Zach Werenski helps Columbus Blue Jackets skate past Detroit Red Wings

Call it the One Boot, Shoot goal. Zach Werenski’s goal in the fifth round of a shootout handed the Blue Jackets a 4-3 win they desperately needed over his hometown Detroit Red Wings on April 7 at Little Caesar’s Arena, but the backstory was even better. More: Columbus Blue Jackets top Detroit Red Wings in shootout.

Replay Picking up the puck at center ice, Werenski's right skate was tightly laced and sturdy while the left was held together by clear plastic tape applied by the Jackets' equipment staff on the bench after a fall late in overtime cut his laces. “My laces were all messed up, and I couldn’t really skate,” Werenski said, smiling. “So, when they called me, I was like, ‘Are you sure?

I’m kind of on one leg here. ’ My foot was in the skate, but pretty wobbly. ” For what it’s worth, it didn’t look like it.

Werenski took the puck, skated to his right, cut left into the slot and fired a hard wrist shot that beat Red Wings goalie John Gibson inside the left post. It was a rocket, fired by a guy who boosted his Norris Trophy candidacy by helping the Blue Jackets (39-27-12) stay two points behind the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers for playoff spots in the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference. Along with his one skate greatness in the shootout, Werenski scored a big tying goal to cap a power play in the second period, assisted on Adam Fantilli’s goal with 16.