The good news is the Blue Jackets played well enough Saturday night to get a win against the Anaheim Ducks.
The bad news is the Blue Jackets were inconsistent enough to lose, and that’s what happened.
Columbus had advantages at 5-on-5 in shot attempts (68-55), shots on goal (37-25), high-danger chances (17-13) and expected goals (3.39-2.34) and led with three minutes to go, but the Ducks got an extra attacker goal and then scored in overtime to take a 4-3 win.
It was a frustrating result for the Blue Jackets, and not just because it ended a three-game homestand without a win and moved the team to 1-4-2 in the last seven games. Columbus again wasn’t at its very best, but it came tantalizing close to two points only to leave with just one.
“It’s just, we’re making some mistakes that have been uncharacteristic for the majority of the season,” head coach Dean Evason said. “The positive part is we know it’s in there. I’d argue there was more positive than negative here tonight, so we have to take that. We’re disappointed we didn’t get two (points), but we got one.”
It was the second straight game Columbus led in the third period but ended up losing in overtime, and perhaps that’s fitting because it’s emblematic of the positive and negative the team is balancing at the moment. The Blue Jackets have been right there, but they just haven’t been able to finish things off.
“I think we’ve done some good things in spurts, but we have to find more consistency, especially in scenarios where we have the lead in the third period,” James van Riemsdyk said. “I think finding ways to really stick to our plan, really smother teams, be really detailed with our structure in certain situations, I think we can do that a little bit better. But I think we definitely did some good things. There’s obviously some things we can clean up as well.”
Things don’t get any easier today as the team doesn’t have long to lick its wounds. Columbus jumped on a plane after the game and flew to Carolina, where it matches up against a team that challenges you every second of the 60 minutes on the clock. The Hurricanes are one of the hardest teams to play against in the league, so the Blue Jackets have to reset and be ready to go from the opening whistle in Raleigh.
“Throughout the season, there’s a lot of peaks and valleys,” Jack Johnson said. “You have to stay emotionally even-keeled. You can’t get too high, can’t get too low. We have a quick turnaround tomorrow against a really good team.”
Know The Foe: Carolina Hurricanes
Head coach: Rod Brind’Amour (Seventh season)
Team stats: Goals per game: 3.59 (4th) | Scoring defense: 2.93 (11th) | PP: 27.7 percent (4th) | PK: 84.4 percent (3rd)
The narrative: The Canes just keep on Canesing, as the team’s pressuring, speedy style continues to lead to turnovers, shots on goal and a lot of wins. Fresh off six consecutive playoff appearances, Carolina went through major changes in the offseason – including the departure of GM Don Waddell to Columbus – but just keeps on rolling. The Canes are again one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference and in the mix for a fourth Metro title in five seasons, but the Stanley Cup is the one thing that has eluded the group to this point.
Team leaders: The talent has always been there, and now Martin Necas has fully arrived. The 25-year-old Czech leads Carolina and is tied for fourth in the NHL with 43 points, including 14 goals and 29 assists, a mark that places him fourth league in helpers. Sebastian Aho continues to produce with seven goals among his 30 points, while veteran Shayne Gostisbehere leads the defensemen in scoring with a 6-19-25 line. Jack Roslovic (13 goals) and Andrei Svechnikov (11) have reached double digits in goals.
With goalie Frederik Andersen out with injury, Pyotr Kochetkov has stepped into a full-time starting role after some strong seasons, and the Russian is 12-5-0 with a 2.61 GAA and .895 save percentage.
What's new: Carolina saw a shakeup in the front office and also in the lineup this offseason, as the team said goodbye to Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teravainen, Stefan Noesen and Brady Skjei and welcomed in former Blue Jackets Roslovic and Eric Robinson as well as William Carrier, Gostisbehere and Sean Walker. After a hot start that had the team 16-5-1 through the first 22 games, Carolina has hit a bit of a skid, losing five of the last seven including a shutout loss Friday vs. Ottawa.
Trending: Carolina has been the Blue Jackets’ kryptonite the past three seasons, as Columbus was just 3-8-0 the past three seasons, but Columbus won the first matchup of the year Nov. 23 by taking a 5-4 shootout victory.
Former CBJ: Robinson is seventh on the team in scoring on the season, posting an 8-9-17 line, while Roslovic’s goal-scoring touch has been on full display. The team also has goalie Spencer Martin, who has played in nine games thus far with a 3.89 GAA and .846 save percentage.
