Jackets focusing on upside after collapse
Laine and Domi ended droughts in another loss
The midpoint for the Blue Jackets' season arrived with a loud and dispiriting thud Thursday at Nationwide Arena.
What should have been their next attempt to save a spiraling season became a nightmarish 5-4 overtime loss to the Florida Panthers, a game in which a 4-1 Jackets lead in the third period evaporated in their latest example of a split personality.
The defeat was the Blue Jackets' third straight, they've won only three times in the past month (13 games) and a couple of them simply chose to ignore the same old sting afterward.
“Obviously, it's a tough way to lose the game, but we'll focus on the things that we're improving at, and we'll keep on trying to get better,” said coach John Tortorella, whose persona was strangely more self-help than fire-and-brimstone.
The Blue Jackets were up by three goals almost five minutes into the third, their former star goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky, was shaky and the fourth goal, by Max Domi, made it feel like a blood-letting was about to take place.
It happened too, only in favor of the team strapped to the proverbial altar. Here are some takeaways:
Poof
| THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
The Panthers, an impressive bunch that includes a number of former Blue Jackets assembled by former Jackets executive Bill Zito, scored three goals in the final 15:17 of regulation, then won on
Frank Vatrano's rebound goal 2:48 into overtime. The thud of a battered team hitting the floor followed.
“It's embarrassing,” said forward Patrik Laine, who finished with a goal and assist. “A 4-1 lead in the third, you can't lose those games. That's just a fact.”
This team, though, continues to lose leads and games in stunning fashion. Can Columbus get off the mat and save this season in the final 28 games or will the slide continue?
“I don't know,” Laine said. “I hope not. I'm tired of losing.”
Laine, Roslovic sit
Laine and Jack Roslovic were on the Blue Jackets' bench for the final 6:53 of the third, after both were on the ice for Florida goals that cut the Jackets' lead to 4-3 in the third.
They were also on the ice for a shift that ended in an interference penalty called on Michael Del Zotto, which led to Aleksander Barkov's tying goal, and Laine didn't play in overtime. He logged just 2:20 in the third period, despite scoring his goal.
“We got scored on a couple times,” Laine said. “I thought I was playing good, but I guess I thought wrong.”
Tortorella, asked why he kept a couple of his top offensive threats on the bench to end the third, didn't state a specific reason.
“At that point in time, that's just the way it worked out,” he said.
The upside
Domi and Laine each had a goal and assist to end scoring droughts, and Oliver Bjorkstrand scored two more goals against getting one late in Tuesday's 4-2 loss.
Roslovic also had an assist after battling for the puck to spark a 2-on-1 rush that led to Bjorkstrand's first goal.
Laine ended a seven-game skid without a point by assisting on Bjorkstrand's second goal and gave the Jackets a 3-1 lead with a booming one-timer to cap a power play in the third.
Disappointing finish
Goaltender Elvis Merzlikins returned to the net for the first time since since he was injured on Feb. 20 and looked sharp most of the game, making 27 saves. But he faced a number of difficult situations in the third after the Jackets took a 4-1 lead.
The Panthers controlled play from there. Owen Tippett's wrist shot from the left circle, which made it 4-3, was the only goal Merzlikins probably could have stopped. It sneaked under his glove and ripped into the net inside the far post, but even that goal was partially screened by teammate David Savard, whose block attempt block was unsuccessful. bhedger@dispatch.com @Brianhedger