The Columbus Blue Jackets entered this game on a 1-6-2 skid. The New Jersey Devils were first in the East.
James Malatesta made his season debut after a call-up from Cleveland.
First Period
If the goal of calling up Malatesta was to bring energy, it didn’t work in the first half of the first period. New Jersey had the edge in opportunities early on.
Nevertheless, the Jackets ended up drawing first blood thanks to an aggressive play. Zach Aston-Reese carried the puck into the zone and towards the net with force. Cole Sillinger drew the attention of goalie Jake Allen and the Jersey defense, but Ivan Provorov followed the play and tapped in the rebound
It was an even period after that, but one defensive highlight was Jordan Harris hustling back on defense to slow down a breakaway, followed by Elvis Merzlikins making a key save to maintain the 1-0 score going into the break.