This week marked a true change of direction in the Blue Jackets organization. The removal of Howson and the introduction of Kekalainen as General Manager showed this franchise that the only sure fire way for stability is success. I believed that massive change would resonate through the dressing room directly into the players, leaving me extremely excited for the game against Los Angeles tonight.
Remarkably, or sadly I suppose, Columbus looked much like the same as we have seen. We saw signs of brilliance but an otherwise dismal effort offensively. Columbus was only able to muster 13 shots on Bernier, who turned away all but one late effort by Foligno.
Sadly, my days of sugarcoating losses are nearing an end. When I see a team rise and fall the way I do with Columbus, I can’t help but leave the game with the mindset that they deserved their fate, and this game is no exception. With the exclusion of the penalty kill which continues to be exceptional, there was nothing really notable about the play on either end of the ice.
For Bobrovsky, I thought he played quite well. Bob stopped 20 of 22 shots and made some key saves that absolutely provided the team with the chance to gain an early lead, tie the game, or get back into the game (as the progression would go). The goals scored included a 2 on 1 short side rip from Clifford which I would say is maybe 50/50. One of those saves you’d like the goalie to get 50% of the time. The second goal came off of a flukey deflection on the LA power play. Again though, Bob’s efforts proved useful enough to keep Columbus within striking distance.
A big loss came in the second period when a bad point shot from Jack Johnson struck Anisimov somewhere between the shin pad and skate, leaving him hobbling and in obvious pain. The bones in feet are quite small and relatively brittle, so here is hoping the injury report on him is a simple bruise and nothing too punishing. Artem’s efforts on the penalty kill have been nothing short of outstanding.
Defensively, the newer faces continue to be the best (or least mistake riddled) players for Columbus. Obviously playing some of the easier minutes of the game, Erixon and Goloubef have played admirably in their time with the big club. Unfortunately the same can’t be said for Johnson, Nikitin, or Tyutin. Blatant mistakes with the puck, turnovers, and the inability to hold the offensive line caused me great frustration while watching this tilt, especially when Nikitin turned the puck over late in the second leading to the Clifford goal. Pathetically, ESPN’s scoresheet limited Nikitin to two turnovers, despite it being in the realm of ten or more. Terrible decision making.
Offensively, with thirteen shots to show for it, the Blue Jackets must get better. A late goal by Foligno off a nice feed from Johnson kept the Jackets from being completely embarrassed offensively, but even that chance was more of a fluke than a pretty play. On that mentality, I believe Columbus needs to stop focusing so hard on making the great pass and spending more time pushing pucks towards the net and fighting for the harder areas of the ice. Once the bodies pile up in the slot, the chances get better, and often times the players are rewarded. It certainly beats a couple behind the back passes along the perimeter.
What I find so remarkable is the continued discussion in the post game about playing a full sixty minutes. Foligno made mention that they need to find a way to play a full game, and they might have only played forty in this one. As professionals, as honest hard working players, these guys shouldn’t need excuses to show up for a full game each night. I personally don’t have solutions for this, but I certainly hope it is something that gets resolved sooner rather than later.
Columbus is back in action immediately Saturday night against Phoenix. It is up to them to bear down and fight for offensive opportunities. It is up to them to show resilience. Maybe guys like Umberger can show they are out to play rather than playing invisible. Maybe Tyutin and Nikitin can produce chances rather than giving them away. Maybe a sense of pride and a bit of urgency is exactly what the doctor ordered.
Carry the Flag.
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