FINAL: Blue Jackets 3, Penguins 0

The Blue Jackets opened the 2021 exhibition season with a 3-0 victory against Pittsburgh in PPG Paints Arena in the Steel City.

Quote of the Game

Blue Jackets head coach Brad Larsen: "I'm sure they're a little tired. Our camps are hard. They just are. It was no surprise their legs were a little heavy. Berube held us in there and we found ourselves. The third period was much better."

CBJ Standouts

• Yegor Chinakhov continued his hot start to his CBJ career, as the 2020 first-round pick scored a goal in his first preseason game and finished with a team-high five shots on goal.
• Free agent camp invitee Jean-Francois Berube was excellent in net, stopping all 20 shots he faced in 31:55 of action.
• Adam Boqvist got his first goal in a CBJ uniform, giving the Jackets a 2-0 lead in the third period.

Quick Recap

The young Blue Jackets got off to a bit of a slow start, needing more than 11 minutes to get an official shot on goal, with Berube keeping the Jackets in the game including making a big stop on Brian Boyle from the doorstep 15 minutes into the game. And Columbus took advantage with 3:32 left as Chinakhov took a pass from Scott Harrington at the center point and was given time an space, with the Russian sniper taking advantage as he ripped a shot past goalie Tristan Jarry to make it 1-0.
While Columbus was outshot 13-3 in the first period, things were much more even in the second. The Blue Jackets had a pair good looks on the power play, with nice stops made by Jarry on CBJ youngsters Cole Sillinger and Kevin Stenlund. The Blue Jackets also swapped goalies with 8:05 left in the period, bringing in Jet Greaves in place of Berube.
The Blue Jackets then doubled the advantage to 2-0 early in the third period. A long shift in the offensive zone was finished off against the tired Pens as Alexandre Texier took the puck behind the net and found Boqvist cutting deep into the right circle, and the defenseman didn't miss as he doubled the CBJ lead at 4:10 of the frame. The Blue Jackets were able to shepherd the win home from there, outshooting the Penguins by an 11-6 margin in the third period and getting an empty-net goal from Emil Bemstrom of an unselfish feed from Justin Danforth with 2:17 to go.

Jeff's Three Takeaways

1. OK, everyone is starting to see just how good Chinakhov's shot is. The 20-year-old Russian and 2021 KHL rookie of the year has a shot that has it all -- a quick release plus deadly speed and accuracy. He used it against Jarry, as Pens forward Justin Almeida gave him plenty of time and space and Chinakhov responded by ripping one into the top corner. Chinakhov also showed some pretty good playmaking skills at other times. He still has a lot to learn, but you can't help but think about what this kid can become with a little seasoning.
   2. Columbus certainly wasn't great throughout, and you can probably attribute that to some nerves, as a number of players were making their first NHL appearances in preseason games. But at the end of the day, one thing that was notable was just how much the Jackets battled, as while Pittsburgh had more of the puck throughout first 40 minutes, the Pens didn't have too many second chances at the netfront thanks to some solid CBJ defending. In all, the Jackets blocked 19 shots, a testament to the team's defensive dedication on the evening.
   3. Much of the game was about putting the Jackets players into situations and seeing how they would respond. For example, the coaching staff plans to start Texier at center this year and hopes he finds a full-time home there, and he had some good moments in this game including the primary assist with an excellent pass on the Boqvist goal. Sillinger even got some penalty kill time at age 18 to see how he'd handle it. This is what the preseason is all about, and the Jackets have some things to build on.

Notable

Pittsburgh finished with a 28-23 edge in shots on goal. ... Chinakhov had six goals in three games during the NHL Prospects Tournament in Traverse City, Mich., before camp started. … Pittsburgh also replaced Jarry with prospect Filip Lindberg with 8:05 to go in the second. … The CBJ penalty kill finished 5-for-5, while the power play was 0-3. … Sillinger was given a second assist on Chinakhov's first-period goal and finished second on the team with four shots on goal. ... Danforth got the second assist on the Boqvist goal, giving him two points on the night. ... Greaves made eight stops in his 28:05 of action.

Roster Report

Here is a link
to the roster the Blue Jackets used for the game.

Up Next

Columbus returns to Nationwide Arena for the first two home preseason games of the year tomorrow vs. Buffalo and Wednesday against St. Louis. Both games will be at 7 p.m.