Top Blue Jackets’ plays so far this season
Overtime goals, key saves during team’s start
They hit a rut after Thanksgiving, but the Blue Jackets are still in the chase for a playoff spot.
Amid a season of retooling, regrouping or whatever term the team's management prefers to call it, the Jackets are competitive most nights and have more than half a season left to see what they can achieve. They've also provided some memorable keepsakes, from a season-opening rout of the Arizona Coyotes to a home-and-home sweep of the Colorado Avalanche — a contender for the Stanley Cup.
As the Jackets get back to their schedule following an unexpected break due a COVID-19 outbreak, here are some plays to remember of the season so far:
Laine sinks Islanders in OT
An oblique strain has limited Patrik Laine, but the Finnish phenom made good use of his time in the lineup.
He was a point-a-game player and won two games in overtime. The OT goal he netted Oct. 21 at Nationwide Arena was a beauty to edge the New York Islanders, ripped past goalie Ilya Sorokin after carrying the puck into the right circle while skating an arc across the slot from the left wing.
Elvis tops Coyotes while honoring Kivlenieks
The season-opener Oct. 14 was a solemn occasion to honor Matiss Kivlenieks' memory, and it turned into a romp for the Blue Jackets, whose offensive output in an 8-2 victory was impressive. Elvis Merzlikins honored his fallen friend with a pair of back-toback saves early in the second period against Arizona's Lawson Crouse to preserve a 3-1 lead.
Carlsson, Boqvist cook up Swedish snipe
Gabriel Carlsson has played key roles in some high-skill goals thus far, including Adam Boqvist's winner in a 6-4 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 5 in Columbus.
Carlsson broke up a 3-on-2 rush for the Sharks with a poke check, Boqvist tapped the loose puck to Jakub Voracek for an odd-man rush the other direction and Carlsson then hustled back as the trailer. Voracek set him up with a pass to the slot and Carlsson quickly found Boqvist on the left wing for a one-timer into the short side of the net.
Kuraly turns Capitals' defense inside out
Sean Kuraly was hunting for his first goal as a Blue Jacket when the Washington Capitals rolled into town Nov. 12 for a game they won 4-3.
After tying it 1-1 in the first period to get his first goal with Columbus out of the way, the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets alum dragged the puck around star defenseman John Carlson at the Washington blue line and beat goalie Ilya Samsonov under the glove for his second goal of the game.
Sillinger melts Avalanche
Prior to the Jackets hosting the Colorado Avalanche on Nov. 6, their second meeting in a three-day span, rookie Cole Sillinger had already netted a pair of huge goals in Denver to help Columbus win the first game.
He struck again in the second game, scoring the winner in the third period by camping out between the circles and getting his stick on a long shot by fellow rookie Yegor Chinakhov.
Chinakhov shocks Detroit with five-hole finish
The Detroit Red Wings took a 3-2 lead on a goal by dynamic rookie Lucas Raymond with 6:29 left in the third period Nov. 15. It felt like another tough-luck loss was coming for the Blue Jackets, who'd dropped their previous two games during a four-game homestand, but another rookie saved the day.
Yegor Chinakhov struck this time with his first NHL goal, scored with a hard wrist shot between the pads of goalie Thomas Greiss — who didn't even have time to move before the puck sailed through the five hole. Chinakhov's shot location was based off advice from Merzlikins in practice. Korpisalo torments Devils
It's been a difficult season for Joonas Korpisalo, a pending free agent who has backed up Merzlikins most of the season.
But Korpisalo came up big Oct. 31 against the New Jersey Devils, backstopping the Jackets to a 4-3 shootout victory. Among his 36 saves, Korpisalo stonewalled Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton on a hard one-timer late in OT to force the shootout after allowing a goal to Hamilton on a one-timer in the second period.
Werenski's wrister caps comeback over Red Wings
Three minutes after Chinakhov's tying goal against Detroit on Nov. 15, the Jackets got the winning goal from Zach Werenski late in the third period.
It was scored with a long wrist shot, but what preceded the goal was more memorable. Werenski lost his stick at center ice, was given a stick by Gustav Nyquist near the Blue Jackets' net and quickly returned that stick when the puck headed toward Detroit's end.
After grabbing his own stick and heading up ice, Werenski got the puck from Nyquist and snapped off a shot that decided the game in the Jackets' 5-3 victory.
Texier undresses Golden Knights In a universe devoid of Connor Mcdavid and Trevor Zegras, the shorthanded goal Alexandre Texier scored Nov. 20might be the leader for NHL Goal of the Year consideration.
After getting the puck from Bean, Texier carried into the Golden Knights' zone and skated into the right circle before forward Mark Stone slid over to defend him. Texier used a slick toe-drag to put the puck between Stone's skates, slid around him to regather it, faked a shot to the short side and quickly pulled it back for a shot that beat goalie Laurent Brossoit inside the far post.