A 7-for-14 penalty kill and bad shooting luck against hot goaltenders have been the difference in why the Blue Jackets have started 1-2 despite being strong in 5-on-5.

Timo Meier and Dawson Mercer each scored in the final seconds of power plays to lift the New Jersey Devils over the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 on Monday night, securing their second straight road win.

Despite outplaying the New Jersey Devils in the first period, the Columbus Blue Jackets stumbled again to drop their sold out home opener.

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Kirill Marchenko scored his fourth NHL hat trick, and Elvis Merzlikins made 48 saves for the Columbus Blue Jackets in a 7-4 win against the Minnesota Wild at Grand Casino Arena on Saturday. “I just know I will score if I have a lot of shots,” Marchenko said. “Supposed to be going in. Just every chance that you seek.”

The Columbus Blue Jackets recognized the team’s “strongest soldier” over the weekend. The team handed out its first Donkey Hat of the season Saturday; the cap normally goes to the player who went above and beyond during the game,

The Columbus Blue Jackets took the ice for the team’s 25th season and highly anticipated home opener Monday. Off the ice, the team has been scoring big for decades, especially when it comes to supporting children and families in central Ohio.