Jackets’ top line unhappy with output

CALGARY, Alberta — The Blue Jackets held another “clear the air” meeting, only this time it wasn’t for the entire team.

This one involved a nice dinner among friends and some frank table conversation the Jackets hope will spark their top forward line, which has sputtered since the trade deadline last month.

“We had a good chat as a line (Monday) night,” Cam Atkinson said Tuesday

at the Scotiabank Saddledome before a game against the Calgary Flames. “We went out to dinner and kind of cleared the air and figured out what we’re doing wrong and what we need to improve on.”

The trio is made up of Atkinson, Artemi Panarin and Pierre-luc Dubois, who together

had formed one of the NHL’S most lethal forward groups.

Going into the Calgary game, Atkinson led the team in goals (38), Panarin led in assists (50) and points (75), and Dubois’ numbers in goals (23), assists (31) and points (54) were all higher than his output in 82 games last season, which was an outstanding rookie year.

The issues that have vexed them are more recent, creeping into their shifts during a

downturn in production. The resulting frustration was obvious in their play and output in 11 games after the trade deadline Feb. 25.

Rather than taking care of the puck, they were too loose with it. Rather than working harder to clear their zone, they were too quick on the gas the other way. It showed in their stats, too.

Panarin had one goal, seven points and a minus-8 rating. Dubois had one assist and a minus-3 rating.

Atkinson had four goals, but only two assists and a minus-7.

“I think we cleared the air, and hopefully we get back to what we’ve done all season long,” Atkinson said. “It’s no secret that we’re all kind of frustrated, our body language has looked bad. Not that we’re pointing fingers, but we’re cheating. We’re expecting one guy to do it and kind of giving (our) problems to someone else.”

That’s what the coaches are seeing too,

especially one guy in particular.

“They lose themselves a little bit because they want to help,” said coach John Tortorella, who may or may not have picked up the trio’s dinner tab. “They want to score goals, but they forget about the other stuff — and we’re just spending too much time in our end zone with that line, because they’re not doing the work.”

They only have nine games left now to fix those problems before the Stanley Cup playoffs, assuming the Jackets make it. They can still get there by leaning on star goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and what Atkinson calls “pack it in, boring hockey,” but it could be a lot easier if the top line gets the engine started.

“It’s a really important line for us,” Tortorella said. “The production has dropped off. We’ve got to get ’em back.”