{"id":493971,"date":"2026-07-27T08:00:35","date_gmt":"2026-07-27T12:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=493971"},"modified":"2026-07-26T20:23:27","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T00:23:27","slug":"columbus-blue-jackets-unlikely-heroes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2026\/07\/27\/columbus-blue-jackets-unlikely-heroes\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer Series: The Columbus Blue Jackets Unlikely Heroes"},"content":{"rendered":"

The game of hockey, like all sports, is filled with heroes. Most of the time, it is the superstars who have a reputation for coming up clutch. However, we are here to talk about the heroic performances that seem to come from nowhere. An unlikely hero can step up and chip in with a massive, Stanley Cup Playoff series-clinching goal, or maybe it is a season-long performance, the likes of which will never be seen again. These unlikely heroes become a part of hockey history. Today, we bring you our\u00a0<\/span>Last Word On Hockey<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>summer series<\/a>, as we look at the <\/span>Columbus Blue Jackets<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>Unlikely Heroes<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Columbus Blue Jackets Unlikely Heroes<\/h2>\n

The Criteria<\/h3>\n

Some wonder what makes an unlikely hero. It can be a player who comes with a massive improvement out of nowhere. An unlikely hero can step up and chip in with a massive goal or a goaltender shutout that wasn\u2019t expected. It can also be a player who steps up and has a season to remember. An unlikely hero can be a player who\u2019s a youngster who gives a breakthrough performance. It can also be a star player who gives one last flash of greatness.<\/p>\n

Matt Calvert<\/a><\/h3>\n

Background<\/h4>\n

Columbus hasn’t really had that many overtime winners in its franchise history. The Blue Jackets have only notched six OT winners since coming into the league. Columbus has been an also-ran for most of its run as a team. However, there is one player that jumps out as one the Columbus Blue Jackets unlikely heroes. That one player has one-third of that OT winners and that man is Matt Calvert<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Brandon, Manitoba native supplied the first OT winner in franchise history against the Pittsburgh Penguins<\/a> in the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs. This would be a dramatic way for the Jackets to win their first postseason game in franchise history.<\/p>\n

The Moment<\/h3>\n

Calvert was the 128th pick of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. However, he worked his way up the system and finally got sustained game time with the big club. Columbus was swept in four consecutive games in its only other postseason appearance in the 2008-09 campaign by the Detroit Red Wings.<\/a><\/p>\n

The Blue Jackets were up against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final first round series. Pittsburgh had already taken the series-opener, but Columbus had pushed the home team to overtime. Calvert would break a 3-3 tie just over one minute into the second game to give the franchise its first Stanley Cup Playoff victory.<\/p>\n