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Columbus Blue Jackets notes: Tarasov returns from AHL conditioning stint in 'game mode'
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- Columbus Blue Jackets notes: Tarasov returns from AHL conditioning stint in 'game mode'
Daniil Tarasov 's brief conditioning stint in the American Hockey League had mixed results for the Cleveland Monsters at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
The Blue Jackets goalie allowed five goals on 30 shots Friday in a 5-0 loss to Laval before he shined Saturday with 34 saves in a 2-1 overtime victory to split a two-game weekend set against former Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent's new team.
Nov 20, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, United States; Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Daniil Tarasov (40) spits out water after the Florida Panthers made their second goal of the game during the second period of the NHL hockey game at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Scheller-The Columbus Dispatch
Tarasov stopped 59 of 65 shots for a .908 save percentage in the two games before returning to the Blue Jackets for practice Monday at the Ice Haus. After playing just two of the Jackets' prior 25 games, getting work in back-to-back outings was a relief.
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"The first game (Friday) was not that good, like my last one (in the NHL), but tracking pucks and getting the feeling back of playing in 'game mode' was good," Tarasov said. "It was good seeing shots, and (having) traffic and power plays ... all those small details you can't really simulate in practice."
Tarasov will return to the net for the Blue Jackets in one of their games this week, possibly Tuesday at Nationwide Arena against the Philadelphia Flyers .
Mar 7, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Daniil Tarasov (40) watches as left wing Alexander Nylander (92) takes the puck from Edmonton Oilers left wing Warren Foegele (37) during the third period of the NHL hockey game at Nationwide Arena. The Blue Jackets won 4-2.
Another former Blue Jackets coach, John Tortorella , runs Philly's bench but that's inconsequential to Tarasov. All he cares about is restoring his top form to help the Jackets keep winning.
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"It's kind of a tough time," he said. "You're with the team, but at the same time, you're not (feeling) the big success of the group. We're playing different and way better. We stick together and we've actually got a chance to win every game now. So, I just want to be part of this success and help those guys get wins."
Tarasov has done that three times for the Blue Jackets this season, but he's just 3-6-1 with a 4.24 goals-against average and .857 save percentage (SV%) in 10 appearances. After playing five of their first seven games, including four in a row (Oct. 17-26), Tarasov's struggles limited him to just five games in the next 34 before his conditioning stint.
Dec 16, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Daniil Tarasov (40) blocks a goal shot by the New Jersey Devils during the second period of their game on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023 at Nationwide Arena.
After having a chat with Blue Jackets goaltending coach Niklas Backstrom and head coach Dean Evason , he agreed to play in Cleveland for a brief stint. It was an option he'd declined earlier this season.
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"I started to feel like myself, the movements (in net) and getting back those feelings, like, 'OK, one puck at a time,' and it was good getting success in the second game," he said. "This young group, our young core, they're starting to be men now. They're getting into leadership spots and improving because they're together all the time. This is the right time to show it. This young group can be something special here for a long time."
Tarasov included.
Columbus Blue Jackets center Cole Sillinger (4) skates during the first period of the NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Dec. 12, 2024.
Cole Sillinger enjoyed brother Owen Sillinger's unique NHL debut
Cole Sillinger was so sick last Thursday that he had an IV in his arm when his cell phone pinged with several missed calls.
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"I'm just sitting there with my IV, so I grab my phone, and I've got like four missed calls," he said. "I was like, 'Something's going on here.'"
Sillinger's illness and a move related to it were the reasons.
His absence from the Blue Jackets' lineup created a hole in the forward lineup, and Don Waddell had just the right guy to fill the void. The Blue Jackets' president of hockey operations/general manager used an emergency recall to replace one Sillinger with another — Cole's older brother, Owen, who made his NHL debut during a 6-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken .
Sep 24, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets center Owen Sillinger (12) skates during the first period of the NHL preseason hockey game against the St. Louis Blues at Nationwide Arena.
Mike Sillinger, their father, played two seasons in Columbus during one of 12 NHL stops, so Owen was the third member of the family to wear the Blue Jackets' crest. Mike Sillinger and his wife, Karla, their mom, were visiting relatives in Arizona. There wasn't time to catch a flight to Columbus for the game, so they had a big family watch party.
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Lukas Sillinger, the middle of three brothers, watched with some of his Arizona State University teammates.
"It was incredible," Cole Sillinger said. "It was an emotional night for Owen, our family and our friends. Everyone who knows Owen knows how hard he's worked to get to this point and how much he's wanted this ... how much he wanted to prove to everyone and himself that he can play in the NHL. It's kind of funny how it all worked out, but it was just a great thing to see."
Blue Jackets center Cole Sillinger will miss Saturday's outdoor game against the Red Wings with an unspecified upper-body injury.
Cole was also happy with how it all unfolded.
"I want to play with him as much as I can, but for his NHL debut and me not being there, it was all about him," the younger Sillinger said. "It wasn't about him and I playing together. For his first one, it's nice that it was all about him. It was awesome. He played really well, too."
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After Cole Sillinger's health returned, Owen Sillinger returned to Cleveland for the Monsters' weekend set against Laval. He scored the overtime winner Saturday to reward Tarasov for a strong start.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets notes: Tarasov returns from AHL in 'game mode'
