The CBJ Writer

Can you believe this is the final game of January and the last before the 2023 NHL All-Star Game? The Columbus Blue Jackets would host the Washington Capitals tonight, and this game didn't disappoint. Let's recap some hockey, 5th Line.  This would be a fast-paced game from puck drop, which is expected against the Capitals, no matter which arena you play in. Goal one would come from G. Hathaway at 5:06, giving his Capitals a 1-0 lead over our Blue Jackets. The second goal would also belong to the Capitals, coming from T. Von Riemsdyk at 14:25. The 2-0 Capitals lead wouldn't last long after this goal, however, as Andrew Peeke would score the fifth goal of his 2022-23 NHL Season at 14:40. The only assist on this goal would be number seventeen of the season for Patrik Laine. The score would now be a 2-1 Capitals lead, which would carry into Period 2.   Alright, there was a fight this period, but I can't comment too much on it since it happened while I was away eating dinner...

From the drop of the puck, the Blue Jackets were chasing the Kraken's game. M. Geekkie would score at 8:40 into Period 1, giving his Kraken a 1-0 lead. For the significant time spent in our zone, the fact that this was the only goal scored in this period is nothing short of a miracle. Elvis had some great saves, eleven, but he'd shine out of necessity in Period 2.   Elvis Merzlikins's saves in these twenty minutes would be stunning, crossing the span of the entire goal multiple times to give his offense a chance to score. Our Powerplay Kill would look good and help the team out, but our inability to capitalize when given a Powerplay of our own hurt us.  his was especially true when former Blue Jacket Alex. Wennberg scored at 8:33. With this goal, the Kraken would build upon their goal advantage, now 2-1. This period would end with a Blue Jackets goal, however, number ten for Kent Johnson would come at 18:58. With the only assist on this goal, Jack Roslovic would expand hi...

This Period 1 didn't lack the thrill of NHL play, that's for sure. The Blue Jackets would get a Powerplay opportunity just seconds into this period. However, the Canucks would go down the ice and score at 1:25 by way of E. Pettersson. This would give the Canucks a 1-0 lead, which wouldn't last even a minute. The Powerplay unit would tie this game early with Kirill Marchenko's twelfth goal of the season. Adam Boqvist would add his tenth assist of the season on his goal, while Patrik Laine would add his sixteenth. Fun fact, this now gives Laine a five-game point streak. Sadly, this tie wouldn't last. Q. Hughes would score at 13:21, this being a Powerplay goal for their team. Then, at 19:15, a ping-pong-like shot from I. Mikheyev would come off the boards just right, collide with goaltender Joonas Korpisalo's skate, and cross the line. This goofy goal, but a goal nonetheless, would give the Canucks a 3-1 lead over us going into Period 2.        The early bit of thi...

Yes, 5th Line, we have a scoring update from last night's game. This rarely happens and especially in our Blue Jackets' favor, so of course I have to write a blog! This scoring update revolves around that third period, game-tying, Kirill Marchenko's goal. Remember, last night it was marked as having no assists; this has now changed,  The primary assist went to Kent Johnson, marking his fourteenth of the season. This also gave him that Overtime Winning goal and this assist, for a two-point night.      The secondary assist went to Adam Boqvist, marking his ninth assist of the season. This was also his second assist of the night, after he had the Primary Assist on goal 1 last night, scored by Captain Boone Jenner. So, two points last night for him too!    The Blue Jackets won this game off that Kent Johnson, Overtime Goal, making the final 3-2. The Blue Jackets have picked up 3 points out of a possible 4 while in Canada. Tomorrow night's game starts at 10:00 P...

 Period 1 would be highlight-worthy in the season in which the Columbus Blue Jackets have found themselves (injury galore). The speed was there, the defense was there, the goaltending was solid, and the offense wasn't far behind. Captain Boone Jenner would score his fourteenth goal this 2022-23 NHL Season at 12:25. This goal would have Adam Boqvist's eighth assist of the season and Patrik Laine's fifteenth. This would be the only goal of Period 1, giving the Blue Jackets an early 1-0 lead.   It was meant to be a milestone night for Gus Nyquist, this game tonight marking his 700th in the NHL. Sadly, he wouldn't see the second period after a game-ending fall to the ice in that opening period. If there are any updates about him tomorrow, I'll post them to my social media accounts because I don't want his injury to be bad enough that it warrants a post. (I hold those for serious, long-term injuries, and folks, I'd be a happy blogger to not write another one unti...

Period 1 of this game would be a stalemate until 16:18 when Flames W. Duehr would score. This would be the first and only goal of this opening period, giving us a 1-0 Flames lead heading into Period 2. N. Kadri would score just 1:32 into this second period. Some 5th Line fans were likely cringing at this point, wanting a sold showing for Johnny Gaudreau's first return to Calgary after singing with us. I had this hope too, but I wouldn't become hopeless on my team in Period 2! No way. At 9:04, Kirill Marchenk scored his tenth goal of his first NHL Season. The primary assist would mark number thirty-two for Johnny Gaudreau, while the second would add number thirteen to Patrik Laine's total. Then, presto, with another goal at 9:53, Patrik Laine would complete the comeback with the thirteenth goal of his season! Johnny Gaudreau would go up to thirty-three assists, with the primary on Laine's goal. Andrew Peeke would pick up the secondary, giving him a four-assist total. Thi...

The Blue Jackets would hold the San Jose Sharks to just 1 goal in Period 1, which is impressive when you consider they had 14 shots on our net while we had just 2 on theirs. That loan goal would come from T. Meier at 10:49 into the period. With 20 minutes in the books, the Sharks would take a 1-0 lead into Period 2.   The Sharks ran Period 1, but in Period 2, the Blue Jackets would look to fight back. With a goal from N. Bonino at 5:39, I, along with likely most of the 5th Line, settled in for another heartbreaking game. The Blue Jackets on the ice wouldn't accept that option, however. At 11:19, Johnny Gaudreau would match his number to his goal total this season, sitting pretty at thirteen after this score. Patrik Laine would pick up the primary assist and number twelve this season for himself, while the secondary assist would go to Nick Blankenburg, taking him to three and back-to-back games with points. 2-1 Blue Jackets lead, and then at 12:31, Captain Boone Jenner would ev...

Period 1 was as good, if not the best,, period of hockey the Columbus Blue Jackets have played all season. t just 2:17 into this period, Mathieu Oliver would score goal number three of his 2022-23 NHL Season.  e primary assist on this goal would be number eight for Eric Robinson, while the second would be number six for Adam Boqvist. A other goal would come quickly after this at 6:05, Jack Roslovic would score goal number two of the game and number four for himself this season. T s goal had no assists, it was all Rossie! In he last few minutes, Nick Blankenburg would finally get the goal he'd been skating so hard for all night. Wit roughly five minutes left in this period, a fight between Mathiew Oliver and Ducks Sam Carrick would break out. Both ould leave the ice after, having gotten 5-minute majors. The t rd goal of this game would belong to him at 17:43, his third goal of the season. Patrik aine would pick up the primary assist on this goal, number eleven for him this season, a...

Period 1 of this game would end as a satisfying 0-0 draw. Honestly, it was some incredible hockey regarding every position on both the Predators and Blue Jackets teams.  Period 2 would yield two goals, and they would both belong to the Predators.  The first goal came from C. Glass at 5:42, while the second would come from Y. Trenin at 16:55.  This would give us a 2-0, Predators lead after Period 2.   Period 3 would come around and our Blue Jackets would get on the board at 9:01, thanks to a goal from Gus Nyquist, his ninth of the season.  The primary assist would go to Emil Bemstrom, number seven for him this season, while the secondary assist would go to Jack Roslovic, number twenty-one for him this season.  The game would then be within reach, a 2-1 Predators lead, however, even their best efforts wouldn't change that score.  The predators take the two points tonight in a 2-1 win over the Blue Jackets.   This game had everything going ...

Tonight didn't start at home as many had hoped after the huge weekend win, on the road, at the Detroit Red Wings. Period 1 would result in 2 goals, and both would favor the New York Rangers. The first would come from M. Zibanejad at 12:39. The second goal would come from B. Goodrow at 19:02. That second goal by B. Goodrow would be a Powerplay goal. The Rangers had three chances on it this period alone, and only one goal was scored, well, it's nothing short of a miracle; a miracle named Elvis Merzlikins. Yes, two got through, but as has been the case many times this season, the opponent's lead could've been far higher without some masterclass saves. For the record of saying so, we had two chances on the Powerplay, and both, clearly, didn't result in a score. Moving on to Period 2.  This second period would hold just one goal, which wouldn't be in our favor. V. Kravtov would score at 11:47, and although both teams would get an additional Powerplay this period, tha...

Period 1 would start out with several bangs! The Blue Jackets would take an early edge, working the puck and gaining many shots on the Detroit Goal, and the first one would connect at 12:47 for Patrik Laine. This would be his tenth goal of his 2022-23 NHL Season. Johnny Gaudreau would add number twenty-eight to his assist total, while Jack Roslovic would add number eighteen. This would be quickly followed by another Blue Jackets goal, this time by Vladislav Gavrikhov. At 13:54. This goal marks number three for him this season. The two assists on this goal went to Kent Johnson, number eleven this season for him, and Emil Bemstrom, number five. Then, that 2-0 lead would grow again,, by way of Patrik Laine, adding number eleven to his goal total this season at 15:30. Jack Roslovic would tack on his second assist tonight and number nineteen this season. The second assist would come from newly returned Nick Blankenburg, his second of this season. So, after just 20 minutes, the Blue Jackets ...

 Even with three goals in Period 1, it was an incohesive first 20 minutes for both the Columbus Blue Jackets and visiting Carolina Hurricanes.  As I said, though, there would be three goals total in this opening period of play.  Goal one would come from B. Pesce at 2:34.  Them, at B. Burns, would score at 10:39.  This would put the Hurricanes up 2-0 over the Blue Jackets, but 5th Line, have no fear, Kuraly is here!  Yes, Number 7 would net his eighth goal of the season at 15:00.  Matheu Olivier would add his fourth assist this season on this goal, while Gavin Bayreuther would add number three.  So, after 20 minutes, the Hurricanes would hold a 2-1 lead.   J. Chatfield would score at 15:52 in favor of his Hurricanes, making the score 3-1 late in Period 2.  This would be the only goal in this second period.  The Blue Jackets had some excellent chances at goals, but they couldn't capitalize on their now two Powerplay chances at th...

David Jiricek has had one successful AHL/NHL Season thus far.  He was Drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round of last year's NHL Draft, coming to us 6th Overall.  Even though he's only played 2 games in Columbus this season and hasn't scored his first point yet, he's undoubtedly made his name known around the minors.  I'm not surprised but thrilled to tell you that David Jiricek is a 2023 AHL All-Star for the Columbus Blue Jackets AHL Affiliate Cleveland Monsters!    During Jiricek's time with the Monsters this 2022-23 AHL Season, he's appeared in 19 games.  Over those, he's scored 5 goals and a whopping 15 assists.  In addition, last week, he represented his home country Team Czechia at the 2023 World Juniors and helped them take home Silver!  He played 7 games in the Tournament, and when he finished, he scored 3 goals and 4 assists.   This honor for him is just another add-on during his successful first in the AHL/NHL, ...

The Tampa Bay Lightning are a fast and talented team to play; they don't have 2 Stanley Cups in the last 3 years for no reason.  Period 1 was dominated by them in Tampa tonight.  N. Kucherov would score goal 1 of this game at just 1:40 into the game.  Then, N. Paul would also get a puck past Elvis Merzlikins (on a Powerplay), giving his Lightning a second goal in the opening period at 9:05.  This 2-0 Lightning lead would hold through the rest of this period.  No, the Blue Jackets wouldn't score, but they would also prevent another score for over half a period.   In the second period, we'd wait until 7:04 for another goal to be scored, but this time it would be our goal!  Correction: Gavin Bayreuther's goal.  Jack Roslovic would add assist number seventeen to his season, while Patrik Laine would add number eight to his.  The score would be 2-1, but alas, the Lightning would even out the goals scored this period, with one coming from V. Na...

It should come as no surprise to you all that I have been a fan of the Columbus Blue Jackets since 2000 and have only cared more about the team since I started covering them (on another site) in May 2020. With that being said, this isn't the storybook season many expected, the opposite, actually. So, why is Brad Larson still the Head Coach? It's been a significant topic on Social Media, that one loan question, and it's sparked a sizable debate, at times even dividing the most die-hard fans. Here is my theory upon listening to Bob McElligottt's 1/9/23 "Monday Mailbag" Podcast.   When a fan questioned Head Coach Brad Larson's understanding of "line chemistry" and Bob dismissed the question, defending the HC of the Columbus Blue Jackets, my mind started turning. If I've realized anything in the last few weeks, it's how much I enjoy the logic behind hockey. I'd add in "defending our team," too, but I've done that since I was...

Tonight would be lighter on goals, especially compared to last night. Through 2 periods of play, only one goal would be scored. This goal would come from Washington Capitals E. Gustafsson at 2:43 into Period 1. Aside from a few fantastic stops by Elvis Merzlikins, the most significant moment in these two periods was Gavin Bayreuther's minor and major penalties for fighting a Capitals player! Beyond this, it would be a lot of great Defense and even better goaltending on both ends of the ice.   Going into Period 3, the Blue Jackets would need just 1 goal to tie this game. The Defense and goaltender Elvis Merzlikins had done fantastic to this point (which would continue), but the offense needed to create chances. The Blue Jackets would finally get a Powerplay early into this period, but the score wouldn't change. Another opportunity would come later in the period, and this second Powerplay attempt would end the same. The team pushed, but Darcy Kemper would come through for the Ca...

With Korpisalo in net and Nationwide Arena rocking with over 18,000, it's time to recap a spectacular game 5th Line! Kirill Marchenko is happy to comply if you want a confidence boost in your Columbus Blue Jackets! Now, as many games have been "team losses," this tonight went beyond Marchenko and was, in my mind, the best win this season.   Period 1 would end with a 0-0, hard-fought draw. Period 2 would change all that, however, as Kirill Marchenko scored goal number 6 of his rookie season. This would come at 7:26, and assists on this goal would go to Kent Johnson, number nine this season for him, and Marcus Bjork, his eighth. At 9:02Kirill Marchenkko would score goal number 2 on the night, his seventh of this season. The primary assist on this goal would go to Kent Johnson, number ten this season for him, and Emil Bemstrom, his fifth. This would bring the Blue Jackets to a 2-0 lead, but the Hurricanes would get in a goal from M. Pacioretty at 11:20. Then, at 17:18, B. Sk...

This was a tight game in the IIHF 2023 World Juniors Final, even if it didn't start out that way.  Dylan Guenther would score in Period 1 for Team Canada, giving his team a 1-0 lead at 12:41.  Period 2 Shane Wright would add to Team Canada's lead, making it 2-0 at 24:35.  Alright, I know this doesn't sound like the "tight game" I described, but the Team Czechia comeback in Period 3 was beautiful.  With a goal each from Jiri Kulich at 52:30 and Jakub Kos at 53:24, this game would be tied, leading to Overtime!  Unfortunately for Team Czechia, Team Canada would get one last goal from Dylan Guenther at 66:22, ending the game.  Team Canada wins Gold at home; the final would be 3-2.   With that being said, Team Czechia, with Columbus Blue Jackets Prospects David Jiricek, Stanislav Svozil, and Martin Rysavy, will all go home with a Silver Medal, and that's impressive.  If you are concerned about the Columbus Blue Jackets' future, remember these guys...

In Period 1, Johnny Gaudreau showed us why he's our Columbus Blue Jackets All-Star in 2023. There was just 1 goal in this period, and it belonged to him. Coming at 5:19, there would be just one assist on his goal, the third of this season for Emil Bemstrom.  1-0 after Period 1; a Blue Jackets lead.   Unfortunately, the Capitals would make up for that scoreless period in a big way during Period 2. T. Oshie would tie the game at 1:51. Then, at 11:15, N.Aube-Kubel would give the Capitals their first lead at 2-1. The Blue Jackets would come back at 12:59 with Gavin Bayreuther's first goal of his 2022-23 NHL Season. Assists on this goal would go to Adam Boqvist, his second of the season, and Emil Bemstrom, his third of this season. The 2-2 tie wouldn't last, however, as M. Fehervary would score at 17:20. Then, at 1857, his teammate G. Hathaway would also score. This would give the Capitals a 4-2 lead over the Blue Jackets after 40 minutes of NHL Gameplay.   Period 3 ...

It should be no surprise that the number 1 Free-Agent, who picked Columbus and is currently the point leader for his team, will represent them at the 2023 NHL All-Star Game!  Johnny "Hockey" Gaudreau now has 11 goals and 27 assists this season (it was 10 goals and 27 assists, but he scored in Period 1 tonight against the Washington Capitals!)  On a team with many veteran players injured and even more young players filling the ranks, Gaudreau has been a bright star and a fun player to watch.  Recently, with all the injuries, he was also given the honor of wearing an "A" for the Columbus Blue Jackets.  Needless to say, Gaudreau is ready for this All-Star Game, and I'm sure that we, as the 5th Line, can't wait to see if Team Metropolitan can win it all again, just as Zach Werenski and his team did in 2022!   A few spots remain, and the players who fill them will be picked by us NHL Fans.  Your chance to select these final spots will begin tonight, during ...

After over a week of competition, it all comes down to this!  On January 5th Team Czechia and Team Canada will face off to decide who goes home with Silver and who goes home with Gold at the 2023 World Juniors.  The best part about this is how the Columbus Blue Jackets have 3 prospects in this matchup, and they're all on the same team too!  Team Czechia consists of many great players, but the three you likely know well 5th Line are David Jiricek, Stanislav Svozil, and Martin Rysavy.  All of them have played a pivotal role in their country's team reaching this point, and I can't wait to see them all earn a medal, along with another accolade added to their young careers, tomorrow.  I'll post a full blog tomorrow after the game, breaking down each of our prospect's numbers and what color hardware they'll be bringing home!  Their game will be played at 7:30 PM.  The Bronze Medal Match (Between Team USA and Team Sweden) will be played first at 3:30 PM....

I've missed some games due to work, so I'm putting the game date instead of the game number in my blog titles. Beyond this, it's our first "The CBJ Writer" Blog of 2023! As many did, I also hoped tonight would be the start of something for the Blue Jackets. Period 1 would conclude with a 0-0 tie. Each team, Columbus Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators had great scoring chances. However, both Goaltenders weren't giving any forwards on the opposing team an inch. This seemed to be the start of a great game...but it would quickly turn in Period 2 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.   For all of Period 1, only a single Powerplay would be given, it would be against the Blue Jackets, but they would manage to kill it off. In Period 2, the Senators would gain a whopping four Powerplays and two they would capitalize on. D. Brassard would score at 2:59, and this would be the first goal and Powerplay Goal of the night for the Senators. 7:00 on the nose would bring another goa...

Fenway Park.  The location has such a rich and impressive history in sports, and today, it added yet another to its long and growing list.  An outdoor hockey game unlike any other as the NHL heads back to the roots of how many NHL players, past and present, discovered their love of hockey.  The stadium was packed, and rightfully so, as the Boston Bruins would welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins to another home in their city, the prior mentioned Fenway Park.  Let's recap a monumental part of this 2022-23 NHL Season: The 2023 NHL Winter Classic!   This would be an expert first period of hockey.  Sadly, the first development in this period would be a player leaving due to an apparent injury, not a goal.  Tristan Jarry would leave with about 5 minutes remaining in this opening period.  The Goaltender left the ice on his own power; I won't comment on the injury, however, as I don't create speculation.  (If you're a regular reader, you already kno...