“That was just an example of it,” Del Bel Belluz said. “Just a grindy, greasy goal. JVR just backhanded it to the net there and I was lucky enough to get a stick on it, and it found its way past the line.”
Head coach Dean Evason said last week that Del Bel Belluz’s play, both offensively and defensively, was deserving of a call-up but the Blue Jackets didn’t have an open spot in the lineup. That came Thursday, with centers Sean Monahan (upper body injury) and Cole Sillinger (illness) out of the lineup, and Del Bel Belluz showed just how he earned that recall with his play against the Kraken.
He was on the ice for Seattle’s first goal – Shane Wright knocked down his clearing attempt and quickly fed Eeli Tolvanen for a one-timer home – but that was the lone blemish on his record. Del Bel Belluz played 11:16, added an assist on Mateychuk’s goal, won 7 of 13 faceoffs and centered what might have been the team’s best line with van Riemsdyk and Kent Johnson.
This appears likely to be his first extended look in the NHL, and Del Bel Belluz aced his initial test.
“He didn’t cheat the game,” Evason said. “He was on for that one goal (for Seattle) – tried to do the right thing and chip it out, their guy gets a good stick on it – but as far as the way he competed and his attention to detail, his skill-set is really good, but he has to play in all areas of the game to help his team have success.”
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 group 27-year-old Owen Sillinger in that as he made his NHL debut (more on him tomorrow) – the team’s veterans did their part as well. Zach Werenski had a goal and an assist, van Riemsdyk had the two helpers, Sean Kuraly opened the scoring and Kirill Marchenko notched his team-best 18th goal.
But perhaps their biggest contribution came before the game in the way they welcomed the new blood to the locker room. Del Bel Belluz and Sillinger are no strangers to the team, having been in training camps and around the organization for a while, but both said they were struck by how comfortable they felt upon arrival at Nationwide Arena.
“Right when I walked into the locker room, I saw everyone’s smile on their face, how welcoming they were,” Sillinger said. “They said, ‘We’re going to have a good one tonight.’”
“All the guys made it so easy for me. They were just very welcoming,” Del Bel Belluz said.
It might 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 the success has been just how tight-knit the locker room is and how good the team’s chemistry has been.
If you’re going to do something special in the NHL, you have to have it, and the Blue Jackets do.
