The CBJ Writer

The first period tonight would end at an even 1-1 tie. The Capitals would pop one into the net, past Daniil Tarasov, at 6:49. That goal would go to N. Dowd and give B. Duhalme and T. Van Raddysh both assists. Denton Mateychuk would make quick work of tying this game for the Blue Jackets at 7:12. Scoring his second goal this preseason is allowing him to make a firm case to stay here in Columbus well into the regular season. Kirill Marchenko continues to add to his preseason points with the primary assist on this goal while Sean Monahan continues to do the same with the secondary.  Period 2 the Blue Jackets would have a hard time finding a goal, but the same couldn't be said for the Capitals. The visitors would have a goal just 0:48 in by way of T. Wilson. The assists on this goal would go to T. Van Riemsdyk (brother of James Van Riemsdyk) and former Blue Jacket Pierre-Lou Dubois. Speaking of, if you went to the bathroom or blinked at the end of this period, you missed his goal putti...

Once the Columbus Blue Jackets could finally leave Columbus to journey to Washington D. C. it was clear the 7:00 p.m. puck drop wouldn't be possible. So, pregame was pushed from 6:30 to 8:15, and puck drop was at 8:39. With Daniil Tarasov in net for his first preseason start, the game would begin and I wasn't surprised with A. Ovechkin got a puck past him at 6:58, giving his Capitals a 1-0 lead. I mean, it's what Ovi does and why he's chasing Wayne Gretzky's all-time goal record. A. Manglapane would have the only assist on that Capitals goal. Adam Fantilli was quick to answer for the Blue Jackets at 10:47, and Dimitri Voronkov would have the only assist on his goal. These are the first points this preseason for both players. Just a few minutes later, James Malatesta would race up the ice and have a goal all to himself at 13:49! This is also his first point of the preseason and he also gave the visiting team its first lead of the evening. The Capitals don't go aw...

The 6-1 loss in the Columbus Blue Jackets' first preseason game this year stung a bit. The game was a challenge because we only had seven regular players in our lineup whereas the Buffalo Sabers came out guns blazing in preparation to start their regular season on the world stage in Germany. Tonight, the tables turned as a heavier veteran presence was on the ice for the first home preseason game. Elvis Merzlikins was in the net and before him stood Sean Kuraly, Kent Johnson, Yegor Chinakov, Kirill Marchenko, Erik Gudbranson, Ivan Provorov, and even newcomer James Van Riemsdyk. The balance tonight was far better between rookies and veterans and that translated to the ice flawlessly. We got to see a focused Elvis Merzlikins for the first two periods of play where he finished with a perfect 1.00 save percentage. The Blues sent 19 shots his way and he stopped them all. But, of course, that's only half of the game. You can't just rely on defense and goalkeeping, your forwards ha...

It's been a heavily emotional offseason with the passing of Johnny and Mathew Gaudreau. Tributes continue to pour in from the Boston Bruins doing 13 seconds of silence for Johnny to the Buffalo Sabers donating their portion of their 50/50 raffle to the Gaudreau Memorial Fund. I've said it before, but in times like this, the NHL seems like a small family, not a league that spans two countries with players and fans from all around the world. It's really touching and beautiful. That said, many have pointed out that Johnny would want us to look forward to and focus on hockey. So, without further ado, let the Columbus Blue Jackets 2024-25 NHL Preseason begin!  It is important to mention, before I get into the game recap, that this was a young Blue Jackets team playing an experienced Buffalo Sabers team. Why? The Sabers have been given an incredible honor by the NHL. They will open the 2024-25 NHL Season with the New Jersey Devils, and that game will be played in Germany! So, it ...

There is no denying the massive hole Johnny Gaudreau's untimely death will leave in our hearts and on the Columbus Blue Jackets team. Johnny could never be replaced, but a successor is needed as the 2024-25 NHL Season approaches. Today, Don Waddell took a step in the right direction to give this team its best chance at a successful season. James Van Riemsdyk, a highly sought-after Forward this 2024 offseason, is now coming to Columbus. The contract is for $900,000 and only this upcoming 2024-25 NHL Season, but if things work out in his favor I'm sure he could be asked to extend his stay longer. Personally, I'd bet money on this happening on his record alone. Of course, things on paper may not translate to the ice, but it's hard to see how Van Riemsdyk won't elevate this team. Van Riemsdyk has appeared in 1,011 games throughout 15 NHL Seasons. In that time he's had 629 points, totaling 311 goals and 318 assists. He spent last season with the Boston Bruins, appear...

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...