Monday night in New Jersey was exactly the kind of response the Columbus Blue Jackets needed-and frankly, the kind of game that can light a fire under a team searching for identity. Down early, outskated in the opening minutes, and facing a Devils team that came out flying, the Blue Jackets didn’t just weather the storm-they punched back, literally and figuratively.
Let’s set the scene: less than four minutes in, the Jackets were already staring at a 2-0 deficit. The Devils came out with jump, dominating puck possession and putting Columbus on its heels from the opening faceoff. The Blue Jackets looked flat, sluggish, and for a brief moment, like they might be in for a long night.
But then came a spark-courtesy of rookie defenseman Denton Mateychuk. Midway through the first period, he buried his first career power-play goal, a timely strike that not only cut the deficit in half but gave Columbus some much-needed life. Mateychuk’s offensive instincts have been on display in flashes, and this goal was a reminder that maybe it’s time to give the kid a longer leash with the man advantage.
That goal changed the temperature of the game. Suddenly, the Jackets were back in it, trailing just 2-1 at the first intermission. And then, in the second period, things truly erupted.
It started with a loose puck in front of Devils goaltender Jake Allen. The whistle was late, and Adam Fantilli-playing with the kind of edge that makes coaches smile-kept jabbing at the puck under Allen’s pad, trying to jar it loose. That extra poke didn’t sit well with the Devils, especially defenseman Brenden Dillon, who was playing in his 1,000th NHL game.
Dillon responded with a cross-check to Fantilli’s head. That alone was enough to raise eyebrows, but his partner Jonas Siegenthaler joined in, ripping off Fantilli’s helmet in the ensuing scrum. What started as a routine net-front battle quickly turned into a full-on melee.
Enter Dmitri Voronkov.
As he’s done all season, Voronkov stepped in as the enforcer, pulling Dillon out of the pile in an effort to protect his teammate and settle things down. But when Dillon threw a gloved punch to Voronkov’s head, the situation escalated fast. That one punch flipped the switch.
Voronkov, never one to back down, engaged-and the result wasn’t pretty. Dillon ended up injured after the fight, a moment that clearly rattled the Devils bench.
Now, emotions are part of hockey, and so are fights. But here’s the thing: once Dillon threw that gloved punch, he essentially initiated the fight.
That’s the unwritten code-gloves on or not, if you throw a punch, you’re in it. Voronkov didn’t go looking for a scrap; he was tying his man up, playing the role of team protector.
But once that line was crossed, Voronkov responded the way he always does: with authority.
The Devils weren’t happy about the outcome, especially with Dillon hurt in his milestone game. But in the context of how it unfolded, it’s tough to argue that Voronkov did anything outside the bounds of the moment.
Dillon threw the first punch. Voronkov answered.
It was a chaotic, emotional second period-one that could’ve derailed a young team. But for the Blue Jackets, it might’ve done the opposite.
It showed pushback. It showed pride.
And most importantly, it showed that even when the scoreboard isn’t in their favor early, they’re not going to roll over.
This wasn’t just a game-it was a statement. One that says the Blue Jackets are still fighting, in every sense of the word.