The Blue Jackets are showing signs they’re already an improved team after six games.
They’re one of the NHL’s best at 5-on-5, their goaltending tandem is solid with Jet Greaves and Elvis Merzlikins alternating starts, and the Blue Jackets are having success on the road.
Each of those areas plus a strong night on special teams factored into the Blue Jackets’ 5-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Oct. 21 at American Airlines Center, where three straight goals scored by key young players turned a tight game into a rout.
Denton Mateychuk and Dmitri Voronkov scored 7:05 apart in the third to give Columbus breathing room at 4-1, Johnson sealed it with 3:00 left by scoring into an empty net and Merzlikins impressed with a victorious 22-save performance.
Are the Blue Jackets becoming a playoff team?
It’s incredibly early, but there are already signs of it. Here are three takeaways from an impressive road win:
There isn’t enough room on the visiting bench for a backup goalie, so Jet Greaves watched the game while seated in the stands in full uniform.
Merzlikins gave him a lot to cheer about.
According to the FanDuel Sports Network broadcast, Greaves cheered as Merzlikins made 22 saves in a game that featured several highlight-worthy stops. Merzlikins improved to 2-1-0 with a 2.69 goals-against average and .927 save percentage in his three outings, while Greaves is 1-2-0 with a 2.04 GAA and .928 save percentage in his three starts.
They’re one of the NHL’s best tandems thus far, alternating starts, and the Blue Jackets will gladly take it after having too many pucks elude their goalies the past few years. Merzlikins made vital saves to help thwart Dallas power plays in the first and second periods and came up with several big ones while the Blue Jackets clung to a 2-1 lead late in the second period.
“Second period, he held us in the game, right?” Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason told reporters in Dallas. “We knew they were going to push. We had a good first (period). We knew they were going to come out (strong) and he kept us in that game. They obviously got one, but he didn’t allow them to get two to tie it up and get energized and get their crowd into it. He played extremely well.”
Columbus Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner sparks dominant start
The Blue Jackets overwhelmed the Stars in the first period with a 14-5 edge in shots while taking a 2-0 lead on goals by Adam Fantilli at 5-on-5 and Boone Jenner on a late power play.
Jenner, who assisted Fantilli’s goal, helped the Blue Jackets kill a Stars power play shortly before hustling after a loose puck to draw an interference penalty on Mavrik Bourque. Jenner’s two-point game was the 82nd multi-point game of his NHL career, moving him past Cam Atkinson into second place on the franchise’s all-time scoring list behind Rick Nash (137).
Jenner has increased scoring capacity with a scoring line of 2-4-6 in the season’s first six games. Jenner’s assist was off a pass to Fantilli for a wrist shot from the right wing, and his goal later in the period deflected into the net off his right skate afte a pass from Charlie Coyle.
Columbus Blue Jackets special teams finally roar to life
The Blue Jackets started the game ranked 32nd in the NHL, dead last, on power plays and penalty-killing. That’s the last thing a team that kept its coaching staff together for Evason last spring, re-signing assistant Steve McCarthy, needed.
After going 2 for 2 on both power plays and penalty kills, the Jackets are now tied for 17th on power plays (3 for 15, 20%) and 31st in killing penalties (12 of 20, 60%). Combined with an impressive start at 5-on-5 and even strength, improving their special teams is critical for the playoff focused Blue Jackets.
Jenner and Dmitri Voronkov, power forwards who play in front of the net for each power play group, scored the Blue Jackets’ power-play goals. At the other end, Merzlikins led the way to the Jackets’ perfect night down a skater.
Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com and @BrianHedger.bsky.social