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Kent Johnson's 'Michigan' goal highlights Blue Jackets OT win over Islanders

Boone Jenner scored on a power-play goal 40 seconds into OT to give Columbus a 5-4 win — its first back-to-back victories since Feb. 18. Kent Johnson's goal in the second period of Friday's game against the Islanders was a highlight of the Blue Jackets' 5-4 win over the Islanders. Johnson had previously attempted the lacrosse-style attempt at least two other times this season, but made it look easy and lifted both arms up in the air. Eric Robinson scored to make it 4-2 in overtime, while Boone Jenner's redirection only 40 seconds into overtime gave them a power-play goal. The Blue Jackets climbed out of last place in the NHL overall standings, moving ahead of San Jose in 31st place due to a tiebreaker if the NHL lottery were held today.

Kent Johnson's 'Michigan' goal highlights Blue Jackets OT win over Islanders

प्रकाशित : 12 महीने पहले द्वारा Aaron Portzline में Sports

COLUMBUS, Ohio — This game probably won’t be remembered in the seasons to come, even though the Blue Jackets won a thriller in overtime. It might be barely a footnote by next month when this miserable Blue Jackets season mercifully meets its end.

But the goal scored by rookie winger Kent Johnson at 17:06 of the second period — a “Michigan” goal by a Michigan product — will be a lasting memory for most, the culmination of an incredible sequence of skills to create a goal for the ages.

A sold-out crowd of 18,940 in Nationwide Arena erupted as Johnson scored. Those who missed it the first time came out of their seats on the replay. Even the Blue Jackets’ bench, which has seen Johnson’s dazzling array of puck skills in practice, could barely contain themselves.

“Some of the guys were holding their heads,” Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen said. “The fact that he can do that at full speed … it’s an incredible goal. It’s an amazing goal.”

Johnson had tried the lacrosse-style attempt at least two other times this season, and either had the puck slide off his stick or been confronted by an opponent. This time, he made it look easy, lifting both arms up in the air, a mixture of jubilation and relief.

“The confidence has always been there to try it,” Johnson said. “It was nice to finally execute it. It’s always nice to score, but especially like that.”

Johnson’s goal gave the Blue Jackets their first lead of the game, 3-2. Forty seconds later, with the building still abuzz, Eric Robinson scored to make it 4-2.

Boone Jenner’s redirection only 40 seconds into overtime — a power-play goal for the Blue Jackets — gave them a 5-4 win, their first back-to-back wins since Feb. 18. They outlasted Washington 7-6 in overtime on Tuesday.

Johnny Gaudreau and Liam Foudy also scored for Columbus, while goaltender Michael Hutchinson had 34 saves to earn his first win with the Blue Jackets.

Here’s the downside of Friday’s win: the Blue Jackets climbed out of last place in the NHL overall standings, moving ahead of San Jose in 31st place due to a tiebreaker. If the NHL lottery were held today, the Blue Jackets would have a 13.5 percent chance (or about 1 in 8) to land the No. 1 overall pick. Last place has a 25.5 percent chance.

The Blue Jackets lost two players to injury during the game. Forward Mathieu Olivier went down with a lower-body injury in the first period, while Erik Gudbranson suffered an upper-body injury in the second period.

Neither player traveled to Montreal after the game — the Jackets play the Canadiens on Saturday — and Larsen indicated that Gudbranson’s injury could be longer than day to day.

Jenner’s game-winner was his club-leading 25th goal of the season, but he fielded more questions about Johnson’s goal than his own — and he understood.

“We were pretty shocked (on the bench),” Jenner said. “But we know he’s capable of it, so I guess we weren’t too surprised.

“But the way he pulled it off … so smoothly, and it’s a big goal at the time. And how quickly he got it off. It’s a heck of a play by him.”

Johnson started the play with the puck above the right circle, his back to the play, shielding the puck from the Islanders’ Anders Lee. He spun quickly to his left to avoid Lee and ended up along the wall, wide of the circle.

Then he cut toward the net, and when Islanders’ defenseman Alexander Romanov closed in on him near the faceoff dot, Johnson toe-dragged the puck through his skates, gathered it off his back on the right side of his body, and skated clear of Romanov.

“I was kind of looking for a shooting late,” Johnson said, “and I didn’t have it there. So I put it between my legs.

“Once I was skating around the net, I kind of knew.”

Johnson skated behind the Islanders’ net, loading the puck on his stick when he was directly behind goaltender Ilya Sorokin, who was perfectly positioned to deny Johnson if he attempted a typical wrap-around — his right pad was tight to the post, his body was leaning that way, too.

But before Sorokin could even see Johnson emerging to his right, he lifted the puck off his backhand and slammed it in the upper left corner of the cage.

“I would never anticipate something like that happening,” Larsen said. “But he is so creative. It’s the right call there. Nobody’s talking about the first move he makes to create separation.

“He’s tried it before in games and been close. It’s not to be showy. If he tries that on his backhand (along the ice), Sorokin is there.”

Oddly enough, the goal was scored exactly 27 years to the day after the University of Michigan’s Mike Legg scored what is believed to be the first lacrosse-style goal in hockey. That’s why it’s universally referred to as the “Michigan” goal.

Johnson has scored “Michigan” goals a few times throughout his young career — twice for the Trail Smoke Eaters of the British Columbia Junior Hockey League and once while playing for Team Canada in the IIHF World Junior Championships.

Oddly enough, Johnson never scored a “Michigan” goal in his two seasons (2020-21 and 2021-22) at Michigan. That still “pisses me off,” he said Friday.

But Johnson has much to be pleased about, including a rookie NHL season that’s quietly going very well, at least personally.

In 68 games, Johnson has 15-22-37, good for fourth in the NHL among rookies. It’s also — with 11 games remaining in the season — the fifth-best season by Blue Jackets rookie, trailing only Pierre-Luc Dubois (2017-18, 20-28-48), Zach Werenski (2016-17, 11-36-47), Rick Nash (2002-03, 17-22-39) and Jakub Voracek (9-29-38).

The game also marked the NHL debut of Hunter McKown, who was signed by the Blue Jackets out of Colorado College earlier this week. McKown had his first NHL point, an assist, on Robinson’s goal. He also had two shots on goal, played 11:53, and won 7-of-9 faceoffs.


विषय: Hockey, Michigan, NHL, Columbus Blue Jackets

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