Gaudreau’s best night as Blue Jacket shows his promise

Blue Jacket at Kings

It hasn't been the kind of season Johnny Gaudreau or the Blue Jackets envisioned when they shocked the NHL together last summer on the first day of free agency.

Injuries sunk Columbus from the start. Gaudreau's chemistry with Patrik Laine is a work in progress. The Blue Jackets are also last in the league with 16 games left despite Gaudreau's five-point (2-3-5) outburst in a 6-5 overtime victory late Tuesday in San Jose. Neither side thought any of that would happen when Gaudreau agreed to a seven-year deal worth $68.25 million, but it's become a numbing reality.

At least Gaudreau is issuing reminders of his elite skill.

“Five points, that's a big night for anybody,” Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen said. “You could tell early. He was skating. He had his legs tonight.”

Gaudreau also had his vision, hands and scoring touch against a Sharks team in full “tank” mode while icing a lineup that — outside of star defenseman Erik Karlsson — might struggle in the American Hockey League. It didn't seem like a fair fight, especially when Gaudreau and Laine skated at goalie Kaapo Kahkonen in OT with zero defenders in their way.

Gaudreau would have joined the “five-point club” for Columbus with a fourth primary assist had Laine

When: 10:30 p.m. Thursday TV: Bally Sports Ohio Radio: 97.1 FM beaten Kahkonen, but it took another six seconds plus a feed from Laine to get it done. Once the puck was in the back of the net, Gaudreau became the sixth player in franchise history to notch five points in a game and the first since Artemi Panarin on Dec. 8, 2017, in New Jersey.

Panarin had 0-5-5 that night at Prudential Center in a 5-3 victory over the Devils, which Gaudreau matched last season with the Calgary Flames in a 9-5 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on March 26, 2022 at Scotiabank Saddledome. A lot can change in a year, but the past 11-plus months haven't diminished “Johnny Hockey” as one of the NHL'S elite scorers. Gaudreau isn't close to his 40-75-115 from last season, but he's also with an injury-riddled new team and still nearly averaging a point-a-game with 17-45-62.

“Johnny was all over it tonight, as you (could) see,” said Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner, who netted two goals set up by Gaudreau. “He gets a couple big goals for us. He gets it started for us and finishes it off in overtime, so … great game by him.” bhedger@dispatch.com @Brianhedger