The Columbus Blue Jackets have been on a legendary roll, winning 22 of their first 31 games in the young-but-getting-older NHL season. 22 is a lot! So, to celebrate the Jackets attaining 11 straight wins for the first time in their history, before last night’s domination of the Penguins, I picked some of my favorites from the 22. Doesn’t it just make you giddy? I’m giddy. It’s OK. We can be giddy together. So grab a cup of eggnog, take the pins out of your Crosby doll, and wrap up in a warm blanket. Take a trip back, baaack….to October.
5. October 21st, 2016 – Chicago (3-2 win)
It seems crazy to think now, but at the beginning of the season many of us were strapping in for another lackluster start. After choking away a lead to Boston and then playing poorly against San Jose in the season’s first two games, personally, I was not looking forward to the usual swarm of Blackhawks fans pouring into Nationwide like a toxic spill for game three.
Instead of a mauling, though, it was a competitive and exciting game that I was sure the Jackets were going to find a way to ruin. They had put in the work in the first two periods: scoring 2 powerplay goals and riding high on a Wild Bill tally to take a 3-1 lead. However, with just over 14 minutes left in the 3rd, the patented Chicago v Columbus late game goal happens. A tear in space time rips open, it’s mania on the ice in front of Bobrovsky. Helicopters fall from the ceiling. Donald Trump tweets. Sad! Suddenly, the puck winds up in the net. I mutter to myself, “Oh, here we friggin’ go.”
Then something amazing happened; or didn’t. The collapse passed on by like a fall wind. Those first 2 points may not have been won with the Jackets’ most fundamentally rounded game but I love beating Chicago. Jackets win, three to two. Chili. Sad Chicago fans. Happiness. This picture sums it up.
4. November 1st, 2016 – Dallas (3-2 overtime win)
For those of you potentially not in the know, I’m a closet fan of Dallas. Living in Texas for a few years got me watching the Stars near the middle of the 2014-2015 season. Games between my two favorite clubs are always circled on my calendar and I only missed this one in person because of the World Series. After winning 3-0 in Dallas, I was perplexed; maybe this Jackets team was better than we had expected? And what on Earth has gotten in Sam Gagner?
This game, which was the rematch between the two clubs, could have ended with a fizzled powerplay, but in a role reversal the Jackets pull Bobrovsky (who had made some 36 saves in the game) and find Sam Gagner alone at the top of the circle. Bam! That’s supposed to happen to us! The kicker is that that wasn’t even the best goal that game. Seth Jones’ OT winner made just the sweetest sound hitting the corner of the net. Seriously. If that “ping” doesn’t tickle you it’s because you’re secretly a Penguins fan. Or maybe you don’t like the Blue Jackets. Hey Greg! Thanks for reading.
3. December 4th, 2016 – Arizona (3-2 shootout win)
The Blue Jackets took their yearly trip to the sun-drenched desert of Arizona coming off of a statement of a win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Many of us had this pegged as a trap game and without some late game heroics it might have been. In something I don’t know if I’ll ever see again, the Jackets pounded Mike Smith with 60 shots. Smith might have had the W too, if it wasn’t for a skillfully lucky pass from Brandon Saad that wound up on Alexander Wennberg’s stick just outside the crease. Seriously, another late game score to tie? Who IS this team?
You were convinced that as the shots piled up in Arizona that the Jackets were destined to lose this game. A flukey goal gave Arizona the lead and the Jackets just could not breach Mike Smith’s brick wall until the aforementioned late Wennberg. An exciting OT followed with 17 shots between the two clubs and more than a couple chances to clutch your heart. The Jackets eked out the win in the shootout and got the two points they worked hard for. This is where I bought in hard. Could anything keep this team from making a push at the end of the game?
2. November 18th, 2016 – New York Rangers (4-2 win)
Is there a person on this planet that doesn’t like seeing the Rangers get a dose of humble pie? I know I sure like seeing our ol’ friend Rick Nash lose. New York is consistently one of the best regular season teams in the NHL, and I look at this contest as another example of what this 2016-2017 club really is.
I expected the other shoe to drop. Columbus was playing too well. Both of the team’s goals had come off of impressive pass interceptions and they were even staying out of the box. Late in the tied game, David Savard delivers a gnarly cross check to New York’s Jester Fest and the Jackets find themselves in a pickle. The resulting PK was like a fever dream; competent penalty killing for a minute and then…iit happens.
Matt Calvert gets passed the puck and a two on one develops.
Time slows.
The arena’s collective hearts drop to their hips.
Calvert RIPS a shot past the King and in his celebration almost bulldozes William Karlsson into the front row of seating. (Seriously, that was a body slam!)
Blue Jackets fans across the globe breathe a sigh of relief. Tonight, it appeared, was going to be their night after all. After an empty net goal the Rangers left empty handed. Blue Jackets fans left with another feather in their cap, pointing to the evidence that #TheBlueJacketsAreActuallyGood
1. November 12th, 2016 – St. Louis (8-4 win)
I know what you’re thinking already. “Bert”, you say, “This was only 8 goals. They scored 10 against Montreal!” Yeah. I know. I don’t hate Montreal. I hate St. Louis as only a fan of the Jackets dark times in the Western Conference can. Hitchcock. Losses.
T.J. Oshie.
I just felt my skin crawl.
I didn’t get a good chance to really consume this game; I was out at a bar with some friends enjoying some cheer and got the place to turn on the game. Naturally, I bragged to my casual NHL fan friends about the Jackets interesting start to the year. About the 10-0 game against Montreal. About how they’re doing something I’ve never truly seen them do: dominate.
We sat down near the beginning of the second period and after a tale of their legendary game against the Canadiens, they score. Then again. And again still. 4 times. Seven goals and it’s not even the 40 minute mark. Could they hit 10 again WHILE I was talking about how good they’ve been to my friends?
Not quite, but the game got me to convince them to go to a home game soon after. Calgary. Whoops. Still, as far as wins go, crushing a team I despise all while doing it during I evangelize the team? Magical.
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