You know, I drove down to Ohio for a baseball game with my dad eight years ago. It was a five-hour trip to Cleveland that saw me sleep through most of the car ride. But when I was awake, there wasn't much I remember from Ohio. Everything was just... bland. We went to Progressive Field, got some Burger King on the way back, and didn't think much about Ohio.
That's the type of reputation the Buckeye State has. It's just... there. It does have Lake Erie as one of the Great Lakes. But that was set on fire before along with the Cleveland Browns (technically, it was the Cuyahoga River. But still). Still, the one positive the state has this season has been the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sitting in a virtual tie with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference (Tampa Bay owns the spot by virtue of fewer games played) with 55 points, the Blue Jackets are rolling.
Of course, it hasn't been all happiness, unicorns, and rainbows for Columbus this season. They lost Johnny Gaudreau to a tragic car accident in August, leaving a massive void in the community. and team Their inspired play has led them to shock many people in the hockey world, including Vegas Golden Knights fans.
Both teams will square off on Thursday at T-Mobile Arena, with two points on the line. But let's look at the all-time series as a whole. Who has the upper hand all-time between both clubs? Are the Golden Knights the better team or do they not have enough "rizz" to beat the Blue Jackets?
The Vegas Golden Knights have a 6-6-0 record all-time against the Columbus Blue Jackets
The matchup between the Vegas Golden Knights and Columbus Blue Jackets has been as average as Ohio itself. The Golden Knights have an all-time record of 6-6-0 against the Blue Jackets. However, Columbus has a slight advantage in goals, 36-35. Heading into Thursday's matchup, the Golden Knights have won four of their last six games against the Blue Jackets.
The biggest blowout win came on March 19, 2023 at T-Mobile Arena. The Golden Knights destroyd the Blue Jackets, 7-2, behind Jack Eichel's hat trick. Phil Kessel, Pavel Dorofeyev, and Paul Cotter all added goals of their own to the mix. The biggest blowout loss came on three diferent occasions, all by three goals.
FIrst, the Golden Knights lost to the Blue Jackets on March 6, 2018, by a score of 4-1 at Columbus. Then, the Golden Knights were defeated by Columbus, 3-0, in Las Vegas on January 11, 2020. Finally, Vegas was doubled up by Columbus by a score of 6-3 on March 4, 2024. Two games happened at Nationwide Arena, where the Golden Knights are 2-4-0 all-time.
Can the Golden Knights finally break through on the winning side of this series on Thursday? Stay tuned. But the prospect of winning looks promising for an NHL team with 67 points entering Thursday's matchup. Combine that with the opponent being abysmal on the road (record of 7-14-4) and it sets the table for T-Mobile Arena to be exciting. After all, that's what Las Vegas is known for.