New Jersey Devils @ Columbus Blue Jackets: 2024-25 NHL Season Game 67

The Columbus Blue Jackets would be looking for their first goal in three games and first win in four tonight in Nationwide Arena. With Elvis Merzlikins out of the game to be with his family as they expect baby number two any day, Jet Greaves would take his turn in the Blue Jackets' home net. The first period would end 0-0 after some great play, but the ice would turn in period two, and not in the Blue Jackets' favor. 

T. Meler would open the scoring, putting the Red Wings up 1-0 at 13:35 with goal twenty of his season. This goal would result from the Blue Jackets not being in the right places at the right time. The primary assist would become number sixteen this season for S. Noesen and the secondary would become number twenty-five this season for N. Hischier. J. Bratt would add his twentieth after a bad bounce from Jet Greaves, who was trying to recover the puck from behind the net at 14:14. B, Dumoulin would add his sixteenth assist this season on the primary while C, Glass would add his fourteenth on the secondary. When the dust settled after period two, the Blue Jackets would be down 2-0. 

With over half the third period over, I was starting to get nervous, just hoping we could at least end the scoring drought. Then, at 13:24, the cannon would boom after Mathieu Olivier slipped past the Red Wing's Defense to score his sixteenth goal this season! It would rejuvenate Nationwide Arena and this team! The primary assist would become number nine this season for Justin Danforth and the secondary would become number eleven for Zach Aston-Reese. The Red Wings would push after this goal, but at the next commercial break, it would remain 2-1 Red Wings as the Blue Jackets stopped them at every opportunity. The Blue Jackets would go on to hold the Red Wings back from scoring again, but, unfortunately, the Red Wings would hold the Blue Jackets back from scoring the equalizer as well. That said, this is the most animated I've seen the Blue Jackets in their last few games. The playoff push is as real as the many young players we have who've never had the opportunity to play so hard for something so great before: A bid to play for the Stanley Cup. So, while tonight was another loss, that goal by Mathieu Oliver reenergized this team and its fans. I think this is a turning point, and there's still time for this team to get back into the playoffs as they're still very much in the hunt. 

Jet Greaves would finish with a .900 save percentage after he stopped 18 out of 20 Red Wing's shot attempts on his home net. 

It's also important to note that we had 48 shots to their 20, so the effort was certainly there tonight, and I think that's very encouraging moving forward. 

It's also fun to mention that on top of his goal tonight to break the drought for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Mathieu Oliver also broke the franchise record for Most Hits in a Season. He has 250 with 15 games to play. He also needs just four more goals to get to twenty this season, and if he or any other Blue Jacket hits that magic number we'll have six players who've hit the twenty-goal mark, something else that has yet to happen in our franchise's history. 

Our next game will be at home in Nationwide Arena on Thursday as the Florida Panthers come to town. We played them shortly after the Stadium Series 2025 and were shut out 3-0, and I think it's time for a Blue Jackets redemption! We'll see what happens when the puck drops at 7:00 p.m. 

Enjoy the rest of your St. Patrick's Day, 5th Line!

Go CBJ!