Chicago Blackhawks @ Columbus Blue Jackets: Season 25 2/4/26

With the way our Blue Jackets played tonight at home, you'd have no idea that they played last night, on the road at the New Jersey Devils, and won 3-0. Tonight, Elvis Merzlikins would sit on the bench following his first shutout of the season, and Jet Greaves would hold the home net. The transition would be seamless. The Blue Jackets would lead shots on goal, 8-5, and Jet Greaves wouldn't let any of those 5 Blackhawks shots past him. The Blackhawks couldn't say the same for goaltender Spencer Knight. Mr. Team U.S.A., Zach Werenski, would get the scoring started for the Blue Jackets at 4:46, marking goal number twenty of his season! With the primary assist, Cole Sillinger would also add his twentieth assist to his season, while Charlie Coyle continues his impressive season with assist number twenty-six with the secondary. Then, at 12:50, the defenseman would double it up to give the Blue Jackets a 2-0 lead! The goal would become the sixth this season for Ivan Provorov. Adam Fantilli gets the primary assist, giving him twenty-three this season, while Mason Marchment, who fell before rebounding and passing the puck to teammate Adam Fantilli, gets his thirteenth assist on the secondary. The opening period would close out with the Blue Jackets' 2-0 lead. 

Only one goal would happen in Period 2, and it would extend our Blue Jackets' lead to 3-0! First, at 2:55, Danton Heinen would sit in the box for two minutes for hooking Blackhawks Colton Dach. The Blue Jackets would kill the Blackhawks' 2-minute power play, then, at 5:17, Danton Heinen would score his third goal this season! The only assist on this goal would go to Charlie Coyle, who had two tonight and twenty-seven this season. The Blackhawks would win the shots on goal battle this second period, 9-5, but our Blue Jackets would lead on the scoreboard, 3-0; far more important! 

Period 3 would see the Blue Jackets hold off the Blackhawks, and then score a fourth goal as their goaltender, Spencer Knight, sat on the bench. The empty net goal would become goal number ten this season for Sean Monahan! The goal would have no assists. Minutes later, Jet Greaves would match Elvis Merzlikins shutout last night with one of his own tonight! This has never happened before in franchise history. The final shots on goal battle ended with a draw, 7-7. Also, don't judge me, 5th Line, but I'm crying as I'm writing this because I've waited so damn long for this team to match my belief in them, and I think it's finally happening. Rick Bowness is now 10-1-0 since joining our bench, and we roll into the Olympic Break with a seven-game win streak!  

With his two assists tonight, Charlie Coyle gets the Third Star of the Game tonight. 

The man who kicked off the scoring tonight, Zach Werenski, gets the Second Star of the game after his goal tonight. 

Jet Greaves gets the First Star of the Game tonight with the shutout! He finishes the night with a 1.00 save percentage after stopping 20/20 shots that the Blackhawks threw his way! 

A little bit more history before we go tonight. Zach Werenski, the trailblazer himself, makes another statement tonight by adding another accolade to his NHL career. After scoring his 20th goal tonight, and having 23 total last season, 2024-25, he's only the third defenseman in league history to do so in his position. He leaves for the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy, with 20 goals and 42 assists over just 52 games. So, I hope the NHL is watching because Zach Werenski is proving himself worthy of recognition, again. 

I will do my best to post about Zach Werenski and Elvis Merzlikins at the Olympics, despite the time difference and work, 5th Line! The next Columbus Blue Jackets game will be on February 26th against the Boston Bruins. That game will start at 7:00 p.m. Good luck to our Olympic-bound Blue Jackets!

GO CBJ!!!!!!!


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