A successful start to the road trip.
Kent Johnson scored to continue a nine-game point streak and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-3 on Sunday at the United Center.
Elvis Merzlikins picked up his eighth win of the season and the sixth of his last seven with 28 saves. Petr Mrazek made 30 saves.
FINAL FROM CHICAGO: #CBJ win it 6-3 to make it six straight games with at least a point (5-0-1), the first time they've done that since January of 2021.
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 1, 2024
Columbus is now 11-9-3 on the season and by point percentage, occupy the final wildcard spot in the East.
Chicago goalie Petr Mrazek is starting his 18th game of the season and this is only the second time he's allowed more than four goals in a game.
— CBJ Stats (@BlueJacketStats) December 1, 2024
This #CBJ offense is really clickin'.
FWIW: A seven-goal game today would put them 5th in the league in goals per game. https://t.co/1Ve3PpX2xt
Carry Over Home Success
The Blue Jackets have played well at home all season including a recent 3-1-0 homestand to improve their home mark to 8-3-1.
As the Jackets kicked off their five-game road trip with a stop in Chicago on Sunday, the goal was to score plenty of goals and carry that home success to the road.
Mission accomplished.
#CBJ Zach Werenskis burner continues, now an eight-game point streak. He had 0-2-2 and a +3 today vs. #Blackhawks.#CBJ had 10 players with points and four players with multiple points, led by Damon Severson (0-3-3 +3). Marchenko (1-0-1) was +4.
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) December 1, 2024
In addition to Kent Johnson staying hot, Zach Werenski continued his tear with two assists his career-best point streak (five goals, 11 assists) to eight games.
Another one for the record books!
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) December 1, 2024
Congrats on the longest point streak for a defenseman in team history, Z! @drinkgaragebeer | #CBJ pic.twitter.com/HqMeJgLdt4
The Blackhawks entered play with a 3-1-0 record on home ice in their last four games.
#CBJ F Kent Johnson said he's known Connor Bedard since KJ was 14. The Vancouver-area natives are great friends, and this will be their first NHL game against one another.
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) December 1, 2024
KJ: "We were pretty pissed off last year it didn't work out to play each other, so nice to finally happen."
Friends and counterparts Adam Fantilli, taken third overall, and Connor Bedard, taken first overall in the 2023 NHL draft, were in the opening face-off with Fantilli coming away with the draw.
Entering this game, the #CBJ had 77 goals in 22 games. That was a franchise record over the 2018-19 team, who had 75 through 22.
— CBJ Stats (@BlueJacketStats) December 1, 2024
The 2018-19 team scored twice in game 23 that year, so todays first period will ensure that this team keeps ahead of the record pace. https://t.co/WkwTd19VEv
However, Bedard had the first strike for the Hawks on the power play at 2:59 of the first period. It's his fifth of the season and the second in his last 15 games. The Jackets have allowed power-play goals in nine straight games. Ryan Donato (5) and Marc-Edouard Vlasic (10) assisted on the play.
Oh, look what you made him do
— Blackhawks on CHSN (@CHSN_Blackhawks) December 1, 2024
Connor Bedard gets the #Blackhawks on the board! pic.twitter.com/YKbycxFFfe
Ivan Provorov scored his second at 4:27 to tie the game 1-1. Sean Monahan (14) and Damon Severson (7) had the assists.
Ivan Provorov goes top shelf for his second goal of the season! #CBJ | Watch on FanDuel Sports Network pic.twitter.com/gzb7BmH7Is
— FanDuel Sports Network Columbus (@FanDuelSN_CBUS) December 1, 2024
Today was also Dmitri Voronkov's turn to get into a fight and score. He fought Connor Murphy at the 1:26 mark of the second period and scored the empty-net goal at 18:34 of the third period to continue a six-game point streak (four goals, four assists).
No hesitation from Dmitri Voronkov here. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/KhrgCHmr6B
— FanDuel Sports Network Columbus (@FanDuelSN_CBUS) December 1, 2024
Today, Dmitri Voronkov became just the second #CBJ player to score a goal and have at least 17 penalty minutes in a game.
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) December 1, 2024
Scott Hartnell did it Dec. 26, 2015, vs. Tampa Bay.
That's a goal in all three periods.. again. The #CBJ have scored at least one goal in 16 consecutive periods. https://t.co/phnwhOasOU
— CBJ Stats (@BlueJacketStats) December 1, 2024
KJ Is On Another Level
Kent Johnson, another friend of Bedard's, is on another level.
Kent Johnson and Connor Bedard skate together in summers, always on opposite teams to push each other. They're also in the same fantasy football league, so there's plenty to talk about in season.
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) December 1, 2024
I believe both of their dads are here for this one and will sit together. #CBJ
Sunday's first-period goal at 11:23 gave Columbus a 2-1 lead and extended Johnson's point streak to nine games (six goals, six assists). He has seven points in his last five games (four goals, three assists) since his return from injury.
Kent Johnson scores and has points in all nine games hes played this season! #CBJ pic.twitter.com/2SlDgOqlSR
— FanDuel Sports Network Columbus (@FanDuelSN_CBUS) December 1, 2024
The Blue Jackets improved to 6-2-1 with Kent Johnson in the lineup this season.
If you thought the line of KJ/Silli/Fantilli was good tonight, you were right.
— CBJ Stats (@BlueJacketStats) December 1, 2024
The #CBJ had seven of the eight scoring chances generated in the game while they were the forward trio, and of course, Johnson's sixth goal of the season.
#CBJ players with at least six goals in their first nine games of a season: Rick Nash (three times), Boone Jenner, Kristian Huselius and now Kent Johnson.
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) December 1, 2024
KJ also now just the ninth instance of a CBJ player with at least 12 points in his first nine games.
PK Problems
As good as things have been for the Jackets lately, one troubling trend that continued was the inability to stop the opposition's power play. As mentioned above, it’s the ninth consecutive game the Jackets’ penalty kill has yielded a goal as Chicago was 3-for-6 on the power play.
#CBJ 6-3 win today marked the first time in franchise history the Blue Jackets have allowed 3 power-play goals and won a regulation road game.
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) December 2, 2024
Previous 3 times #CBJ allowed 3 power-play goals and won in regulation have been in Nationwide. Most recent: 8-4 win over STL 11/12/16.
The Blue Jackets' penalty kill is 26th in the league (74.0%). Fortunately for the Blue Jackets, they always had an answer for the Hawks as they continued their scoring ways on Sunday afternoon.
Great stat here from @JLGP34 on the @FanDuelSN_CBUS post-game show:
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 1, 2024
The #CBJ have 63 goals in 5-on-5 play third in the NHL behind VGK & WSH.
A bit more on that:
VGK: 65 in two more games. (2.60 per game)
WSH: 69 in one more game. (2.88)
Jackets: 2.74. So, second, really.
With an 11-9-3 record and 25 points through 23 games, the #CBJ are on pace for a 39-32-11 and 89 point season.
— CBJ Stats (@BlueJacketStats) December 2, 2024
The last two seasons, the second wild card team has had 92 and 91 points.
Using both your head and heart: Will the Blue Jackets make the playoffs?
#CBJ improved to 6-1-1 (13 points) in the last 8 games following today's victory at Chicago. The club leads the NHL in points percentage (.813) and goals/game (4.63, 37 goals) and ranks 2nd in points (Washington, 14) dating back to Nov. 15.
— CBJ Public Relations (@BlueJacketsPR) December 1, 2024
Emotional Rematch
Columbus heads out west to take on the Calgary Flames on Tuesday, Dec. 3 at 9:00 p.m. ET from Scotiabank Saddledome. The Jackets and Flames will honor Johnny Gaudreau and then we'll see if there is any on-ice emotion following last Friday's wild game.
