Columbus Blue Jackets @ New York Rangers: 2024-25 NHL Season Game 63

Tonight, the Columbus Blue Jackets would look to win their first game on this road trip after losing their last two at the Tampa Bay Lightning and, most recently, the Florida Panthers. The Blue Jackets would go into tonight in the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference after the Ottawa Senators took their first Wild Card spot from them after winning their last game, in overtime, at home, against the New York Rangers last night. A win tonight would put the Jackets back into the first Wild Card spot and put a bit more ice between themselves and the New York Rangers who are still nipping at their skates. So, with no further buildup needed, let's recap some hockey in MSG!

At 5:56, Blue Jackets history would be made as Justin Danforth would be the first to score a goal in this game. This goal would become his seventh this season and give Zach Werenski his forty-seventh assist this season; the only assist on this goal. Why is this historic? This assist marks number 259 of Zach Werenski's Columbus Blue Jackets career, giving him one more assist than the franchise record holder, #61, Rick Nash. This means that with 259 assists, Zach Werenski, our Gr8, is now the Franchise record holder! What a moment to witness. Former Blue Jacket, A. Panarin would close the one-goal gap at 19:31, getting his twenty-eighth goal of the season past Daniil Tarasov. A. Lafrenlere would add his twenty-second assist of the season on the primary while V, Trocheck would add his twenty-fourth on the secondary. No other goals would come in the final seconds and the game would go into period two tied 1-1. 

Now, 5th Line, buckle up, because period two was fun. Adam Fantilli would come out like he was shot from a cannon, scoring goals nineteen and twenty at 3:07 and 3:33, putting himself on hattrick watch in just 00:24! Dimitri Voronkov would have the only assists on both goals, giving him twenty-one and twenty-two, and that short time as well. The Jackets would lead 3-1, but two shorthanded Ranger goals would change that. The first would come at 6:54, becoming goal four this season for B. Schneider. V. Trocheck would add his second assist tonight and twenty-fifth this season on the primary while M. Zibanajad would add his thirty-second on the secondary. The second shorthanded Rangers goal to tie this game again would come at 7:36. It would belong to K. Kreider, marking his eighteenth goal this season. The only assist would be the second of the game and thirty-third this season for M. Zibanajad. The period would end as it began for the Blue Jackets, with two quick goals to give the visiting team a two-goal lead. The first would become Mathieu Olivier's thirteenth goal this season as he continues to have the best NHL season of his life. Z. Werenski would add his second assist tonight and forty-eighth this season on the primary while Dante Fabro would add his eleventh assist this season on the secondary. Dante Fabrow would then add a goal to his assist at 18:47, giving him five this season. Sean Kuraly would add assist number nine to his season with the primary, while James van Riemsdyk adds his sixteenth assist on the secondary. This brings us to a 5-3 Blue Jackets lead after period two!

The Blue Jackets wouldn't let off the gas, continuing their goal collecting ways in period three. Kent Johnson would add his twenty-first goal this season at 10:17, making it 6-3 Jackets. Mathieu Oliver would add a primary assist to his night, his tenth this season, entering the double-digit assist club. The secondary assist would go to Captain Boone Jenner, giving him eight this season. Then, at 11:51, Adam Fantilli would complete his hattrick, his second this season. In Blue Jackets history, only four other Jackets players have had two hattricks in one season. I am so incredibly proud and happy for this young man who has a big future ahead of him. Kirill Marchenko would join the score sheet with assist thirty-seven this season on the primary while Damon Severson would also jump onto the score sheet with his eighteenth assist this season on the secondary. The Jackets would then take this 7-3 game to the win column after killing the rest of the clock, even after a boarding penalty by Jackets newcomer Luke Kunin would result in a fight between himself and W. Borgen of the Rangers. W. Borgen would end up with a 5 minute fighting major, 10 minute misconduct, and 2 minutes for instigating the fight while Luke Kunin would get that 2 minute boarding penalty, 2 minutes for roughing, and 5 minutes for fighting. What a conclusion and what a win! 

Third Star of the Game goes to Zach Werenski with a 0-2-2 Franchise Record Setting Night!

Second Star of the Game goes to Mathieu Olivier with a 1-1-2 Night!

First Star of the Night goes to Adam Fantilli with a 3-0-3 Hattrick Night! Again, only four other Jackets in the franchise's history have had two hattricks in a season. Also, with scoring goals nineteen, twenty, and twenty-one tonight, Adam Fantilli, at the age of 20, is only the third Jacket in history to have or exceeded a twenty-goal season, joining the likes of Rick Nash and Pierre-luc Dubois. What a night and season for #19, and he still has nineteen games to play!

The Blue Jackets reclaim their First Wild Card spot with 70 points. Let me tell you, typing that feels so damn good! Our next chance to add more will be the final game of this road trip as the team heads to New Jersey to play the Devils on Tuesday. The game is set to start at 7:00 p.m. 

Great job Jackets. 

GO CBJ!