Columbus Blue Jackets 2018 year in review

2018 was another great year for the Columbus Blue Jackets, with memorable victories, standout individual performances, another playoff appearance, and even more projects undertaken in the central Ohio community by the organization.
So what stood out above the rest for fans of the union blue? Here's a look back at the top moments of 2018.

GETTIN' BREAD
In his first season with the Blue Jackets, Artemi Panarin cemented himself in the club's record books. Panarin set the CBJ single-season record with 82 points in 81 games, breaking the previous mark of 79 set by Rick Nash in 2008-09. Panarin also broke the single-season assists record with 55, which was three more than Ray Whitney's 52 in 2002-03.
DUBOIS SHATTERS ROOKIE RECORDS
When Columbus drafted Pierre-Luc Dubois third overall in 2016, the club faced criticism for passing on Jesse Puljujärvi. Dubois managed to make the roster out of camp and was in the lineup for the opening night of 2017-18. What followed was not only eye-opening, it was also the hands-down best rookie season the Blue Jackets have seen. Ever. Dubois went on to break rookie records in games played (82), points (48), goals (20), ice-time for a forward (16:38) and tied the rookie record for hat tricks when he buried three goals in a 5-1 win over Calgary on March 29.
CAM HAT-TRICK-SON
When the 2018-19 season began, Cam Atkinson just could not stop scoring goals. And twice, he scored three of them in a game. Atkinson's hat tricks - one Nov. 17 at Carolina and Dec. 4 vs. Calgary - gave him six three-goal games in his career, allowing him to pass Rick Nash for the most in franchise history. On the whole, Atkinson has 23 goals to begin the season, making him one of the top snipers in the NHL.
ANCHORED IN HOCKEY
One of the most emotional stories of the year took place in Westerville with the June opening of the Thomas J. Knox Rink at Alum Creek Park South. The street hockey rink was built in memory of the former St. Charles hockey player who passed away of a heart condition in his sleep at age 14 in February, 2016. The Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation chipped in toward the cost of building the rink, which celebrates the spirit of Knox and allows youngsters from around the area another quality facility in which to play the sport of hockey.
CAMSANITY
On the 12th day of Camsmas, my true love gave to me - more Cam Atkinson accolades. As the holiday season neared in 2018, Atkinson brought joy to the CBJ world with a 12-game point streak that ran from Nov. 10 to Dec. 6. In that span, Atkinson scored his two hat tricks on the year and finished the 12-game run with 13 goals, seven assists and a plus-10 rating. Simply put, he was unstoppable, and a major reason the Blue Jackets were off to a solid start in Metro play.
A DELUGE OF GOALS
When the Blue Jackets fell into a 3-0 hole against the Oilers in March, it threatened to be a cold day in Edmonton for Columbus (aren't they all?). But then Thomas Vanek scored. Then Artemi Panarin. Then Vanek tipped in a shot by David Savard to tie it. Then Boone Jenner gave Columbus the lead. Then Cam Atkinson made it 5-3. Vanek completed the hat trick to make it 6-3. And Markus Nutivaara finished off the 7-3 win with a goal, a stunning comeback that came in the midst of a hot 11-win in 12-game stretch for the CBJ last year.
WERENSKI REPRESENTS CBJ AT 2018 ALL-STAR GAME
In his second NHL season, Zach Werenski was selected to represent the Blue Jackets in Tampa at the NHL All-Star Game. Werenski took part in the fastest skater competition, where he posted the best time for a defenseman. Unfortunately the Metropolitan Division team lost in the first round, but something tells us Z will have plenty of chances to show off with the game's biggest stars throughout the rest of his career.
DUCLAIR TEACHES A SPIN CLASS
Oh. My. Goodness. On October 18, Anthony Duclair's first goal in front of the home fans was an early contender for the NHL goal of the year. After hitting the ice, Duclair somehow managed to keep the puck away from two defenders, regain his feet and bury the goal just inside the post.
THE NICK OF TIME
It almost felt like a script come to life. As Nick Foligno played his 800th NHL game on Dec. 17 vs. Vegas, it seemed like a fitting milestone for the Blue Jackets captain. But the story reached the next level when Foligno scored the only goal of a 1-0 win against the Golden Knights, knocking in the rebound of a shot by Seth Jones to give the Jackets a much-needed win. "It's cool," he said. "I'm more just happy that we got the win. (800) games aside, I just wanted to help the team.
CBJ FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES $1.1 MILLION GRANT
On October 9, the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation announced a $1.1 million donation to local charitable and youth hockey organizations. The grant pushed the Foundation's total community investment in central Ohio to over $10 million since the Blue Jacket's inception in 2000.
IT'S THE CANNONBALL, PARTNER
The third-annual CannonBall, hosted Feb. 7, raised more than $450,000 for the children of central Ohio. In line with the country chic theme, country music star Dustin Lynch made a guest appearance.

PLAYOFF PAYOFF
Columbus set a few franchise firsts during last year's first-round playoff series vs. Washington. Artemi Panarin's overtime goal in Game 1 gave Columbus its first-ever Game 1 victory in a series, and Matt Calvert's OT winner in Game 2 in Washington allowed Columbus to have a two-game lead for the first time. Unfortunately, the Blue Jackets couldn't finish it off - overtime haunted Columbus in Game 3 and Game 5 - but for a while, the team had the eventual Stanley Cup winner on the ropes.
PLAYING AROUND
If you're at Barnett Community Center and think you see a playground adorned with hockey sticks, don't blink - it was just one of the successful community initiatives put together by the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation in 2018. The foundation's $400,000 grant has led to the creation of multiple parks across Columbus, with the Barnett build in August the fourth such playground - which features slides a swingset and more - completed.
LUCKY 10
For the second year in a row, Columbus put together a notable win streak in 2017-18. From March 4-22, the Blue Jackets won 10 games in a row to tie for the NHL's longest win streak during the season. The first victory came at San Jose before a home win against Vegas, an OT triumph vs. Colorado, and two more home victories vs. Detroit and Montreal. Win No. 6 was at Philadelphia before victories vs. Ottawa, Boston in overtime, the New York Rangers, and finally a shutout win vs. Florida.