RESULT: Columbus 4, New Jersey 1
DATE: March 19, 2017
LOCATION: Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.
WHAT HAPPENED: St. Patrick's Day. The NCAA tournament. The Blue Jackets clinching a playoff spot?
There's a first time for everything.
Usually as the luck of the Irish is celebrated and March is embraces its Madness, Columbus Blue Jackets fans are simply just mad. In 13 of the franchise's first 15 seasons, by late March, the Jackets and their fans have been looking forward to the NHL draft.
As we all know, year 16 was different. Thanks to a hot start and ensuing 16-game winning streak, fans knew by Christmas that the present of playoff hockey in Columbus likely would be delivered. It was just a matter of when it would happen.
The answer was March 19. Columbus set out on a back-to-back swing with afternoon games at the New York Islanders and at the New Jersey Devils nearing a playoff spot, and an overtime win in the first game of the mini-road swing set the stage for Columbus to clinch in the latter.
Considering the Blue Jackets clinched their first-ever playoff bid on April 8, 2009, and locked up the second big in franchise history on April 9, 2013, this would be a big step.
It came in a weird game. The Blue Jackets scored twice on penalty shots and had two short-handed goals in the 4-1 victory, making some history along the way. Columbus became just the third team in NHL history, per Elias Sports, to score a pair of penalty shot goals in one game. It was also just the third time in franchise history and first time since 2011 the Jackets potted a pair of shorthanded goals in a game.
Columbus never trailed in the game, taking the lead on a shorthanded, penalty shot goal by Lukas Sedlak 6:32 into the contest. Sedlak returned to the lineup for the first time in more than a month with fellow center Alexander Wennberg out thanks to a hit he took on Long Island, and the Jackets rookie made no mistake in beating Cory Schneider with a shot to the blocker on the solo breakaway after having having drawn the penalty when hooked by Andy Greene.
Less than four minutes later, the penalty kill was back on the board, all thanks to a phenomenal effort by Boone Jenner for his 15th tally of the year. Jenner outworked the Devils PK to establish possession in the offensive zone before eventually banking the puck into the net off Schneider at 10:23.
Adam Henrique answered with a power-play goal just seven seconds later for New Jersey to make it 2-1, but Columbus' second penalty shot goal of the game in the second period gave breathing room. Josh Anderson was hauled down on the play but appeared to be hurt, so the team turned to Brandon Dubinsky for the shot that hit the bar and went in to make it 3-1.
Jenner cemented the win with an empty-net goal with 1:57 to play, and Columbus moved to 8-2 in March. The win also improved the team to the 100-point mark (47-18-6) and retied Washington atop the Metro Division and NHL standings.
Of course, the Jackets couldn't keep pace, and the ensuing playoff run lasted just five games. But there was little to be mad about in March for Columbus, which delivered the best team in franchise history in 2016-17.
