After CBJ wins, we'll give three takeaways about what stood out or what we'll remember from the Blue Jackets victory.
BLUE JACKETS 6, AVALANCHE 4
1. We have to start with the donkey.
Sean Monahan emerged from the Blue Jackets locker room to do his postgame interview with Bally Sports Ohio donning a gray donkey hat. With floppy ears, a Blue Jackets logo on one side and the Blue Jackets “13” patch in honor of Johnny Gaudreau on the other, the donkey is replacing the kepi hat given in the locker room to the team’s player of the game for the time being.
“If you knew John, he probably called you a donkey 1,000 times,” Monahan told Dave Maetzold on the Bally broadcast. "It’s something we’re doing for him. ... I think he’s probably looking down laughing at me right now."
It was fitting Monahan earned the hat considering Gaudreau was one of his best friends and one of the major reasons he signed as a free agent with Columbus this offseason. He earned it with a standout performance that included his first CBJ goal, two assists and a plus-3 rating.
“To be honest, it’s emotional,” Monahan said. “It’s nice. It’s nice to get our first win. You feel the love from this organization, I feel the love from my teammates. And obviously I can feel the love from John.”