH – Teh Columbus Blue Jackets secured a hard-fought 5-4 victory over the Edmonton Oilers tuesday night at Nationwide Arena, avenging a recent loss and demonstrating resilience in the face of a late-game push from the high-powered Oilers.The win marked a meaningful moment for the Blue Jackets, who battled through a tense third period to close out the game and earn two crucial points.
The contest mirrored a recent matchup in Edmonton, where Columbus twice took a two-goal lead only to see the Oilers rally. This time, though, the Blue Jackets held firm despite Edmonton goals from Vasily Podzolkin and Leon Draisaitl cutting the lead to 5-4 with over eight minutes remaining.
“You try not to [have flashbacks],” said Blue Jackets forward Jack Coyle. ”We all know what has happened recently, but I think when you start to let those thoughts creep in, you’re going to end up in whatever you’re thinking about. It’s just up to us to say, ‘Hey, let’s learn from it. Let’s turn it over and let’s get the job done this time.’ I think we were a little more in tune to what we’re doing.”
A key factor in the victory was the continued strong play of a line comprised of Cole Sillinger, Jack Roslovic, and Mathieu Olivier, who combined for 11 points on October 29th against Toronto. While not always dominant offensively, their consistent, responsible play provides valuable depth for the Blue Jackets.
“They do the right things,” Head Coach Dean Evason commented. “I think you guys have seen we’ve flipped the lines a little bit here and there, but that line has been pretty consistent here for a while. We do trust them defensively,but as they showed tonight,they were able to produce offensively as well.” Olivier scored his second goal of the night early in the third period to extend Columbus’ lead to 5-2.
Adding to the offensive firepower, Adam Fantilli continued his impressive scoring streak, netting a goal late in the second period - his third consecutive game with a goal. He converted a pass from Kirill Marchenko, who extended his personal point streak to 10 games with the assist.
The Blue Jackets demonstrated a resolute mindset throughout the game, focusing on maintaining pressure and closing out the victory.
“I think our mindset was just that we’re never safe, so we have to keep going,” Olivier said. “We have to keep pressuring.Obviously they’re the best of the best players over there, so they’re going to put some heat on you, so I’m glad to find a way to get it done tonight.”
