Dmitri Voronkov's OT winner helps Jackets beat Utah, end rough trip on high note
In a tense overtime, Voronkov redirected Werenski’s pass, ending Columbus’ four-game losing streak and sparking much-needed excitement.
SALT LAKE CITY — Nothing came easy for the Columbus Blue Jackets on their last, long road trip of the season. Not scoring, not defending … not even their much-needed overtime goal on Sunday in Delta Center.
Dmitri Voronkov’s redirection of a Zach Werenski pass sailed into the Utah Mammoth’s net at 1:01 of overtime, snapping the Blue Jackets’ four-game losing streak and helping them salvage their only two points of this four-game roadie.
“We definitely needed that,” said Blue Jackets’ center Charlie Coyle. “End of a road trip and we had nothing to show for yet. So that’s a huge two points, and it gets us feeling a little better heading home.”
The Blue Jackets, playing the second half of a back-to-back, played the final 58 minutes with only five defensemen after Denton Mateychuk was hit hard by Utah’s Branden Tanev and appeared to strike his head against the glass.
That put heavy minutes on the five healthy blue-liners and required the Blue Jackets’ forwards to help those defensemen play with minimal physical contact, which only saps more energy.
The Blue Jackets were fried after playing four games in six days with lengthy travel in between, but Voronkov’s goal — scored on a 4-on-3 power play — sent a burst of excitement through the dressing room.
“It’s only a step for us, but it was important for us to get a win and come home from this road trip on a positive note, bring some positive momentum back home with us,” said goaltender Jet Greaves, who made 12 of his 25 saves in the third period.
VORO CALLED GAME💥
CBJ x @FanaticsBook pic.twitter.com/M3CXoebRUD
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) January 12, 2026
The Blue Jackets were up a skater after Utah’s Daniil But tripped Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli with a leg-on-leg hit in the neutral zone.
About 50 seconds into overtime, Utah appeared to have possession with a chance to clear, but Werenski, Fantilli, Marchenko and Voronkov hounded the puck, using all means to keep it in the zone.
Werenski swatted the puck with his glove to knock it away from two Utah players low in the zone, then Fantilli redirected it down and toward the wall with his stick. Marchenko made a nifty play at the blue line to make a tight turn with the puck and sent it over to Werenski above the right circle.
As Voronkov got a step on Utah’s Ian Cole toward the net, Werenski sent him a pass that Voronkov ramped up and past Vitek Vanacek, who promptly smashed his stick against one of his posts.
It turns out, however, that the goal was not a sure thing.
While the Blue Jackets celebrated and both clubs headed off to their rooms, the NHL initiated a replay of the goal. The Blue Jackets thought they were checking to see if Fantilli had used a high stick to play the puck, but the league said it was reviewing Werenski’s play to determine if he had used an illegal hand pass.