Craig Merz

Columbus

Correspondent at NHL.com

https://t.co/owJHrQBDtD covering CBJ ... OSU hockey for Buckeye Sports Bulletin... AP and Field Level Media... Crew... C-Bus... Co-author CHILL FACTOR (2015, 2020)🏒⚽️🏈

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Articles

Blue Jackets cruise past Capitals, keep playoff hopes alive

1 week ago | nhl.com | Craig Merz

Adam Fantilli had two goals, and James van Riemsdyk had a goal and two assists for the Blue Jackets (37-33-9), who won their third straight game. Sean Monahan and Kent Johnson each had a goal and an assist. Columbus trails the Montreal Canadiens by four points for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference and can be eliminated if Montreal defeats the Toronto Maple Leafs later Saturday. Hunter Shepard allowed seven goals on 26 shots for the Capitals (50-20-9) in his season debut.
Greaves stops 39, Blue Jackets rally past Sabres to avoid elimination

1 week ago | nhl.com | Craig Merz

Jenner breaks tie early in 3rd for Columbus, which gains in East wild-card race Sabres at Blue Jackets | Recap April 11, 2025 COLUMBUS -- Jet Greaves made 39 saves for the Columbus Blue Jackets, who rallied for a 3-2 win against the Buffalo Sabres at Nationwide Arena on Thursday.
Greaves stops 39, Blue Jackets rally past Sabres to avoid elimination

1 week ago | nhl.com | Craig Merz

Columbus, which would have been eliminated from Stanley Cup Playoff contention with a regulation loss, pulled to within six points of the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. Each team has four games remaining. Boone Jenner scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period, Zachary Aston-Reese also scored for the Blue Jackets (36-33-9), who have won two in a row.
Senators 'fired up' after qualifying for playoffs for 1st time since 2016-17

2 weeks ago | nhl.com | Craig Merz

COLUMBUS -- Losing is never satisfactory, yet even though the Ottawa Senators fell 5-2 to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, happy faces were abundant in the visiting locker room at Nationwide Arena. That’s because the Senators (42-30-6) clinched a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs following the Detroit Red Wings' 4-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday.
Senators clinch playoff berth despite loss to Blue Jackets

2 weeks ago | nhl.com | Craig Merz

Ottawa qualified with the Detroit Red Wings' 4-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. The Senators are three points ahead of the Canadiens for the first wild card from the Eastern Conference. Thomas Chabot had a goal and an assist, Fabian Zetterlund scored, and Anton Forsberg made 30 saves for the Senators (42-30-6), who had won three in a row.
Makar scores 30th of season, Avalanche top Blue Jackets to clinch playoff berth

2 weeks ago | nhl.com | Craig Merz

He became the ninth defenseman in NHL history to reach the mark and first since Washington Capitals defenseman Mike Green had 31 in 2008-09. Nathan McKinnon, Charlie Coyle and Devon Toews each had a goal and two assists for the Avalanche (47-26-4), who are 6-1-1 in their past eight games. Mackenzie Blackwood made 27 saves. Sean Monahan, Zachary Aston-Reese and Boone Jenner scored for the Blue Jackets (34-31-9).
Marchenko gets hat trick, assist to help Blue Jackets ease past Predators

3 weeks ago | nhl.com | Craig Merz

Sean Monahan had two goals and two assists, Adam Fantilli scored twice and had an assist, Kent Johnson had three assists, and Elvis Merzlikins made 24 saves for the Blue Jackets (34-30-9), who have won three of four. Columbus remained two points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference with a game in hand.
Blue Jackets rally to defeat Canucks in shootout

3 weeks ago | nhl.com | Craig Merz

Jenner had two goals and an assist, Fabbro had a goal and two assists, and Elvis Merzlikins made 31 saves for the Blue Jackets (33-29-9), who trailed 3-0 in the first period and fell behind 5-3 early in the third. Kent Johnson scored the lone goal of the shootout. Aatu Raty scored two goals, Brock Boeser had a goal and an assist, and Pius Suter and Kiefer Sherwood each had three assists for the Canucks (34-26-13). Kevin Lankinen made 32 saves.
Buckeyes Open NCAA In Toledo Vs. Boston U.

1 month ago | buckeyesports.com | Craig Merz

Ohio State will not have to travel far in the quest for its first national championship, which begins Thursday in Toledo. The Buckeyes (24-13-2) are the No. 3 seed in the Toledo Regional and will play No. 2 Boston University (21-13-2) of Hockey East on Thursday (2 p.m., ESPNU) in the Huntington Center. No. 1 seed Michigan State (26-6-4) faces No. 4 Cornell (18-10-6) of ECAC Hockey on Thursday, (5:30 p.m., ESPN+) in the other semifinal.
2OT Loss Ends B1G Dreams; NCAAs Next

1 month ago | buckeyesports.com | Craig Merz

EAST LANSING, Mich. – “Obviously a gut punch.”Truer words were never spoken by Ohio State coach Steve Rohlik after the Buckeyes suffered another heartbreaking loss in the Big Ten tournament championship game when top-ranked Michigan State prevailed 4-3 in double overtime on Saturday before a raucous sellout crowd of 6,555 at Munn Ice Arena.