Columbus posts 2-1 OT win
The Blue Jackets beat San Jose on R.J. Umberger’s goal in overtime.
COLUMBUS (AP) — R.J. Umberger scored on a 2-on-1 pass from Kristian Huselius 2:55 into overtime to give the Columbus Blue Jackets a 2-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night.
Blue Jackets rookie Steve Mason stopped 47 shots — one shy of the franchise record — and helped Columbus win for the fifth straight time at home.
San Jose (25-3-3) came in with 52 points, surpassing the 1929-30 Boston Bruins for the best start through 30 games in NHL history.
Devin Setoguchi had the lone goal for the Sharks, and Michael Peca tied it.
Both goals were scored in the third period.
San Jose’s five-game, road-winning streak was snapped but the Sharks earned at least one point for the 15th straight game.
In overtime, after the Sharks had a flurry of shots against Mason, the Blue Jackets broke out on a 2-on-1 with lots of room to skate.
Huselius carried the puck up the right wing and sent a pass left to Umberger, who jammed a shot past Evgeni Nabokov.
He finished with 30 saves.
Setoguchi gave the Sharks a 1-0 lead 3:41 into the third period. Patrick Marleau tossed a lead pass across the ice in the offensive end that defenseman Rob Blake controlled.
Rather than shoot, he tossed the puck just wide of the net to Setoguchi, who put his stick on the ice and deflected a shot past Mason.
Columbus tied it at 12:32. Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle fired the puck around the boards in an attempt to clear it, but Columbus captain Rick Nash keep it in the offensive zone.
He then slid the puck to rookie Jake Voracek in the high slot, with Voracek backhanding a pass to Peca for a hard wrister from the right dot.
Notes
Columbus RW Jared Boll played in his 100th NHL game. ... San Jose’s 48 shots were a season high against Columbus. The previous high was 37. ... Blake recorded nine shots for the Sharks. ... Columbus LW Jason Chimera left the ice in the third period with an injury and didn’t return.