First Period
– William Karlsson didn’t wait long to put the CBJ on the board and score his first of the season, lifting a snap shot past Mike Smith just 1:39 into the game. Scott Hartnell picked up an assist, as did David Savard for his ninth (!) of the year. @myregularface always brings the goods here and check out how Scott Hartnell threaded the needle right to a waiting Karlsson. That’s a good sign, chemistry-wise.
Karlsson goal, 1-0 CBJ pic.twitter.com/wAglihyM83
— Stephanie (@myregularface) November 15, 2015
– After the Jackets killed a Ryan Murray tripping call, Columbus received its first power play when Oliver Ekman-Larsson went off for a tripping penalty of his own. Ryan Johansen struck on the man advantage a little later at 5:13, firing a wrister for his second of the year. 2-0 Blue Jackets. We’ve said it before on here, but good things happen when you go to the net. Joey gets rewarded on the PP:
– Arizona put a lot more pressure on the Jackets in the second portion of the first and outshot the home side, 11-8. Anthony Duclair potted his seventh of the year off the rush, one of two very good rookies for the Coyotes (Max Domi being the other, and they both top the NHL rooking goals category). 2-1 Blue Jackets.
– No more goals but the Coyotes kept up the pressure. With 7:10 to go, Kyle Chipchura and Jared Boll earned matching roughings before Calvert went less than two minutes later on a tripping call. Mike Leggo add some choice words for the roughing penalties, a NSFW consequence of live mics on the ice.
Mike Leggo used some NSFW language for a pair of penalties between the #CBJ and #Coyotes: https://t.co/Oyj5jgSSgV pic.twitter.com/Ecltj7zvcO
— The Cannon (@cbjcannon) November 15, 2015
Second Period
– Big play potential Brandon Saad tried a backhand shot on a partial breakaway, but Smith stoned him in close. Tough break, and the play turned into trouble on the other end as the Coyotes took the puck and OEL buried a rebound to tie the game 5:49 into the second, 2-2. Brand new game.
– Not a ton to note in the second period after the goal, honestly. November hockey.
– Tensions boiled over with 4:28. Kevin Connauton threw a few punches at Michael Stone while Jared Boll and Max Domi fell to the ice together, all earning fighting majors. Prior to the play, OEL held up Kerby Rychel as the youngster would’ve had a point blank opportunity at a goal. Then everyone paired up and both boxes screamed at each other for quite a long time.
– CHILI! Boone Jenner scored his ninth of the year by deflecting Ryan Johansen’s low shot from the top of the circle, giving the CBJ a 3-2 lead with 3:46 left in the period. It looked like Joey’s second goal of the night, but look at Boone’s timely stickwork. This kid’s gonna be a star in this league:
– Some goonery late as John Scott and Jared Boll chirped at each other, culminating in Scott eventually fighting Scott Hartnell in the closing seconds. Columbus went on the power play thanks to a game misconduct to captain Shane Doan. Whoops.
– CBJ took a 3-2 lead into the locker room. Always nice to lead heading into the third, the question now: Can they keep it again?
Third Period
– It turned out Joey committed a roughing penalty at the end of the second, so 4-on-4 for awhile to start. Nothing doing there…only Matt Calvert then boarded Brad Richardson to sit for two with 17:21 left in the game.
– Arizona threatened in vain. Solid work from Sergei Bobrovsky and the CBJ defense (yeah!) to keep the home side’s lead intact.
– Wild Bill netted his second of the game (and season) with 9:18 on the clock, crashing a Cam Atkinson rebound for a two-goal CBJ lead. If Karlsson gets going, look out. Feels like he might have streak potential and getting that first goal could open the floodgates. Again, good things happen when you go to the net:
– Pushing and shoving after nearly every whistle. Scott and Boll continued to yell at each other and each team stayed out of the box.
– PING! Brandon Saad made it back-to-back scoring nights with 4:42 to go, clanging a shot off the iron and in to finish off a 2-on-1. Boone Jenner and Bob earned assists, marking Bob’s first of the season.
– The CBJ enjoyed one more PP in the final minutes. They didn’t score, but they had a three goal lead, so what more do you want?
– The C-B-J chant sounds really, really good right about now.
Quick Thoughts
– For the first time all year, the Blue Jackets faithful left Nationwide Arena in a good mood. Huge, especially coming off a win last night on the road against a good team with a third-period lead. It finally feels like the ship is turning. That said, Thanksgiving is two weeks away. We’ll have a much better idea of the team (and the postseason possibility) by then.
– Brandon Dubinsky will miss the next two-three weeks. Rychel looked solid tonight, playing 8:23 and being around when good things happened.
– Two goals for William Karlsson. Both coaches have had good things to say about him this year and there’s no relief like getting your first goal of the year.
– Boone Jenner with a three point night. Between Boone, Saad and Karlsson tonight, the youth movement looks good in Columbus. Jack Johnson registered a pair of helpers as well.
– Didn’t mention Bob tonight…should’ve, though. He stopped 27 shots and made the saves he needed to to win the game. Also? He held the Coyotes to 0-5 on the power play after blanking the Pens on all six of theirs on Friday night. Looks like he might be finally putting together the pieces, too.
– The Jackets have won two straight games. How about that? Two days off before St. Louis comes to town on Tuesday. One more win makes it a home winning streak.