Winning Thoughts: Blue Jackets beat Bruins

“He’s just phenomenal because of how committed he is to it,” said head coach Dean Evason, who noted that not everyone wants to fill that role. “He doesn’t care. The team asks him to play in the bumper, so he plays in the bumper and he does it to the best of his ability to help his team win.”

Another factor in the team’s success is consistency in the top group, and this unit is now starting to build trust and good chemistry with each other.

“(We have) a lot of confidence. I feel like we’re all on the same page,” said Zach Werenski, who assisted on all three power play talents. “(Voronkov) is great in front of the net, (Monahan) is great in the bumper and it allows us to work on the outside. Everything is going well there at the moment.”

2. Werenski’s four-assist night helped the Blue Jackets get past the Bruins.

When Werenski plays well, the Blue Jackets have won hockey games this season. Against the Bruins, he reached his career high in assists in a single game, which he achieved on November 22, 2023 against the Chicago Blackhawks. He accomplished this feat while going up against the Bruins’ best forwards and defensemen all night.

“How big is (Werenski) every night, right?” Evason said. “I mean, you guys take care of him. We’re watching him. He is an absolute professional. He goes about his business. I didn’t know he had four assists. He probably doesn’t either. He only cared about two points.”

Werenski now has 39 points in 36 games played this season, good for third in the NHL among defensemen, behind only Cale Makar (45) and Quinn Hughes (42). His 39 points in the team’s first 36 games are the third-most in CBJ franchise history and the highest point total for a blueliner.

“I just liked our game. I thought we kept it simple. Our transition game was good. “Our breakouts were good,” Werenski said. “We didn’t give them too much until the third period, so it was a solid game all around.”

3. Dmitri Voronkov is a game-changer for the Blue Jackets.

Voronkov is perhaps 1.90 meters tall and at first glance one might assume that he is just a powerful, grinding player. However, the big man has proven his mettle over the course of the season with 12 goals and 22 points in 27 games and especially on Friday night against the Bruins.

The Russian-born forward was dominant in the game, scoring two consecutive power play goals and picking up the first assist on Adam Fantilli’s goal that gave the Jackets the lead for good in the second period.

“I entrusted him with this passport; He accomplished a lot,” Fantilli said. “He did a few more throughout the night. You just have to have trust in your teammates. I was there and it worked.”

Voronkov scored both goals while being present at the net on the power play. His first goal of the night came with a backhand when he beat former Blue Jackets goaltender Joonas Korpisalo.