Jackets hit ‘bye’ week on 2-game losing skid
They had ST. PAUL, MINN. — a chance to go into their NHL-mandated “bye” week feeling good, but the Blue Jackets missed it by that much.
Actually, they missed it by a lot with all the missing they did on their shot attempts during a weekend back-toback set – first in a 4-1 loss Friday to the Montreal Canadiens and again Saturday night in a 2-1 defeat at the Minnesota Wild.
After missing the net 11 times against Montreal, the Blue Jackets (28-17-3) missed the net 16 more times against Minnesota and had 15 other attempts blocked — getting outshot 31-20 and losing their second straight game before getting a week off — nine days between games.
“I think it’s been a struggle of ours all year long,” coach John Tortorella said of all the missed attempts. “It’s the best pass in hockey, is a rebound, getting it on goal. We wasted a great effort by (goalie Sergei Bobrovsky) and it’s mind-boggling what we do when we get near that net, and how many pucks we shoot wide or overhandle.”
Particularly galling to Tortorella against the Wild was the night of forward Anthony Duclair, whom he’d scratched against Montreal. Duclair started out on the third line, was eventually placed on a line with Artemi Panarin and hounded the puck all game.
He just couldn’t do anything with it once he got near the net. Duclair attempted five shots, but only put one on goal. One was blocked and three others missed the net.
“That Duclair, looks like a million bucks ... every shift, looks like a threat,” Tortorella said. “Get to the goal, shot wide, stickhandle in the corner. It’s just so aggravating. Duke’s just on my mind because I thought he played really well, but ... you look like a million bucks getting to the net and it just explodes. He has got to slow himself down and we might have something there.”
Duclair wasn’t the only one Tortorella mentioned for misses.
There were 10 Blue Jackets who missed with attempted shots, including five who missed more than one time. It happened throughout the game, but off-target shots in the third loomed largest — with Columbus down just 2-1 the entire 20 minutes.
The positive the Blue Jackets can take out of this game was in their own net, where Bobrovsky was sharpin making 29 saves.
After a tumultuous past two weeks, which included the Blue Jackets disciplining Bobrovsky for his actions after getting pulled Jan. 8 in Tampa, the two-time Vezina Trophy winner played more like himself again.
After allowing goals 1:29 apart in the latter stages of the first period, he didn’t let another puck get past him. Bobrovsky made 15 saves in the second period and four more in the third.
Minnesota’s top line of Jason Zucker, Mikko Koivu and Mikael Granlund nearly scored on three quick attempts, but Bobrovsky made saves on the first two and got some help from the left post on the third.
“I feel good,” said Bobrovsky, who hadn’t played since allowing five goals last Sunday to the New York Rangers. “I had that time to practice, to train a little bit off ice, on ice. So, it sharpened my game.”