Nice job from the Blue Jackets on all of the pregame for Johnny Gaudreau. There was a video from Meredith asking us to not be sad and to enjoy the hockey, so on to the game coverage.
1st Period
Fantastic moment as the Blue Jackets took the opening face off with only 4 skaters on the ice and no left wing. After the draw, 13 seconds elapsed before a whistle in memory of Johnny.
Both teams understandably took some time to settle into this one, not a lot of puck control or sustained pressure for much the period. Monahan did have a nice chance off a rush early that ended with Chinakhov taking an uncalled high stick. The story of the period became the amount of time the CBJ would spend in the box. 13 minutes in Labanc got called for interference in the offensive zone when he knocked the stick out of the hands of a Panther. 3 minutes later Olivier received a penalty for a cross-check on Bennett in the offensive zone. With a minute left Harris got called for a high stick. Shout out to the PK units, they were pretty much flawless. KJ-Silly, and Aston-Reese stood out on the first two kills as the period ended at a scoreless draw.
2nd Period
Starting the period on the penalty kill, Kent Johnson was able to intercept a wayward pass and sent a beautiful backhand feed to Sillinger to spring him on a shorthanded breakaway. Cole finished the job with a wicked release over Knight.
CBJ Goal 1-0: Sillinger, shorthanded (Johnson) :41
Play opened up with the Jackets in control the remainder of the period. Bunches of rush opportunities early, especially for Werenski who was constantly slipping into the O zone with the puck. Z fired two shots off the iron early in this game. Unfortunately a failed zone exit lead to a Panthers opportunity they would convert.
FLA Goal 1-1: Lundell (Reinhart, Schmidt) 10:25
Credit to Reinhart here, great display of puck skills.
Quickly after the Jackets respond with a rush opportunity from the top line. Chinakhov fans on a shot but Monahan was there to clean it up and create a special moment.
CBJ Goal 2-1: Monahan (Chinakhov, Marchenko) 11:22
Memories of last year resurfaced as a response goal came from the Panthers shortly after. Some poor work in the D zone eventually led to blocked point shot that ended up on Kulikov’s stick. A strange knuckle puck of a shot later floated into the net and past Elvis.
Fla Goal 2-2: Kulikov (Mikkola, Lundell) 11:59
Fantilli drew an interference call after some nice puck handling and skating in the offensive zone a bit later. Both PP units looked dangerous. Quick puck and player movement, good entries, and some won puck battles but no goal.
Gudbranson collided with Monahan near center ice with a minute and a half remaining and stayed down on the ice. He headed to the locker room favoring his wrist and did not return for the evening.
Late in the period the trademark Panthers forecheck hounded the Jackets who could not get a clear. A pass from behind the net got past Christiansen and found Reinhart who put it past Elvis with less than two seconds remaining. Someone has to be able to get the puck and sit on it late in the period.
Fla Goal 2-3: Reinhart (Verhaeghe, Bennett) 19:58
Columbus dominated this period with 18 shots to 7, but down on the scoreboard.
3rd Period
Good shifts from Werenski and the top line got the Jackets going on the right foot with Marchenko drawing a tripping penalty a minute and a half in. Power play units continued to look dangerous, Labanc with the best chance on a slap shot late. The refs would swallow their whistles for the remainder of the contest.
Florida took control of this game in the middle of the frame and locked it down. Not much offensive generation from the Jackets after the power play and some long shifts spent on their own zone. The Monahan line continued to look strong and he had a glorious chance with 5:45 remaining as we walked out alone from behind the net but Knight got just enough to get the save. Evason put out a line of KJ-Sillinger-Fantill for on offensive draw with about 5 minutes left in the period. This was memorable because Florida would get the puck out and Reinhart would spring Luostarinen on the break who rang one off the crossbar and in.
Fla Goal 2-4: Luostarinen (Reinhart , Mikkola) 15:12
More aggressive coaching from Evason pulling Elvis with 4:20 remaining and icing 5 forwards and Werenski. That unit did not score, but the Jackets maintained strong sustained pressure until Labanc fired a wrister off of Knight that came to Severson who shot the puck in off of JVR’s shin.
CBJ Goal 3-4: JVR (Severson, Labanc) 17:21
More strong pressure for the Jackets for the remainder of the period. It was incredibly refreshing to see this team look lethal with the goalie pulled. They constantly won puck battles and were able to regain the zone after Panther clears. In the final minute a deflection came to JVR in front of the net who fed Chinakhov below the dot for a shot at an open goal. Knight reached out and made an incredible save and thus would end the Jackets challenge for the tying goal. Florida wins 4-3.
Final Thoughts
What a shame they couldn’t complete the comeback, but again strong play from the team. For the forwards, another strong night from the Monahan line. Monahan was fantastic on the dot winning 77% of his draws in addition to driving play, Chinakhov and Marchenko look dangerous whenever they get the puck. KJ continued to have standout individual moments but struggled to control play against the top line of the Panthers. The Fantilli line cannot figure out how to transition into the offensive zone together, but once there, Labanc and JVR can show their value, it was evident at the end of the game. The 4th line is now called the “Grind line”(?) and looked fine.
The back end did not perform as well tonight. Werenski continued to be obvious in transition and the offensive zone but didn’t generate too much quality off his play. Harris was quietly effective in his time as was Provorov and Christensen. Severson had some nice moments, but also some hideous ones that resulted in extended time in the D zone and quality chances against.
Elvis should take the majority of the blame for this loss. Early on he was noticeably more aggressive in playing the puck and more so to the detriment of the team. Fantilli bailed him out in the first on a failed poke check attempt, and the sequence that led to the first goal was started by indecision from him playing the puck behind the net.
Up Next
The Blue Jackets’ next game is home against a struggling Sabres on Thursday. The puck drops at 7:00 PM ET.