The CBJ Writer

After the Blue Jackets snapped the Rangers' chance at extending their win streak to eleven, creating a new franchise record, they were expected to be revenge-centered tonight on home ice at Madison Square Garden. That said, period one was a fair fight, ending the way it started with a 0-0 tie. The scoring would begin with a former Blue Jacket at 7:17 into period two as Artemi Panarin would pop a zinger past Elvis Merzlikins. This would be followed by another Rangers goal at 14:19 by Adam Foxx. The Rangers would keep this 2-0 lead until 3:23 of period three when Cole Sillinger would score against one of the best goalies in the NHL today, Igor Shesterkin, preventing a Rangers' shutout. That's Sillinger's ninth goal this season, and it would also give Damon Severson his thirteenth assist this season. Rangers' Will Cuylle and Blue Jackets' Dmitri Voronkov would have a full-blown fight in less than five minutes. Both men would leave the game with five-minute majors. ...

A meeting between the New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets never disappoints, and tonight was yet another epic game. There was already heat between Rangers' Matt Rempe and Blue Jackets' Mathieu Olivier before this game got underway, and it didn't take long for a hockey fight, by definition, to break out. Mathieu Oliver turned this battle into WWE On Ice, throwing punch after punch, and without question won. Minutes after this, Blue Jackets' Dmitri Voronkov would break the 0-0 with his sixteenth goal this season. The primary assist goes to Kirill Marchenko, giving him fourteen this season, while the secondary goes to Damon Severson, who now has twelve. That goal would come at 4:34, but the Rangers wouldn't have a quiet opening period as former Blue Jacket Artemi Panarin would match Voronkov's goal at 14:22. The 1-1 tie would close the first period.  0:18 into the second period, Kirill Marchenko would ensure himself another multipoint game with his seventeen...

This game would be evenly matched for a full sixty minutes. Period one would consist of two goals. The first would come from Blue Jackets' Dmitri Voronkov, giving him fifteen this season. With this goal at 12:05, Kirill Marchenko would add an assist thirteen, while Ivan Provorov would add an assist twenty-first. Zemgus Girgenson would tie this game at one at 16:16. The period would conclude with a 1-1 tie, and that score would be maintained throughout the second period, too.  Period three would see the tire finally break at 3:05, but it wouldn't break the Blue Jackets way as Coner Clifton would score for the Saber. That goal would be the game-winner, and the Buffalo Sabers win a tight game 2-1.  The Blue Jackets will have a day off and return to action on Sunday. The New York Rangers will make the quick trip here before we head to New York to play them next week. That game has a start time of 6:00 p.m.  Go CBJ!   

It's a fond farewell to Emil Bemstrom, also known to the 5th Line as Bemmer. Emil Bemstrom has only ever been a Columbus Blue Jacket, Drafted by us in 2017 in the 4th round at 117. This season, he's struggled with injury but managed to have five goals and six assists throughout thirty-two games. He was a piece to be traded to some, while others saw him as a favorite player. I know the Pittsburgh Penguins are rivals, but I wish him the best!  Now, who we got is shocking to me, I won't lie. Alex Nylander is a talented player...but he's only played fourteen games over the last two seasons and has had one goal and one assist. When healthy, he's gifted. All we have to do is hope that happens in Columbus. In his six NHL seasons, Nylander has played just ninety-six games but has had thirty-four points. This number is made up of fourteen goals and twenty assists.  I'll be curious to see how this goes. On one hand, Alex Nylander is a name I know. For a few seasons he was...

Buckle up 5th Line, I don't think I've seen a more unbelievable game in a while. At 3:32, Zach Werenski would get his second goal in as many nights, giving him three this season. It's Johnny Gudreau's thirty-first assist this season and Jack Roslovic's eleventh. This would be followed by goal number fourteen this season for Johnny Gaudreau at 9:32 and Jake Bean's sixth assist. For the first time in over four years, Zach Werenski would add a second goal in a game. What a moment for him at 18:30. Boone Jenner makes his point streak five games with the primary assist, his seventh this season. Also, it's a multipoint night for Jack Roslovic as he adds his twelfth assist this season. The Blue Jackets would be riding high on a 3-0 lead, but no one could've foreseen the events of period two coming.  The scoring would start early again, with Sean Kuraly's eighth goal this season just 2:49 into period two. The only assist would be number nine this season for ...

It's another two-day game in California! This game would be entertaining for all the weird reasons, so let's talk about it, 5th Line. The Blue Jackets would score first, thanks to Johnny Gaudreau, but remember, I promised entertainment for weird reasons! Boone Jenner would skate into a Kings' Defenseman, and that Defenseman would fall into the Kings' Goaltender. To those watching and listening as a Blue Jackets fan, it was no surprise that Johnny Gudreau's goal was wiped from the scoreboard quickly. To add insult to injury, the Kings would get a puck past Elvis Merzlikins before this period would conclude. It would come from Quinton Byfield at 18:22.   The single-goal deficit was obtainable by the Blue Jackets, but then former Blue Jacket Pierre-Luc Dubois (PLD) would score just 1:27 into the second period. I know, folks; remember, I'm just telling you what happened. Making matters worse, this is a gifted goal, as they were on a powerplay. At 4:41, Adam Boqvist ...

It's another late game where we start on one day and end on another! Unfortunately, the Blue Jackets wouldn't be the first to score tonight, but a former Blue Jacket would. Anthony Duclair would shoot it through the five holes and into Elvis Merzlikins' net at 3:39. After this, the Blue Jackets would have several chances on breakaways but yield no goals until Zach Werenski would score his second goal this season at 15:16. This goal gives Johnny Gaudreau twenty-nine assists this season, and Jack Roslovic his ninth. This goal would be followed by another, this time from Kirill Marchanko at 16:24. So, it wasn't the fastest start, but the Blue Jackets made up for it quickly. This is Marchanko's eighteenth goal this season, and it also gives Yegor Chinakov his eleventh assist, while Erik Gudbranson has his thirteenth. With those quick goals, the Blue Jackets would go from down a goal to leading by two after one period of play.  The second period would start with a goal f...

This story broke this morning, but I wanted to wait for other shakeups among the Columbus Blue Jackets Franchise. Also, I'm shocked that this decision was made just weeks before the NHL Trade Deadline on March 8th, 2024. That is a huge day for any NHL GM, and for the first time since 2013, Jarmo Kekalainen will not be with the Blue Jackets during it.  I understand that many fans have wanted this decision for months, some years. I know there has been a lot of transition with coaching, starting with Brad Larson, then to Mike Babcock (who resigned months later over controversy), and now Pascal Vincent. That's a lot in three seasons. This rebuild was expected to be long, but going into a third losing season in a row is different than the desired outcome. Fans alike want to see progress, even amid a rebuild, and that's fair.  Still, I can't help but highlight the players Jarmo Kekalinen has gotten us since I started covering the team for Skullking Sports in May 2020. Men cur...

This game was full of goals, so let's dive straight into it. The Blue Jackets would come out of the gate and score the first goal tonight for their first road game since the NHL All-Star break. This would be Dmitri Voronkov's thirteenth goal of the season, and given it's the 13th, it's a lucky day for him. With his goal at 7:11, Kent Johnson would add his tenth assist, joining the double-digit club, and Kirill Marchenko takes himself to twelve. Unfortunately, the Senators would bounce back quickly from the Blue Jackets' early lead. Brady Tkachuk would score at 9:48 and 10:38. In addition, his teammate Claude Giroux would also score at 14:46. Even with another goal being challenged by the Blue Jackets and ultimately removed, they would find themselves down two after the opening period.  Ridly Greig would tack on a fourth goal for the home team at 5:37, making it a 4-1 lead. But then, through the fog, Captain Boone Jenner would bring some light to the party with his s...

The 2024 NHL All-Star Break is in the past, but it's undoubtedly one we will remember. Boone Jenner had a goal in the qualifier game and one in the final for Team McDavid. Sadly, Team McDavid did lose to Team Mathews. It was amazing to watch our captain represent Columbus so well.  Tonight begins the runaway train to the 2024 Trade Deadline on March 8th and the conclusion of this 2023-24 NHL Season. The visiting Tampa Bay Lightning have had a rough time since they returned from the All-Star break, losing a star on their defense to a broken leg. It's unclear how long Mikhail Sergachev will miss, but it's been clear how much he means to this team over their last two game losses.  With all those facts laid out, the Lightning seemed to find a way without him tonight, as Nicholas Paul would score at 15:40 in period one. Then, Anthony Cirelli would pop one into the back of our net just seconds into the second period at 0:49. This quick scoring would continue in period three as St...

It's an honor to go to the NHL All-Star Game, and after paying his dues for eleven seasons and suffering many injuries he bounced back from, it was finally Captain Boone Jenner's turn. Going home to Toronto and being selected to Conner McDavid's Team added to what many hoped would be a great NHL All-Star Game. Sure enough, at 7:58 into the first half of his first NHL All-Star Game, Boone Jenner would score the first goal for Team McDavid! This would tie the game at 1-1. Nick Suzuki with the primary and Thomas Hertl with the secondary assist on Jenner's goal. Team MacKinnon would go up 3-1, but in the last minute of play a goal from David Pastrnak at 9:28, and a goal Conner McDavid at 9:54 would tie the game and force a shootout. With a goal from Pastrnak and McDavid and none for Team MacKinnon, Team McDavid would come back from a two-goal hole and move on to the finals! Former Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky would hold the net in the second period and allow two goa...