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If the Blue Jackets’ raucous 7-0 blowout of the Washington Capitals on Saturday at Nationwide Arena was their last game that means something this season, it was quite a swan song.
Facing another game where a regulation loss meant elimination from the playoff race in the Eastern Conference, the Blue Jackets were clear in their intentions. If they were going down, it would happen with a flurry of goals, hits and swinging fists against the top team in the conference.
The result was an afternoon of cannon fire and haymakers that ended with the Blue Jackets (37-33-9) keeping their faint playoff hopes going at least a few hours longer — until they’re again riding on a game between the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.
Here are five takeaways:
The Canadiens’ lead over the Blue Jackets for the East’s second wild-card spot shrunk to four points after the final horn sounded Saturday at Nationwide Arena. Montreal winning in regulation against the Maple Leafs, however, would end the race due to the NHL’s standings tiebreakers.
That would push the Canadiens to 89 points with 30 regulation wins, which the Blue Jackets couldn’t top even if Montreal lost their final two games to stay at that point total and Columbus gets to 89 by winning its three remaining games in regulation. Both teams in that scenario would be tied with 30 regulation wins apiece, which would trigger the second tiebreaker based on regulation and overtime wins combined — which currently favors the Canadiens 37-31.
Anything short of a regulation victory for the Canadiens keeps the Blue Jackets’ playoff chances floating, which would make Sunday’s rematch in Washington another playoff defense. Buckle up.
Adam Fantilli led the Jackets with his 26th and 27th goals of the season Saturday, but the first of those tallies will likely be included in his personal highlight reel for a long time.
Fantilli displayed in one shift all of the skills that made NHL amateur scouts gush before the Blue Jackets selected him third overall in the 2023 draft. He spotted a loose puck between the circles in the defensive zone, swooped over to get it, spotted Capitals rookie Ryan Leonard attempting the same thing, flattened Leonard with a huge — but clean — hit and sent the puck up ice.
He wasn’t done.
After giving the puck to James van Riemsdyk, Fantilli skated into the Capitals’ zone, received a crisp pass on the left wing from Kent Johnson and beat goalie Hunter Shepard with a wrist shot for a 3-0 lead. Throw in a primal scream at Rasmus Sandin — who’d drawn Fantilli’s ire with a cross-check earlier — and that shift was a glimmering example of why the Jackets’ second-year center is likely just beginning a long career as an impact player.
The game was also nationally televised, so more people saw it live as opposed to catching a replay.
“I was reaching for it, he was reaching for it, and at the last second I saw him — and I didn’t want to be the one who went down there,” Fantilli said. “It’s not like I was hunting him all the way down the ice. I saw him probably half a second before I ran into him, and then to go down and score, that was great. It gave us momentum going into the second period and we kept rolling with it.”
After leveling Leonard with a big shoulder to the chest that left the Capitals’ rookie in a heap on the ice, Fantilli figured the Capitals would try to exact some revenge with either a fight or a hit.
The fight never materialized, but Fantilli went into the second intermission preparing himself for one.
“I came in pretty much expecting it,” he said. “Nothing really transpired. I got hit a little extra, but to be honest, if they watch the play, it was a clean hit. I didn’t mean to hurt him or for anything to happen. If that’s what happens, they get upset, it’s hockey. Whatever. They’ve got to defend their teammates however they see fit. I was expecting it, but nothing ended up happening.”
Jet Greaves played his third game in four days after joining the team Thursday as an emergency recall from AHL Cleveland to replaced injured started Elvis Merzlikins. He's won all three, including his first NHL shutout Saturday with 22 saves, and Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason didn’t rule out as a starting option Sunday.
That would be Greaves’ fourth game in five days, but he’s prepared to play. Greaves upped his NHL numbers in eight appearances this season to 4-2-2 with a 2.38 goals-against average, .922 save percentage and now a shutout.
“It’s been amazing,” Fantilli said. “He’s a kid who’s been grinding all year ... not only this year but years past. Every time he’s come up here, he’s been great for us and right to the end he was stopping the puck today. He was awesome.”
It wouldn’t be a big game in Columbus without some weird things happening with regard to officiating, and the game Saturday didn’t disappoint.
The weirdness began in the first period, when Blue Jackets rookie Denton Mateychuk’s apparent goal was overturned because his attempt to rim the puck around the boards deflected off a linesman’s skate and slid into the Capitals’ net.
Shepard left his crease while anticipating an opportunity to play the puck, which left his net open for a carom that initially looked like a friendly bounce off the yellow kick plate. After the officiating crew huddled, the goal was taken away due to a rule that states a puck can't go into the net off an official.
That was nothing compared to what happened in the third, when Dmitri Voronkov continued playing despite getting a 10-minute misconduct with 9:42 left in the game for giving former Blue Jackets center Pierre-Luc Dubois a face wash during a heated scrum.
That should’ve ended his day, but Voronkov didn’t understand the referee’s ruling due to his loose grasp of the English language. His teammates and coaches apparently didn’t hear the misconduct ruling either, because Voronkov stayed on the bench and re-entered the game during an ensuing power play.
Once he was spotted, the officiating crew stopped the game, escorted him from the game and gave the Blue Jackets a minor penalty for using an ineligible player.
“I keep (saying) that (Voronkov) speaks better English than he (lets on), but, apparently, he doesn’t speak well enough to know the ref said that you have a 10-minute misconduct, and you can’t play anymore,” Blue Jackets head coach Dean Evason said, smiling. “But it’s on us. We have to communicate that, we have to know that, so we’ll take accountability as a coaching staff.”
Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at [email protected] and @BrianHedger.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets rout of Washington Capitals: 5 takeaways
Continue reading...
Facing another game where a regulation loss meant elimination from the playoff race in the Eastern Conference, the Blue Jackets were clear in their intentions. If they were going down, it would happen with a flurry of goals, hits and swinging fists against the top team in the conference.
The result was an afternoon of cannon fire and haymakers that ended with the Blue Jackets (37-33-9) keeping their faint playoff hopes going at least a few hours longer — until they’re again riding on a game between the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.
Here are five takeaways:
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Columbus Blue Jackets playoff hopes riding on outcome of Montreal Canadiens’ game
The Canadiens’ lead over the Blue Jackets for the East’s second wild-card spot shrunk to four points after the final horn sounded Saturday at Nationwide Arena. Montreal winning in regulation against the Maple Leafs, however, would end the race due to the NHL’s standings tiebreakers.
That would push the Canadiens to 89 points with 30 regulation wins, which the Blue Jackets couldn’t top even if Montreal lost their final two games to stay at that point total and Columbus gets to 89 by winning its three remaining games in regulation. Both teams in that scenario would be tied with 30 regulation wins apiece, which would trigger the second tiebreaker based on regulation and overtime wins combined — which currently favors the Canadiens 37-31.
Anything short of a regulation victory for the Canadiens keeps the Blue Jackets’ playoff chances floating, which would make Sunday’s rematch in Washington another playoff defense. Buckle up.
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Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli shows with one shift why he's a special talent
Adam Fantilli led the Jackets with his 26th and 27th goals of the season Saturday, but the first of those tallies will likely be included in his personal highlight reel for a long time.
Fantilli displayed in one shift all of the skills that made NHL amateur scouts gush before the Blue Jackets selected him third overall in the 2023 draft. He spotted a loose puck between the circles in the defensive zone, swooped over to get it, spotted Capitals rookie Ryan Leonard attempting the same thing, flattened Leonard with a huge — but clean — hit and sent the puck up ice.
He wasn’t done.
After giving the puck to James van Riemsdyk, Fantilli skated into the Capitals’ zone, received a crisp pass on the left wing from Kent Johnson and beat goalie Hunter Shepard with a wrist shot for a 3-0 lead. Throw in a primal scream at Rasmus Sandin — who’d drawn Fantilli’s ire with a cross-check earlier — and that shift was a glimmering example of why the Jackets’ second-year center is likely just beginning a long career as an impact player.
The game was also nationally televised, so more people saw it live as opposed to catching a replay.
“I was reaching for it, he was reaching for it, and at the last second I saw him — and I didn’t want to be the one who went down there,” Fantilli said. “It’s not like I was hunting him all the way down the ice. I saw him probably half a second before I ran into him, and then to go down and score, that was great. It gave us momentum going into the second period and we kept rolling with it.”
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Columbus Blue Jackets' Adam Fantilli was prepared for confrontation after big hit on Washington Capitals’ Ryan Leonard
After leveling Leonard with a big shoulder to the chest that left the Capitals’ rookie in a heap on the ice, Fantilli figured the Capitals would try to exact some revenge with either a fight or a hit.
The fight never materialized, but Fantilli went into the second intermission preparing himself for one.
“I came in pretty much expecting it,” he said. “Nothing really transpired. I got hit a little extra, but to be honest, if they watch the play, it was a clean hit. I didn’t mean to hurt him or for anything to happen. If that’s what happens, they get upset, it’s hockey. Whatever. They’ve got to defend their teammates however they see fit. I was expecting it, but nothing ended up happening.”
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Columbus Blue Jackets may start goalie Jet Greaves again Sunday
Jet Greaves played his third game in four days after joining the team Thursday as an emergency recall from AHL Cleveland to replaced injured started Elvis Merzlikins. He's won all three, including his first NHL shutout Saturday with 22 saves, and Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason didn’t rule out as a starting option Sunday.
That would be Greaves’ fourth game in five days, but he’s prepared to play. Greaves upped his NHL numbers in eight appearances this season to 4-2-2 with a 2.38 goals-against average, .922 save percentage and now a shutout.
“It’s been amazing,” Fantilli said. “He’s a kid who’s been grinding all year ... not only this year but years past. Every time he’s come up here, he’s been great for us and right to the end he was stopping the puck today. He was awesome.”
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Columbus Blue Jackets had interesting day with officials against Washington Capitals
It wouldn’t be a big game in Columbus without some weird things happening with regard to officiating, and the game Saturday didn’t disappoint.
The weirdness began in the first period, when Blue Jackets rookie Denton Mateychuk’s apparent goal was overturned because his attempt to rim the puck around the boards deflected off a linesman’s skate and slid into the Capitals’ net.
Shepard left his crease while anticipating an opportunity to play the puck, which left his net open for a carom that initially looked like a friendly bounce off the yellow kick plate. After the officiating crew huddled, the goal was taken away due to a rule that states a puck can't go into the net off an official.
That was nothing compared to what happened in the third, when Dmitri Voronkov continued playing despite getting a 10-minute misconduct with 9:42 left in the game for giving former Blue Jackets center Pierre-Luc Dubois a face wash during a heated scrum.
You must be registered for see images attach
That should’ve ended his day, but Voronkov didn’t understand the referee’s ruling due to his loose grasp of the English language. His teammates and coaches apparently didn’t hear the misconduct ruling either, because Voronkov stayed on the bench and re-entered the game during an ensuing power play.
Once he was spotted, the officiating crew stopped the game, escorted him from the game and gave the Blue Jackets a minor penalty for using an ineligible player.
“I keep (saying) that (Voronkov) speaks better English than he (lets on), but, apparently, he doesn’t speak well enough to know the ref said that you have a 10-minute misconduct, and you can’t play anymore,” Blue Jackets head coach Dean Evason said, smiling. “But it’s on us. We have to communicate that, we have to know that, so we’ll take accountability as a coaching staff.”
Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at [email protected] and @BrianHedger.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets rout of Washington Capitals: 5 takeaways
Continue reading...
