COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Max Domi scored 4:39 into overtime to lift the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Detroit Red Wings 5-4 on Saturday night in the season finale for both teams.
Matiss Kivlenieks had 33 saves for the Blue Jackets, who despite the feel-good win to end the season couldn’t avoid finishing in the Central Division cellar. Columbus needed a win in regulation to finish ahead of the Red Wings.
Eric Robinson had a goal and an assist, Cam Atkinson got his 15th goal of the season for the Blue Jackets, Oliver Bjorkstrand got his team-leading 18th and Max Domi also scored for the Blue Jackets, who won for just the third time in the last 15 games.
Jakub Vrana, acquired from Washington at the trade deadline, got his eighth goal in 11 games with his new team. Dennis DeKeyser, Sam Gagner and Valtteri Filppula also scored for the Red Wings. Calvin Pickard had 31 saves.
The Blue Jackets missed the playoffs for the first time in five seasons under John Tortorella, who has been mum about his future with the team.
Scoring in the yo-yo game began when a long shot by Dennis Cholowski was redirected by Vrana 6:40 into the game. Columbus tied it when Atkinson tapped in a doorstep pass from Patrik Laine at the 10:16 mark.
In the second, DeKeyser’s slap shot from the right circle shot beat Kivlenieks, but Bjorkstrand answered for the Blue Jackets with a shot over Pickard’s shoulder.
Columbus got a slick short-handed goal in the third when Nathan Gerbe, his back turned to the play in the Detroit zone, shoveled the puck out from the boards for Robinson. But before the Blue Jackets could kill the Detroit penalty, Gagner put back a rebounded puck to tie it at 3.
Roslovic lifted a shot over Pickard’s shoulder with 5:15 left, but Filppula poked in a rebound that had gotten behind Kivlenieks to ensure overtime.
