Columbus Blue Jackets at Tampa Bay Lightning
NHL game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Mar 10, 2026. Final score: Columbus Blue Jackets 5, Tampa Bay Lightning 2.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Mar 10, 2026 |
| Venue | Benchmark International Arena |
| Columbus Blue Jackets score | 5 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning score | 2 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Ivan Provorov | D | 1 | 0 | 2 | 22:05 | 0.03 | 2.60 |
| 2nd | Conor Garland | R | 2 | 0 | 6 | 11:39 | 0.69 | 2.58 |
| 3rd | Denton Mateychuk | D | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18:44 | 0.00 | 2.36 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Columbus Blue Jackets–Tampa Bay Lightning) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 13:38 | TBL | Gage Goncalves | Victor Hedman, Nikita Kucherov | 5v5 | 0–1 |
| 2nd 05:57 | CBJ | Ivan Provorov | Denton Mateychuk, Charlie Coyle | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 2nd 06:27 | CBJ | Conor Garland | Kent Johnson, Sean Monahan | 5v5 | 2–1 |
| 2nd 11:42 | CBJ | Kirill Marchenko | Adam Fantilli, Zach Werenski | 4v5 | 3–1 |
| 2nd 16:23 | TBL | J.J. Moser | Anthony Cirelli | 5v5 | 3–2 |
| 3rd 04:00 | CBJ | Conor Garland | Sean Monahan, Zach Werenski | 4v5 | 4–2 |
| 3rd 15:28 | CBJ | Dante Fabbro | Elvis Merzlikins | 6v5 | 5–2 |
Team Comparison
| Columbus Blue Jackets | Tampa Bay Lightning | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 5 | 2 |
| Shots on goal | 31 | 18 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 4.19 | 1.72 |
| High-danger shots | 13 | 10 |
| Corsi % | 52.6% | 47.4% |
| Power play | 2/5 | 0/3 |
| Faceoff % | 43.6% | 56.4% |
| Hits | 21 | 29 |
| Blocks | 15 | 8 |
| Giveaways | 16 | 11 |
| Takeaways | 9 | 2 |
Columbus Blue Jackets Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ivan Provorov | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 22:05 | 0.03 | 2.60 |
| Conor Garland | R | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 11:39 | 0.69 | 2.58 |
| Denton Mateychuk | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 18:44 | 0.00 | 2.36 |
| Sean Monahan | C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 15:53 | 0.79 | 2.04 |
| Kent Johnson | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12:32 | 0.09 | 1.59 |
| Zach Werenski | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 22:59 | 0.05 | 1.50 |
| Adam Fantilli | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 18:39 | 0.94 | 0.96 |
| Charlie Coyle | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 20:36 | 0.19 | 0.96 |
| Mason Marchment | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:33 | 0.02 | 0.96 |
| Damon Severson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19:29 | 0.00 | 0.87 |
| Mathieu Olivier | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11:45 | 0.34 | 0.84 |
| Isac Lundeström | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13:39 | 0.39 | 0.67 |
| Jake Christiansen | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:56 | 0.02 | 0.52 |
| Boone Jenner | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14:39 | 0.05 | 0.47 |
| Danton Heinen | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:32 | 0.10 | 0.42 |
| Dante Fabbro | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 19:09 | 0.04 | 0.41 |
| Kirill Marchenko | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 19:00 | 0.22 | 0.38 |
| Cole Sillinger | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:42 | 0.00 | -0.20 |
Tampa Bay Lightning Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Cirelli | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16:02 | 0.00 | 1.02 |
| Gage Goncalves | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11:22 | 0.05 | 0.76 |
| J.J. Moser | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 18:20 | 0.05 | 0.62 |
| Brandon Hagel | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:34 | 0.03 | 0.15 |
| Nikita Kucherov | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 20:32 | 0.12 | 0.05 |
| Corey Perry | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:01 | 0.55 | -0.16 |
| Pontus Holmberg | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:14 | 0.03 | -0.28 |
| Victor Hedman | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 22:11 | 0.11 | -0.29 |
| Steven Santini | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:21 | 0.00 | -0.31 |
| Yanni Gourde | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:31 | 0.00 | -0.38 |
| Zemgus Girgensons | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:21 | 0.15 | -0.42 |
| Brayden Point | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:33 | 0.00 | -0.49 |
| Declan Carlile | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20:35 | 0.00 | -0.52 |
| Oliver Bjorkstrand | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14:49 | 0.10 | -0.57 |
| Conor Geekie | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:31 | 0.01 | -0.71 |
| Ryan McDonagh | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20:21 | 0.02 | -0.74 |
| Jake Guentzel | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18:16 | 0.25 | -0.78 |
| Charle-Edouard D'Astous | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 23:34 | 0.12 | -1.50 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elvis Merzlikins | Columbus Blue Jackets | 16 | 18 | 88.9% | -0.66 | W |
| Andrei Vasilevskiy | Tampa Bay Lightning | 27 | 31 | 86.7% | -0.34 | L |
Analysis
The Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 5–2 on Mar 10, 2026.
Tampa Bay Lightning generated 1.72 expected goals to Columbus Blue Jackets's 4.19 — the run of play matched the result, with Columbus Blue Jackets earning the better chances as well as the goals.
Ivan Provorov led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.6 on 1 goal, 2 shots on goal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Columbus Blue Jackets vs Tampa Bay Lightning game?
The Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5–2 on Mar 10, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Columbus Blue Jackets 5, Tampa Bay Lightning 2.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Ivan Provorov led all skaters at 2.6, on 1G, 0A and 2 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Tampa Bay Lightning generated 1.72 expected goals and Columbus Blue Jackets generated 4.19, so Columbus Blue Jackets created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
Columbus Blue Jackets put 31 shots on goal and Tampa Bay Lightning put 18. High-danger chances went 13 to 10.
How did the goaltenders play?
Elvis Merzlikins stopped 16 of 18 (-0.66 goals saved above expected); Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 27 of 31 (-0.34 goals saved above expected).