This was not how the Blue Jackets wanted to return from an uplifting road victory in Winnipeg.
Rather than building on that game Sunday, they lost 4-2 to the Detroit Red Wings at Nationwide Arena in a game controlled by the visitors most of the night. Detroit took a 2-0 lead in the first period, pushed it to 3-0 in the second and reasserted dominance in the third, after Columbus pulled within 3-2 on Kent Johnson’s goal for the Blue Jackets 1:58 into the period.
Austin Czarnik, Dominik Kubalik and Lucas Raymond scored the first three goals for the Red Wings (12-7-5), who took a 4-2 lead at 6:08 of the third on Andrew Copp’s goal.