Jan 7, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets proper wing Kirill Marchenko (86) and goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (90) rejoice after Marchenko scored the game-winning aim in a shootout towards the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Area. Necessary Credit score: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Photographs The Columbus Blue Jackets start the second half of their season in place to make the Stanley Cup playoffs for the primary time in 5 seasons.
The Blue Jackets their enter Thursday sport towards the visiting Seattle Kraken with 42 factors and occupying the second wild-card spot within the Jap Convention due to a 14-11 regulation-wins tiebreaker over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Seven groups under Columbus are inside 5 factors of the ultimate playoff place.
The Blue Jackets have not made the playoffs for the reason that 2019-20 season, once they misplaced to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning in 5 video games within the first spherical.
Columbus, which has gained two in a row and 6 of its previous 9 video games (6-2-1), is available in off a 4-3 shootout victory over the Penguins on Tuesday. The Blue Jackets snapped a 15-game dropping streak (0-10-5) at Pittsburgh that dated again to a victory on Nov. 13, 2015.
The Blue Jackets overcame a 3-1 third-period deficit on objectives by Dmitri Voronkov and Adam Fantilli within the closing eight minutes to ship the sport into extra time. Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko each scored within the shootout whereas Bryan Rust and Sidney Crosby failed for the Penguins, and enabling Columbus to leapfrog Pittsburgh within the wild-card race.
“Hear, it is a completely different staff than up to now 10 years, no matter it has been,” Columbus coach Dean Evason stated. “We’re a unique hockey membership. We’re enjoying the best way that the Columbus Blue Jackets play right now with a view to win. So, what’s occurred up to now, it means nothing. It actually does.”
Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson stated, “It means two factors within the standings. It is large. We had been made conscious right now that it has been awhile, it has been a minute for the reason that staff gained right here. So it is all the time good to get a monkey off our again, however particularly on the highway.”
It was simply the fifth highway win in 20 video games (5-12-3) for Columbus, which has excelled on dwelling ice (13-5-3 with 5 wins in its previous six dwelling video games). The Blue Jackets additionally lead the NHL with 86 dwelling objectives.
Seattle, which remains to be on the lookout for its first win in 2025 (0-2-1), is beginning a five-game highway journey and has gained 5 in a row over the Blue Jackets.
The Kraken are seventh within the Pacific Division and are available in off a 3-2 loss to the visiting New Jersey Devils on Monday. Adam Larsson and Shane Wright each scored and Philipp Grubauer made 26 saves within the defeat.
“We’re nicely conscious the place we’re at within the standings,” Seattle coach Dan Bylsma stated when requested in regards to the significance of the highway journey. “We’re 41 video games deep now into the season and this highway journey is part of that. … Now we have to be actual targeted on making some hay with the alternatives that now we have.”
The Kraken activated beginning goaltender Joey Daccord, who missed 5 video games with an upper-body harm sustained in a Dec. 22 sport towards the Colorado Avalanche, for the journey. Daccord is 12-9-2 with a 2.51 goals-against common, a .912 save proportion and one shutout.
“I used to be in a position to skate the entire time so I do not really feel like I misplaced an excessive amount of of a step there,” Daccord stated. “I have been practising for a bit of bit now. I used to be on the ice the entire time. I do not really feel like I’ll miss a beat hopefully right here. Really feel fairly good.”
–Discipline Stage Media
