Scoring depth boosts goal total
If it feels like the Blue Jackets are scoring more, it’s because that’s exactly what is happening.
They have gotten 10 goals more through their first 18 games than at the same point last season, and more players are vying for the team lead. They have scored 58 goals heading into Thursday’s home game against the Florida Panthers, and six players have five goals or more.
“It’s so important,” said captain Nick Foligno, whose scoring is up with six goals and 11 points. “Depth scoring is how you win consistently. Every night you have your (scoring) line that can produce offensively, but when you have other guys pitching in, it makes you a lot harder to check.”
A year ago, the Jackets had 48 goals through 18 games and only three players with five-plus goals — led by Josh Anderson’s six and five each from Oliver Bjorkstrand and Sonny Milano. The leaders The Blue Jackets’ Cam Atkinson, who is tied for the team lead with eight goals this season, scores against Rangers goaltender Alexandar Georgiev in a shootout on Saturday.
now are forwards Pierre-Luc Dubois and Cam Atkinson with eight apiece, followed by forwards Josh Anderson and Anthony Duclair with seven. Foligno has six and Artemi Panarin, who leads the team with 18 points, has five.
“It just shows you that every line can score,” Anderson said. “Whenever a line is out there, it’s pretty dangerous. At any time of the game, when we do need a goal, any line can do it. I think it’s definitely healthy to have a little competition. It never hurts.”
It also has become a necessity.
“I think it’s where the game is going,” said
Blue Jackets assistant Brad Shaw, who oversees the team’s forwards. “It used to be you had two scoring lines, an energy line and a checking line. Most of the rosters we see these days are three and usually four lines full of guys who can put the puck in the net, so it makes it tougher to sort of zero in on guys. From our point of view, I think it’s great.”
Head coach John Tortorella does, too, but with a caveat.
“I think that’s kind of how it has evolved with our team,” he said. “We’ve got some good players here. It’s great to have that, because you need that in an 82-game schedule, but … I think you need to score goals in different ways and I want to make sure we’re playing the right style of game and make sure we get things in order.”
The Blue Jackets were short two players at practice at Nationwide Arena, with Panarin missing because of an illness and defenseman Ryan Murray taking a maintenance day off. … Practice ended with a shootout competition won by Scott Harrington, who is known more as a defensive defenseman. … Defenseman Adam Clendening cleared through NHL waivers and was assigned to minor-league Cleveland. The Jackets recalled defenseman Gabriel Carlsson from Cleveland to replace Clendening. … The Blue Jackets made their annual visit to Nationwide Children’s Hospital on Wednesday after practice, visiting with patients and their families.