Happy New Year, Blue Jackets fans! In the last game of 2024, the Jackets took on the Hurricanes at home. What better way to ring in a new year and kiss a tough year goodbye than to end with a win against a good team? Well, the Jackets delivered.
1st Period
The Jackets jumped out to a fast start by getting three quick shots on net. The Canes came roaring back with a few high-danger chances of their own, and Merzlikins was forced to make a couple of tough saves.
The momentum continued to favor the home team when a cross-ice pass from Monahan found Marchenko, whose snapshot ripped past Kochetkov’s glove.
Stick taps to Mateychuk for earning his first NHL point on that goal!
CBJ Goal 1-0: Marchenko (Monahan, Mateychuk) 4:48
Elvis was booked for tripping when he attempted to swat away a loose puck in tight. The Canes scored when Ty Smith took a long shot that redirected off of Provorov’s, then off the post and in.
CAR PP Goal 1-1: Smith (Aho, Necas) 9:59
Marchenko potted his second of the night with an incredible heads-up play. Monahan went hard into the net, looking for a Voronkov pass. Burns clipped his own goalie and sent him into the net. The puck ended up on Marchenko’s stick, and he immediately threw it towards the net.
CBJ Goal 2-1: Marchenko (Voronkov, Monahan) 15:43
Fantilli drew a cross-check to give the Jackets their first power play of the night (or so they thought). Unfortunately, Fantilli got called for embellishment. The latter was a completely bogus penalty. The replay showed just how hard Fantilli was hit from behind.
Coming out of the box, Fantilli drew another penalty, this time a high-sticking. There would be a power play this time. The period ended with the man advantage still intact.
The Canes held a significant advantage in both Corsi and expected goals after 20, but it was the Jackets that held the lead. Marchenko is quickly becoming the game-breaking goal-scorer the Jackets have been looking for.
2nd Period
Carolina successfully killed the remainder of the penalty to start the second. Their active sticks were able to break up any attempt at starting a cycle.
Pyyhtia got called for tripping as Necas was looking for a breakout. Fortunately, the Jackets were able to kill off the penalty this time.
There is quite a difference between the Carolina and Columbus penalty kills. The Jackets tend to let their opponents pass the puck at will in order to block shooting lanes, while the Canes play aggressively and look to disrupt any puck movement. To this untrained eye, it’s pretty clear which one is more effective.
Roslovic scored his 17th of the year when he deflected a perfectly timed Jarvis pass. Provorov was there to defend the pass, but he chose to be a pylon instead. With Roslovic streaking towards the net, Provorov needs to either tie up the stick or defend the pass. He did neither.
CAR Goal 2-2: Roslovic (Jarvis, Aho) 5:47
On the other end, Jarvis used his stick to prevent a sure goal and hat trick by Marchenko. The net was wide open, and the puck was on Marchenko’s stick, but alas.
The Canes scored again when the Jackets were caught scrambling. Several players were in position to swipe the puck away, but ultimately, Kotkaniemi was able to put a backhanded shot past Elvis.
CAR Goal 3-2: Kotkaniemi (Robinson) 8:18
An opportunity to tie the game came late in the second when Blake went off for hooking. The Jackets managed a couple of shots, but the game remained even.
As the penalty expired, Merzlikins made a game-saving stop against a two-on-one.
That was a terrible second period for Columbus. Two poor defensive plays led to two goals against. The Canes held onto possession for long stretches, and the Jackets looked lost and out of sync.
3rd Period
The game looked more even after both teams hit the ice for the third period.
Svechnikov was booked for slashing to give the Jackets their third power play of the night. Some good passing led to a lucky bounce. Werenski found Monahan in the middle of the ice, who found Voronkov down low. Intentionally or not, Vronk banked the puck off a Carolina defenseman and into the net.
CBJ PP Goal 3-3: Voronkov (Monahan, Werenski) 4:58
Fabbro hooked Aho to put the Jackets a man down. The Canes missed a prime chance during the man advantage when presented with a partially open net, but a deflection knocked the puck down.
The pace picked up considerably after the penalty expired. The crowd was into it as both teams traded chances. The atmosphere seemed playoff-like.
A tense latter half of the third period came to an end. On to OT.
OT
Mateychuk saw the ice during OT and didn’t look out of place. Evason continues to show his willingness to ice youngsters in big situations.
Monahan had a chance to end the game on a two-on-one, but Kochetkov was able to keep the game alive.
Aston-Reese got called for tripping with 12 seconds left after he blocked a shot. It was another bogus call by this officiating crew. The worst part is that without the whistle, the Jackets would have had one more chance to end the game.
Shootout
Monahan – glove save
Blake – Lost control, Elvis save
Severson – Diving poke check save
Svechnikov – Goal, low glove side
K. Johnson – Goal, five-hole
Jarvis – Elvis stick save
Fantilli – Goal, five-hole
Aho – Stretching kick save
Jackets win!
Final Thoughts
What a game. That was the most exciting Blue Jackets game in recent memory. It wasn’t a complete 60 minutes by any means, but Evason has done a great job teaching this team perseverance.
Elvis was stellar in this game. He only saved 0.05 goals above expected, but he made several desperation saves and was fantastic in extra time.
Kirill Marchenko, folks. He now has 16 goals and 42 points in 38 games. His Russian counterpart, Voronkov, has also been on a tear lately. He now has 13 goals and 24 points in 29 games.
Monahan quietly had a three-assist game. He hasn’t had the attention that Werenski has had, but I think it’s safe to say he’s had just as big of an impact on this team this season.
2024 was a challenging year for the entire Blue Jackets organization, fans included. But 2025 and beyond show a lot of promise, and this win should be a good springboard into the new year.
Up Next
The Red Wings will visit Nationwide on Thursday. The puck drops at 7:00 PM ET.