The NHL couldn’t have hoped for a better matchup than what the Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings will provide for 90,000-plus fans Saturday night at Ohio Stadium.
After splitting the first two games of their season series with the Blue Jackets’ 5-2 victory Thursday in Detroit, the final scheduled meeting this season now carries added importance when they rematch in the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series matchup.
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A Blue Jackets win would boost them into the East’s top wild-card spot while dropping the Red Wings, who currently have it via tiebreaker, into the second wild card. A Detroit win keeps the wild-card spots aligned as they are now. Putting it another way, the playoffs are already underway in Detroit and Columbus, where Saturday’s attendance is expected to reach the second highest ever to watch an NHL game.
How’s that for a storyline?
Here are four takeaways from the Blue Jackets’ win in Detroit:
This was Boone Jenner’s third game since returning from a preseason shoulder injury that required surgery in early October and forced him to miss the Jackets’ first 56 on the schedule.
After picking up two assists over the first two games, Jenner played a key role Thursday in Detroit after Cole Sillinger sustained an upper-body injury in the first period. The Blue Jackets’ captain slid over from left wing to fill Sillinger’s vacated spot at center on the second line, showing fast chemistry with James van Riemsdyk and Kent Johnson as wingers.
Van Riemsdyk moved up from the fourth line to skate with Jenner and Johnson, and the move quickly paid off. They generated three goals, two scored by Van Riemsdyk and Johnson’s 20th of the season, while Jenner assisted on all three. He also won 53% of his draws (8 of 15) while leading all players in the game with seven shots on goal and 12 attempts.
Jenner has primarily handled the Blue Jackets’ top center role the past three seasons, so shifting to the middle wasn’t a problem. Depth down the middle could become an issue if Sillinger is out for extended time, but Jenner’s experience and acumen at center would likely mitigate a daunting challenge.
Cole Sillinger’s status for outdoor game at Ohio Stadium unknown following injury against Detroit Red Wings
It’s starting to feel like the Blue Jackets can’t play a game without losing one or more players.
It happened again in Detroit when Sillinger was injured during a heavy collision with Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider in the first period. Seider was credited with a hit, but replays showed him bowling over Sillinger after turning forcefully to chase the puck.
Regardless of intent, Sillinger sustained an upper-body injury and left the game after logging four shifts. After initially leaving the bench to get checked out, the fourth-year center returned for just two more shifts before leaving for good. He was officially ruled out at the start of the second period.
Sillinger’s status for the outdoor rematch is now in doubt. The only bright side to the situation was Jenner’s availability to cover the center position on the second line without missing a beat.
Unheralded Kent Johnson’s 20th goal for Columbus Blue Jackets further proof he’s one of the NHL’s top young forwards
Prior to the early shoulder injury that cost him 14 games, Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson showed signs he was ready to unfurl an impressive breakout season. Since returning Nov. 21 with two goals in the Blue Jackets’ 7-6 overtime win against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Johnson has put together the type of breakout campaign he’d hoped to unfurl in his fourth NHL season.
After contributing two points with a goal and assist Thursday in Detroit, Johnson is scoring at nearly a point-per-game pace with 20 goals, 22 assists and 42 points in 45 games. His +2 plus/minus against the Red Wings also pushed him back into the positive side at +1 in that category. Since the calendar flipped to January 2025, Johnson also has a scoring line of 11-10-21 in 21 games that includes points added in 12 of the past 13 games.
Not many outside Columbus mention Johnson when talking about the NHL’s brightest young stars, but he won’t stay a hidden gem forever.
Kirill Marchenko goes superhero to seal Columbus Blue Jackets victory
Since returning from a fractured jaw in less than three weeks, wearing facial protection on his helmet, Kirill Marchenko has played with near reckless abandon.
He’s starting to play like a new wave Marian Hossa, using relentless drive while battling for pucks and good size to gain inside position in the offensive zone. Marchenko and center Adam Fantilli buzzed around the Red Wings’ net all game without producing a goal, but the Russian right wing finally got one over the goal line with Detroit goalie Cam Talbot on the bench for a 6-on-5 advantage.
After shoveling the puck between two defenders, Marchenko raced Seider to it before laying out inside the Detroit zone with a “Superman” dive to tap it into the empty net. As empty-net goals go, it was a thing of beauty that set Marchenko’s new career-high for a season at 24 goals.
@BrianHedger.bsky.social
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Boone Jenner captain clutch for Columbus Blue Jackets: 4 takeaways
