Guess who's second on the club in goals?
Justin Danforth has picked up where he left off for the Columbus Blue Jackets after missing the final 76 games last season due to shoulder surgery.
Before this season even started, Danforth signed a one-year contract extension and the team loved it.
#CBJ coach Pascal Vincent on announcing Justin Danforth's contract extension to the team during practice: "He's not in the spotlight very often, right? But he's a big piece."
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) October 11, 2023
Danforth's reaction? "I'm not one for the attention, but obviously the boys were happy. It feels good."
You can see why he's well-liked.
Ever since lacing them up for the Blue Jackets when he made his NHL debut at the ripe old age of 28 years old two seasons ago, Danforth has proven to be an important piece to the Blue Jackets.
In the 2021-22 season, he scored 14 points in 45 games (10 goals, four assists). He was off to another similar start last year, with five points (one goal, four assists) through the first six games before the season-ending injury.
Now he's second on the Jackets with three goals and has four points entering Tuesday's matchup with the Anaheim Ducks.
Really nice feed from Roslovic. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/6gnDM5dOdo
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) October 21, 2023
Danforth scored his first-career multi-point game in last Friday's 3-1 win over the Calgary Flames, and he started the scoring against the Minnesota Wild in Saturday's victory as he's on a two-game point streak.
Justin Danforths third goal of the year and David Jiriceks first career assist! #CBJ pic.twitter.com/eUOYBPsTkR
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) October 22, 2023
#NHL GameScore Impact Card for Columbus Blue Jackets on 2023-10-21:#CBJ pic.twitter.com/EAkQ7h4F1P
— HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) October 22, 2023
In the last two wins, Danforth played with Jack Roslovic and Sean Kuraly against Calgary, and with Kuraly and Mathieu Olivier against the Wild.
| Corsi For/Against | Shots For/Against | Scoring Chances For/Against | High Danger Chances For/Against | Goals For/Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/4 | 5/1 | 6/1 | 1/0 | 2/0 |
| Corsi For/Against | Shots For/Against | Scoring Chances For/Against | High Danger Chances For/Against | Goals For/Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11/6 | 4/1 | 6/3 | 2/1 | 1/1 |
Through all five games this season, Danforth is averaging 10:48 ice-time (5v5) and leading the team with 4.4 total points per 60 according to Natural Stat Trick.
From his spot in the bottom six, it's not bad to have a player like Danforth who can provide a scoring touch. And it's not bad for a guy who spanned more than a decade across six different leagues before making it to the NHL in 2021-22.
"I think what he does is he matches skill with relentlessness, effort, and battle," Kuraly said after Friday's win over Calgary. "He came the hard way and you can tell how he plays. He wants to keep winning his battles and he knows how hard it is to get here. It's refreshing to see, it's fun to see, and fun to play with. I love playing with (Danforth)."
Kuraly from Danforth and Provorov. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/Bf6Dwxv8tT
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) October 21, 2023
In that win over the Flames, Danforth was on the receiving end of a pass through the crease by Roslovic to score his goal. Danforth also fed Kuraly with a nice pass and he talked about their chemistry afterward.
"Me and (Kuraly) have played quite a bit of hockey together in my career here," Danforth said. "I know what to expect every night from (Kuraly). I know what to expect from (Roslovic). You know it's going to be north-south, win battles, create space with each other."
The Jackets have been entertaining in three of its five games — all three wins — and Danforth has contributed on the scoresheet with goals in all three.
