The CBJ Writer

It's Semifinals day for the Men's Olympic Hockey Teams at the 2026 Winter Olympics, and it did not disappoint. Game one early this afternoon featured a close game between Team Canada and Team Finland. The game was all Team Finland as they led 2-0, but Team Canada came all the way back, winning 3-2 with a game-winning goal from Nathan MacKinnon with only about a minute before the game would be forced into overtime. So, Team Canada would await the winner of Team Slovakia at Team U.S.A, and if you were a Team U.S.A and/or Zach Werenski fan, this game did not disappoint either! At 4:19, Zach Werenski would come away with his first assist of the game on the first goal of the game, scored by Dylan Larkin! The Secondary assist would go to Tage Thompson. For those at home keeping track of our Blue Jacket, Zach Werenski, this brings Zach to a 1-2-3 at the Olympics so far. Know this number will increase exponentially as the night goes on! Before this opening period would close, Tage Thom...

Yesterday, Elvis Merzlikins and Team Latvia were knocked out of the Olympics after their loss to Team Sweden. The final score was 5-1. That said, I know Elvis Merzlikins made Latvia and Columbus, Ohio, proud, and he'll always be an Olympian.  Today, in the Men's Hockey Quarter Finals, I have no doubt that Elvis Merzlikins was rooting for Team U.S.A for two reasons. First, Columbus Blue Jackets teammate Zach Werenski is on this team. Second, I have little doubt he was hoping that Team U.S.A. could knock out the team that knocked him and Team Latvia out yesterday, Team Sweden. The game would be a nailbiter, and here I thought they could grow back before NHL play resumed for our Columbus Blue Jackets in Boston next Thursday. Ha! A goal wouldn't be scored in this game until over halfway through Period 2. Dylan Larkin would get his first goal of the Olympics at 11:03, with assists from Jack and Quinn Hughes. This gives Jack three assists so far and brother Quinn five! It would l...

Tonight, we saw Team U.S.A play Team Latvia. The United States team has Columbus Blue Jackets' Defenseman Zach Werenski, while Team Latvia has Columbus Blue Jackets' Goaltender Elvis Merzlikins. Zach Werenski would come away with the secondary assist on the first goal scored for Team U.S.A tonight by Brady Tkachuk at 5:29 in Period 1. This would be the only point for Zach Werenski in this opening game.  Elvis Merzlikins was fantastic in the net, doing all he could to keep his team in the game. That said, Team U.S.A would score three goals in Period 2, breaking the 1-1 tie the period started with. Team U.S.A would score one more goal in Period 3 to seal their 5-1 win.  Team Latvia will host Team Germany on Saturday at 6:00 p.m., and the game will be on Peacock.  Team Germany will then host Team U.S.A on Sunday at 3:00 p.m., and that game will also be on Peacock.   As always, I wish both our Blue Jackets luck in their next game! 

With the way our Blue Jackets played tonight at home, you'd have no idea that they played last night, on the road at the New Jersey Devils, and won 3-0. Tonight, Elvis Merzlikins would sit on the bench following his first shutout of the season, and Jet Greaves would hold the home net. The transition would be seamless. The Blue Jackets would lead shots on goal, 8-5, and Jet Greaves wouldn't let any of those 5 Blackhawks shots past him. The Blackhawks couldn't say the same for goaltender Spencer Knight. Mr. Team U.S.A., Zach Werenski, would get the scoring started for the Blue Jackets at 4:46, marking goal number twenty of his season! With the primary assist, Cole Sillinger would also add his twentieth assist to his season, while Charlie Coyle continues his impressive season with assist number twenty-six with the secondary. Then, at 12:50, the defenseman would double it up to give the Blue Jackets a 2-0 lead! The goal would become the sixth this season for Ivan Provorov. Adam...

The slow start would be worth the wait for us tonight in New Jersey, 5th Line. Period 1 would end with 7 shots on goal for the Devils, and only three for the Blue Jackets. Period 2 would end with ten shots on goal for the Devils and nine for the Blue Jackets. No goals would come from any of these! Although both goalies, Elvis Merzlikins for the Blue Jackets and Jacob Markstrom for the Devils, there wasn't much going on in this game until Period 3, when the Blue Jackets would come to life.  With no assists on the goal, Dante Fabbro would finally break the 0-0 score at 5:24! Then, at 12:05, Mathieu Olivier would give the Blue Jackets a two-goal cushion with his seventh goal this season! Cole Sillinger gets the first primary assist of the night, and Boone Jenner gets the first secondary assist of the night, putting each man at nineteen this season. Then, towards the end of the game, things would get interesting in favor of Mathieu Oliver and the Blue Jackets! The Devils would bring go...

Tonight's game was full of goals, so we're going to skip my (at times corny) intro and jump right into the recap! The visiting Blue Jackets would kill off an early Blues' power play after Cole Sillinger went to the box at 2:41 for holding Oskar Sundqvist. However, a few minutes later, at even strength, the Blues would still be the first team to score. At 7:11, Jimmy Snuggerud would add goal nine to his season, giving Brayden Schenn his eleventh assist on the primary and Dalibor Dvorsky his sixth assist on the secondary. The good news is that while the Blues arena was still announcing the Blues' goal, the Blue Jackets tied the game at 1-1! Isac Lundestrom would score his second this season at 7:48. Captain Boone Jenner adds his eighteenth assist on the primary, and Miles Wood would find his way back to the scoresheet with his fifth assist this season on the secondary. This would be followed up a few minutes later, at 12:54, with Denton Mateychuk shooting his shot and get...