Blue Jackets unable to withstand Carolina surge
This was a learning lesson. Also, the Blue Jackets’ 5-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night at Nationwide Arena felt all too familiar, reminiscent of five losses last season in eight games of divisional play.
Columbus went 3-3-2 in those matchups, which wasn’t the Jackets’ worst head-tohead result within a realigned Central Division, but the difference between them and the Hurricanes was significant. After three more periods this season, not much has changed other than the Blue Jackets’ roster — which has gotten even younger and less experienced.
“We’ve obviously seen them quite a bit in the past,” said Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner, who scored the lone goal for Columbus on a power play in the second period. “We know what kind of team they are and how they play. They’re really aggressive and we know that.”
It just didn’t matter. Despite undergoing significant changes of their own, the Hurricanes (4-0-0) kept right on steamrolling into the new season and gave the Blue Jackets another harsh lesson in how not to play against them.
Vincent Trocheck led the Carolina attack with three points on two goals and one assist, Jordan Staal added a goal and assist, Andrei Svechnikov finished with a pair of assists and Frederik Andersen was outstanding in net with a 27-save victory.
Sebastian Aho and Jesper Fast also scored for the Hurricanes, who went 3 of 6 on power plays.
“You can’t put a team like that on the power play as many times as we did,” Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen said. “You’ve got to play them 5-on-5 at the very least and then try to produce on your own power play.”
Columbus went 1 of 4 on power plays and cut Carolina’s lead to 2-1 on Jenner’s goal at 7:19 of the second, but the Hurricanes responded with a power-play goal of their own late in the period.
It doesn’t get any easier for the Blue Jackets. After Sunday’s day off, they will today play host to the Dallas Stars — whom they went 3-4-1 against last season.
Jenner powers in another PPG
Patrik Laine was supposed to be the biggest benefactor of Jakub Voracek rejoining the Blue Jackets. Five games into the season, it’s Jenner who’s getting the biggest lift.
Despite recording at least one point in every game this season, Laine has yet to score on a power play, but Jenner scored his third on a man-advantage to increase his season goal total to four.
His latest, scored with a 5-on-3 advantage, cut the Hurricanes’ lead to 2-1 at 7:19 of the second. Jenner poked it past Andersen from the front of the crease just 11 seconds after Carolina’s Brett Pesce held Voracek and joined Tony DeAngelo in the penalty box.
“There’s some chemistry there,” Larsen said of his top power-play unit. “They were going against a pretty good penalty kill too. You’ve got to fight for your chances there, and Boone scored right where he likes to score, about 2 inches from the blue (paint). It’s what he’s good at.”
Voracek and Laine got assists, giving Voracek his fifth point of the season (all assists). It was also his 100th assist with the Blue Jackets, whom the veteran rejoined in July in a trade that sent Cam Atkinson to the Philadelphia Flyers.