Jackets look to be ‘dynamic’ on offense

WASHINGTON — The playoffs are the reason coach John Tortorella said the Blue Jackets traded a “really good player” in Brandon Saad last June for a “dynamic” one in Artemi Panarin.

It is why, even though Thomas Vanek “scares the hell out of me sometimes, the way he plays,” Tortorella chooses to turn away and allow Vanek to be Vanek, “to feel comfortable on the ice to be dynamic.”

The Blue Jackets went into last year’s firstround playoff series against Pittsburgh with 11 more points in the regular season than they compiled before this season’s best-ofseven series against Washington, which starts Thursday night at Capital One Arena.

Although they exited last year in five games, they didn’t play a bad series, Tortorella contended this week. They even had the Penguins Left wing Artemi Panarin has added gamebreaking skill to the Blue Jackets’ lineup. He set franchise records for assists (55) and points (82) this season. “under siege” for many minutes.

“We just kind of dried up offensively,” Tortorella said. “We come up empty as far as a goal, and they score two. Because they’re that dynamic.”

Dynamic is the word he has used repeatedly to describe Panarin and Vanek. This season, his third in the NHL, Panarin set Blue Jackets records for assists (55) and points (82). He had a hat trick against the New York Rangers (March 20) and five primary assists against New Jersey (Dec. 8).

Vanek had 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in 19 games after the Jackets acquired him from Vancouver on Feb. 26, including a hat trick against Edmonton on March 27. The Jackets scored seven unanswered goals to rally for a 7-3 win that night.

“When we played against Pittsburgh (in last year’s playoffs), we had a lot of guys that are great players but we just didn’t have that game-breaker that we talk about,” Jackets captain Nick Foligno said. “And that’s what Bread (Panarin) brings to our team. Vans, same thing. You look at that Edmonton game and Vans pretty much opened that game for us.”

Having such players is “very important in the playoffs, in the ebbs and flows and momentum swings of games,” Tortorella noted.

“What Bread has done for us during the regular season, that’s certainly important during the playoffs. And Vanek is going to bring that to us,” Tortorella said. “So, hopefully, those guys can come through. And maybe someone else steps up in the playoffs here. You need a surprise when you go through a sevengame series.”

Foligno said that Panarin craves, and enjoys, the responsibility of being a player that is counted on to produce. And Blue Jackets players can tell when he is determined to impose his will, and skill, on a game.

Vanek can be more subtle than sensational.

“He’s not skating. He’s standing still. I’m looking for a turnover. Next thing you know, he makes a great pass and it’s in the net,” Tortorella said.