Feast or famine.
Justin Danforth and Mathieu Olivier each had a goal and an assist as the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Ottawa Senators 5-2 on Tuesday night at Nationwide Arena to end a three-game losing streak.
Columbus improved to 23-10-5 at home. Elvis Merzlikins made 33 saves on 35 shots. Anton Forsberg had 30 on 35 shots.
Ottawa clinched a playoff spot with the Montreal Canadiens' 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Montreal is three points behind Ottawa for the first Eastern Conference wild card spot and holds an eight-point lead over the New York Rangers, Red Wings, and Blue Jackets.
Dean Evason on the message to the #CBJ players tonight: "Basically to play with great confidence and have some bite and play with an edge, that we're good too. And I think we lost that a little bit. We've gone over the last few games and yeah, we haven't scored, but the way we've
Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) April 9, 2025
Avoiding Dubious Mark
Dmitri Voronkov scored his first goal in 17 games, dating back to the outdoor game on March 1 at Ohio Stadium. His 21st tally gave Columbus a 1-0 lead at 7:00, and Olivier got his 13th assist.
#CBJ take a 1-0 lead on Voronkov's goal at 7:00 of the first. It ends a shutout streak of 159:04, a run of 14 consecutive opposition goals, and is the first goal from the Big Boss since the Stadium Series:pic.twitter.com/Z4XSSjmzJq
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) April 8, 2025
It's the 40th time the Blue Jackets have scored first this season (tied for 12th). It's the fourth time they've scored first since March 1 (32nd in league). They were first in the league from the start of the season through March 1, when they scored first 37 times.
Voronkov not only ended a personal scoring drought, but the goal ended the Blue Jackets' shutout streak since the second period of last Thursday's 7-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, and the consecutive shutout losses over the weekend against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Senators.
#CBJ trying to avoid two ignominious franchise marks tonight vs. #GoSensGo. CBJ have ...
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) April 8, 2025
- allowed 14 unanswered goals, dating to 4/3 loss v COL. That matches a franchise record set in '02-03.
- been shutout the past 2 games. A 3rd shutty would match a franchise mark set '01-02.
Columbus' offense will have to wait until Sunday to end another drought when they complete another home-and-home, back-to-back against the Washington Capitals on the road.
Danforth scored his ninth of the year at 16:38 of the opening period. Denton Mateychuk (8) and Sean Kuraly (11) picked up the assists.
#CBJ take a 2-0 lead with 3:22 left in the 1st. A slick goal by Danforth on a slick pass from Mateychuk.
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) April 8, 2025
Mateychuk continues to show that he's going to be a staple for a long, long time on this blueline.pic.twitter.com/WomtbYOVI7
All Or Nothing
Mathieu Oliver and Sean Monahan each scored their 18th goal of the season.
Olivier's goal made it 3-1 at 19:38 of the second period with Danforth (11) and Erik Gudbranson (2) getting the assists. Gudbranson played in his 800th career NHL game. Olivier's previous career high in goals was five in 2022-23 and 2023-24.
Ready for the third period with the #CBJ up 3-1 on the Ottawa Senators.
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) April 9, 2025
Olivier's 18th of the season came in the closing seconds of the second to restore Columbus' two-goal lead: pic.twitter.com/utEvhjos3K
Monahan's goal at 2:37 of the third period came on the power play, assisted by Kent Johnson (29) and Zach Werenski (55).
#CBJ extend their lead to 4-1 with this Monahan power play goal at the 2:37 mark of the third. It's his 50th point of the season. pic.twitter.com/vRDan2vHnE
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) April 9, 2025
Sean Monahan's goal was his 50th point of the season, making him the fourth #CBJ player to reach that mark this year after Zach Werenski, Kirill Marchenko and Kent Johnson.
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) April 9, 2025
With his assist last night, Zach Werenski has 20-55-75 on the season.
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) April 9, 2025
Passed Johnny Gaudreau (2022-23) for the fifth-most points in a #CBJ season
Tied Artemi Panarin (2017-18) for the third-most helpers in CBJ season
Became first U.S.-born D with 20 goals and 75 points
If both Olivier and Monahan can get to the 20-goal mark, they’ll join Kirill Marchenko (31), Adam Fantilli (25), Kent Johnson (23), Werenski (20), and Voronkov (21).
The Blue Jackets had five 20-goal scorers one other time (2018-19) when Cam Atkinson (41), Artemi Panarin (28), Josh Anderson (27), Pierre-Luc Dubois (27), and Oliver Bjorkstrand (23) did it. Columbus acquired Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel that season, who each had 12 points (four goals, eight assists) as Blue Jackets, but Duchene had 31 goals overall that season with Ottawa and Columbus. Dzingel had 26 total with Ottawa and Columbus.
This year's Blue Jackets team has scored 244 goals, the fourth-most in franchise history. They're putting up 3.17 goals for per game, the most in franchise history. It's amazing when you consider this stat from Sunday.
#CBJ playing on both ends of the goal-scoring spectrum this season:
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) April 6, 2025
The Blue Jackets have scored 6+ goals in 14 games this season, most in the NHL. WASH (13) is 2nd.
Also, the Blue Jackets have been shut out 8 times, tied (w New Jersey) for 2nd-most in the NHL. NASH (10) leads.
Fantilli First To 25
Fantilli's third-period goal at 11:42 gave Columbus its fifth goal of the night and Fantilli's first 25-goal season. He's the first from his draft class to accomplish the feat. Kent Johnson (30) had his second assist of the night, and Ivan Provorov picked up his 24th.
Fantilli uses his brilliant speed to pick up his 25th goal of the season, putting the #CBJ up 5-1.
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) April 9, 2025
Now a 5-2 Columbus lead with 3:53 left.pic.twitter.com/oU2mIXVIi6
25 goals on the season now for Adam Fantilli. He's the first guy from his draft class -- including Connor Bedard and Leo Carlsson -- to have a 25-goal season. #CBJ
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) April 9, 2025
Fabian Zetterlund (18) scored for Ottawa on the power play in the second period to cut the deficit to 2-1. Claude Giroux (34) and Thomas Chabot (33) assisted. Chabot is on a three-game point streak (one goal, four assists). Chabot scored his seventh of the season in the third period at 15:10 to make it 5-2. Drake Batherson (40) and David Perron (7) assisted. Batherson is on a three-game point streak (zero goals, four assists).
Sabres On Tap
Columbus hosts the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, April 10 at 7 p.m. ET.
