Watching the long, stringy hair of the Calgary Flames forward become that of a troll doll while Blue Jackets forward Mathieu Olivier rained blows down upon him stirred memories of the “Seinfeld” episode when Frank Costanza explained his origin story of Festivus, the fictional holiday sparked by a scuffle over a Christmas gift.

There’s a quiet belief that this team belongs, that it has a collection of players that can stick in this race for the long haul. It’s not boastful, but the Blue Jackets have set a goal and they’re doing what they can to get there.