In a night that was about much more than hockey, the Columbus Blue Jackets gave it their all for 60 minutes against the Florida Panthers but came up just short in a 4-3 loss in the home opener at Nationwide Arena.
Here are three things from a night where the final was secondary to the moment:
Honoring Johnny & Matthew
The emotions inside Nationwide were palpable. The night was dedicated to the lives and legacy of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew. On the ice were their parents, Guy and Jane, sisters Kristen and Katie, Johnny's widow Meredith and their two children, Noa and John. The rest of the family, along with close friends of the Gaudreau's, were in a suite above section 117.
Video packages ran, leaving dry eyes few and far between. Meredith joined Sean Monahan, Johnny's best friend, near center ice while a banner was raised with Johnny's name and number 13 and above it, 1993-2024.
When the puck did drop, Monahan took the draw and slid it to Johnny's spot on the wing. The spot was left empty as 13 seconds counted off the clock.
A moment we wont soon forget.
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) October 15, 2024
RIP, Johnny. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/fsAt9BqgEo
The over-capacity crowd of 18,484 stood and cheered. Both the Blue Jackets and Panthers tapped their sticks. A "Johnny Hockey" chant broke out. In a video that ran just before that faceoff, Meredith encouraged everyone in the building to do just one thing:
"When it's time to drop the puck, let's love the game that John loved."
And so the Blue Jackets — and their fans, and the Panthers, and their fans — did just that.
Balanced, Competitive Hockey
Through three games, there's been a common trend amongst the 12 forwards: the punch can come from anywhere. On paper, this perhaps shouldn't be true. But head coach Dean Evason's tenure in Minnesota was best known for getting more out of his team's than was expected, and he's doing that again in Columbus. Tuesday night's game was another example of such. Mathieu Olivier and Mikael Pyyhtia were the only two skaters to not register a shot on goal. Sean Kuraly, who played 9:19, was the only skater to not get at least ten minutes of time on ice. If it's not clear by the communication on the ice, these are the numbers that show this team is fully invested in working for each other, being aggressive, and buying into Evason's system. For anyone who has watched this team the last couple years, the feeling is absolutely different this season.
A Negative Into A Positive
The Blue Jackets biggest weakness in their first two games was the penalty kill. They allowed three power play goals in their first two games on seven total attempts, with one even-strength goal coming just after a penalty was killed against the Minnesota Wild but before Columbus was able to get set again in 5-on-5.
It was a different story Tuesday night, as the Blue Jackets killed all three Florida power play attempts, all of which came in a span of 6:18 late in the first.
The final of those power plays carried into the second period, and 41 seconds into the middle frame, the Blue Jackets would pick up their first short-handed goal of the season when Kent Johnson found Cole Sillinger to make it 1-0 Columbus.
Kent Johnson stays hot.
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) October 16, 2024
Beautiful play to Sillinger, who scores shorthanded to make it 1-0, Columbus. #CBJ
pic.twitter.com/CRcquDTZwX
It was Johnson's fourth point of the season, and he's tallied points in all three games to start the campaign. For Sillinger, it was his second goal of the season and first career short-handed tally. Playing on the third line, these two are developing a quick chemistry with each other and Evason putting them on the penalty kill together speaks to his trust in the duo.
Up Next...
The Blue Jackets continue a four-game home stand Thursday night when they battle the Buffalo Sabres at 7:00 p.m. This will serve as a more traditional home opener for the club with the CBJ Plaza Party beginning at 3:30 p.m. and the "Blue Carpet" walk for the 4:00 p.m. hour.
