Bye Bye Bill
- Mar 28, 2019
- 3 min read
Before getting into the nitty-gritty of tonight’s fight, some news: Bill Davidge will be retiring after this season. You can find his farewell message here, but let’s look at the colorful history of this Blue Jackets veteran.
Davidge joined the organization back in 1999 as a scout. In 2000, he began to branch out into the field of broadcasting. He was blessed with a career of 19 years and loved every minute of it. But now, it’s time for the legend to retire.
He says the timing just felt right. After his fight with cancer over the years, he wants to take this time to focus on his health and spend time his family.
He and Brian Giesenschlag made the game so much fun to watch. Davidge was a fantastic announcer and provided such great insight into the highlights of the game. Fox Sports won’t be the same without him.
Congrats on the retirement, sir! Enjoy golfing and spending time with your family!
As for the rest of the crew, the Jackets will be taking on the Montreal Canadiens in a crucial battle.
Arguably the most important game remaining in the season, a win in regulation would put the Jackets back on the right side of the playoff line.
"They should be confident, but I trust they are going to keep it level here," Tortorella said Tuesday night. "We won a couple of games but we haven't gained on Montreal. Gained the other night, didn't gain tonight, so we have to keep on banging away here."
Columbus is riding a 4-0 victory over the New York Islanders including a goal from captain Nick Foligno. Nicky had been been missing in action after his son, Hudson, was hospitalized with pneumonia.
The one-year-old had a collapsed lung and had to use a ventilator. Things are looking up though! After 11 days on the ventilator, Hudson was finally able to breathe on his own. Nick says he’s still got a long fight ahead of him, but he’s getting better.
When the captain came back, he was met with roaring applause from the crowd.
"That was pretty special," Foligno said of the crowd reaction. "I love this city, I love the fans. They mean so much to me and my family, the support that we've gotten whether it's through our family or out on the ice. I speak so highly of this city and this organization and this fan base, and there's a reason why when you get a reception like that."
After the game, Nick was awarded the Kepi from Bob, the previous winner. "That was for Hudson," Nick exclaimed following a hug from his favorite goalie.
Regardless if the Blue Jackets get a victory tonight, their spot in the playoffs still isn't guaranteed. They've got nine games left and anything can happen. But a victory over the Habs would be a step in the right direction.
Can Columbus still make the Playoffs? Or will they be singing the post-season blues on the green? Let me know in the comments below!
Artemi Panarin -- Pierre-Luc Dubois -- Cam Atkinson
Ryan Dzingel -- Matt Duchene -- Josh Anderson
Boone Jenner -- Alexander Wennberg -- Oliver Bjorkstrand
Brandon Dubinsky -- Riley Nash -- Nick Foligno
Zach Werenski* -- Seth Jones
Markus Nutivaara -- David Savard
Dean Kukan -- Adam McQuaid
Sergei Bobrovsky
*Zach missed the last 13 minutes of the game on Tuesday night after sustaining an injury, but he is expected to be in the lineup tonight against Montreal.
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