CBJ POST-GAME NOTES: BLUE JACKETS 6, KRAKEN 2, Game 42 stars include young star Del Bel Belluz and Mateychuk as team continues improvement

By Joe Coopersmith

Luca Del Bel Belluz CBJ center, was the star at Cleveland, made season debut last night (courtesy CBJ Communications)

GAME AT A GLANCE

THREE STARS
1st –
 L. Del Bel Belluz, CBJ (1-1-2); 2nd – D. Mateychuk, CBJ (1-1-2); 3rd – E. Merzlikins, CBJ (29-of-31, W)

GOAL SCORERS
Columbus: 
S. Kuraly (4), L. Del Bel Belluz (1), Z. Werenski (13), D. Mateychuk (1), K. Johnson (11), EN – K. Marchenko (18)

Seattle: E. Tolvanen (9), E. Tolvanen (10)

 

GOALTENDERS
Columbus: 
E. Merzlikins (29 saves, W)
Seattle: 
P. Grubauer (14 saves on 19 shots, on 35:45 TOI, L), J. Daccord (4 saves on 4 shots, 20:57 TOI)


SPECIAL TEAMS

Columbus PP:  0-for-1, 1 shot
Seattle PP:  0-for-3, 2 shots

Denton Mateychuk CBJ defenseman also starred last night (courtesy Blue Jackets Communications)

BLUE JACKETS TEAM NOTES

  • The Blue Jackets won for the third-straight game and have now recorded points in eight of their past 10 contests overall since Dec. 19 (7-2-1) following tonight’s victory over the Kraken.
  • CBJ have collected points in 13 of their last 15 home contests (10-2-3) following the win.
  • Columbus recorded the first goal tonight and has scored first in nine of the last 10 games and in 26 (16-6-4) of the 42 games this season.
  • Columbus has scored six goals in 10 games this season and for the second time in the last three games.  Their 10 games with six goals or more this season lead the NHL in 2024-25 and are second-most in a single season in club history, one shy of the franchise record.
  • The club has recorded 144 goals (not including SO goals) in the first 42 games this season.  It’s the most goals scored through the opening 42 contests of a campaign in franchise history, surpassing the 139 scored in the 2016-17 season.
  • Columbus has scored goals in 88-of-the-126 periods played in regulation this year after scoring in in all three periods tonight.  It marks the seventh time in the last nine games (six-of-past-seven at home) the club has scored in all three periods and the 18th time this season overall (14th at home).
  • CBJ have registered 39 multi-goal periods this season after scoring four goals in the second period.  The four goals tie the single-period season high (fourth time, MR: 3rd period, Jan. 4 vs. STL).
  • The Jackets’ six goals against Seattle are the most against the club in franchise history (previous high: 4 on 1/13/24, 4-7 L).
  • Columbus and Seattle split the 2024-25 season series with each team winning on home ice.
  • Tonight’s attendance was 15,497.

 

BLUE JACKETS PLAYER NOTES

  • Luca Del Bel Belluz (1-1-2, 1 GP) scored his first goal of the season tonight and assisted on another for his first career assist and multi-point effort in his CBJ season debut.  Also scoring a goal in his NHL debut last season on Apr. 16, 2024 vs. Carolina, he became the first player in franchise history to score at least one goal in each of his first two career games.
  • Dante Fabbro (3-7-10, 32 GP) collected an assist for the second time in the last three games (0-2-2).
  • Adam Fantilli (9-11-20, 42 GP) registered an assist tonight and has picked up 2-3-5 during a four-game points streak.  It matches his career-high points streak set Dec. 23-30, 2023 (2-2-4).
  • Sean Kuraly (4-6-10, 42 GP) scored his first goal since Dec. 8 at Winnipeg.  He posted 2-1-3 in the two-game season series against the Kraken.
  • RW Kent Johnson (11-13-24, 28 GP) scored his 11th of the season tonight and has picked up 1-2-3 in three consecutive games. He improves to 2-1-3 in 5 career GP against Seattle and has 1-1-2 in two-straight games at Nationwide Arena.
  • Denton Mateychuk (1-2-3, 8 GP) scored his first career NHL goal and multi-point effort tonight after finishing with 1-1-2.
  • RW Kirill Marchenko (18-28-46, 42 GP) scored his team-leading 18th goal of the season tonight and has now posted 2-2-4 during a three-game points streak.  He has tallied 5-4-9 in his last seven games played.  The forward improved to 2-1-3 in six career games against Seattle.
  • LW Mathieu Olivier (10-7-17, 42 GP) registered an assist and has 1-1-2 in his past three games played.
  • Ivan Provorov (3-16-19, 42 GP) collected an assist tonight and has picked up 0-5-5 in the last four games.  He has posted 3-3-6 in eight career contests against the Kraken and 2-1-3 in five career home games against the club.
  • Damon Severson (6-12-18, 39 GP) tallied an assist tonight for the first time since Dec. 14 vs. Anaheim.
  • Owen Sillinger made his NHL debut tonight for the Blue Jackets and finished with two penalty minutes on 13:09 TOI.  He and his youngest brother, Cole, became the second set of siblings in franchise history to play for the Blue Jackets, joining Kris (292 GP from 2007-08 to 2011-12) and Ryan Russell (41 GP in 2011-12).
  • RW James van Riemsdyk (6-8-14, 35 GP) collected 0-2-2 tonight for his second multi-assist, third multi-point, effort of the season.  He has picked up 2-3-5 in his last four games played.  He has now posted 3-3-6 in seven career games, including points in three of his four career home games against the Kraken (1-3-4).
  • LW Dmitri Voronkov (17-12-29, 33 GP) registered an assist and has 4-1-5 in over a three-game points streak.  He has now posted 9-5-14 in his last nine games.
  • Zach Werenski (13-35-48, 42 GP) scored his 13th goal of the season and assisted on another to extend his franchise record home points streak to 16-straight games (10-22-32).  He became the seventh defenseman in NHL history with a point streak that long*.  His 12th multi-point effort of the season gives him points in five-straight games (2-7-9) and 16 points in the last eight games played (2-14-16).
    • * Joins Bobby Orr (25 GP from Oct. 13, 1974 to Jan. 23, 1975 & 21 GP from Nov. 8, 1970 to Feb. 3, 1971), Paul Coffey (23 GP from Nov. 27, 1985 to Feb. 24, 1986), Phil Housley (22 GP from Oct. 27, 1991 to Feb. 4, 1992), John Van Boxmeer (19 GP from Oct. 28, 1981 to Jan. 15, 1982), Brian Leetch (18 GP from Nov. 11, 1991 to Feb. 21, 1992) and Ray Bourque (17 GP from Jan. 28 to April 11, 1993).

 

BLUE JACKETS POST-GAME AUDIO INTERVIEWS

HC Dean Evason | F Luca Del Bel Belluz | D Denton Mateychuk | F Owen Sillinger

 

KRAKEN POST-GAME AUDIO INTERVIEWS

HC Dan Bylsma | D Josh Mahura | F Eeli Tolvanen

BLUE JACKETS UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Friday, Jan. 10                 11am ET practice (OhioHealth Ice Haus)

Saturday, Jan. 11            7pm ET at St. Louis (Enterprise Center)

Sunday, Jan. 12               No practice

Monday, Jan. 13              10:30am ET practice (OhioHealth Ice Haus)

 

COURTESY BLUE JACKETS COMMUNICATIONS

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