Carolina Hurricanes @ Columbus Blue Jackets: Season 25 3/31/26

Tonight, our Blue Jackets look to close out March with a bang. Well, hopefully more than one, but you get my point, 5th Line. Every game is a must-win as we sit in Wildcard 2 with the potential to jump higher in the standings, but only if we keep getting points.  Tonight's opening period wouldn't be the best for the Blue Jackets. The Hurricanes' Shayne Gostisbehere would add goal thirteen to his season 13:29 into the game, giving his road team a 1-0 lead. Further, this goal would be scored on the power play as Dante Fabbro sat in the box for 2 minutes after he slashed Alexander Nikishin. Nikola Ehlers would add his thirty-ninth assist this season on the primary, while Andrei Svechnikov would add his thirty-seventh assist of his season on the secondary. It wouldn't be long before the Blue Jackets would, unfortunately, find themselves on the penalty kill again, this time with Kent Johnson in the box for high-sticking Hurricanes' Taylor Hall. The situation would yield a second goal for the road team by Logan Stankoven, his fifteenth this season, at 16:12. The goal that put the Hurricanes up 2-0 would have only one assist, the tenth this season for Mark Jankowski. Thankfully for our Blue Jackets, there were still 40 minutes of hockey to play tonight. The Hurricanes led shots on goal in the opening period, 11-8. 

The Blue Jackets would play significantly better in Period 2. They would play more aggressively, holding the Hurricanes to fewer shots than in the first period, and also scoring the only goal of this period! At 15:14, Kiriill Marchenko would finally get the goal he'd been pushing for over the last eight Blue Jackets' games. The goal would be his twenty-sixth this season, and went in at such an odd angle that Toronto had to review the goal as the horn didn't sound. Thankfully, no challenge would be needed as Toronto reviews all possible goals. This would cut the Hurricanes' lead to a goal. Zach Werenski would add his fifty-seventh assist this season on the primary, and Mason Marchment would add his twenty-first assist this season on the secondary. As I said, this was the only goal in Period 2. So, it would conclude with the Hurricanes up 2-1. The Hurricanes would lead shots on goal this period, 9-6.  

Fun Fact: Zach Werenski is now at 78 points this season. His best season in the books so far is 82 points. So, we'll just let that thought sit there, but for those who keep track, he's getting close. Also, that is the team's high in points to beat. He's already had a monumental season in scoring, not to mention that trip he took in February to the Olympics and his assist on the gold-medal-winning goal. So, why not add more? I'm all for it. 

Speaking of adding more? How about Adam Fantilli tying the game at 2:07 in Period 3? It would become goal number twenty-two of his season! Mason Marchment would add his second assist tonight and twenty-second overall this season on the primary. In addition, Kirill Marcheenko would add an assist, his thirty-seventh this season, to his goal in Period 2. Unfortunately, a decision later in the period would come back and bite us in the stinger, hard. Nikolaj Ehlers would score at 12:42. His twenty-fourth goal this season would have two assists, a fifteenth this season on the primary for Jalen Chatfield,  and a fifth this season for Jaccob Siavin. The Blue Jackets would elect to challenge this goal for goaltender interference, but with me including the exact details of the goal, you can guess how the challenge went. To make matters worse, losing that challenge would charge us with a delay of game, putting a team that already scored twice on the power play on it again, and they would cash in again. Andrei Svechnikov scored his twenty-seventh goal this season at 13:55. Nikolaj Ehlers would add his fortieth assist this season on the primary, while Sebastian Aho would add his fiftieth assist this season on the secondary. And, just like that, a game that was tied 2-2 would turn to us being down 4-2 in just a couple of minutes. In the final minute of the period, Jackson Blake would go to the box for tripping Mason Marchment, giving us one final chance on the power play with six men on the ice compared to the Hurricanes' four. It wouldn't matter, though, as Jordan Marthnook would add his eleventh goal this season after scoring on our empty net. His goal would have no assists. The game would end with the Hurricanes winning 5-2. Hopefully, we can get a little payback when we play the Hurricanes on the road Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. 

Hurricanes' Andrei Svechnikov would get the Third Star of the Game tonight with his goal and assist. 

Blue Jackets' Kirill Marchenko would get the Second Star of the Game tonight with his goal and assist. 

Nikolaj Ehlers would get the First Star of the Game with his goal and two assists.    

Grab your snacks because the playoff picture was in full puzzle mode tonight, with almost every team in the mix playing. The Pittsburgh Penguins, who currently sit in Spot 2 in the Metropolitan Division, beat the Detroit Red Wings, who were hot on our stinger, 5-1. I rarely say this, but thank you, Penguins! The Florida Panthers, who will likely be eliminated soon and pave the way for a new cup champion in two years, beat the Ottawa Senators, 6-3. The Senators are another team hot on our Stinger, so thank you, Panthers. The Boston Bruins, who sit in Wildcard 1, keep their spot as they handle the Dallas Stars at home, 6-3. The Buffalo Sabers take down the New York Islanders, who sit in the 2nd Spot in the Metropolitan Division, 4-3. Last, the Washington Capitals helped us out, too, beating the Philadelphia Flyers at home, 6-4. The Flyers were also closing in on us and our Wildcard 2 spot, so thank you to the Capitals.  

With all the losses across the division, we keep our Wildcard 2 spot. Yippie! We don't skate backward but forward. Here we come, Carolina! 

Go CBJ!