Zach Werenski scored with 4.5 seconds left in overtime to lift the host Columbus Blue Jackets past the Dallas Stars 4-3 on Saturday.
Max Domi, Cam Atkinson and Nick Foligno paced the Blue Jackets with a goal each in regulation time. Jack Roslovic added three assists.
Andrew Cogliano, Andrej Sekera and Denis Gurianov each scored once for the Stars, who outshot the Blue Jackets 30-26.
Second-year goalie Elvis Merzlikins withstood the Stars for the win in the Columbus goal, while rookie Jake Oettinger took the loss at the other end.
Columbus opened the scoring in the first. Roslovic picked up the loose puck at the Stars' blueline and dished it over to Domi in the slot. Domi jumped on his own rebound to score at 9:07.
Cogliano drew the Stars even at 16:44, splitting the Blue Jackets' defense and finding a hole under Merzlikins' arm.
The Stars found their first lead of the game at 7:17 of the second, executing on a dump-and-chase. Cogliano and Blake Comeau worked the puck back to Sekera at the point who made no mistake on the long shot.
But the Blue Jackets needed only 60 seconds to score twice on two shots and take a 3-2 lead.
At 16:45, Roslovic won the draw in the Stars end and, from the boards, made a perfect pass to Atkinson, who was open in front. One minute later, Werenski picked off the Blue Jackets in the neutral zone and fed a lead pass up to Foligno, who streaked in and fired a wrist shot past Oettinger.
Gurianov evened the score at 3-3 at 5:08 of the third. The Stars' forecheck maintained pressure in the Blue Jackets' end and Gurianov corralled a bouncing puck and shoved it through Merzlikins' 5-hole.
The Blue Jackets were gifted an opportunity to take the lead at 11:02 when Stars defenseman Joel Hanley dove into Emil Bemstrom's skates to interrupt a breakaway. Bemstrom was awarded a penalty shot but Oettinger squared up and made the save.
The Stars maintained the pressure late in the third period and through the early minutes of overtime. But the Blue Jackets turned the tide in the final minute of the extra frame.
A rush pulled Oettinger out of his crease and left Werenski with a wide-open net to win the first game of a two-day doubleheader against the Stars.
--Field Level Media
Dallas | Columbus | |
Andrew Cogliano 2 | Points | Jack Roslovic 3 |
Andrew Cogliano 1 | Goals | Max Domi 1 |
Andrew Cogliano 1 | Assists | Jack Roslovic 3 |
N/A | Power Play Goals | N/A |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Jake Oettinger .846 | Save Percentage | Elvis Merzlikins .900 |
Jake Oettinger 22 | Saves | Elvis Merzlikins 27 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Dallas | 30 | 3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 21 |
Columbus | 26 | 4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 30 |