Jackets eye 1st sweep in Carolina rematch
Maybe the seventh time will be the charm.
Going into another finale of a twogame set Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes, the Blue Jackets will again be hunting for a sweep that has eluded them all season. They’re 0-4-2 in the back half of two-game sets and, after winning 3-2 in overtime Thursday, the Jackets have another shot to nix a vexing trend.
“For us, we’re going to have to be better, more consistently, to try to win another game,” coach John Tortorella said Friday. “I just think that’s a conversation (about sweeping games) that’s gone through the league because of the schedule, and I think you can fall into a trap a little bit in being (satisfied) with winning that first one.”
The game will also be the second of four straight between the Jackets and Hurricanes, who will conclude the four-game stretch Monday and Thursday in Columbus.
It’s not an easy task, but sweeping games is something the Blue Jackets (12-12-7) must do more often. The two points they earned Thursday pulled Columbus within two points of the Blackhawks for fourth place in the Central Division — and the final playoff spot.
In other words, it’s time for the Jackets to get some sweep success.
Bjorkstrand humming along
Lost amid the excitement of Seth Jones’ overtime goal and Joonas Korpisalo’s saves Thursday were Oliver Bjorkstrand’s three assists.
The Blue Jackets’ leading scorer moved his season totals to 26 points on 10 goals and 16 assists to extend his scoring lead over Cam Atkinson, who has 21 points on a team-high 11 goals and 10 assists.
Bjorkstrand assisted on all three of the Blue Jackets’ goals Thursday, including primary assists on Jones’ tallies.
Weird week for Grigorenko
Mikhail Grigorenko was supposed to play Thursday, but a “NON-COVID illness” made him a scratch for the 11th straight game.
It was the latest challenge during an eventful week for the Russian forward, who was placed on waivers Tuesday, cleared and assigned to the taxi squad on Wednesday, then recalled Thursday.
Grigorenko’s lineup spot was then filled by Kevin Stenlund, who tied the score 2-2 late in the second period of a game he was supposed to watch.
“How about Grigor’s situation?” Tortorella said after the game. “He’s waived, he comes back to the taxi, we take him off the taxi, starts throwing up, he’s out of the game. He’s going to come in the lineup, be on the second power play and play the game. He starts getting sick and now he’s out again. And that’s how ‘Stens’ comes in … and Stens scores a big goal. That’s hockey.”
Improving in OT
The game Thursday was the fourth straight for the Jackets that required overtime, and their victory on Jones’ goal with 51 seconds left in OT improved their record to 2-0-2 in those games.
They’re 3-0-7 overall in overtime games, including 1-0-3 in shootouts, but are playing noticeably better.
It doesn’t hurt to have Jones, whose ninth career OT goal tied him with San Jose’s Brent Burns for most by a defenseman since Jones made his NHL debut in 2013-14.
Grind line
Tortorella said Stephane Matteau and Ryan Macinnis would stay in the lineup Saturday after playing a physical game Thursday while skating on the Jackets’ fourth line with Eric Robinson. It was only the second game of the season for Matteau and first game for Macinnis in more than a calendar year. bhedger@dispatch.com @Brianhedger