Once again, the Columbus Blue Jackets allowed a soul-crushing, third-period goal that led to a loss. But that wasn’t the worst thing that happened to the Jackets in Saturday’s 4-3 defeat to the Anaheim Ducks.

Zach Werenski, who has almost single-handedly carried the Blue Jackets this season, blocked a shot by Anaheim’s Troy Terry with the outside of his right foot with only 2:27 remaining in the game and immediately collapsed to the ice in significant pain. Werenski, who scored his 14th goal of the season earlier in the period, started crawling toward the Blue Jackets’ bench before goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, with the puck on the other end, came out of his net to give Werenski a push.

That momentum carried Werenski only so far. From the bench, Blue Jackets defenseman Damon Severson extended his stick so that Werenski could be pulled out of harm’s way. But when a whistle blew the action dead, Werenski stopped just short of the bench and was attended to by trainers.

Zach Werenski was in a lot of pain and had to leave the game after blocking this shot. pic.twitter.com/urxFimNbMQ

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 21, 2025

Moments later, FanDuel Sports Ohio cameras showed Werenski limping down the tunnel to the Blue Jackets’ dressing room in Honda Center, a trainer helping him with an arm around his right shoulder.

Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason said he did not have an update on Werenski after the game.

Incredibly, the Blue Jackets were called for too many men on the ice with 2:11 remaining as Werenski struggled to get to the bench. That gave Anaheim a two-minute power play, and they salted away the game.

“Yeah, it’s a tough call, right?” Evason said. “He can’t skate, and we’re a little frustrated because they blew one down where (an Anaheim) guy gets hit and can’t get up. They blow it down. And then our guy gets hit, and they just let him crawl off.

“So, that’s a little bit frustrating.”

It’s no exaggeration to say that Saturday’s score is secondary.

Werenski has been the Blue Jackets’ best player for several seasons now — he finished second in voting for the Norris Trophy (top defenseman) last season — but he’s become the clear leader in the dressing room, even with captain Boone Jenner still on the roster.

It’s hard to imagine the Blue Jackets remaining competitive if Werenski is forced to miss much time, given that he’s the club’s leading goal scorer, plays the second-most minutes of any player in the NHL and plays in every situation.

The Blue Jackets got goals from Dmitri Voronkov, Mason Marchment, and Werenski, while Merzlikins finished with 24 saves.

Merzlikins, who was pulled after allowing three goals on five shots in his last start on Dec. 11, allowed two goals on the first three shots he faced on Saturday. But he rallied the rest of the way, including some brilliant saves to keep it close.

Werenski’s goal at 12:44 of the third period — his fifth goal in three games — pulled the Blue Jackets into a 3-3 tie. But less than four minutes later, the Ducks regained the lead when Pavel Mintyukov was left alone at the front of the net for a clean shot on Merzlikins.

The Blue Jackets are 1-6-1 in their last eight games, and they’ve allowed at least one goal in the third period of 17 consecutive games, a franchise record.

Marchment, who was acquired by the Blue Jackets from Seattle late Friday, just a half-hour before the NHL’s holiday roster freeze went into effect, was with the Kraken in San Jose when he learned of the trade.

He took a morning flight to join his new teammates in Anaheim on Saturday and had a quick tutorial before making his debut on the left side of a line with center Adam Fantilli and right winger Kent Johnson.

If that line sounds unusual, it should.

Between the acquisition of Marchment and the ugliness of Thursday’s 5-2 loss to Minnesota, Evason decided to blow up his typical forward alignments in the hope of finding four balanced lines that he could simply roll throughout the game.

Center Sean Monahan centered the second line with wingers Dmitri Voronkov and Cole Sillinger, while Charlie Coyle remained the third line center between Jenner and right winger Kirill Marchenko.

The fourth line was center Luca Del Bel Belluz between Isac Lundeström and Yegor Chinakhov, who likely lost his top-six opportunity with the arrival of Marchment.

The Blue Jackets also played without left wing Miles Wood, who was a late scratch with a lower-body injury that the club termed day-to-day.

By late Saturday, however, another injury had the Blue Jackets’ attention.

One other concern for Werenski, if the injury is long-term, is his availability to play for Team USA at the Olympics in Milan this coming February.