Columbus Blue Jackets @ Winnipeg Jets: 1/9/24 Game Recap

I'll spare you the optimism because tonight's game was hard to listen to. I like a good, uplifting post but won't lie to my readers. Period one would be decent, but it would still end with the Jets leading 1-0 after Brenden Dillon scored at 3:12. Period two would see the Jets lead grow by two more goals. The first would be scored at 10:50 by Cole Perfetti, while the second would come from Josh Morrissey at 14:03. The Blue Jackets glimmer of hope at the end of this period, down 3-0, would be a remaining powerplay. That would quickly be overshadowed as the Jets would get a penalty in their favor, and the bad would turn to worse as Cole Perfetti would score his second goal of the evening at 3:34. Beyond worse, the goal wouldn't even come on the powerplay but at even play! So, the Jets would have and maintain their 4-0 lead until a penalty would come on Emil Bemstrom for a high stick. It would then take no time for the Jets to jump to a 5-0 lead, thanks to a goal from Gabriel Vilardi at 9:29. With just over a minute to play in regulation, Hellebuyck would deny the Blue Jackets best attempt to prevent a shutout in this period. And, in the end, the shutout of our Blue Jackets would be complete by the Jets, 5-0. This also marks their first in their home arena, ugh. They are one of the best teams in the NHL, and boy, did they prove it tonight. So, all disappointment aside, this was how I expected tonight to go. The Jets are on another level, and although I saw us getting at least one goal, I'm not surprised we didn't. 

The Blue Jackets will have some time to travel home from Winnipeg and regroup, and that's a good thing because the next team they play is another high-caliber one. We will face the Seattle Kraken, who recently beat the Buffalo Sabers and the Ottowa Senators and shut out the Golden Knights. The game will start at 7:00 p.m. We'll see how it plays out then! 

Go CBJ!