It finally came. The Blue Jackets had their first outdoor game in Ohio Stadium against the Detroit Red Wings. The buzz lasted 13 months, and the game did not disappoint.
The hockey world has continued to honor Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau at every turn. The Blue Jackets entered Ohio Stadium wearing a Johnny outfit—a black hat, a hoodie, sweatpants, and UGG boots. The Red Wings got off their bus wearing different Gaudreau jerseys the brothers wore throughout the years. To top it all off, Meredith Gaudreau and the kids led the Blue Jackets out of the tunnel into the stadium.
The Ohio State marching band performed Script Ohio on the ice before the anthem. The band weathered the blistering cold all night and played throughout the game. It was one of many unique touches that made this game so special.
1st Period
There were very few whistles early. The Red Wings owned the better chances and looked to be out for revenge after Thursday night.
The Jackets had their first high danger about halfway through the period. Fantilli handed it to Marchenko, who found Voronkov alone in front of the net. The big Russian shot it right into Talbot.
Columbus was forced to defend three two-on-ones in a row. Somehow, they were successful. They continued to be on their heels.
The Jackets pushed back towards the end of the period, but the Red Wings mostly dominated the first 20 minutes. Oddly enough, the Jackets won the high danger battle 3-1.
2nd Period
Mateychuk broke the zeros when he skated the puck through the slot and shot it through the legs of the Red Wings defenseman and past Talbot. The goal came after the crowd broke into an O-H-I-O chant that was audible on the TV broadcast.
CBJ Goal 1-0: Mateychuk (Jenner, van Riemsdyk) 5:31
The first penalty of the game came with 7:42 left in the second – Fabbro for interference. Elvis made a nice save on a two-on-one on the delayed penalty. Alex DeBrincat tied the game when he got the puck backdoor. Provorov couldn’t quite get there in time to get DeBrincat out of the way.
DET PP Goal 1-1: DeBrincat (Kane, Seider) 13:06
The Jackets got their first power play when Seider tripped Marchenko behind the Detroit net. They scored immediately. Werenski sent the puck down the KJ, who immediately slapped it to Voronkov. Voronkov deflected it over Talbot’s shoulder.
CBJ PP Goal 2-1: Voronkov (Johnson, Werenski) 17:23
It took less than a minute for Olivier to make it 3-1. He gathered the puck below the net and hot a backhand in and over Talbot’s leg.
CBJ Goal 3-1: Olivier (Danforth) 17:55
It was more of the same in the second period. The Red Wings had more than double the shots of the Jackets. However, the scoreboard is all that matters.
3rd Period
Patrick Kane made it 3-2 with a shot from above the left circle. You felt that one coming with the way the momentum was trending.
DET Goal 3-2: Kane (Edvinsson, Johansson) 3:34
Marchenko got called for high-sticking when his stick got up while falling to the ice during a puck battle. This time, the Jackets were able to kill off the penalty—special shoutout to Jenner for winning some faceoffs and Pyyhtia for getting a critical clear.
DeBrincat tied the game at three with a shot from the high slot. Elvis was screened entirely and never had a chance at seeing the puck. DeBrincat continues his recent scorching scoring pace.
DET Goal 3-3: DeBrincat (Gustafsson, Kane) 16:36
In a miraculous turn of events, Danforth, skating hard into the zone, gets a shot off on Talbot and then puts in his rebound. The Jackets retook the lead with 2:17 left.
CBJ Goal 4-3: Danforth (Aston-Reese, Provorov) 17:43
After Jenner and Werenski both hit the empty net post, Fantilli put one in from close.
CBJ EN Goal 5-3: Fantilli (Werenski, Jenner) 18:52
Jackets win!
Final Thoughts
Before we get to the on-ice performance, we have to talk about what a fantastic event the NHL put on in Columbus. Blue Jackets fans have been waiting for an outdoor game for a long time, and the NHL delivered. From the jerseys—both looked incredible on TV—to the Ohio State marching band to all of the million other things that encompassed the entire experience, thank you to the NHL, the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Ohio State University.
Shoutout to Dylan Larkin, who, after the 1st period in an interview with ESPN, noted how great it was that Columbus finally got a game and how big of a deal it is for the hockey community. From the Detroit players wearing Gaudreau jerseys when entering the stadium to the coaching staff wearing 13 pins on the bench, the Red Wings couldn’t have been classier.
Now, to the game. The Red Wings dominated the entire game. Elvis was forced to stand on his head to win the game (he saved 43 of 46), and he did. It was a gutsy, hard-earned win that would have made Johnny Gaudreau proud.
How about the contributions across the board? Mateychuk opened the scoring, Voronkov got his first in a while, Olivier scored a monster goal, and Danforth’s effort earned the game-winning goal.
It wasn’t their best performance, but I don’t think fans will care. The Jackets delivered a win in Ohio Stadium and took sole possession of the first wild card spot in the East. What a night.
Up Next
The Jackets play at Tampa on Tuesday night. The puck drops at 7:00 PM EST.