My, how the tables have turned.
It was just over a year ago that the Buffalo Sabres went into Nationwide Arena and embarrassed the Columbus Blue Jackets 9-4 on National TV. That game featured Tage Thompson scoring five goals.
Fast forward to Tuesday night. It was the Blue Jackets who offered their own dose of revenge by defeating the Sabres 9-4 at KeyBank Center. Two blowouts by the same final score in the other team’s barn 377 days apart. The noted, bitter rivalry between these two franchises has added another chapter long after their matchup on Wednesday night Rivalry Night.
This time it was Kirill Marchenko who shined. He scored a natural hat trick in just 8:07 to turn a 2-1 game into a 5-1 game. The last two of his goals came 18 seconds apart, which became the fastest two goals scored by the same player in franchise history.
The Blue Jackets got points from 14 different skaters including 10 that had multi-point outings. With the outburst, the Blue Jackets are second in the NHL in 5-on-5 goals scored with 76. Only Vancouver has more with 80. On this night however, it was the Marchenko show. The time has come for the nation to see what impact he has had on the team.
Marchenko’s Play Deserves Attention
With Marchenko’s hat trick, he is now tied for the Blue Jackets’ lead in goals with 13. The first of his three goals was of the highlight-reel variety and got folks from around the hockey world talking.
While on the power play, Marchenko took a pass from Johnny Gaudreau and not only went between his legs, he went between the legs of Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson. Devon Levi didn’t know what hit him.
Not only was it a spectacular goal, it came at an important time. It was a power-play goal that made the score 3-1 after one period.
In the second period, Marchenko showed off his finishing ability. He took a pass from Yegor Chinakhov on the rotation, cut inside the Sabres defender and beat Levi to the far side. The poise and skill with the puck were on full display.
Then 18 seconds later, Marchenko found the puck again and had a 2-on-1 opportunity down the left side. He called his own number and scored to complete his second hat trick. Not one hat was thrown on the ice.
“I’ve worked three weeks on this move just going on the open net and try to shoot between my legs,” Marchenko said of his first goal. “(Expletive) now I have a chance for score. It’s just about work which (we) can score a lot of goals on the left circle on the one time because he’s work. It’s a little lucky I think for me.”
Marchenko does practice this move every opportunity he gets. And while his offensive skill deserves the attention it gets, it’s his personality and impact in the Blue Jackets’ locker room that deserves an even higher level of recognition.
Marchenko’s Personality Second to None
For all of the well-documented bad things that have happened to the Blue Jackets this season, Marchenko has been a bright light in an otherwise dark situation. His personality is infectious throughout the room. It’s exactly the kind of personality that is marketable in the NHL.
Marchenko is mostly, always smiling. He’ll sometimes look stoic given the circumstances. But every time the media sees him and he sees them, he always says hi with a big smile on his face. It’s the kind of personality that stands out in a locker room in which everyone takes notice. He draws people to him because of all the positivity he displays.
Marchenko also loves to have fun. Case in point. As we were talking to coach Pascal Vincent during postgame, Marchenko appeared from behind the door. He had a question. “Can practice be canceled Wednesday?” Vincent then grinned and announced “No. No chance.” Not even a natural hat trick could save them from a 12 noon practice. Good try though.
At other times, Marchenko has stood in media scrums acting as a member of the media. He’d usually have a smile on his face and would ask the hard-hitting questions. It would always elicit a smile from the player being interviewed.
As fun as Marchenko is, he’s also a very valuable asset in the locker room for other reasons. He acts as a translator when needed. When we talk with Dmitri Voronkov, Marchenko stands in and helps translate for everyone. His teammates and coaches see the immense impact he has everyday both on and off the ice.
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“I heard the guys hooting and hollering about the goal,” Gaudreau said. “He’s so skilled. He’s a great human, great person, great teammate. And it’s fun to watch him play well, score goals and it’s fun to see him happy because he gets the guys excited and he brings good mood and attitude towards the locker room. So I was happy for him.”
“He didn’t only put it between his legs. He put it between the defender’s legs too,” Cole Sillinger said. “He put it right in-between both of them. It’s such a Marchy play. You see the stuff he likes to do in practice. (He’s) certainly not afraid to try things. He’s a big piece of our team, a big piece of our power play. For him to get three tonight was not surprising honestly with just his mentality and his continuous determination to score goals.”
“How about that second one on the power play?” coach Vincent said. “He’s got skills. He’s got size and he’s got a great personality. He’s loved in the dressing room. He’s talking. He’s starting to talk more. We know he is a funny guy and he likes to have fun. But when he gets serious on the bench, he’s talking. He’s starting to talk about taking more leadership in a leadership role. And all those guys, I feel that we’re very lucky to have him. He brings people together. That’s what he does best. And he’s a good hockey player. He’s got good skills but he was committed to do the right things.”
Need to Market Players Like Marchenko
The game as a whole certainly has room for a lot of improvement. At or near the top of that list is the ability to market players that deserve it. Marchenko’s overall package is exactly what the NHL can market.
Marchenko has the right mix of hockey skill and personality that would draw fans from all over the league towards him. Take for instance some things he has done with the Blue Jackets. Take his “Motivation Monday” short videos for instance. How can you not smile after watching?
This is the kind of positivity that Marchenko brings to the Blue Jackets everyday. These kind of players deserve more national attention.
Marchenko went viral for his amazing between-the-legs goal. But the real reason he should go viral is because of his outgoing personality and the impact it has on everyone he comes in contact with.
The Blue Jackets are very lucky to have him. It seems he’s just getting started too.