Blue Jackets rally late but suffer another frustrating OT loss

Columbus scores four goals but gives up five in second straight overtime defeat

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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The Columbus Blue Jackets rallied late to force overtime against the Los Angeles Kings, but ultimately suffered a frustrating 5-4 loss in the extra period. This was the second consecutive game the Blue Jackets scored four goals but gave up five, continuing a concerning defensive trend that has plagued the team recently.

Why it matters

The Blue Jackets are in the playoff hunt, sitting just two points behind Boston for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. However, their inability to close out close games and protect leads could prove costly as they try to secure a postseason berth. The team's defensive struggles since returning from the Olympic break are a major concern.

The details

Conor Garland scored his first two goals as a Blue Jacket, ending a 24-game goal drought, while Denton Mateychuk and Kirill Marchenko also found the back of the net for Columbus. But the Blue Jackets struggled to defend, allowing 31 shots on goal and losing the faceoff battle 44-to-23. In overtime, the Kings dominated possession, leading to Adrian Kempe's game-winning goal just 2:34 into the extra period.

  • The game started with a double-minor penalty on the Kings' Quinton Byfield just 3 seconds into the first period.
  • The Kings took a 2-0 lead by the end of the second period.
  • Marchenko scored the game-tying power-play goal with 1:56 remaining in regulation to force overtime.

The players

Conor Garland

The Blue Jackets' trade deadline acquisition, who scored his first two goals with his new club, ending a career-worst 24-game goal-scoring drought.

Kirill Marchenko

The Blue Jackets forward who scored the game-tying power-play goal with 1:56 remaining in regulation to force overtime.

Adrian Kempe

The Kings forward who scored the game-winning goal just 2:34 into overtime.

Rick Bowness

The Blue Jackets head coach who expressed disappointment in the team's defensive performance, saying "We're scoring four goals, we should be winning games."

Jet Greaves

The Blue Jackets goaltender who stopped 26 of 31 shots faced.

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What they’re saying

“We're just trying to win hockey games here at this time of year, so that's our main focus. It's tough to come up short again.”

— Conor Garland (nytimes.com)

“Guys, you can't imagine how frustrating it is when you play a full overtime without the puck. It's not five-on-five. It's three-on-three. You're just chasing it. It's tough. It sucks for us. It's about the small details and we just have to work on this, and I think we will.”

— Kirill Marchenko (nytimes.com)

“We haven't controlled the puck at all. We got killed on faceoffs, so we ended up spending too much energy chasing the puck. When we got control of it in overtime, we kind of gave it to them.”

— Rick Bowness, Blue Jackets head coach (nytimes.com)

What’s next

The Blue Jackets will look to bounce back on their upcoming three-game road trip, beginning with a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday. Defenseman Erik Gudbranson, who suffered an upper-body injury in the game, is expected to miss at least a week and will not travel with the team.

The takeaway

The Blue Jackets' inability to close out close games and protect leads has become a concerning trend, putting their playoff hopes in jeopardy. While the team has shown resilience in rallying late, their defensive struggles and poor overtime performance are issues they must address if they want to secure a postseason berth.