All good things come to an end at some point, and that was the case Tuesday night in Calgary for the Blue Jackets.
Columbus’ six-game point streak (5-0-1) came to a close and the team was shut out for the first time all season in a 3-0 setback against the Flames. It was in some ways a predictable outcome, as the Flames were in need of points – they just returned home from a winless four-game road swing that included a loss in Columbus – and there was the emotional pregame ceremony honoring the Gaudreau family that made Tuesday about more than just a game.
But CBJ head coach Dean Evason wasn’t one to listen to excuses, noting the Blue Jackets just didn’t get to their game for consistent enough stretches to get the two points.
“They’ve played really stingy defense here, but we didn’t have the same pop that we’ve had,” Evason said. “We were just kind of a step behind all night, literally. We had a little push in the third and then obviously the penalty kind of took us out of it there at the end, but we just didn't have that extra that we've had consistently here as of late.”
Perhaps the biggest thing the Blue Jackets will want to address quickly is the penalty kill, as the Flames scored their first two goals on the power play before a late empty-net goal. It marked the 10th straight contest in which Columbus has given up a power-play goal, and the Blue Jackets will surely be tested in that regard tonight in Edmonton.
On the other hand, you could note some defensive progress for the Blue Jackets, who have given up just one goal at 5-on-5 over the past three games.
“There weren’t many opportunities 5-on-5 either way,” Cole Sillinger said postgame. “But yeah, we’re confident with our defensive game where we know we can score goals. At the end of the day, it’s been a focus for us in the last couple of games to keep pucks out of our net. We’re seeming to do that. We just have to tighten some structure up on the PK and not have little breakdowns that are costly.”
Know The Foe: Edmonton Oilers
Head coach: Kris Knoblauch (Second season)
Team stats: Goals per game: 2.88 (18th) | Scoring defense: 2.96 (13th) | PP: 17.7 percent (22nd) | PK: 72.1 percent (29th)
The narrative: Boasting two of the superstars of the game in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton has continuously built over the years but still hasn’t been able to hoist the elusive Stanley Cup, coming within a game of it a season ago but losing Game 7 of the Final vs. Florida. Even with a somewhat slower start that has the team currently occupying the last wild card spot in the Western Conference, this season will be ultimately measured by whether the trophy comes back to Edmonton for the first time since 1990.
Team leaders: As usual, McDavid and Draisaitl find themselves among the league’s top scorers, though they’re not at the very top as they often are. Draisaitl is second in the NHL with 17 goals and tied for 12th with 32 points, while McDavid is just behind with a 12-19-31 line that puts him 14th in the league in scoring. Defenseman Evan Bouchard is next with six goals among 18 points, but depth scoring has been an issue as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (4-8-12) is the only other player with more than 10 points.
Stuart Skinner is the No. 1 in net, posting an 8-7-2 record in 17 starts with a 2.97 GAA and .889 save percentage. He’s backed up by Calvin Pickard (5-3-0, 2.50, .895).
What's new: Edmonton made some changes in the offseason, acquiring veteran goal scorer Jeff Skinner from Buffalo for young center Ryan McLeod and signing Viktor Arvidsson in free agency. It hasn’t paid off yet – Skinner has four goals while Arvidsson had just two before being injured in mid-November – but the Oilers hope the two will add some offensive punch as the year goes by. It hasn’t helped that top-six forwards Zach Hyman and Evander Kane have missed time because of injury.
Trending: The Blue Jackets took a 6-2 win over the Oilers on Oct. 28 in Nationwide Arena, its fourth straight win over Edmonton in Columbus, but have won just one of the last five in Oil Country.
