Cole Sillinger boosts Jackets over Knights in OT

Cole Sillinger batted in a rebound 52 seconds into overtime as the Columbus Blue Jackets rallied for a 2-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday in Las Vegas.

Kent Johnson poked the puck away from Vegas defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and then broke on a breakaway but was stopped by goalie Ilya Samsonov. Zach Werenski's rebound try bounced off the pads of Samsonov to Sillinger, who then drove the puck into an empty right side of the net.

Adam Fantilli also scored for Columbus, which leapfrogged the Boston Bruins into the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with win. Elvis Merzlikins finished with 25 saves for the Blue Jackets, who won for the third time in four games.

Tomas Hertl had the lone goal for Vegas, which remained tied with Edmonton for first place in the Pacific Division. Samsonov stopped 22 of 24 shots.

Vegas took a 1-0 lead 4:58 into the first period when Hertl's wrist shot from the middle of the left circle went past Merzlikins on the blocker side. It was his 20th goal of the season. Hertl extended his point streak to 11 games (nine goals, six assists), one game off the team record set by Jack Eichel in 2023-24.

Columbus tied it late in the first period after the Blue Jackets' Dmitri Voronkov knocked the puck away from under Samsonov's pad before Samsonov could cover it up during a goalmouth scramble. The puck then slid across the crease, where Fantilli jammed it in off the skate of Vegas defenseman Nicolas Hague for his eighth goal in 12 games.

The Golden Knights thought they had taken the lead in the final seconds of a tight-checking second period. However, Ivan Barbashev's rebound goal was immediately waved off for goaltender interference on Eichel, who hit Merzlikins on a drive to the net.

Both teams had excellent chances to win it late in the third period, but a backhand try by Columbus' Kirill Marchenko with 7:39 left and a snap shot by Vegas' Shea Theodore with 2:36 remaining both clanged off the crossbar.

--Field Level Media