Chicago Blackhawks @ Columbus Blue Jackets: 2024-25 NHL Season Game 57

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 Werenski record count, and I like that he doesn't make us sweat too often. This gives him a twenty-two home game point-streak and among all NHL Defenseman he is tied for third with Phil Housley in the 1991-92 NHL Season. Way to go, Z! The other memorable moment to highlight during this period wasn't on the ice, but in the entire arena as everyone in Nationwide Arena sang 'Happy Birthday' to Johnny Jr., Johnny Gaudreau's son who was with his family tonight for his 1st birthday. I'm not crying, you're crying, and not about the 1-0 lead the Jackets would take into period two...although that's a nice secondary. 

At the end of period one, Joseph LaBate, a call-up from Cleveland would get into a fight with Blackhawks N. Foligno, the former captain here in Columbus. Both men would get five-minute majors for fighting, but N. Foligno would also get two minutes for roughing. In the final seconds of the remaining powerplay in period two, Kent Johnson would put himself on hattrick watch with his nineteenth goal this season at 1:12. Zach Werenski would have the primary assist, giving him two already tonight and forty-four this season. Dimitri Voronkov would pick up the secondary assist and add his seventeenth this season. After an amazing diving save by Elvis Merzlikins, C. Smith would score a few minutes later for the Blackhawks, making the score 2-1 with his eight this season at 4:53. A. Vlasio would add his nineteenth assist this season with the primary assist while F. Nazar would add his seventh with the secondary assist. At 12:42, Denton Mateychuk would give his team back their two-goal lead with his second goal of the season with no assists. This would be the final goal of the second period and the Jackets would carry a 3-1 lead into the final regulation period. 

Zach Werenski would decide that two assists weren't enough points for himself tonight and would add a breakaway goal to his scoresheet at 13:51 of period three. Captain Boone Jenner, in his first game this season after shoulder surgery, would pick up the only assist on this goal, his first this season. Less than a minute later, Adam Fantilli would join the goal-scoring fun at 14:44 with his sixteenth goal this season. Kirill Marchenko, with a cage over his face to protect his healing broken jaw, would pick up the primary assist on this goal, his thirty-fifth this season. Dimitri Voronkov would add his second assist of the night and his eighteenth this season with the secondary. The Jackets would go on to win 5-1 and add two more points to their season tally! 

An unfortunate outcome, Elvis Merzlikins would finish out the game and clench the Third Star of the Game with his .964 save percentage with 28 saves on 27 Blackhawks shots, but after being fallen on towards the end of the third period he was clearly uncomfortable. Hopefully, he'll be okay, but this is definitely something to watch. 

The Second Star of the game would go to Kent Johnson after a 2-0-2 night.   

The First Star of the Game, shocker, belongs to Zach Werenski with a 1-2-3 night. 

The Blue Jackets will host the Dallas Stars on Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m. The team has totaled 62 points thus far this season, and so have the Detroit Red Wings. With one more game played and won they currently hold the Second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference...for now!  

A final note; I'd like to wish the very best and a speedy recovery to Kevin Labanc who had season-ending shoulder surgery on February 18th. I hope we sign him back for next season, I was impressed with how well he slotted in and played at a moment's notice, contributing two goals and ten assists over twenty-four games. Get well soon, #62!

GO CBJ!