Columbus, you NEED to feel this energy

You can just *feel* it walking through the Arena District this morning, right? It’s not just the usual pre-game buzz for a weeknight game, no way. With the Columbus Blue Jackets taking on the Seattle Kraken tonight at our Nationwide — not the insurance company, the arena, although, look, same thing — there's this hum, a real optimism that's been building. Fans are talking about that win streak, the seven in a row, and how it feels like we're finally finding our stride. I grabbed a Buckeye Donut on High Street and everyone in line was buzzing about how we're sitting third in the Metro. Third! It just feels *different* this year, like the pieces are actually clicking.

There's definitely a lot of chatter about Patrik Laine's recent scoring surge, especially after his hat trick last week. Folks in my group chat are calling him "Prime Laine" again, and honestly, you can't blame them. Everyone's wondering if he can keep this momentum going tonight. But beyond that, it's just this overall sense of belief. No one's looking past Seattle, but there's a quiet confidence that this team can make some real noise in the playoffs. It’s infectious, honestly.

* Cannon goes boom — Blue Jackets hockey from Columbus, Ohio.

The morning show crew really gets into this stuff — check it out live at mornings.live.