Story by
Columbus Blue Jackets rough up Calgary Flames: 6 takeaways
- Story by
- Columbus Blue Jackets rough up Calgary Flames: 6 takeaways
You almost felt sorry for Ryan Lomberg .
Watching the long, stringy hair of the Calgary Flames forward become that of a troll doll while Blue Jackets forward Mathieu Olivier rained blows down upon him stirred memories of the "Seinfeld" episode when Frank Costanza explained his origin story of Festivus, the fictional holiday sparked by a scuffle over a Christmas gift.
Advertisement
"There has to be a better way," was one thought that came to mind as Olivier whaled on Lomberg, who for some reason felt obligated to challenge the Blue Jackets heavyweight enforcer over a hit that had already been addressed in the Blue Jackets' 5-2 victory Friday at Nationwide Arena.
Olivier, who "blacked out," in the scrap, turned to the crowd and pumped his arms with the Blue Jackets leading 3-1 going into the second intermission. The building roared. Welcome to the 2024-25 rendition of the Blue Jackets, a team that was universally discarded as nothing more than a "bottom feeder," and is now 10-9-3, above .500, after smothering the Flames (12-7-4).
The rest of the NHL hasn't awoken to what's happening in Columbus yet, but if that ever happens, the shock may resemble Lomberg's flying locks.
The Blue Jackets now face a daunting five-game road trip to Chicago and Western Canada, but they've built up strength, resolve and confidence during their first five game point streak (4-0-1) since 2020-21. They's also in a 5-1-1 stretch that began with a 6-2 shellacking of the Pittsburgh Penguins on Nov. 15 in Columbus with additional victories over the Boston Bruins , Tampa Bay Lightning , Carolina Hurricanes and Flames.
Advertisement
Here are six takeaways from a black and blue Friday:
Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli (19) celebrates after scoring a goal against Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf (32) during the third period of the NHL game at Nationwide Arena on Nov. 29, 2024.
Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli rewarded for 'sound' play
Fantilli hadn't scored a goal in 13 games, which was a dry spell that weighed heavily on his mind despite playing just his 71st NHL game Friday. He expects himself to be an elite center, an offensive force and one of the league's top goal-scorers, so stretches of "learning" while not scoring goals are tough to stomach.
Putting two pucks into Calgary's net clearly felt good, but they also were rewards for something else. Fantilli is trying to improve his defensive game at the same time he's trying to produce offensively, which is no small task. It will eventually make him a formidable two-way talent atop the lineup, which is why it's important to take a few lumps early in his career.
Advertisement
"He's been committed to doing the right things in the right areas," Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason said. "Has he sacrificed maybe a little bit of risky offensive play to be a good defensive, sound player? Maybe, but we know in the long run (and) he knows in the long run ... if he plays the right way, defensively and sound in all areas, the scoring will come."
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (8) takes a shot on goal against Calgary Flames during the first period of the NHL game at Nationwide Arena on Nov. 29, 2024.
Zach Werenski 's headed for NHL First Star of the Month consideration
Zach Werenski put the Blue Jackets up 3-1 early in the second and added an assist on Kirill Marchenko 's empty-net goal to seal the victory.
Advertisement
Those two points moved his scoring line to 24 points on eight goals and 16 assists in 22 games, which is higher than a point-per-game average. Werenski's contributions against the Flames pushed his point streak to seven games, which ties his career high and the franchise record by a defenseman previously reached by Jaroslav Spacek in 2002-03 and Bryan Berard in 2005-06.
Werenski's scoring line during his point streak is a jaw-dropping 5-9-14, which is an average of two points per game. That's Cale Makar stuff, for a comparison. Werenski is the NHL's reigning "First Star of the Week" and is now putting himself into the discussion for the same monthly honor in November.
Columbus Blue Jackets center Kent Johnson (91) celebrates his goal against Calgary Flames during the first period of the NHL game at Nationwide Arena on Nov. 29, 2024.
Columbus Blue Jackets' Kent Johnson could post a surprising point total
Despite missing 14 games with a shoulder injury, Kent Johnson has a chance to put up scoring totals that could surprise many in the NHL. His goal against the Flames was his fifth of the season, in eight games, and he also has six assists for 11 points.
Advertisement
That's a scoring rate of roughly 94 points in 68 games if Johnson plays all of the Blue Jackets' remaining games at that pace. His point production will almost certainly dip, but Johnson has earned a spot on the second line and plays in all situations now. More ice time means more opportunities to do what he does best.
Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Kirill Marchenko (86) against Calgary Flames during the first period of the NHL game at Nationwide Arena on Nov. 29, 2024.
Kirill Marchenko showed elite skill on Adam Fantilli's second goal
Marchenko is one behind Werenski for the team scoring lead after adding three points on a goal and two assists against the Flames. His first assist was the result of hard work, accidentally sending the puck to Werenski for a goal while trying to stuff it inside the left post, but his second assist was a thing of beauty.
Advertisement
Getting the puck in the neutral zone as Fantilli left the penalty box, Marchenko created a 2-on-1 before zipping a pass across the ice to the young center's stick for a snapshot that gave the Blue Jackets a 4-1 lead.
"I didn't move my stick," Fantilli said. "It just hit me, and I just ended up having it there, so it was a great pass."
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jake Christiansen (2) and Calgary Flames center Martin Pospisil (76) fight during the second period of the NHL game at Nationwide Arena on Nov. 29, 2024.
Jake Christiansen 's fight was unnecessary after hit on Calgary Flames ' Kuzmenko
Early in the second, Calgary's Andrei Kuzmenko skated into the Blue Jackets' zone with the puck and soon paid a hefty price, courtesy of Jake Christiansen.
Advertisement
The Blue Jackets defensemen, an offensive-minded player in his junior days, has spent the past few seasons playing primarily in the AHL while adding grit and physicality to his repertoire. It showed with his hit on Kuzmenko, which was delivered with a textbook shoulder to the chest that freed the puck and sent the Flames forward to the ice. Pospisil skated over and challenged Christiansen to a fight, which has become the expected response now in the NHL to all big hits, even the clean ones.
Fighting remains part of hockey, but it's also a contact sport that should allow for legal body checks to go without having to defend them. Christiansen deserves credit for the hit and fighting Pospisil, especially at the end of a marathon 1:53 shift.
He also did a respectable job holding off Pospisil's right arm, but that was a needless bout.
Blue Jackets right wing Mathieu Olivier and Calgary Flames center Martin Pospisil fight during the second period of game at Nationwide Arena on Nov. 29, 2024.
Calgary Flames defenseman Brayden Pachal should've been ejected
The NHL's department of player safety ought to take a closer look at the actions of Flames defenseman Brayden Pachal during a fight between Olivier and Pospisil.
Advertisement
The latter two squared off after Olivier rammed Flames defenseman Joel Hanley into the end boards in the Calgary zone, and it spilled into a scrum where Pachal pinned Olivier's arm for Pospisil to land two overhand rights. Evason was incensed that Pachal was only assessed a roughing minor rather than being ejected for acting as a third man into a fight.
Referees Brandon Blandina and Carter Sandlak told Evason that Pachal's actions didn't constitute being a third man in, which further angered the Blue Jackets' bench boss.
"His arm is locked, so he takes two off his face," Evason said. "It's so dangerous. It's crazy. I don't understand how that's allowed to happen, when there are two linesmen out there and two refs out there, and if it does happen, then you have to penalize something like that, or it may happen again. And that is such a dangerous situation. We're very fortunate that he didn't get hurt in that play."
Advertisement
Get more on the Columbus Blue Jackets with our Cannon Fodder podcast
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 6 takeaways from Columbus Blue Jackets' takedown of Calgary Flames
