“That was an example of that,” said Del Bel Belluz. “It’s just a dirty, greasy goal. JVR just put it back in the net there and I was lucky enough to get a stick on it, and it went over the line.”
Head coach Dean Evason said last week that Del Bel Belluz’s play, offensively and defensively, should have been called for but the Blue Jackets didn’t have an open spot on the roster. That came Thursday, with Sean Monahan (body injury) and Cole Sillinger (illness) out of the lineup, and Del Belluz showed how he earned that recall with his performance against the Kraken.
He was on top of Seattle’s first goal – Shane Wright knocked down his clearance attempt and quickly fed Eeli Tolvanen home for a one-timer – but that was the only blemish on his record. Del Bel Belluz played 11:16, added an assist on Mateychuk’s goal, won 7 of 13 faceoffs and anchored what might be the team’s best line with van Riemsdyk and Kent Johnson.
This appears to be his first extended appearance in the NHL, and Del Belluz passed his first test.
“He didn’t cheat the game,” Evason said. “He was on that one (Seattle’s) goal – he tried to do the right thing and get it out, their guy gets a good stick on it – but the way he competed and the attention to detail, his skill- setting is really good, but he has to play in every aspect of the game to help his team be successful.”
3. The CBJ leaders did their thing on and off the ice today.
While much of this night was about the kids — and we’ll be rounding up 27-year-old Owen Sillinger for that as he makes his NHL debut (more on him tomorrow) — the team’s veterans also did their part. Zach Werenski had a goal and an assist, van Riemsdyk had two assists, Sean Kuraly opened the scoring and Kirill Marchenko scored his team-best 18th goal.
But perhaps their biggest contribution came before the game in the way they welcomed new blood into the locker room. Del Bel Belluz and Sillinger are no strangers to the team, having spent time in training camps and around the organization, but both said they were impressed with how comfortable they felt when they arrived at Nationwide Arena.
“When I walked into the locker room, I saw everyone’s smiles on their faces, how welcomed they were,” Sillinger said. “They said, ‘We’re going to have fun tonight.'”
“All the guys made it very easy for me. They were welcome,” said Del Belluz.
It may sound like a small thing, but it goes a long way. The Blue Jackets continue to surprise the hockey world with their play, and one of the keys to success has been how strong the locker room has been and how good the team chemistry has been.
If you’re going to do something special in the NHL, you have to have it, along with the Blue Jackets.
Source link
