San Jose Sharks at Columbus Blue Jackets
NHL game between the San Jose Sharks and the Columbus Blue Jackets on Mar 28, 2026. Final score: San Jose Sharks 3, Columbus Blue Jackets 2.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Mar 28, 2026 |
| Venue | Nationwide Arena |
| San Jose Sharks score | 3 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets 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 | Igor Chernyshov | L | 2 | 0 | 3 | 15:31 | 0.46 | 2.02 |
| 2nd | Macklin Celebrini | C | 1 | 1 | 6 | 19:42 | 0.31 | 1.90 |
| 3rd | Will Smith | C | 0 | 2 | 3 | 19:14 | 0.28 | 1.62 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (San Jose Sharks–Columbus Blue Jackets) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 00:31 | CBJ | Denton Mateychuk | Adam Fantilli | 5v5 | 0–1 |
| 1st 17:17 | SJS | Igor Chernyshov | Will Smith | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 2nd 12:09 | CBJ | Cole Sillinger | Ivan Provorov | 5v5 | 1–2 |
| 3rd 00:57 | SJS | Macklin Celebrini | Dmitry Orlov, Alexander Wennberg | 4v5 | 2–2 |
| 3rd 18:35 | SJS | Igor Chernyshov | Will Smith, Macklin Celebrini | 5v5 | 3–2 |
Team Comparison
| San Jose Sharks | Columbus Blue Jackets | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 3 | 2 |
| Shots on goal | 36 | 24 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 4.03 | 2.27 |
| High-danger shots | 17 | 8 |
| Corsi % | 59.1% | 40.9% |
| Power play | 1/2 | 0/1 |
| Faceoff % | 47.5% | 52.5% |
| Hits | 16 | 17 |
| Blocks | 8 | 11 |
| Giveaways | 25 | 12 |
| Takeaways | 4 | 6 |
San Jose Sharks Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Igor Chernyshov | L | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 15:31 | 0.46 | 2.02 |
| Macklin Celebrini | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 19:42 | 0.31 | 1.90 |
| Will Smith | C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 19:14 | 0.28 | 1.62 |
| Mario Ferraro | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20:58 | 0.00 | 1.34 |
| Collin Graf | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 15:21 | 1.21 | 1.08 |
| Shakir Mukhamadullin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 20:30 | 0.12 | 0.91 |
| Dmitry Orlov | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 22:13 | 0.01 | 0.86 |
| Tyler Toffoli | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14:48 | 0.13 | 0.68 |
| Michael Misa | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:09 | 0.29 | 0.56 |
| Alexander Wennberg | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16:47 | 0.03 | 0.49 |
| Nick Leddy | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:37 | 0.01 | 0.39 |
| Kiefer Sherwood | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:52 | 0.29 | 0.23 |
| Sam Dickinson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17:23 | 0.26 | 0.20 |
| Vincent Desharnais | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19:37 | 0.03 | 0.16 |
| Barclay Goodrow | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:56 | 0.46 | 0.07 |
| Adam Gaudette | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:41 | 0.12 | 0.05 |
| William Eklund | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:12 | 0.11 | -0.09 |
| Zack Ostapchuk | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8:58 | 0.01 | -0.32 |
Columbus Blue Jackets Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cole Sillinger | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 16:23 | 0.20 | 0.59 |
| Ivan Provorov | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 25:39 | 0.17 | 0.50 |
| Denton Mateychuk | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14:57 | 0.12 | 0.48 |
| Adam Fantilli | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 19:58 | 0.29 | 0.31 |
| Kirill Marchenko | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 20:50 | 0.36 | 0.20 |
| Kent Johnson | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:37 | 0.12 | 0.09 |
| Isac Lundeström | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:49 | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| Dmitri Voronkov | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4:03 | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Mason Marchment | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14:18 | 0.36 | -0.04 |
| Jake Christiansen | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:43 | 0.01 | -0.07 |
| Erik Gudbranson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:09 | 0.02 | -0.11 |
| Mathieu Olivier | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:40 | 0.25 | -0.22 |
| Boone Jenner | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:17 | 0.13 | -0.32 |
| Sean Monahan | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:34 | 0.00 | -0.50 |
| Charlie Coyle | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:26 | 0.00 | -0.53 |
| Conor Garland | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12:41 | 0.09 | -0.62 |
| Zach Werenski | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 30:51 | 0.06 | -0.96 |
| Dante Fabbro | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:52 | 0.00 | -1.17 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Nedeljkovic | San Jose Sharks | 22 | 24 | 91.7% | 0.18 | W |
| Elvis Merzlikins | Columbus Blue Jackets | 33 | 36 | 91.7% | 0.73 | L |
Analysis
The San Jose Sharks defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 3–2 on Mar 28, 2026, a one-goal game.
Columbus Blue Jackets generated 2.27 expected goals to San Jose Sharks's 4.03 — San Jose Sharks edged the chance share as well as the scoreline.
Igor Chernyshov led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.02 on 2 goals, 3 shots on goal.
Elvis Merzlikins stopped 33 of 36, worth 0.73 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the San Jose Sharks vs Columbus Blue Jackets game?
The San Jose Sharks beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3–2 on Mar 28, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was San Jose Sharks 3, Columbus Blue Jackets 2.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Igor Chernyshov led all skaters at 2.02, on 2G, 0A and 3 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Columbus Blue Jackets generated 2.27 expected goals and San Jose Sharks generated 4.03, so San Jose Sharks created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
San Jose Sharks put 36 shots on goal and Columbus Blue Jackets put 24. High-danger chances went 17 to 8.
How did the goaltenders play?
Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 22 of 24 (0.18 goals saved above expected); Elvis Merzlikins stopped 33 of 36 (0.73 goals saved above expected).