Numerous early chances didn’t go in vs. Devils
Lost in a six-goal outburst on Saturday night was how close the Blue Jackets came to scoring — without doing so — in the first 15 minutes of the first period.
Columbus ended up getting a goal from Pierre-Luc Dubois with 3:30 left in the period to take a 1-0 lead into the second, but it had one good chance after another against New Jersey goaltender Keith Kinkaid yet failed to score.
The first period was a nice summation of how things had been going for the Jackets leading into Saturday’s game.
Columbus put up 18 shots on goal in the opening 20 minutes, yet had only one goal to show for it.
The Blue Jackets would set a season-high with 50 shots and end up winning 6-1 to snap a five-game skid.
Over the past four games, Columbus set a franchise record with 175 shots on goal. The previous record in a four-game span was 172, set last season.
“Fifty shots or whatever we had, that’s hard to save,” captain Nick Foligno said afterward. “I don’t care how good you are, you’re going to get good chances. Goalies are human and they are going to get tired. Keep peppering them and they’ll go in. We have to keep up that attitude.”
The Jackets had a number of prime scoring chances in the first period, yet the puck was bouncing every way but in.
Midway through the period, Foligno scored — but referee Dave Jackson had inadvertently stopped play by whistling the puck dead when he lost sight of it.
Both Foligno and coach John Tortorella argued their case, but it was too late.
“I looked at him and he was shaking his head like he was mad he called it,” Foligno said. “He was apologetic right away.”
Tortorella recalled a conversation with Jackson in which the ref apologized for the early whistle.
“I said ‘Dave, it does (nothing) for us’,” Tortorella said. “‘We can’t score a goal and now you take that one away. I appreciate it, but I don’t care.’ He is such a first-class guy. He came up to me toward the end of the third and apologized again. It’s a tough job.”
Milestone
Foligno ended up scoring in his 400th game with the franchise.
The Columbus winger has two goals in four games since being benched for a stretch during a loss to San Jose on Feb. 2.
“It’s an honor to play for this organization, in the league, for that long,” Foligno said. “It’s a pretty cool feeling to say I have been in this uniform for that long. I’m proud of it.”