COLUMBUS — The Columbus Blue Jackets were looking to rebound from Saturday's disappointing loss to St. Louis. Instead, they delivered an even worse performance Tuesday night, falling 7-3 to the Florida Panthers at Nationwide Arena.
Columbus actually started the game well enough, taking a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. However, Florida scored four unanswered goals in the second period and added two more early in the third, turning what had been a competitive contest into a rout.
Brady Tkachuk led the Panthers with a hat trick, while his brother Matthew collected five assists. Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Reinhart each added two goals as Florida took full advantage of a Blue Jackets team that repeatedly found itself in the penalty box.
A Promising Start Falls Apart
Kent Johnson opened the scoring with an unassisted goal at 14:11 of the first period, giving Columbus an early advantage.
The Blue Jackets carried that lead into the second period, but the momentum didn't last.
Brady Tkachuk tied the game just 2:27 into the period before scoring again at 6:00, this time on the power play following an interference penalty against Damon Severson.
Another Columbus penalty, this one for hooking against Sean Monahan, gave Florida another opportunity with the man advantage. Tkachuk completed his hat trick at 10:30, putting the Panthers ahead 3-1.
The situation deteriorated further when Mathieu Olivier received a five-minute major for slashing and a game misconduct with 6:16 remaining in the period.
Florida capitalized again, with Verhaeghe scoring a power-play goal at 17:50 to give the Panthers a 4-1 advantage entering the third.
The Third Period Offers Little Relief
Any hope of a Columbus comeback disappeared quickly.
Reinhart scored on the power play just 1:20 into the third period, extending Florida's lead to 5-1. Verhaeghe added his second goal at 3:28, pushing the advantage to five goals.
By that point, the Panthers had scored six consecutive times, and Columbus had little to show for its efforts after the opening period.
The Blue Jackets finally responded late in the third. Denton Mateychuk scored at 13:47, with assists from Severson and Valeri Nichushkin. Just 22 seconds later, Cole Sillinger scored to cut the deficit to 6-3.
However, any remote possibility of a comeback ended when Reinhart scored his second goal at 17:43, completing Florida's 7-3 victory.
Discipline and Defense Remain Major Concerns
The Blue Jackets entered Tuesday's contest with questions about their defensive consistency. Their performance against Florida did little to provide answers.
Columbus allowed four goals in the second period, committed costly penalties, and struggled to contain a Panthers offense that was playing without several key contributors.
The penalty problems were particularly damaging. Florida scored four power-play goals, including two during the second period when the Panthers seized control of the game.
Olivier's major penalty and game misconduct only made matters worse, forcing Columbus to spend another extended stretch defending with a player disadvantage.
Cam Talbot started in goal for the Blue Jackets before Jet Greaves entered during the third period, but the problems extended well beyond the goaltenders.
After four competitive games to open the season, Columbus has now dropped consecutive contests while allowing a combined 12 goals.
Rick Bowness has plenty to address, particularly with a team still trying to establish chemistry following its offseason changes. The Blue Jackets have demonstrated that they can compete, but their last two performances have also shown how quickly games can get away from them when defensive mistakes begin piling up.
What's Next
Columbus will have a few days to regroup before hosting the New York Rangers on Saturday, October 17, at Nationwide Arena.
The Blue Jackets will enter that game with a 2-3-0 record, looking to end a two-game losing streak and avoid another defensive collapse.
