Columbus Blue Jackets @ New Jersey Devils: 2024-25 NHL Season Game 64

The Columbus Blue Jackets would go from a high-intensity win at the New York Rangers, where they won 7-3, to the New Jersey Devils. This was another vital game to win as the Devils are just points ahead of the Jackets in the third playoff spot. Aside from catching the Devils, the two points up for grabs tonight were more important in the effort to fight off those teams close behind us in the playoff race, like the New York Rangers who also play tonight against the Winnipeg Jets. Let me start by saying period one did not go as planned. A goal by Devils N. Hischier would put the home team up 1-0 at 6:37. This would become his twenty-seventh goal of the season and on the powerplay after Dante Fabro was called for tripping. The Jackets would also have a powerplay, thanks to P. Cutten for holding Denton Mateychuk. Unfortunately, the Jackets wouldn't convert and a vengeful P. Cutten would come out of the box as if he was shot from our cannon in Nationwide Arena. He'd charge down the ice, get the puck, do a tricky backhand-forehand and trick Elvis Merzlikins into allowing the puck through the five-hole for his fourteenth goal this season. That goal would come at 10:49 and it would have no assists. The Devils would then cap this period off going up 3-0 on home ice with a goal at 16:51 from J. Bratt. This would become his eighteenth goal of the season and give C, Glass his twelfth assist this season. Thankfully, the Jackets would bounce back from the trick shots and bad bounces in period two. 

Mathieu Oliver, who had one goal against the Rangers, would add his fourteenth goal of the season at 3:30. Denton Mateychuk would add his third assist this season on the primary while Kent Johnson would add his twenty-fourth on the secondary. A few minutes later, Kirill Marchenko would score another goal off the Devils' lead with his twenty-fifth this season at 7:16. Adam Fantilli would add his twenty-first assist on the primary while Zach Werenski would add his forty-ninth on the secondary. Unfortunately, the Jackets would find themselves down two goals again after a last minute push in this second period by the Devils as T, Meler added his eighteenth goal this season at 16:49. S. Noesen and B, Dumoulin would both add their fifteenth assists on this goal, primary and secondary, respectively. 

The Devils would take the 4-2 lead and morph it into 5-2 with just 00:26 gone in period three. The goal would belong to L.Hughes, becoming number six this season. C. Glass would add his second assist tonight and thirteenth this season on the primary while J, Bradd would also add his fifty-fifth this season on the secondary. Mathieu Oliver would continue his push for Most Improved Player this season with his fifteenth goal, ten more than his career best at 10:29 when left wide open by the Devils! The only assist on this goal would go to Captain Boone Jenner and it would become number nine for him this season. Towards the end of this period, Boone Jenner would have some of his closest shots on goal he's had since returning a couple of weeks ago post shoulder surgery. Then, at 16:55, a questionable roughing call would be given to Mathieu Oliver. The Jackets would manage to kill this penalty, but with a high stick penalty to Kent Johnson in the final seconds, no further goals would come for the visiting team and the Devils would go on to win 5-3. 

This one hurts as we now have to watch two games tonight to see if the Jackets fall any further in the playoff race. The Ottawa Senators are at the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers are at the Winnipeg Jets. We need the Senators and Rangers to lose to help us out at this time, but remember, there are a lot of games to come, the season is not over yet. 

The Jackets will finally come home after this four-game road trip. They will meet the Vegas Golden Knights at Nationwide Arena on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m.

Go CBJ!