The Columbus Blue Jackets strolled into a cold Winnipeg Thursday night with, admittedly, a weekend more glamorous than a few points late at night in the NHL’s least park-filled city. The Jackets were looking to make a road trip a perfect 3/3 after beating a pesky Bruins club and meandering out of Minnesota with 2 points against one of this season’s most disappointing stories. The Jets had won 4 in a row going into tonight’s game, and it showed all evening that they were confident in their speed, their strength and their goaltending.
As one might have expected, the Jackets played a lackluster game that ended well before the final horn sounded. The real loss for the Jackets was the (as of now unknown) status of Sergei Bobrovsky, who went down early in the 2nd period with an apparent strain or pull. Depth player Jeremy Morin went down too, and the beat goes on….and on…for a Blue Jackets team that just can not afford it.
3rd Star: Chris Thorburn
I really didn’t see anything special about his goal; the 4th tally that was far from being any kind of dagger; but hey, can’t really place anyone from the Blue Jackets here right?
2nd Star: Blake Wheeler
I can’t really say what the Blue Jackets defensive corps was doing on this guys goal. Props where it’s due, though. He rocketed that shot past Bobrovsky and got the home fans rocking early on.
1st Star: Michael Hutchinson
Besides having an incredibly difficult name to type, Hutchinson has got an impressive out-of-nowhere season being built as well. After stopping what seemed like 100 shots against the Dallas Stars earlier in the week, he comes back to finally nab the goose egg against a Blue Jackets team that probably was the perfect prey. Hats off to him, hope he’s not like the other goaltenders Winnipeg has hung their hopes on
Game in One Picture:
Stud: The first period
As bas as this game turned out to be, the Jackets didn’t seem like they were out of it in the opening frame of the game. They had more than doubled up Winnipeg’s shot clock and were getting chances left and right…they just couldn’t make that one pass to seal the deel and light the lamp.
Dud: Everything else
Besides the optimism the first gave me almost nothing else about this matchup was good. People got hurt, feelings got hurt, and playoff chances got hurt. The Blue Jackets are praying for the health of Sergei Bobrovsky, since any remaining playoff hopes rest on his ability to stop pucks.
Well, there you have it. A deflating, humiliating loss that might very well be the curtain call for the Blue Jackets season…and it’s happened before the All-Star break. I hope that the All-Star festivities go well for the city of Columbus and the Blue Jackets because the road to the big dance is getting longer and longer. Stay safe, friends!
Carry the Flag!
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