PREVIEW: Blue Jackets begin busy stretch on Long Island

By now, it almost feels like we don’t have to go over the numbers simply because it sounds like a broken record.

The Blue Jackets keep finding ways to turn late leads into losses, with Los Angeles’ three-goal rally in the third period Tuesday in Nationwide Arena the nadir of a frustrating season. Eight times this year, Columbus has led in the third period only to leave without the full two points, and the gut-punch losses have been frustrating for both players and coaches.

But while head coach Pascal Vincent would prefer to see his team close out those games, he also believes the current struggles in those situations are part of the process for a team learning how to win. This particular issue might be in the team’s head at the moment – it’s just human nature – but he also thinks they’ll be helpful in the long run as the Blue Jackets try to build a consistent winner.

“It’s going to take time, but that’s part of the growing process,” Vincent said. “We’re right in the middle right now. We addressed it with the players. The players spoke. There’s a common understanding of what’s going on, obviously. And I believe it’s very positive that we’re going through this right now. Part of our mind-set, creating accountability and how we’re going to play for three periods, going through adversity like this will make us better if we do it the proper way. That’s where we are right now.”

The head coach added that he doesn’t believe the issues are majorly schematic, as it’s not necessarily the team’s plan to sit back and absorb pressure late in games. There’s no major change in the team’s strategy or mind-set, players and coaches agree, and it’s not like doom and gloom takes over the team’s bench when it’s going through the in-game situations.

“Everyone is talkative,” wing Mathieu Olivier said. “Everyone is involved. That’s the thing. Everyone has a good message there. No one is panicking. What was being said and what transpired on the ice was definitely not the same, but the message was positive – ‘Don’t worry about it, worry about the next shift.’ That’s pretty much it.”

But the results haven’t been there at times, and the reality is Columbus sits in last place in the Metropolitan Division. While the team has consistently been close to winning more games – 10 of the squad’s 19 losses are by one goal – the Blue Jackets head to Long Island for tonight’s game against New York feeling like it’s let points get away throughout the early season.

“It’s hard,” alternate captain Zach Werenski said. “Results are the only thing that really matter at the end of the day, but it doesn’t feel like we should be there if that makes sense. It’s frustrating to all of us. I feel like we’ve played better hockey than our record shows, and some nights we probably deserve more than what we got. But at the end of the day, it’s on the guys to close games out and find ways to win them. Right now, we’re just not doing that.”

Know The Foe: New York Islanders

Head coach: Lane Lambert (Second season)

Team stats: Goals per game: 2.83 (26th) | Scoring defense: 3.21 (17th) | PP: 25.4 percent (7th) | PK: 73.3 percent (30th)

The narrative: Since the arrival of Barry Trotz in 2018-19, the Islanders have built themselves into a consistent playoff team thanks to a strong commitment to defense and timely scoring, building a stifling unit that has been together for the past few years. That has led to playoff appearances in four of the last five seasons, and the Islanders made the final four in both 2019-20 and the 2021 shortened COVID season. The margin for error is getting tougher, though, and the Islanders’ once-sturdy team defense has shown some signs of weakness this season.

Team leaders: He’s not a spring chicken anymore, but at age 26, Mathew Barzal continues to be New York’s top producer, as he has exactly a point per game this year at 7-16-23 in 23 games. Defenseman Noah Dobson is adept at running a power play – he has 10 man-advantage assists – and is second on the team with a 5-17-22 line, while Bo Horvat’s first full season on the island has been a good one as he has seven goals among his 20 points. One of the most underrated players in the league, Brock Nelson is the team leader with 11 goals.

Ilya Sorokin remains the top goalie on the squad, starting 16 games and going 6-4-6 with a 3.19 GAA and .911 save percentage. Veteran Semyon Varlamov shut out the Blue Jackets earlier this year and is 4-3-1 with a 2.50 GAA and .926 save percentage.

What's new: The Islanders had a seven-game losing skid earlier this year, but they have points in nine of the last 10, going 5-1-4 in that span. They should be 6-1-3, they’d likely say, but New York blew a three-goal lead in the last 10 minutes Tuesday on the way to an overtime loss to San Jose. In a very un-Islanders-like stat, the team has given up 33 goals in that 10-game span, and they’ve ceded at least four goals in 11 of the last 15 contests.

Trending: Columbus has struggled against the Islanders since Trotz and then Lambert took over, posting a 4-10-2 record since the start of the 2018-19 season. On top of that, the Blue Jackets have never won in UBS Arena, going 0-3-1 and being outscored 17-6 in the barn that opened in 2021.

Former CBJ: None

Roster Report

Projected Lineup (subject to change)

Johnny Gaudreau – Boone Jenner – Justin Danforth
Yegor Chinakhov – Dmitri Voronkov – Kirill Marchenko
Emil Bemstrom – Adam Fantilli – Kent Johnson
Alexandre Texier – Sean Kuraly – Mathieu Olivier
Zach Werenski – Nick Blankenburg
Ivan Provorov – Andrew Peeke
Jake Bean – David Jiricek
Spencer Martin
Jet Greaves

Scratches: Patrik Laine (illness), Erik Gudbranson (illness)

Injured reserve: Cole Sillinger (upper body, day to day); Elvis Merzlikins (illness, out approximately a week as of Dec. 6); Adam Boqvist (shoulder strain, out approximately four weeks as of Dec. 6); Daniil Tarasov (knee, in Cleveland on conditioning assignment); Damon Severson (oblique, out approximately six weeks as of Nov. 19); Jack Roslovic (fractured ankle, out four to six weeks as of Nov. 13)

Roster Report: The Blue Jackets made multiple roster moves Wednesday, trading Eric Robinson to Buffalo and swapping out Sillinger, Boqvist and Merzlikins for Bemstrom, Blankenburg and Greaves. 

3 Stats to Know

• Johnny Gaudreau is producing at a point-per-game pace the last eight games with a 2-6-8 line and has three multipoint games in that span.
• With 18 assists, Zach Werenski is fifth among NHL defensemen in helpers. He has 13 assists in the last 14 games and is plus-6 in that span.
• Milestone watch: Gaudreau is two points from 700 for his NHL career (235-463-698, 709 GP). … Kent Johnson is set to play in the 100th game of his NHL career tonight (17-29-46, 99 GP). … Andrew Peeke played in his 200th NHL game Tuesday.

Who’s Hot

Dmitri Voronkov (5-7-12) and Adam Fantilli (5-7-12) are tied for fifth among NHL rookies in goals and tied for eighth in scoring among first-year players. … The team’s rookie stat line of 11-18-29 is tied for second in the NHL in goals and ranks third in points. … Boone Jenner has six goals in the last nine games and is tied for 12th in the NHL with 13 goals on the year. ... Columbus has allowed power-play goals in just four of the past 20 games, killing off 48 of 53 (90.6 percent) opponent power-play chances since Oct. 28. … Columbus is tied for third in the NHL in even-strength goals with 57, trailing only Vancouver (61) and Los Angeles (58). … The Blue Jackets have 63 points from defensemen this season, seventh in the league.

This Day in CBJ History

Dec. 7, 2011: Craig Patrick is named senior advisor, hockey operations of the Jackets.