Patrick Laine netted the game-winner at 2:16 of overtime, propelling the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 2-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday night.
Eric Robinson also scored, and Elvis Merzlikins made 19 saves for the Blue Jackets, who have started the season with a perfect 2-0-0 record.
“I thought we were much more engaged in this game,” said Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen. “It was a grind, but we were better structurally in some areas we addressed as a group. You had to fight for your ice out there.”
Brandon Tanev scored the lone goal for Seattle, while Philipp Grubauer stopped 23 shots.
The game remained scoreless until Tanev found the back of the net at 14:37 of the second period. It was Tanev’s third goal of the season, leading the team, and marked the Kraken’s first 1-0 lead.
Robinson equalized for Columbus at 10:07 of the third period, shooting high over Grubauer. Gregory Hofmann assisted, earning his first NHL point.
In the 3-on-3 overtime, Laine fired a shot from the right circle to secure Columbus’ first overtime win.
“It felt awesome,” Laine said. “It’s always nice to get the OT winner, but seeing the fans’ reaction for the first time when I score like this was a great feeling.”
Grubauer, a Vezina Trophy finalist in 2020-21, started his third consecutive game since joining Seattle from the Colorado Avalanche.
“Obviously, it’s not the result we wanted,” Tanev said. “These are important points early on in the season. We can take some positives from the game, but we also need to improve some things. Ultimately, it’s a learning experience for our group, and we’ll move on from this.”
UP NEXT
- Seattle plays at Philadelphia on Monday.
- Columbus plays at Detroit on Tuesday.
