Tonight’s match-up was a critical one for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Their opponent, the Carolina Hurricanes, is one of the teams they’re battling for playoff positioning. A win for either team - especially a regulation one - would have a major impact on the final standings.
Not only were the Jackets trying to keep pace, they were trying to build some momentum from a high scoring win over Boston. They had not won consecutive games since the first two games after acquiring Matt Duchene.
The Jackets got the all-important first goal from an unlikely source: Adam McQuaid.