Sometimes, an ugly hockey game can be beautiful.
That wasn’t exactly the case for those who watched the Blue Jackets fend off the Dallas Stars for a 1-0 shutout win Jan. 22 at Nationwide Arena, but it was downright picturesque to the winners. The Blue Jackets (23-20-7) kept the Stars below 30 shots, getting a 28-save shutout from goalie Jet Greaves, his first of the season, and they broke up numerous plays with quick sticks.
Advertisement
More: Greaves’ 28 saves lead Columbus Blue Jackets to 1-0 win
Most importantly, the Jackets rebounded from a lackluster 4-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Jan. 20 to earn a regulation win in veteran forward Charlie Coyle’s 1,000th NHL game.
“That was a heck of a hockey game,” Blue Jackets coach Rick Bowness said. “The fans got their money’s worth, for sure. That’s how we want to play, and that’s fun for me to be behind the bench watching that. Guys were blocking shots, and it was just a great effort. But you know what? Put it behind us and do it again [Jan. 24 against the Tampa Bay Lightning].”
Perhaps in that one, a way to improve might be earning more possession in the Lightning’s zone?
Advertisement
In this one, according to Natural Stat Trick, Dallas set up shop in the Columbus zone and built large even-strength advantages in scoring chances (29-11) and high-danger chances (10-3). The Stars also finished with wide margins favoring them in expected goals (2.36-0.93) at even strength and expected goals in all situations (3.25-1.21).
In other words, Greaves and a few timely defensive plays around his net allowed the Blue Jackets to steal a win they desperately needed. That’s not a great recipe long-term, but it worked out for a needed win.
“It’s a big two points, but these milestones we all get to celebrate are all fun,” Coyle said. “It’s nice, but when you win, it makes it that much better, and you can enjoy it a little more. That’s what I’m happy about and we’re all happy about that.”
Here are more takeaways from the Blue Jackets’ shutout:
Teammates congratulate Blue Jackets center Charlie Coyle after a 1-0 win against the Stars that marked Coyle’s 1,000th career NHL game.
Columbus Blue Jackets make Charlie Coyle’s 1,000th game memorable
Coyle refused to reveal everything that was done to help him celebrate, including presumably a prank or two, but public displays showed how just how quickly he’s endeared himself with the team since he and forward Miles Wood were acquired in a trade last summer.
Advertisement
The Blue Jackets proudly wore blue hats with the No. 1,000 embroidered on the front, wore blue T-shirts with a ‘1,000 games’ logo printed over a photo of Coyle and skated through pregame warmup wearing No. 3 jerseys with his nameplate on the backs, along with ‘1K’ patches on the sleeves.
His father, Chuck, announced the starting lineup before the Blue Jackets went out to play, finishing with his son’s name before giving him a hug. That was recorded and played on the video board for fans during a stoppage in play. Coyle’s teammates also made sure he took a bow for fans.
“It just speaks to the leadership and the type of guys that we have in here,” he said. “No one cares about the credit. It’s all about whoever’s special night it is, right? It’s really fun to be part of a group like that. … It goes to show who we have in here, and who they are as teammates, just pushing that little stuff that you may not want to do, but it means a lot.”
Coyle’s accomplishment will be honored again prior to the Blue Jackets’ upcoming game Jan. 26 against the Los Angeles Kings, when he’ll be honored with a pregame ceremony and presented with a silver stick.
Blue Jackets center Charlie Coyle skates around the ice to absorb the applause of fans saluting his 1,000th career game – a 1-0 win over the Stars.
Offside spoils perfect ending to Charlie Coyle’s 1,000th game
Coyle scooped the puck and scored into an empty net with 11.3 seconds left. It would’ve been a fitting way for the Jackets to seal victory with the guy celebrating his 1,000th game clinching it, but it didn’t stand.
Advertisement
The play was called offside on the ice, so Coyle and the Blue Jackets had to kill off the final 11 seconds before celebrating the win.
“I thought something could’ve happened,” Coyle said. “I didn’t know if it was a high stick or if they called a penalty. It was kind of loud at that point. [Adam] Fantilli came to give me a hug, so I just hugged him, and it was no goal. But 11 seconds left, we had the lead, I was pretty happy to just close it out.”
Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli (19) won 16 of his 24 faceoffs against the Stars.
Fantilli has now gone 17 straight games without a goal, which probably drives him nuts, but he’s playing a strong two-way style as the Blue Jackets’ top center.
Advertisement
He’s using his speed to hunt pucks in all three zones. He’s setting up scoring chances for his linemates. And, against the Stars, he won 16 of 24 faceoffs for an impressive 67% success rate. Fantilli’s win percentage entering the game was 50%, which is a significant improvement from sub-50% rates during his first two NHL seasons.
Bowness said he put Fantilli out for penalty-kill shifts primarily because of his success on draws, winning 10 of the 15 (67%) held in the defensive zone. He also went 5 of 6 (87%) in the offensive zone and finished with dominant percentages against four of the five Stars who opposed him.
That’s the kind of stuff the NHL’s best No. 1 centers do regularly, and Fantilli is skating along that path.
Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (second from right) has 19 goals this season.
Columbus Blue Jackets star Zach Werenski again pushing for Norris Trophy
After finishing runner-up to Colorado Avalanche star Cale Makar for the 2025 Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman, Columbus’ Zach Werenski is making an even bigger push this season.
Advertisement
His goal against the Stars was his 19th goal of the season, which put him on top of all NHL defensemen in goals. Werenski is also giving Makar a push for the title of top NHL defensive scoring leader. He’s two points behind in that race with three fewer games played due to injury.
Werenski is shooting a career-high 11.4% on 167 shots. He’s also second in the NHL in ice time, averaging 26:39 per game, and he leads NHL defensemen in scoring average at 1.16 points per game. Barring a major slump or another injury, the Jackets’ top player is putting together another Norris-worthy season.
Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com and @BrianHedger.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets earn defensive win for Charlie Coyle: Takeaways