Chinakhov lifts Blue Jackets to 3-2 win over Wild in SO
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Yegor Chinakhov scored the shootout winner after Zach Werenski tied the game with 30.4 seconds left in regulation to rally the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Wild on Friday night and snap a four-game losing streak.
Chinakov also scored in the first period, and Elvis Merzlikins stopped 36 shots in the win for Columbus.
Mats Zuccarello had a goal and an assist, and Kirill Kaprizov also scored for Minnesota. Kaapo Kahkonen had 26 saves in the Wild’s first loss in three games. Minnesota remained in third place in the Central Division, a point behind St. Louis.
Columbus went up 1-0 on Chinakhov’s first power-play goal of the season, a wrister from the left circle that beat Kahkonen glove side with 6:29 left into the game.
Kaprizov tied it with 26 seconds left in the first, just 15 seconds into a 4-on-3 Wild power play, with a wrister from the left circle. It was his 30th goal of the season and extended his point streak to eight games.
Zuccarello put the Wild ahead 2-1 with 6:27 left in the second with his deflection of a shot by Jared Spurgeon that bounced off Merzlikins and dribbled into the goal.
Werenski tied it again with a shot from the blue line that beat Kahkonen with 32 seconds remaining in regulation to send the game to overtime.
UP NEXT
Wild: Host Nashville on Sunday night.
Blue Jackets: Host Las Vegas on Sunday night.