The Columbus Blue Jackets are finding ways to put pucks in the net with more regularity.
Going back to Nov. 1, the club is tied for 13th in the league with 3.27 goals for per game. Since Dec. 1, the Blue Jackets are eighth in the league in goals per game (3.55). Their power play is seventh in the league since the start of the month (28.0%, 7-for-25).
Overall this season, the Blue Jackets are scoring 3.09 goals per game, which is 17th in the league.
The offense got off to a slow start, and not so coincidentally, Johnny Gaudreau struggled to start the year.
After his worst start to begin any season in his 11-year career, with no goals in his first nine games and one empty-net goal in his first 17 games, Gaudreau has lately resembled the player we've become accustomed to.
Since Nov. 22, when he had a three-game point streak, Gaudreau leads the team with 15 points (four goals, 11 assists). He's currently riding a five-game point streak (two goals, five assists), including a three-point first period in a 9-4 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Dec. 19.
Marchenkos 10th gets Johnny Gaudreau his 700th career point! #CBJ pic.twitter.com/aJmMek85c9
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 17, 2023
Gaudreau's three-point game was the 57th of his career, passing Blake Wheeler and Doug Weight for 15th in NHL history among U.S.-born players, per Heather Engel.
According to Jeff Svoboda, the 18 goals scored by Columbus in its three-game stretch against the Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils, and Sabres (Dec. 14-19) tied a franchise record (Feb. 17-22, 2022). The Blue Jackets are third in the league with 79 5v5 goals per Natural Stat Trick.
The nine goals in the Buffalo game were the second most goals in a game in franchise history, second behind the 10-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Nov. 4, 2016. Columbus set franchise records in that game against the Sabres, with Kirill Marchenko's fastest natural hat trick in club history (8:07) and his two second-period goals 18 seconds apart.
a natural hat trick for a natural born scorer. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/WrrgiaTfqo
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 20, 2023
Columbus had 14 players register a point, and 10 players record double figures, the latter of which set a franchise mark. Erik Gudbranson was in on the act, scoring his third goal of the season. He has 12 points this season, had 13 all of last year, and 17 points (2021-22) are his career high.
If there's one thing the Blue Jackets can hang their hat on this season, it's the play of their young core.
The player right behind Gaudreau in points since Nov. 22 is Yegor Chinakhov, with 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in that span.
Chinakhov has been on fire with fellow Russian linemates Marchenko and Dmitri Voronkov since the trio was put on a line dating back to Dec. 1.
Since then, Chinakhov has 10 points (six goals, four assists), Marchenko has eight points (six goals, two assists), and Voronkov has six points (two goals, four assists). Marchenko co-leads the Blue Jackets in goals this season alongside Boone Jenner with 13. He's third in points with 21.
Voronkov is tied for fifth among rookies with 17 points, tied for seventh with Adam Fantilli with 11 assists, and he's tied for seventh with six goals. Fantilli is third among rookies with 20 points and nine goals.
Zach Werenski only has one goal but leads the team with 25 points and 24 assists. He's tied for 18th among all NHLers in assists, and he's tied for sixth among defensemen. Per Natural Stat Trick, Werenski is tied for second among defensemen with 15 assists at 5v5.
Kent Johnson has 11 points (four goals, nine assists) in 19 games. After a tough start to the year, he took a demotion to Cleveland in stride as he reset and found his game. Since Dec. 7, Johnson has eight points (three goals, five assists) and three multi-point games.
Kent Johnson is one of 13 different Blue Jackets with a point and one of nine to have a multi-point game. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/EPmw8n6yNq
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 20, 2023
Justin Danforth has gotten first-line minutes in the absences of Boone Jenner and Patrik Laine due to injuries. Limited to six games last season after sustaining a torn labrum, Danforth has picked up where he left off in his rookie season in 2021-22, scoring 15 points this year (eight goals, seven assists).
While the product on the ice is a work in progress, there are some positives to take stock of.
The Blue Jackets are off until Wednesday, Dec. 27, when they take on the New Jersey Devils from Prudential Center at 7:00 pm ET.
