Point won, point lost for Columbus against ’Canes
The Blue Jackets on Thursday night wrapped up a four-game series against the Carolina Hurricanes, a team that has established itself as a genuine contender for the Stanley Cup. This was an important series for the Jackets. It was a test of their quality, and their resolve, at a critical juncture of their season.
The Jackets went 2-1-1 in their eight-day skirmish with the Canes. They took five out of eight points.
Game 2, tied by Seth Jones late in regulation and won by Oliver Bjorkstrand in a shootout, was remarkable. Game 4, tied by Bjorkstrand late in regulation and lost in overtime, was almost as good. But not quite.
The second point would have been huge and the Jackets gave it away Thursday. This not only hurt them in the standings — as they chase Chicago for fourth playoff spot in the NHL'S Central Division, and try to hold off Nashville and Dallas — but it exposed, once again, their razor-thin margin for error. Two contrasting plays gave a picture. One: The Jackets trailed 3-2 and had their goalie pulled for an extra attacker when Jones turned the puck over to Carolina forward Warren Foegele, who had a clear breakaway at an open net. Jones pivoted and went after Foegele in what appeared to be an exercise in futility. Somehow, Jones got the blade of his stick into Foegele's hands and his shot, suddenly rushed, went wide of the gaping net.
Moments later, Bjorkstrand scored to tie it with 15.1 seconds remaining in regulation.
Two: Jack Roslovic had a pass intercepted by Martin Necas and it gave Necas a giant swath of ice to rush at the Jackets' net. Zach Werenski hustled back and managed a couple of stick checks. Joonas Korpisalo was pulled out of his goal. The puck was loose — and ultimately tipped out front to Sebastian Aho, who had a gaping net and scored the winner.
Aho had the luxury of waiting at the top of the crease. He was entirely unmolested for about two seconds. Why? Because Roslovic did not hustle back. He was somewhere near the top of the slot, and gliding, when Aho knocked in his gimme with 3:34 remaining in overtime.
“Really good stuff from us tonight,” Jackets coach John Tortorella said. “But we end the game by giving them something free. And those are things we've got to have more value in, in making sure we don't give things for free.
“That's how we get completely over the hump as far as stringing some wins together. It's the only way we're going to strings some wins together, if we value some of the small things, too. The details of the game. We're still in the process of trying to learn that.”
In sum: The Jackets are averaging 3.15 goals against (23rd in the league) and 2.56 goals for (24th); they are no longer the stingy team they once were and they haven't developed the offense to compensate; their penalty killing (25th) and power play (26th) are equally poor and it all adds up to a nightly tightrope walk.
Every game is a grind and the Jackets aren't the grinders they used to be.
One might be reminded of the recent transition of the Nashville Predators, who were well-established as one of the stingiest teams in the league when they made it to the Stanley Cup final in 2017. The Predators made a concerted effort to upgrade their offense with the idea of getting over the final hump. They've won one playoff series since.
As the Predators tweaked their identity they lost their firm grasp of it. The Jackets, who've moved out big forwards Josh Anderson and Pierre-luc Dubois, and rejiggered their defense to a degree, have that same feel to them. I often think about guys like Ian Cole. Remember the other Lumberjack? Was the cost to re-sign him really too much? And while on the subject, wherefore Ryan Murray?
On the bright side, the Jackets summoned their resolve in what was a solid, four-game series against an excellent Carolina team. The Jackets played three or four of their best periods of the season. They did not quit at the top of what will be a furious, 22-game homestretch. They still believe.
Can they catch Chicago and hold off Nashville and Dallas? That is a question that has been posed repeatedly in this space. Who will win the four-team race for fourth place?
Chicago is hanging in there. Look out now, but Nashville is heating up rapidly. Dallas, a Cup finalist last year, might be getting top-line center Tyler Seguin and goaltender Ben Bishop back from injury sometime next month. All three of these teams are stronger than the Jackets down the middle.
I'm looking at the schedule and I'm thinking Dallas — but, who knows? Anybody can beat anybody this year. The Jackets just took five points in four games from Carolina.
marace@dispatch.com