Did you miss anything from the past week at The Hockey News - Columbus Blue Jackets? If you did, we have you covered with the Sunday Recap. Click on each card below to read the stories from the past week.
NEWS & NOTES
Zach Werenski
- Credited the team’s success on the penalty kill to everyone being “on the same page,” which has cleared up earlier miscommunications.
- Noted that the PK unit is no longer “compounding mistakes,” allowing them to be more patient and effective.
- Felt that the penalty kill was a major reason the team was able to secure such a decisive 5-1 victory.
- Observed that the team has moved from reacting to opponents to being more aggressive and “dictating the pace” themselves.
- Highlighted the team’s depth, mentioning that having veteran players in bottom-six roles makes the group significantly stronger than last year.
- Expressed how “incredible” it was and what an “honor” it is to officially get the call to represent Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Zach Werenski said of energy, "I feel like energy can come from guys playing with confidence, making plays. It's contagious. I don't want to say get reckless with it, but we have a lot of guys who can make plays here, and sometimes when we get a lead, we just resort to almost playing too simple and just giving the puck to the other team, and obviously, good teams make you pay."
Former Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson has officially retired from professional hockey and has been hired by the Vancouver Canucks to be a pro scout, the Canucks announced today.
Dean Evason – Head Coach
- Felt the team lost their grip on the game starting with the second goal they allowed.
- Pointed out that turning the puck over three times led directly to a goal in their net.
- Regretted giving the opposing team "life" with only three minutes left in the second period.
- Attributed the shift in momentum to "very unintelligent decisions" made by his players.
- Noted that once the other team had momentum, their "special players made special plays".
- Described the start of the game as being as bad as the team has played all season.
- Nearly called a timeout early on but held off because the players were saying the right things on the bench.
- Clarified that the team's drop in energy in the third period was mental rather than physical.
- Mentioned the team is in "fantastic shape," but the mental grind of the game caught up to them.
- Felt the team "frustrated themselves" by not sticking to the disciplined, "boring" game plan that worked previously.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced that Laurence Gilman has been named the new Vice President of Hockey Operations. He will help Don Waddell in all aspects of the club’s hockey operations per a team statement.
The undrafted Zamula has played 168 NHL games and has 41 points for the Philadelphia Flyers.
“Egor is a mobile defenseman with good size who sees the ice well and can move the puck very efficiently. We are excited to have him join our hockey club,” said Don Waddell in a press release.
He will sign a one-year deal, per his Agent, Dan Milstein. It will be a prorated 1-million-dollar deal.
Points
- Zach Werenski - 47 - 2nd among all NHL Defensemen
- Kirill Marchenko - 33- 11 Power Play Points
- Dmitri Voronkov - 21
The Columbus Blue Jackets have placed Mason Marchment on IR with an undisclosed upper-body injury, per the club. Assuming they make it retroactive to the 4th, he'll miss all of their current four game road trip.
Marchment was apparently injured in the game last weekend against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
It's all the rage amongst Columbus Blue Jackets fans to argue against pulling their goalie late in the game in an attempt to score. Some say it's pointless. Some say it Evason does it too early. Some say he does it too late. Is there a right answer? Yes, there is.
Defenseman Brendan Smith's season ends early with successful knee surgery. A three-to-four-month recovery is expected following the procedure.
Texier was able to net his first career hat trick in his 262nd NHL game, scoring his third goal with just 50 seconds left in the game to power the Canadiens past the visiting Panthers.
GAME PREVIEWS & RECAPS
Dmitri Voronkov(15), Mason Marchment(9), Kirill Marchenko(15), and Zach Werenski(15) scored the goals for the CBJ, while Jet Greaves could only stop 38 of the Pens' 43 shots in a 5-4 overtime loss.
This was embarrassing. There's really no other way to put it.
Having a 4-1 lead with 39 minutes to play should be almost an automatic win. But if you've watched the Blue Jackets play this season, you know that anything other than having a lead when the final buzzer sounds, isn't automatic.
Series History vs. The Sharks
- Columbus is 29-34-0-6 all-time, and 10-21-0-3 on the road in San Jose.
- The Jackets are 9-3-1 in the last 13 games, and 5-0-1 in the last 6.
- The Blue Jackets are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games at SAP Center.
Zach Werenski(16) and Sean Monahan(6) scored the only goals for Columbus, and Jet Greaves stopped 31 of 34 Sharks shots, including 10 of 11 of the Sharks five power plays, as the Blue Jackets would lose to San Jose 5-2.
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