What a team, what a season.
Cole Sillinger and Zach Werenski each had a goal and an assist as the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the New York Islanders 6-1 on Thursday at Nationwide Arena in the NHL regular season finale.
Going Out With A Bang
Even though the Blue Jackets knew their fate ahead of the last game of the season against the Islanders, the league's hottest team didn't go out with a dud.
Ending the season with six-straight wins, the Blue Jackets had a five-goal second period en route to their dominating victory over New York.
#CBJ tied the team's longest win streak of 2024-25 (Jan. 4-16) with wins in the final 6 games.
— CBJ Public Relations (@BlueJacketsPR) April 18, 2025
The club won all 6 games in regulation, tying for the longest regulation win streak in franchise history (3rd time; Dec. 22, 2016-Jan. 3, 2017 and Jan. 11-22, 2020).
Cole Sillinger started the scoring barrage with his 11th, unassisted, at 2:21 of the second period.
#CBJ strike first on a phenomenal individual effort from Cole Sillinger. Takes the puck away at the blue line and then enters the slot, firing past Isles goalie Marcus Hogberg. 1-0 Columbus on Silli's 11th of the season.pic.twitter.com/FA6B8jBR8y
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) April 18, 2025
Dante Fabbro scored his ninth at 7:43 to make it 2-0, with Jordan Harris getting his fourth assist.
Three goals in less than eight minutes have the #CBJ up 3-0. Here's the second one, a Dante Fabbro floater from the right circle on a slick look from Jordan Harris. Second straight game with a goal from Fabbro and Harris with his first point since Feb. 6. pic.twitter.com/qDOm4AFPsw
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) April 18, 2025
Dmitri Voronkov's 23rd made it 3-0 at 10:09. Zach Werenski's 59th is the new career high for assists on his ledger. Sillinger added his 22nd assist. Werenski ended the year on a six-game point streak (three goals, five assists).
A five-goal second period for the #CBJ. Heres the middle goal of the period, a Dmitri Voronkov goal that comes with a Zach Werenski assist.
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) April 18, 2025
That assist, his 59th, ties the all-time club record for apples in a season.
pic.twitter.com/eYEj3bqyTp
Sean Kuraly's sixth gave the Jackets the 4-0 lead. Justin Danforth (12) and Erik Gudbranson (4) picked up the assists.
There were so many goals in the second period that this one from Sean Kuraly that made it 4-0 #CBJ (now 5-0) is presented in French!pic.twitter.com/ID1khPA50S
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) April 18, 2025
Werenski added his second point of the period, the 23rd goal of the season, to make it 5-0. Sean Monahan (38) and Kirill Marchenko (43) assisted on the play. Monahan ended the year on a six-game point streak (two goals, six assists).
The final of Columbus' five-goal middle frame. Zach Werenski this time around.
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) April 18, 2025
It's 5-0 #CBJ as the last period of the season is set to begin. pic.twitter.com/VhfVMMyO2V
5-0 #CBJ with Werenski's (1-1-2) 23rd of the campaign. Assists to Monahan and Marchenko.
— CBJ Public Relations (@BlueJacketsPR) April 18, 2025
With 23-59-82 in 2024-25, Werenski has tied Artemi Panarin (2017-18) for the second-most points in a season in franchise history.
#CBJ score five in the second period to lead 5-0 over New York. Shots are 25-17, NYI.
— CBJ Public Relations (@BlueJacketsPR) April 18, 2025
The five goals mark the fourth time in franchise history the team has scored as many in a single period (MR: 3rd period, Dec. 31, 2018 vs. OTT).
In the third period, Adam Fantilli's 31st at 18:37 gave the Jackets their sixth goal of the night. James van Riemsdyk (20) picked up the assist. Fantilli finished on a four-game point streak (six goals, zero assists) with seven goals since April 8.
Adam Fantilli - Columbus Blue Jackets (31) pic.twitter.com/HZk4eyELZt
— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) April 18, 2025
Jet! Jet! Jet!
Jet Greaves was nearly perfect for the Blue Jackets. Again.
Coming off his second career shutout since Saturday in Tuesday's 3-0 win at the Philadelphia Flyers, Greaves saw his shutout streak end at 14:48 of the third period when Hudson Fasching scored his second goal of the season. Casey Cizikas (10) added the assist.
Though the goal broke the shutout bid, the sellout crowd of 18,874 serenaded their goaltender with chants of "Jet!" in appreciation of what the young net minder has done since coming up to the team on emergency recall and never looking back.
Jet allows a goal and the #CBJ crowd lets him have it in the most beautiful way possible. pic.twitter.com/OYeLO2mnbO
— Ed Francis (@BlueJacketStats) April 18, 2025
#CBJ Jet Greaves' shutout streak 173:38 is the fourth-longest in franchise history. Here are the top three, according to the NHL: pic.twitter.com/DAFz7TS3We
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) April 18, 2025
#CBJ Jet Greaves went 5-0 with a .975 save percentage and 0.80 goals-against average.
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) April 18, 2025
Greaves finished the game with 36 saves on 37 shots. Marcus Hogberg made 20 saves on 26 shots. For the second straight game, Greaves was First Star of the Night.
Numbers And Nuggets
What can you say about this team and season?
The Blue Jackets defied odds from day one, overcoming tragedy to one of their own, to finish within two points of a playoff berth, despite preseason expectations of being at the bottom of the standings.
Even in just the last week of the season, eight points behind the Canadiens, the Jackets won their final six games to have a chance at the playoffs up until game 82 of the regular season.
Greaves stole the show with First Star of the Week honors, going 3-0-0 with his first career shutout. Then he shut out the Flyers on Tuesday. Through feast and famine moments, the offense winds up the best in franchise history.
#CBJ win 6-1 over the New York Islanders in the final game of the regular season.
— CBJ Public Relations (@BlueJacketsPR) April 18, 2025
The Jackets scored 267 goals in 2024-25, setting a new single-season franchise record. The 160 goals scored at Nationwide Arena are also a franchise record in a season.
The 2024-25 Jackets tied the franchise mark for points at home (57) with the 2016-17 club. The 26 wins are tied for the second-most in franchise history with the 2017-18 club.
Werenski finished with 82 points, 59 assists, and 23 goals. All career highs and franchise marks for a Blue Jackets defenseman. The 59 assists tie Artemi Panarin (2018-19) for the most in a single season in franchise history. Werenski's 26:45 time on ice per game played is the most in franchise history throughout a full season. Jack Johnson had the most (27:25) in 2011-12 between the Los Angeles Kings (61 games) and Blue Jackets (21 games).
Four #CBJ players are set to play in their 82nd game tonight -- Adam Fantilli, Ivan Provorov, Mathieu Olivier and Sean Kuraly.
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) April 17, 2025
Ties for most players to suit up in every game in team history.
Marchenko finished with career highs across points (74), goals (31), and assists (43). The 74 points are the seventh-best in franchise history for a single season, tied with Johnny Gadureau (2022-23), and are a 32-point jump from last season. Marchenko's plus-29 is the second-best in a single season behind David Savard's plus-33 in 2016-17. Fantilli has begun his transformation into a superstar, becoming the first player from his draft class to reach 25-plus goals. Finishing with 54 total points, Fantilli and Marchenko co-led the Blue Jackets with 31 goals.
And we'd be remiss if we didn't mention Jack Williams making his NHL debut.
The rookie lap for #CBJ forward Jack Williams. Fresh out of Northeastern and into the #NHL. pic.twitter.com/hIpydKXZXs
— Dave Maetzold (@DMaetzMedia) April 17, 2025
The finale was a thundering success. Though the 2024-25 Blue Jackets won't end up in the playoffs, the resiliency they showed through tragedy and triumph puts this group at the very top in ways that can't be measured. Circumstances that most would never have to think about dealing with.
The offseason ahead promises to be a fun one. President and general manager Don Waddell goes to work with a full season in Columbus under his belt and a lot of cap space to contend with. Head coach Dean Evason's club is on the map.
Look out 2025-26.
