Vegas Golden Knights @ Columbus Blue Jackets: 3/4/24 Game Recap

It's a bummer to have Elvis Night without Elvis Merzlikins, especially when playing against the Vegas Golden Knights! That said, his day-to-day upper-body injury is a far cry from Kent Johnson, who will have shoulder surgy soon and remain out for the rest off this NHL and AHL season. I want to wish them both the best before recapping this game. 

Tonight would begin with some cannon bangs against the 2023 Stanley Cup Champion Golden Knights. Justin Danforth would score his tenth goal this season at 6:16. It would be a primary assist for Sean Kuraly, who matches his number with seven assists this season. In addition, Zach Werenski continues to rack up points with his thirty-third assist this season on Danforth's goal. Another cannon bang would come at 13:11 for Alex Nylander as he scored his second goal since joining our team five games ago. He now has four points 2-2-4! Alexander Texier enjoys his eleventh assist this season with the primary, while Ivan Provorov adds twenty-two with the secondary assist. A dose of reality would find the Blue Jackets as Golden Knights Mason Morelli would score at 17:19, and then his teammate, William Karlsson, would clear the two-goal hole at 18:01. Thankfully, the goal bleeding would be capped there for the Blue Jackets, and a tied game would take us into period two. 

Opportunities would come and go for both the Golden Knights and Blue Jackets, but only the Blue Jackets would cash in when the second period came to a close. Advice, if Erik Gudbranson shoots a put at over 90 mph, just get out of the way! He would do this at 17:21 and be rewarded with his fourth goal this season and the go-ahead goal for his home team. With the primary assist, Johnny Gaudreau adds his thirty-fifth assist this season. Also, captain Boone Jenner achieves double digits with the secondary assist, now with ten. It's been a tall order to maintain a lead from period two through the end of the game this season for the Columbus Blue Jackets. That said, there was electricity in the air tonight. 

At 3:23, Alex Nylander would make it 3-2-5 since he joined the Blue Jackets five games ago with his second goal tonight! A lone assist for Cole Sillinger keeps his point streak going into a fourth game, giving him thirteen assists so far this season. I'll also mention that with Boone Jenner's assist on Erik Gudbranson's goal in period two, he is now back on a streak with three games, too. The Knights wouldn't leave Nationwide Arena quietly, though, as Chandler Stephenson would pop a third goal past Daniil Tarasov at 10:16. This one stings because Tarasov had been putting up some incredible numbers, saving over 30 shots already tonight before this goal. The Blue Jackets would give their goalie some breathing room though as Yegor Chinakov informs the Golden Knights that this is our ice! Believe it or not, that's already his sixteenth goal this season and in just forty-nine games. That goal comes at 11:20, and with a side of Kirill Marchenko's fifteenth assist this season. So, suddenly, the Golden Knights are put back in their two-goal hole by the home team! With the empty net goal, Alex Nylander would complete his Hat Trick, and it only took him five games as a Blue Jacket to have one. Wow. This goal would be scored at 18:49, and with one assist, Alexander Texier has a multipoint night, and his twelfth assist this season! Alex Nylander goes from 1-2-3 to 4-2-6 in one night. Daniil Tarasov also finishes with a 37 save evening on 40 shots for a .925%. All around, it's an epic night and the home team's first back-to-back win since November 2023; what an evening! Now, let's go for THREE tomorrow night against the Pitsburgh Penguins at 7:00 p.m. tomorrow evening in their arena! This group of players is becoming a team, and damn is it a beautiful sight!    

Congratulations, #92!

GO CBJ!