“This is just an example,” Delberberuz said. “Just a dirty, greasy goal. JVR just backhanded the ball towards the net and I was lucky enough to hit it with my stick and it just went over the line.
Head coach Dean Evason said last week that Del Bel-Belrouz’s performance on offense and defense warranted a call-up, but the Blue Jackets didn’t have an open spot on the roster. With center Sean Monahan (upper body injury) and Cole Sillinger (illness) out of the lineup Thursday, Del Bel Belluz showed off his How to win a recall against the Kraken.
He was on the ice for Seattle’s first goal – Shane Wright knocked down his clearance attempt and quickly fed Eeli Tolvanen into the first ball — but that’s the only blemish on his record. Delber Belousz played 11 minutes and 16 seconds and assisted Matechuk’s goal. He won 7 of 13 face-offs and formed the team’s top lineup with Van Riemsdyk and Kent Johnson. Good line of defense.
This appears to be his first long-term NHL appearance, and Del Bel-Beluz has excelled in his initial testing.
“He didn’t cheat in the game,” Evanson said. “He set up for a goal (for Seattle) – tried to do the right thing and smash it, and their guys did a good job of holding on to it – but just the way he plays and his attention to detail, His skill-set is really good, but he has to work in all aspects of the game to help his team succeed.
3. CBJ leaders did what they do today both on and off the ice.
While much of tonight will be about the kids — we’ll be lumping 27-year-old Owen Sillinger into that category when he makes his NHL debut (more on him tomorrow) — The team’s veterans also did their part. Zach Werenski scored a goal and an assist, Van Riemsdyk added two assists, Sean Kuraly opened the scoring and Kirill Marchenko scored the best goal on the team. Ball 18.
But perhaps their greatest contribution is welcoming new blood into the locker room before games. Delberberuz and Silinger are no strangers to the team and have been around training camp and the team for a while, but both said they were shocked by how comfortable they felt upon arriving at Nationwide Stadium.
“When I walked into the locker room, I saw the smile on everyone’s face and how welcoming they were,” Silinger said. “They said, ‘We’re going to have a lot of fun tonight.'”
“All the people made it so easy for me. They were so welcoming,” Delberberz said.
This 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 that success is how close the locker room is and how good the team’s chemistry is.
If you want to do something special in the NHL, you have to have it, and the Blue Jackets have done that.
