After the Blue Jackets played a hard fought game against the Penguins, a let down was something that many should’ve been expecting. Playing the Devils, one of the cellar dwellers in the East should’ve been an easy win. Unfortunately for the Jackets, whether it was tired legs or just poor play, they weren’t up for the task.
Is this going to be the Jackets’ team fans should expect down the stretch?
[protected-iframe id=”a3d6a4012499daecbc67666586349c50-114320562-70843398″ info=”https://www.nhl.com/video/embed/recap-njd-5-cbj-1/t-283335566/c-49095403?autostart=false” width=”540″ height=”360″]The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
The Good: Another sellout
Whether you are a new fan or an old fan, seeing sellouts at Nationwide Arena is a good sign. It means multiple good things for the club. First, it shows that hockey is viable in central Ohio. Many people already know that to be a fact but it isn’t bad to see that reminder from time to time. Second, it shows that the Blue Jackets are playing well. Despite their recent downward spiral, the Jackets are one of the top teams in the Eastern conference and people want to see them play.
The Arena District and everything surrounding Nationwide makes the game a whole lot more fun too. It probably isn’t a good sign for readers that this is what is occupying the “good” slot. It is a bit indicative of how the Jackets played last night that the attendance was the best thing about this game.
The Bad: Sergei Bobrovsky
It is tough to admit this since Sergei Bobrovsky has been the reason why the Jackets have done so well this year but he stunk last night. Playing on a back-to-back is always tricky and against a lower opponent like the Devils, Joonas Korpisalo should’ve played. Hindsight is of course 20/20. Knowing the type of competitor he is and the type of player he has been for the Blue Jackets, he will definitely bounce back.
This just isn’t a game he will look back on fondly.
The Ugly: The First Line
This was one of the few times that the line of Nick Foligno, Alexander Wennberg and Brandon Saad looked bad on the ice. They are normally so dominant in their play and if one of them has a night off, the other can pick up the slack. Every one of them on there line was below 50% CF at even strength, one of only a handful of times it has happened this year. Where they really came into some trouble was when they were trying to exit the zone. That is a real strength for them and they couldn’t manage to pull it off.
It could be the way the Devils approached the game or it could’ve been a night off. Either way, Jackets’ fans should hope that this line gets back to it’s old ways or it’ll be a long end to the season.
Tweet of the Game:
Oh my God, dude… you need to send that back to get fixed… #CBJ pic.twitter.com/mNbiA8od83
— Martini Hockey (@MartiniHockey) February 4, 2017
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