Blue Jackets edge Panthers, move into 2nd in Metro
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Zach Werenski and Josh Anderson scored second-period goals for the Blue Jackets, and Columbus moved into second place in the Metropolitan Division with a 2-1 victory over the Florida Panthers on Thursday night.
Anderson also assisted on Werenski's goal.
The Blue Jackets, who last week set franchise records for victories and points, have 96 points. Columbus (45-18-6) trails only the Washington Capitals, who moved to 98 points Thursday with an overtime loss to the Nashville Predators, for supremacy in the division and in the battle for the President's Trophy.
The Panthers (30-28-11) are fighting to stay in Eastern Conference playoff race.
Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky made 33 saves. James Reimer stopped 31 shots for Florida, which got a first-period goal from Jonathan Marchessault.
Both teams were held scoreless on two power-play opportunities apiece in the second period, but the Blue Jackets found the net twice late in the period to take a 2-1 lead.
Werenski, who leads rookie defenseman with 44 points, snapped off a shot from wide of the left circle to tie the score 1-1 at 15:51.
After the Panthers killed off the Blue Jackets' second power play, the Blue Jackets took a 2-1 lead at 19:21 on Anderson's 15th goal of the season. Reimer had no one between him and Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson, who was just inside the blue line, when Johnson fired a shot that deflected off Anderson.
The Panthers took a 1-0 lead when former Blue Jacket Marchessault scored his team-high 23rd goal of the season at 18:15 of the first period.
The Panthers almost made in a two-goal lead 45 seconds later, but Bobrovsky covered a point-blank shot by Reilly Smith.
NOTES: The Blue Jackets activated C Lukas Sedlak off injured reserve, but he was scratched. Sedlak stained an oblique on Feb. 17. He has six goals and six assists in 55 games this season. ... The opening goal by C Jonathan Marchessault was the Panthers' 65th in the first period this season, good for fourth in the league. ... Marchessault, who scored two goals in the Panthers' previous game, has four goals in the past three games after a four-game drought. ... The Blue Jackets honored longtime television play-by-play announcer Jeff Rimer before the game in honor of calling his 2,000th NHL game this past Saturday in Buffalo. Rimer's career spans four decades and includes stints with the Panthers and the Washington Capitals. He has been calling Blue Jackets games since 2005-06. Blue Jackets president and hall of fame broadcaster John Davidson, Rimer's high school classmate in Calgary, presented Rimer with a silver microphone.