They knew it would be a long night of defending.
What the Blue Jackets couldn’t have anticipated Sunday at Nationwide Arena was just how much the puck stayed in their end, how often they’d lean on rookie goalie Daniil Tarasov and how uplifting it would be to win 5-3 just one day after losing 6-1 to the Detroit Red Wings.
“We fought hard,” said Johnny Gaudreau, who paced the Blue Jackets with a goal and two assists. “‘Tarry’ played out of his mind and kept us in this game, as well.