Nashville Predators @ Columbus Blue Jackets: 2024-25 NHL Season Game 73

 It's hard to believe that after tonight, we'll be within single digits of games remaining in the 2024-25 Columbus Blue Jackets regular season. The Blue Jackets would look to capitalize on the second night of the Predators' back-to-back. They lost at the Flyers last night 2-1. The Predators have been eliminated from the 2025 NHL Playoffs, but the Blue Jackets are still very much alive. Tonight would be a high-scoring game, so let's recap because that cannon got a workout tonight, 5th Line!

It would only take seventy-five seconds for the cannon to go boom tonight at home. See, I told ya it got a workout! Kirill Marchenko would sink goal twenty-nine just 1:15 into period one. The only assist on this goal would go to Zach Werenski, his twenty-third this season. I love it when our goals leader and assist/points leader combine for good, giving us a 1-0 lead in this case! At 16:34, Adam Fantilli would add goal twenty-three of his season to the score sheet. Denton Mateychuk would add his seventh assist on the primary, and he's really boosted his points recently; I'm so happy for him. The secondary assist would give Kent Johnson his twenty-fifth assist this season, and he's another one of our younger players who's just been on it this season. Our 2-0 lead would quickly become 3-0 at 18:10 as Sean Monahan, who just returned from wrist surgery a few games ago, would pop his fifteenth goal into the net on the Blue Jackets' first powerplay chance tonight. Kent Johnson would add his second assist tonight and twenty-sixth this season on the primary while Zach Werenski would add his second assist tonight and fifty-fourth this season on the secondary. The Predators' F. Forsburg would get his visiting team on the board at 18:34 after gaining a moment on the ice with no blue jersey before him. The primary assist would become number seventeen for L, Evangelista, and R. O'Reilly would add his twenty-eighth on the secondary. So, after an exciting opening period for the home team, they'd take a two-goal lead into the second period.

Kirrill Marchenko would continue his goal-leading season by claiming his thirtieth at 4:12 while also putting himself on hattrick watch. Sean Monahan would achieve a multipoint night with the only assist on Kiirill Marchenkos' second goal tonight, giving himself thirty-one this season. The Predators would go on a bit of a comeback run, scoring two goals next, bringing the score 4-3. The first Predator's goal would come at 5:43, becoming number eighteen for M. Bunting, F. Svechkov would add his eighth assist this season on the primary while L, Evangelista would add his second tonight and eighteenth this season on the secondary The next goal, which would put the Predators within a goal of tying the game, came from J. Barron at 6:20, becoming goal five of his season. The only assist on this goal would also become the fifth this season for J. Vrana. A few minutes later, the Blue Jackets would gain back their sizable hole lead, though, don't you worry, 5th Line. Adam Fantilli would put himself on hattrick watch again this season at 12:00 thanks to goal twenty-four. Captain Boone Jeeenner would have his eleventh assist this season on the only for Adam Fantilli's second goal tonight. This would be quickly followed up by another Blue Jackets powerplay goal, scored again by Sean Monahan! This would put a third Blue Jacket on hattrick watch. Do you remember the last time that happened? It was definitely before I started covering this team in May 2020! This would be Sean Monahan's sixteenth goal this season, and he'd score it at 16:47. Kirill Marchenko would have the primary assist, making him one of several players with three points tonight already, and this would be his thirty-ninth assist on the primary. Captain Boone Jenner would add a second assist to his night, his twelfth this season, on the secondary. As if 6-3 wasn't enough of a Blue Jackets lead, Dante Fabro would add a goal at 19:41 against his former team! Eh, I love it! This would be Dante Fabro's seventh goal this season. Adam Fantilli would join the three-point-night club with his twenty-third assist on the primary while Kent Johnson would add his third assist tonight, giving him twenty-seven this season. Okay, so, for those keeping track, I believe this is our fourteenth game with 6+ goals this season. But the Blue Jackets would do better than 7-3; just wait till period three! 

It would take only until 5:23 for one of the three hattricks to be completed, and with Kirill Marchenkos' thirty-first goal this season, he adds another to his young career. Sean Monahan would pick up his thirty-second assist this season and his fourth point tonight. Donte Fabro would also gain a multipoint night after adding the secondary assist on this goal, giving him fifteen this season. This would bring us to an 8-3 Blue Jackets lead. At 9:02, J. Oesterie would add his second goal this season, cutting the home team to a four-goal lead. The only assist on this goal would become number eight for C. Smitth. This game would end with a fight between Ivan Provorov and R. O'Reiliy, truly making sure that this game had it all, including a huge 8-4 home win for the 5th Line! 

The Third Star tonight would be Adam Fantilli with a 2-1-3 finish. 

The Second Star tonight would be Sean Monahan with a 2-2-4 finish. (Here's a fun fact: his four points tonight match the number of games he's been back since that wrist surgery that took him out for two months!)

The First Star tonight would be Kirill Marchenko with a 3-1-4 finish. When the game ended, Jody Shelley would ask him what he liked better, 'Columbus Blue Jackets' fans or scoring goals?' He picked us, 5th Line, but I feel they certainly go hand in hand. 

I do not want to take away from this huge win, but the Montreal Canadians pulled off a shocker against the Florida Panthers. They would tie and force the game into overtime, where the Canadians would go on to win 3-2. So, we're still out of a playoff spot, but this kind of energy and mentality is what this team needs to continue pushing to take that 2nd Wild Card spot from the Canadians. It's 2 points, one night where we win and they lose. After tonight, I like our odds. 

The Colorado Avalanche comes to Nationwide Arena on Thursday night with 9 games to play and 18 points up for grabs to close out the regular season. Each point is more important than ever. I need to see this team work that ice and cannon like they did tonight, not just on Thursday, but for the rest of this season. They've got it in them. Let's go! Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. 

GO CBJ!!!!!!!!