Columbus Blue Jackets @ Chicago Blackhawks: 2024-25 NHL Season Game 23

First and foremost, good luck to David Jiricek who was traded to the Minnesota Wild yesterday afternoon. It's good to be back after a Google Blogger glitch and working Black Friday. Let's recap some road hockey!

2:59 into period one, Conner Bedard would light up the home crowd as he made the score 1-0. This would become his fifth goal this season. The primary assist would be the fifth for R. Donato and the secondary would be A Vlasic's tenth assist this season. Seconds later, Ivan Proverov would score the first goal of the road trip and it would become his second this season at 4:27! Sean Monahan would pick up his fourteenth assist on Proverov's goal while Damon Severson would add his seven this season with the secondary assist. Before the first period could end, Kent Johnson would continue his impact on scoring this season with his sixth goal at 11:23. This goal would give the Blue Jackets their first lead of the afternoon, 2-1. Damon Severson would add his second assist of the night and his eighth this season while Cole Sillinger would add his eleventh this season with the secondary assist. No other goals would be scored this opening period and the Jackets would bring a one-goal advantage into the second period. 

Things would get fiery early into this middle period as a hit from C. Murphy on Kirill Marchenko would result in a bloody lip for Marchenko. Dimitri Voronkov would react fast and start a heated fight with C. Murphy of the Blackhawks. Voronkov would have his number 10 jersey over his face for most of the fight but still managed to take Murphy down. It was quite the fight until penalties were dealt out. C. Murphy wouldn't get a penalty for the hit on Marchenko which started the whole altercation, just a five-minute major for fighting. On the other hand, Vornokov would get a total of 17:00 off the ice including a five-minute major for fighting and twelve total minutes for instigating the fight with C. Murphy. With that being most of the period he wouldn't see the ice again until the third period. I love seeing our guys stand up for each other but wow, that was a costly minute, especially when it resulted in the Blackhawks' second powerplay goal of the game and a tying goal. That goal would come at 3:00 and from C. Smith, his eighth goal this season. T. Hall would come away with his fifth assist this season with the primary and A. Martinex would come away with his third assist on the secondary. But, have no fear, Sean Monahan is here with his eighth goal of the season at 4:50! This would give the Blue Jackets their second lead of the evening. Sean Kuraly would improve his numbers with his fourth assist on this Monahan goal while Zach Werenski would score his seventeenth assist with the secondary and add himself to the Blue Jackets history books yet again! With his assist on this goal in this game he's had points in eight straight games, and that's a new record for any defenseman in our franchise's history! Congratulations, Werenski! This would be the final goal of the period and again the Jackets would bring a one-goal lead into the final regulation period this evening. 

Dante Fabro was an amazing free pickup from the Nashville Predators, and he continues to prove he loves playing here with not just comments but points, too! His third goal of the season would come at 3:08 into period three. Zach Werenski would continue to make his point with yet another assist, bringing his total this season to eighteen. Cole Sillinger would also add his second assist of the night and his twelfth this season on Fabro's goal. The 4-2 lead for the Jackets would be cut again to one goal as Nick Foligno, the former Blue Jackets Captain turned Blackhawks player and now Captain would score his seventh goal on yet another Blackhawks Powerplay. T. Teravainen would add a sixth assist this season while C. Bedard would add his fourteenth assist on their Captain's goal. But, Kirill Marchenko would find his way to the double-digit goal club at 10:50 with his tenth goal this season! The goal would belong solely to him and bring the Jackets back to their two-goal lead. The cherry on top would come in the last few minutes of the game when Dimitri Voronkov, who missed most of the second period due to penalty minutes resulting from a fight, would find the empty net at 18:34! This is his sixth goal of the game and there would be no assists on the goal. You're final tonight from Chicago is a Blue Jackets 6-3 WIN, 5th Line!

The only concern tonight is how many chances the Hawks had on the powerplay and that they scored three goals on it. The main thing is that for every goal the Hawks got the Jackets had an answer in minutes. This team is finally believing in themselves. They are scoring instead of passing. They are winning instead of swallowing losses. It's a great thing to see after being positive that this team could do all those things and more for years!

Elvis Merzlikins would come away with a decent .902 Save Percentage as he stopped 28 of the Hawk's 31 shots on goal. 

Zach Werenski would capture some history and the Third Star of the Game with a 0-2-2 evening. 

Sean Monahan would Capture the First Star of the Game with a 1-1-2 evening. 

Buckle up for an emotional night on Tuesday as the Calgary Flames will host the Columbus Blue Jackets and honor the late, great Johnny Gaudreau before puck drop at 9:00 p.m. Have your tissues ready, 5th Line. 

Enjoy this win, CBJ!