The CBJ Writer

Tonight's 2025 Columbus Blue Jackets Mom's Trip would start with a stone-cold start in period one. The score would be 0-0 after a goaltender clinic between Jackets Daniil Tarasov and Red Wings C. Talbot. This would do a full 365 degree turn around in period two when six, yes, six goals were scored. An unfortunate bit of information before we recap that big second period. Cole Sillinger would not play the rest of the game. I don't know what happened, but hopefully he'll be okay so he can play in his first Stadium Series on Saturday. I would hate for him to miss it.   The first goal of period two would come from the home team's D. DeBrincat. His twenty-seventh goal this season would come at 00:27. The only assist on this goal would become the eighteenth this season for J. Compher. After this goal, the visiting Jackets would kick it into high gear. James van Rymsdyk would add the Jackets' first goal of the game at 4:16. This goal would be his thirteenth this season...

Revenge is a dish best served over ice. Kirill Marchenko was injured the last time these teams met in Dallas three weeks ago, suffering a broken jaw while on the bench from a wayward puck. This wasn't anyone's direct fault, but this is just too good of a lead in when Kirill Marchenko scores the first goal of the game at 00:30 into the game! This would mark his twenty-second goal this season and give Ivan Provorov his nineteenth assist this season on the primary and Dimitri Voronkov his twentieth on the secondary. A few minutes later, Mathiew Oliver would make his way back onto the scoresheet with his eleventh goal this season at 4:37. Damon Severson would add his seventeenth assist this season on the primary while Zach Aston-Reese would add his ninth on the secondary. So, six-point scorers with less than five minutes gone in the game, yeah baby! Now, this is the Dallas Stars, they will fight back, of course. So, when J, Benn scored his fifteenth goal this season at 9:37 I wasn...

WE'RE BACK, 5TH LINE! With his 0-6-6 across four games in the NHL 2025 4-Nations Face-Off past, the most points of any player in the tournament, Zach Werenski would look to continue his twenty-one home game point-streak. In addition to this thrilling moment, we'd gain back Captain Boone Jenner who hadn't played a game all season after shoulder surgery in early October, Kirill Marchenko who suffered a broken jaw at the Dallas Stars while sitting on the bench, and Dante Fabro would return after suffering a concussion in the same game at the Dallas Stars. With all of this ahead of us it already promised to be an exciting night, but, oh, just wait for this recap, 5th Line!  The first and only goal of period one would come from Jackets' Kent Johnson at 4:10. This would mark his eighteenth goal of the season and give Cole Sillinger his nineteenth assist this season on the primary and Zach Werenski his forty-third on the secondary. So, it would be a short wait for the Zach Wer...

 It all comes down to this and what a thriller it would be! Team USA and Team Canada are always spicy when it comes to international hockey battles, but due to recent events that go beyond the game, it's been kicked up several notches. So, with Team USA allowing NHL Players to return to the 2026 Olympics next year for the first time in several games and the title of 4-Nations Face-Off Champion on the line until that moment next winter, it was on like Donkey Kong in Boston!  I enjoyed each team having an honorary captain. Of course, Wayne Gretzky had to be the honorary captain of Team Canada and Mike Eruzione had to be the honorary captain of Team USA. Mike wearing a Columbus Blue Jackets' Johnny Gaudreau jersey as he walked onto the ice was a lovely addition to a historic moment, too. After the trading of gifts between Team USA's Captain A. Mathews and Team Canada's Captain C. McDavid, it was time for the Final to begin.  I'm happy to report that this game didn'...

Before skaters could meet ice tonight, this afternoon's earlier game of Team Canada at Team Finland had already set up the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off Finals on Thursday at TD Garden. Team Canada won in regulation, beating the home team, Finland, 5-3. So, Thursday night at 8:00 p.m. is sure to be a thriller, Even with the final set in stone, tonight's game was still sure to be an exciting one as it would be the first time all tournament that Team USA played in the States. That said, Team USA would be without A. Mathews due to an upper-body injury, C. McAvoy with an upper-body injury, and M. Tkachuk with a lower-body injury. With any luck, both men will play on Thursday, but nothing official has been said.   With the anthems sung, the game would get underway just after 8:00 p.m. EST and it wouldn't take long for Team USA to score. C. Kreider would score his first goal of the tournament just 00:35 into period one! Z. Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets would notch his team-...

You could always cut the tension on the ice between Team USA and Team Canada with a knife in the past, but tonight, you could've cut it with a spork. 00:02 after the puck dropped on period one, Team USA's M. Tkachuk and Team Canada's B. Hagel would go to blows first. But, as was with the prior Team USA game, the Thachuk brothers do everything together. Case in point, Team USA's B. Tkachuk and Team Canada's S. Bennett would ditch their gloves at 00:03!. But, we're not done yet, folks! Before the dust could settle on those first two fights, Team USA's T.J. Miller and Team Canada's C. Parayko would each toss their gloves to the ice as well. In this instance, the Refs would charge all six men with 5-minute majors for fighting, but with the third fight, T.J. Miller would also gain a 2-minute for a cross-check. This seemed to cool the rink a bit and the game actually began after this point.    C. McDavid would score his first goal of the tournament for Team Ca...

If you were looking forward to some great hockey amongst the greats from Team Canada, Team Sweden, Team Finland, and Team USA, you've been entertained so far. I know I have been! Last night's overtime thriller where Team Canada beat Team Sweden 4-3 was just the cusp of competition we learned early into tonight's Team USA and Team Finland game. Team Finland would take an early lead in period one at 7:31 with a goal from H, Joklharju. M. Granlund and O. Maatta would each earn their first assists of the tournament. Not long after, at 10:21m B. Tkachuk would tie the game for Team USA. M. Boldy and Z. Werenski would add their first assists of the tournament! I'm especially happy for Z. Werenski as I'm covering Team USA because of him being from the Columbus Blue Jackets and our only player in the tournament. The opening period would close with a 1-1 tie.  Period two would see just one goal and it would come from Team USA. M. Boldy would score his first goal, giving him a...

The Rangers and Jackets remember how the first meeting this season ended. The Rangers would win a hotly contested game in Madison Square Garden 1-0 in overtime. Tonight, plenty of goals would be scored in regulation as both teams pushed for a crucial Wild Card position ahead of the 2025 NHL Four Nations Tournament. Further, Zach Werenski would look to make it a twenty-one home-game point streak. In addition, many players were looking to start or extend point streaks of their own. So, let's recap a Metro Match Up!  The Rangers would start out the game flying with purpose after losing at home last night (3-2 against the Penguins at home.) This would result in an early goal past Elvis Merzlikins, giving the Rangers a 1-0 lead just 1:56 into period one. This goal would become number three for A. Kaliyev. The primary assist would be credited to R. Lindgren. becoming his thirteenth this season while the secondary would be credited to M. Zabanejad, becoming his twenty-sixth this season. T...

Lace up those skates, 5th Line, because the first hosting of the Utah Hockey Club was full of action!  Justin Danforth would add his fourth goal this season just 5:51 into period one. The only assist on this goal would go to belong to the young defenseman, Jordan Harris, and it would become his third this season. I'm so happy for both guys as their goal would add to their numbers but also be the only goal of the first period. So, the Jackets would bring a 1-0 lead into period two. Little did I know how firey that second period would be! First, with goal eight of his season at 2:06, Utah's L. Crouse would tie this game at 1-1. A primary assist would become number four this season for J. Doan while a secondary assist would become number fifteen this season for M. Kesselring. Then, Utah would take the lead at 2-1 at 12:33, thanks to goal number two this season for O, Maatta. This goal would only have one assist and it would become number ten for N. Bjugstad. This game would take a...

This team has drastically changed between the start of our last game at the Dallas Stars and the start of this game at the Buffalo Sabers. I hope we see Zach Werenski back next game and sincerely wish Kirill Marchenko a speedy and easy recovery from his broken jaw and Dante Fabro a speedy and easy recovery from what many believe to be a concussion. The last game was a costly loss, but I hope to see the younger players and the future of this team rise to the occasion as I believe they can.     The first period would see just one goal and it would belong to the hosting Sabers. This goal would belong to B. Byram and would become his sixth goal this season. His goal would come at 10:07 into the opening period. The primary assist would go to J. Zucker and become his twenty-first off the season while the secondary would belong to T. Tuch and this would become his twenty-second of the season. The Jackets had some good chances, but the biggest moment of the period would by far be...

First, a moment of appreciation for James van Riemsdyk who we found out tonight had a major injury from the last game but returned in a face mask to finish the game. I'm sorry, I'm a team player, but if I lose four teeth and have to get thirty stitches after eating a hockey stick, I don't know if I'm coming back for more. What a player; I hope we resign him now more than ever. If you find his team ethic impressive, just wait.  Tonight, the Jackets wouldn't wait until period three to get their first goal. They would be the first to score at 6:43 by way of Cole Sillinger as he adds goal nine to his season and reaches triple digits in the point column with his 100th! Kent Johnson would add his nineteenth assist with the primary while a stiched-up James van Riemsdyk would add his thirteenth assist this season on the secondary. See, I told you you'd be impressed. Now, of course, the Stars are still a very competitive team that will likely see the playoffs in 2025. So...

Normally, I have to share articles by the NHL because I'm usually working when this kind of news is announced, but today, I'm not! Zach Werenski is proving to doubters that this NHL Season will go down as one of the best in his career. Today, we learned of another achievement he's added to the long list of record-breaking moments, point streaks, and team-leading assists and total points. Zach Werenski, across the league, has added the Third Star of January to this list now, too. Aside from his spectacular goal last night to clench the win for his team in overtime at the Utah Hockey Club, the man has poured on the points in the first month of 2025. His total for just 31 days was six goals and eleven assists for a grand total of seventeen points. He accomplished this over the span of just fourteen games. Keep in mind he averages a little less than playing half the game in every game. The Columbus Blue Jackets have several great defensemen and young ones showing promise, but Z...