The 2016–17 Columbus Blue Jackets season was one for the record books – in more ways than one. 1st Ohio Battery looks back at the individual and team records from the campaign.
After years spent in goal scoring futility, the Blue Jackets broke out in a big way in 2016-17. They had multiple players score over ten goals.
While a nice mark, it is nothing compared to what they did in one game against the Canadiens to set a new franchise record.
It was a night that wasn't soon going to be forgotten.
The Old Record: Eight Goals Scored 2008-09 vs. Detroit Red Wings
The Blue Jackets have scored eight goals in a game a few times. The record that really set the standard was a March game against the Detroit Red Wings. The game took place the same year the Blue Jackets would go on to face the Red Wings in the first round of the playoffs. The Red Wings would sweep them but the Blue Jackets at least had this game to look back on.
Rick Nash scored a hat trick in the game. R.J. Umberger had two goals and one assist. Steve Mason made 44 saves and posted a .957 save percentage.
That game would set the margin of victory and goals record, until the Montreal Canadiens came to town late in 2016.
Record Breaker: 2016-17 Blue Jackets Score Ten Goals in a Game
Coming into this game the Blue Jackets were only 5-3-1, a fine mark but nothing outrageous. The team had been playing better than the record indicated. They finally got pucks in their favor.
It wasn't just one puck either, it was almost every stinking puck they came into contact with. It didn't matter who it was, the puck was finding a way to be put in the back of the net.
Four different Blue Jackets players scored two goals. Scott Hartnell, Josh Anderson, Cam Atkinson and Nick Foligno all put up two. Alexander Wennberg had four assists. Nearly every player put up a point. In fact, only two didn't Lukas Sedlak and Ryan Murray. Otherwise, everyone else contributed.
"Every guy who had a chance buried it. It's kind of unheard of in this game," said Foligno during the post-game scrum.
What an understatement.
Foligno was right though. From the drop of the puck, everything about it felt surreal. The barrage of pucks kept coming Canadiens goaltender Al Montoya's way.
Surprisingly, this wasn't the largest loss in Canadiens' franchise history. They lost by 11 goals on six different occasions.
This would be the largest margin of victory for the Blue Jackets' in their franchise's history. It isn't likely to be broken any time soon either. It would set the tone for the team and showed the NHL that the Blue Jackets were a team to be reckoned with.
