DETROIT — In a high-stakes matchup between two Eastern Conference playoff hopefuls, the Columbus Blue Jackets emerged victorious over the Detroit Red Wings with a 5-2 win on Thursday night. James van Riemsdyk led the charge for Columbus, netting two goals in the contest. The victory enabled the Blue Jackets to draw level with Detroit in the standings, both teams now having 66 points and sharing the two Eastern Conference wildcard spots.
In addition to van Riemsdyk’s contribution, Sean Kuraly, Kent Johnson, and Kirill Marchenko all found the back of the net for the Blue Jackets. Boone Jenner was pivotal in the playmaking department, assisting on three of Columbus’ goals.
Despite Detroit’s loss, Alex DeBrincat and J.T. Compher managed to put up a fight on the scoresheet. DeBrincat got the Red Wings off to a promising start, scoring just 27 seconds into the second period with a well-placed shot from the crease, getting around Blue Jackets goalie Daniil Tarasov.
The equalizer came from van Riemsdyk, who expertly redirected a point shot from Jake Christiansen past Detroit’s goaltender Cam Talbot. Kuraly then gave Columbus the lead by jamming a goal past Talbot from close proximity.
Johnson expanded the margin in a manner akin to van Riemsdyk’s earlier goal, deflecting a point shot from Dante Fabbro straight into the net. Van Riemsdyk almost seemed unstoppable as he added his second goal to make it 4-1, capitalizing on a well-placed pass from Jenner.
The Red Wings grabbed one goal back during a power play when Compher scored, marking Detroit’s ninth power-play goal over their last five games. Marchenko sealed the game for Columbus with an empty-net goal.
In terms of goaltending, Tarasov made 29 saves for the Blue Jackets, while Talbot turned aside 25 shots for Detroit.
There were some key moments and takeaways from the game, notably a third-period goal by Kuraly that was overturned. Initially disallowed for being directed in by a distinct kicking motion, replays confirmed he legally shot the puck, leading to the reversal of the call.
On the Red Wings’ side, DeBrincat’s tally marked his 27th goal of the season, mirroring last season’s total and extending his point streak to eight consecutive games. The Red Wings were short due to Michael Rasmussen’s absence, who missed his third straight game with an upper-body injury.
Van Riemsdyk’s night was part of a season streak, having recorded four goals in two games against the Red Wings this year. The two teams are set to square off again on Saturday, facing each other outdoors at Ohio Stadium as part of the NHL Stadium Series.
