The Columbus Blue Jackets swallowed a bitter pill on Wednesday night when the Montreal Canadiens clinched the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. It made ending the season with a win that much more important for themselves and their fans. They did just that.
Cole Sillinger and Zach Werenski each had a goal and an assist in Game 82 while Jet Greaves continued his mastery with 36 saves to help the Blue Jackets to a 6-1 win to end their 2024-25 season.
The story of this game wasn’t the game itself. It was the celebration of a team and its fans throughout the night.
Game Recap
Despite the game not having any meaning, Nationwide Arena had yet another sellout. The announced attendance was 18,874. The building was loud from the start. It got even louder in the second.
The Blue Jackets scored five times against goaltender Marcus Hogberg. Sillinger opened the scoring. Dante Fabbro, Dmitri Voronkov and Sean Kuraly added goals to make it 4-0.
Then off a nice feed from Sean Monahan, Werenski made it 5-0 after the second period. The 1-1-2 night for Werenski meant finishing the season with 82 points in 81 games played. Only Artemi Panarin has recorded more points in a single season.
The two teams traded goals in the third. Hudson Fasching broke Greaves’ shutout to make it 5-1. Adam Fantilli scored the Blue Jackets’ last goal of the season with just 1:23 left in the game for the 6-1 final.
Dean Evason was holding back tears postgame. It was an emotional night for everyone involved, from the players to the fans. They had one last chance to gather together for a game. It seemed no one wanted it to end either. It’s a mix of sadness along with the disappointment of just missing out on the playoffs. There is still a lot to be proud of.
In the third period, fans chanted both “CBJ” and “Johnny Hockey.” Once the game was over, they played “Johnny Be Good” with the players going around acknowledging the fans. This is a special team that won’t soon be forgotten.
As well, the Blue Jackets all made sure to greet Matt Martin playing his last game with the Islanders after the final horn. It was another example of class being shown.
Evason said that Gaudreau will always be with them as long as he’s there. “He will not leave our dressing room as long as I’m here. He will be in there and he’ll be a presence and he’ll help us win hockey games and he’ll hopefully get us to where we want to be.”
Werenski said that the team and the fans are like one big family. “The fan base and this group in here, we’ve gone through a lot together over the years and yeah, it feels like we’re one big family. It’s special playing in front of them. Tonight was extra special…I think they’re the best fans in the league.”
Evason did say that both Greaves and Denton Mateychuk are heading to Cleveland to help the Monsters with their playoff push. They need just 2 points in their final two games or they can have Belleville lose two points to clinch their spot in the playoffs.
Exit interviews are next for the Blue Jackets. They will meet with the media Friday before they go off for the offseason. Stay tuned to the Hockey Writers as we will have full coverage from Nationwide Arena.