Columbus Blue Jackets @ Pittsburgh Penguins: 3/7/23 Game Recap

Much to the Pittsburgh Penguins' dismay, the Columbus Blue Jackets would open this road game with their skates on fire! At 4:02, Emil Bemstrom would score on the Power Play, giving him his fifth goal of the season. The primary assist would go to Cole Sillinger, his seventh of this season, while Kent Johnson would add the secondary to his total, giving him seventeen. Lane Pederson would add his first goal as a Blue Jackets net at 7:54. (Note, this season, he's had two goals, one with the Vancouver Canucks and his second tonight with us.) The only assist on this goal would go to Liam Foudy, his fourth this season. Before this period would end, the Blue Jackets would score a third unanswered goal at 10:11, thanks to Patrik Laine. His goal total is now at an even twenty, and we still have plenty of hockey to play! Jack Roslovic now has twenty-nine assists this season after picking up the primary assist on this goal by #29, while Kent Johnson would add number eighteen to his own total, his second tonight! This period would end with an astonishing 3-0 Blue Jackets lead! 

Due to Elvis Merzlikins falling ill, he wouldn't return for Period 2. It's sad because he's never had a win against the Penguins, and after Period 1, I really thought this would be his night. Thankfully, Michael Hutchinson was ready to take over and picked up right where the Blue Jackets' primary goalie left off. At 2:37, Liam Foudy would score his third goal of the season, giving his Blue Jackets a 4-0 lead! The only assist on his goal would go to Emill Bemstrom, giving him eleven this season and also a multipoint night (1-1-2 so far tonight!) J. Zucker would get his Penguins on the board at 10:23, but the Blue Jackets would still take a 4-1 lead into Period 3. 

Unfortunately, after a goal from J. Guentzel, a second from J. Zucker, and a goal from D. Heinen, the Penguins would come back to tie this game just 3:59 into Period 3. Each team would stay out of the other net for the remainder of the period, taking us to yet another Blue Jackets pastime: Overtime!

Due to an unfortunate Power Play in Overtime, our Captain would go to the box, and S. Crosby would take his shot, scoring at 2:45. The Blue Jackets would lose this game which started out with such promise, 5-4 in Overtime. They take a point with them for it reaching extra time, but this is just a painful loss for the lead they had. 

Liam Foudy did manage to have the Third Star of the Game tonight, going 1-1-2. 

Thankfully, Elvis Merzlikins will have time to recover from his illness, and the team will have time to get back on track (hopefully) before their next game. The CBJ are off the ice until March 11th, Saturday. That night, we will have a puck drop at 7:00 PM in Nationwide Arean as the St. Louis Blues come to visit.    

Go CBJ!

      

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What the Ranger's Elimination From the 2024 NHL Playoffs Means for the Columbus Blue Jackets Acquired 2026 Draft Pick

It's been an interesting 2024 NHL Playoffs already. This was captivating by watching the divide among the 5th Line fans who chose to watch the playoffs and cheer on former Blue Jackets. As the Eastern Conference Final was set, we saw Sergei Bobrovsky on one end of the ice as a Florida Panther. On the other end of the ice, representing the New York Rangers, stood three former Jackets, Artemi Panarin, Alexander Wennberg, and Jack Roslovic. Due to the final player I listed with the New York Rangers end of the ice, this playoff series had implications for the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Trade the organization did, sending Jack Roslovic to the New York Rangers, was for a conditional Fourth Round Draft Pick in the future 2026 NHL Draft. The condition to this pick was that if the Rangers advanced all the way to the Stanley Cup Final 2024, the Draft pick would increase to the third round. With the Florida Panthers eliminating the New York Rangers tonight in Game 6 (the final was 2-1), The B
Read more

Brenden Gaunce, Nick Blankenburg, and Jake Bean Sign NHL Deals Away From Columbus Blue Jackets

The 2024 Trade Deadline gives and takes away every season. Today, the Columbus Blue Jackets signed Sean Monahan to a deal that will last five years and give him a 5.5 Million AAV. This was the brighter side of the day as several Columbus Blue Jackets and Cleveland Monsters players signed elsewhere, including a favorite of mine.  The 30-year-old Center, Brenden Gaunce, left us to join the Minnesota Wild. He agreed to a deal that will go through the 2025-26 NHL Season. He was in Columbus last season for 24 games and had 4 points with an even 2 goals and 2 assists. I have yet to see what his contract is valued at, but nevertheless, I wish him good luck with the Wild.  Jake Bean had the 5th Line divided. Some saw value in him staying, while others wanted him traded months ago. He wasn't traded today but signed to become a Calgary Flame. This contract will take him through the 2025-26 NHL Season like Brenden Gaunce. It'll pay him roughly 1.75 million each season. Appearing in 72 gam
Read more

Rest in Peace, Johnny and Mathew Gaudreau- Part One

I've learned something over the roughly two and a half weeks since we lost Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Mathew; I will never be ready to write this blog. I've been avoiding this because my words seem hollow and empty to me; like anything I could say would be redundant and not enough. August 29th, 2024 will forever be burned into my brain alongside July 4th, 2021, the date we lost goaltender, Matiss Kivlenieks, in a firework accident when he used himself to shield others. To say this franchise and its fans have suffered too many tragedies since I started covering the team in May 2020 is an understatement. When we lost 'Kivi' I never imagined doing this again, but I am, and I won't lie to you because I never have; I hate that I have to do this again. My heart is shattered, especially for the Gaudreau family, and I don't think I'll ever find all the pieces. The hockey community will forever be changed by this tragedy. None of us want to accept that this nig
Read more