Blue Jackets move to 2-0 in Traverse with win over Dallas

The Blue Jackets moved to 2-0 in the annual NHL Prospects Tournament in Traverse City, Mich., with a 5-3 victory against Dallas on Friday night.

Quote of the Game

CBJ goalie Jet Greaves: "Winning games is always fun. We're doing the right things right now, we're controlling what we can control. We've stayed really resilient in both games so far so hopefully we can keep building on that."

CBJ Standouts

• 2020 first-round pick Chinakhov scored twice to give him three goals in the two games of the tournament thus far, tallying just 25 seconds into the game and adding the game winner in the third.
• 2021 first-round pick Sillinger joined the parade in the second period with his first goal in a CBJ sweater. He added two assists as well to give him four points in the first two games.
• Jake Gaudet, who has signed a contract with AHL Cleveland for the upcoming season, scored two goals.

Quick Recap

Columbus needed just one shift of the game to get on the board, getting the puck in deep and scoring when Sillinger passed the puck off the right wall to the onrushing Chinakhov, who ripped a wrist shot off the bar and in past Stars goalie Remi Poirier. Dallas replied with a pair of goals from first-round pick Wyatt Johnson, but Columbus made it 2-2 with 11.3 seconds left in the period when Gaudet protected the puck well along the right side and shot the puck, where it flipped off the stick of a Stars defenseman and over Poirier's shoulder.
Dallas started the second period well and took a 3-2 lead 5:16 into the period when Jacob Peterson slipped the puck under the legs of CBJ goalie Greaves on the power play. But Greaves rebounded to make an incredible post-to-post save on Thomas Harley to keep it a one-goal game, which proved fortuitous when Sillinger scored at 4-on-4 with 2:57 left in the frame, ripping a shot on the rush past the blocker of Poirier.
Columbus didn't waste long breaking the tie and taking a 4-3 lead in the third period. With Columbus on the power play, Sillinger flipped the puck to Chinakhov on the right wing, and he had plenty of time and space to rip a shot past the glove of Poirier. Columbus then iced the game with 11:27 to go as Gaudet scored on a delayed penalty when Tristan Mullin took a high stick to the face that required treatment.

Jeff's Quick Takeaways

1. Again, first-round picks are supposed to look good at this tournament, but you can't ask for much more out of Chinakhov. His wrist shot was a large part of what made him a first-round pick, as he used it to become the KHL's top rookie in what is Europe's best league, but so far it has translated well into North American hockey with three absolute snipes to this point. The finer points of the game will be what he has to focus on as the competition ramps up, but so far Chinakhov has left no doubt he can score.
   2. We'll largely say the same thing about Sillinger as well. The two first-round picks were always going to be the star attraction here in Traverse City, and both have lived up to the billing thus far. The prediction here is that CBJ fans are going to love Sillinger's game, as not only does he have skill, but he is also good at getting to the net and stirring up trouble. He also plays the game with a smile on his face -- opponents will probably see it as a smirk -- that will endear him to The 5th Line faithful.
   3. Winning in Traverse City is about a lot of factors, but one has to admit the Blue Jackets have played some pretty good hockey thus far. It's not just been about the skill of the first line -- though that has been a big part of it -- but Columbus also has put in some tremendous hard work, handled the shifts in emotion in the games, and not been afraid to play physically as well. They've been CBJ-type efforts from a lot of people just learning what it means to be a Blue Jacket.

Notable

Greaves moved to 2-0 in the tournament, making 29 saves. … The top defensive pair of Tim Berni (sixth-round pick in 2018) and Cole Clayton (Cleveland signee) each finished plus-3. … Mullin did not return to the game after taking the high stick. He added an assist in the game to improve to 1-2-3 in the two games. … Chinakhov led the Jackets with five shots on goal. … Through two games, Sillinger's four points are tied for the tournament's lead, while Chinakhov's three goals are as well. Both are knotted with Dallas' Riley Tufte.

Roster Report

Powell native and CBJ signee Carson Meyer did not play after suffering an upper-body injury in Thursday's opener. He was replaced by free agent invite Peter Reynolds.

Up Next

Columbus has a day off Saturday then plays its third game of the four-game tournament Sunday with a 6 p.m. game vs. host Detroit.