In a harrowing bookend to this season, the Columbus Blue Jackets fell by the same score as the home opener (4-2) to the same team (the New York Rangers). It was a game where the visiting team was quicker, not necessarily faster, according to head coach John Tortorella and Columbus couldn’t battle back enough to overcome the Rangers offensive production.
The Rangers also secured their playoff berth with tonight’s win.
Room for Improvement:
Tortorella stressed in his post game press conference that is wasn’t the speed of the game perse that got the Jackets behind in the scoring battle, it was the quickness of play that the home team couldn’t match. The crispness of passes, the execution of shots. Too much passing, not enough shooting left the Jackets standing around seemingly trying to find “the perfect shot to score.” Torts emphasized that he doesn’t think every shot needs to be a good chance to go in the net, but that it is a chance to break up the defense, get them out of their rhythm and that is when the scoring opportunities come.
“It’s something we have to get better at, thinking ‘shot first’ and not looking for the pass,” Tortorella said. “That’s a very frustrating part of the game for me. That’s how you create offense is by putting the puck on the net.”
Expect to see effort, even after this season is done, to shake the mentality of the Jackets players to not make as many plays and get a nose for the net.
Feel Good and Scoring Good Moment:
To say it’s been a rough year for Nick Foligno hockey wise is an understatement, something our own Matt Souva wrote on prior to this game. The captain hadn’t scored since Feb 25 when he had a hat trick on home ice. But tonight, Foligno keyed into a simple game and found that play came easier to him tonight – in the form of the only two Jackets goals scored. “I just let everything go tonight and played the game for what it was. It felt good, I needed to do that a lot earlier,” Foligno said.
juuuust nicked it pic.twitter.com/1ZXzDKAGcl
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) April 5, 2016
The Kids are Alright, Still:
It’s been exciting to celebrate the accomplishments and polish of young Jackets players like Oliver Bjorkstrand and Sonny Milano, and they are exciting. Bjorkstrand, for example, was tops tonight in even strength Rel Corsi % at 21.96%. But another young player is catching my eye.
Defenseman Dean Kukan is showing Jackets fans quite a confident game on the ice. In 21:57 TOI, he led the team in controlled zone exits (7) – all at even strength, and even was carrying the puck in the zone a few times by game’s end.
He was tied for second in Corsi for (even strength) with David Savard and was alone in second for Corsi +/- at +7.
Kukan is not afraid to carry the puck and again, shows a quiet confidence on ice that has been a pleasant surprise.
Almost…
There was a resounding feeling among the Jackets that they could have tied the game up.
Quote of the night:
It was Fan Appreciation Night for the Jackets tonight. Here is what the Captain left the 16,000 or so who showed up with at the game’s conclusion.
A message from the #CBJ captain, Nick Foligno:https://t.co/ckStWZnhBk
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) April 5, 2016
The Jackets have their final practice at home for the 2015-16 season Tuesday before jetting off to Toronto for a Wednesday night matchup. When it comes to draft pick order, that game may end up being arguably one of the most important of the season.
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