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Did Columbus host one of the best NHL Stadium Series games ever? Yes, it did | Arace
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- Did Columbus host one of the best NHL Stadium Series games ever? Yes, it did | Arace
Ohio State played its first football game in 1890. Ground was broken for Ohio Stadium in 1921, and the Buckeyes christened their cathedral a year later. Columbus was awarded an NHL expansion franchise in 1997, and the Blue Jackets played their first game in 2000. These tributaries of our city's sports history came to a confluence before a crowd of 94,751 at The Shoe Saturday night .
This was the NHL's 43rdoutdoor game, and the folks who run these things know what they're doing. There have been plenty of compelling games, played in any number of historic venues, under the sun, the clouds and the stars. This one will always rank as one of the best. It will.
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Ohio State traditions – from the pep rally (a modified Skull Session) in St. John Arena to the walk-in to the stadium to the emergence from the tunnel onto the field to the first, great roar – were wedded with the city's professional hockey team. Those who paid witness — players, coaches, fans, TBDBITL, whoever — will carry it with them.
Columbus, which has been growing steadily since the mid-1950s, grew closer Saturday night.
"It was awesome," said Blue Jackets center Adam Fantill said. "To hear the sound of 94,000 people cheering for us. It's a sound you don't forget."
Even the game itself nearly measured up to the enormity of the event and all its sideshows. It was a version of Ohio vs. Michigan with the Red Wings as the opponent. It was a One-Day War.
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The Blue Jackets surrendered a two-goal lead in the third period and the score was 3-3, late. Then, third-line center Justin Danforth scored on a mini-breakaway, tucking in his own rebound to give the Jackets a 4-3 lead with 3:24 remaining in regulation. Then, Fantilli made it 5-3 with an empty-net goal, assist to fellow Michigan man Zach Werenski , with 68 seconds remaining.
A gigantic crowd roared, the cannon fired and everyone in the frigid crowd (the temperature was down to 25 degrees by the final horn) had something to tell their grandchildren someday. Mark it: Ten years from now, "I was there" is a line that will be used by a million more than 94,751. Some will even talk about the high-sticking call that the referees missed on Danforth's game-winning goal like it was yesterday.
Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski controls the puck against the Red Wings at Ohio Stadium on Saturday.
"Yes," Red Wings coach Todd McLellan said, acknowledging that he felt the call was missed. "But we should never be in that situation, not with two (defensemen) back there."
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Two nights before, the Jackets flew into Detroit , manhandled the Red Wings and left town with a 5-2 victory. McLellan called out his captain, Dylan Larkin , and bemoaned his team's relative pliability. In The Shoe, the roles reversed, and the Red Wings dominated — but the goal total remained the same for Columbus. It was a critical victory for the Jackets, their fourth in a row coming out of the 4 Nations Face-Off break. With it, the Jackets (30-22-8, 68 points) moved into the first wild-card playoff slot in the NHL's Eastern Conference and the Red Wings (30-24-6, 66) slid back to the second.
Given the sensory overload of this particular iteration of the Stadium Series, a gritty victory for the plucky home team was a perfect coda to a symphonic 48 hours. The hockey world focused on The Shoe, and the very best of the city and its hockey team, in concert with Ohio State, was rendered for a national television audience.
The death of Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew , who were killed by a drunk driver while riding their bicycles in the twilight of Aug. 29, reverberated throughout the hockey world (and beyond). Dealing with the loss and moving forward — and winning — has been a monumental achievement. The Blue Jackets coaches and players will tell you they've coped and thrived by keeping Gaudreau's spirit alive. Believe them.
It was manifested in many ways during the Stadium Series — for instance, Johnny Gaudreau 's widow, Meredith, and their children led the Blue Jackets into the stadium and, later, out of the tunnel Saturday night. The subtler touches were just as moving. The Red Wings wore Gaudreau jerseys — from the brothers' USHL teams, from Boston College and, of course, from Team USA — as Saturday night's game approached. The Jackets channeled "Johnny Hockey" by dressing like him — sporting UGGs, black sweatpants, black (designer) baseball caps and slate blue hoodies from Avalon Surf Shop in Avalon, N.J. They showed up to The Shoe like Johnny always showed up at the rink. Comfortable.
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Asked about what he took away from the experience, Jackets coach Dean Evason said, "Just … Johnny. Simple as that. I'll mention all the other stuff — this incredible city and incredible fan base and incredible environment that we just witnessed. Ninety-thousand something people, my god. … I'm glad we were able to talk to the group about taking it in and just enjoying the experience. And they did. Obviously, it's nice to get two points. Obviously, that's extremely important.
"But the most important thing is the presence of Johnny and his family, here tonight."
Blue Jackets defenseman Denton Mateychuk (5) skates with the puck against the Red Wings on Saturday.
The way the Blue Jackets carry Gaudreau with them is just one storyline. There is another that isn't as obvious. It is also more difficult to quantify. The Jackets look like a playoff team right now. There is a dusting of magic about them, a faint glitter. How is it that, against all odds, they're not only in a playoff position, but still climbing?
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"I think we all had a belief in ourselves, since before training camp," Fantilli said. "We believed we could make the playoffs before we even got to camp."
How?
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: In Ohio Stadium, Blue Jackets beat the Red Wings before huge crowd
