Blue Jackets continue to defy odds entering Stadium Series against Red Wings

DETROIT -- It cannot be repeated enough: The Columbus Blue Jackets are the most inspiring story in the NHL, maybe in all of sports.

They showed why again Thursday in a 5-2 victory against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena, overcoming yet another injury, winning their third straight and setting up the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series at Ohio Stadium on Saturday (6 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, Disney+, TVAS-D, FX-CA).

Against all odds, Columbus is tied with Detroit for the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.

“The coaches have done a great job, but the leadership of this team has kept this group together all year,” general manager Don Waddell said as he walked to the locker room. “To me, that’s the most amazing thing.

“I kept waiting for the bubble to burst, and they’ve been persistent in their message with the guys. We’ve got some really good young players, but they need good leadership -- and I think we’ve got great leadership.”

The Blue Jackets lost second-line center Cole Sillinger to an upper-body injury in the first period, then fell behind 1-0 early in the second. Captain Boone Jenner moved over from the left wing to replace Sillinger, and veteran James van Riemsdyk moved up from the fourth line to replace Jenner.

You have to understand the context: Jenner missed the first 56 games of the season with a shoulder injury. When he returned, he bumped van Riemsdyk down in the lineup.

“We had a chat with ‘JVR’ and said it had nothing to do with how he was playing the game, and he just thanked us and understood exactly what was going on,” coach Dean Evason said. “The captain of our hockey team is Boone Jenner. He’s like, ‘Yeah, I’ll play wherever.’

“So, that is what our team has done from Day 1. There’s no whining. There’s no coming into the coach’s office and asking, ‘How come I’m playing here, or how come I’m playing this minute, that minute?’ It’s a huge credit to our leadership in that room, and JVR showed that.”

And when he got his opportunity, he delivered. Van Riemsdyk scored two goals as the Blue Jackets took a 4-1 lead in the second. Jenner had three assists.

“Obviously, teams over the course of the season, you’re always going to be dealing with injuries,” van Riemsdyk said. “It’s a matter of different guys getting different opportunities at times and being able to take advantage of that and finding ways to win and finding ways to help the team.”

Columbus has dealt with far more than most teams, however.

Forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, died on Aug. 29 when they were struck by an alleged drunk driver, who has been charged with two counts of death by auto, while riding bicycles near their home in Salem County, New Jersey. Gaudreau was the Blue Jackets’ leading scorer each of the past two seasons. His mother sat in the stands with the other Columbus moms Thursday.

Jenner went down in the preseason. Defenseman Erik Gudbranson (shoulder) went down in the third game of the season. Defenseman Zach Werenski said at that point the Blue Jackets set a modest goal: “Let’s just stay in it until the Stadium Series. Let’s just be around and be in a position to kind of strike.”

There were more injuries. Forward Justin Danforth (lower body) missed 18 games. Forward Kent Johnson (shoulder) missed 14. Forward Dmitri Voronkov (upper body) missed nine, defenseman Dante Fabbro (lower body, head) five, and forward Kirill Marchenko (jaw) three.

At least those players returned, along with Jenner. Gudbranson has missed 56 games now. Forward Yegor Chinakhov (upper body) has missed 38. Forward Sean Monahan (wrist) has missed 18. Evason said the Blue Jackets won’t have a timeline on Sillinger until he returns home and sees the doctors.

“It’s tough,” Jenner said of Sillinger. “Obviously, he’s a big piece of our team in here. The guys [came] together, again. I mean, it’s kind of been a theme all year of guys going down and guys [picking] each other up. I think that’s what you saw tonight. Guys were kind of playing all over the lineup just to fill in with the four lines. Everyone did a great job.”

Jenner wanted to return specifically for the Stadium Series. He has spent his entire 12-season NHL career in Columbus. This will be the first outdoor game for him, his team and his city.

But this is about more than the big event on the big stage. This is about overcoming adversity as a team and returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2019-20.

“We’re in a good spot,” Jenner said. “We’re playing fun hockey to try to get into the playoffs, and we’re in a big playoff race. These games are big, and they’re only going to get bigger. These games are where you want to be at this point in the year.

“I think it’s just fun being part of this group, and it was a long wait. It definitely was very motivating to come back and be with these guys.”