9 games left, Jackets fans. After Tuesday’s improbable comeback victory against the Philadelphia Flyers, the Columbus Blue Jackets welcomed the Carolina Hurricanes to Nationwide Arena for one of the remaining two games against the southern club this season.
In team news, Jared Boll was suspended for 4 games after his hit on Pierre-Edouard Bellemare Tuesday night. In my opinion, the suspension was deserved. I thought Boll’s hit was dirty, and with his status as a repeat offender as well as playing for a team that has earned zero benefit of the doubt in the penalty department this season, I am unsurprised to see him get four games. Nick Foligno was back in the lineup, and David Clarkson and Rene Bourque would be scratched. Sergei Bobrovsky started between the pipes.
To the highlights!
FIRST PERIOD HIGHLIGHTS
Wennberg forced a turnover at 1:00 and fired a backhand wide of Eddie Lack.
William Karlsson redirected a shot wide of the net at 2:15.
End to end action open the game, with each team generating only one shot on net in the first five minutes.
Nick Foligno fired a shot off of Lack’s glove, who then lost the puck as it deflected off of his glove but the Jackets could not control it.
The Jackets generated 4 of the first 5 shots as the teams went to a TV timeout with 6:30 gone.
The Jackets turned the puck over in their own slot at 8:00 to Riley Nash, but Foligno was able to break it up.
Boone Jenner saw a shot saved at 9:15. This was a pretty slow start to the period, if you couldn’t tell.
Jackets power play. Noah Hanifin hit Scott Hartnell with a high stick, giving the Jackets a man advantage at 10:10.
There are 9 teams worse on the power play in the NHL than Columbus. I have no idea how.
The number of Jackets who stand around with a man advantage is just mind boggling. I’ll never understand it. Seriously, passing the puck skating into the zone to a guy standing flat footed on the blue line, leading to a turnover? That’s awful.
The Canes killed it, because of course they did. 1 shot generated for Columbus.
With a mess in front of the net at 13:00, the Jackets were unable to shovel it home. Matt Calvert and William Karlsson were involved.
Noah Hanifin walked straight through the entire Blue Jackets roster and tried to tuck a shot home before being stoned by Sergei Bobrovsky at 15:00.
Ryan Murray saw a shot from the point saved at 16:00.
Oliver Bjorkstrand fired a puck just wide at 17:30.
At the end of one period, the teams were tied in a scoreless draw. The Jackets outshot the Canes 16-6.
SECOND PERIOD HIGHLIGHTS
Quick saves for Bobrovsky on Joakim Nordstrom and Jordan Staal to open the second period.
Fight. Nick Foligno and Brad Malone. Foligno went after Malone who, in their last meeting, had given Foligno a concussion. Foligno won the fight cleanly and easily. A bit of payback for a complete cheap shit. Both went to the box with fighting majors at 2:27.
On a 2 on 1, Matt Calvert and Cam Atkinson could not convert. Lack had no idea where the puck was, but the Jackets could not send it home.
After a scrum and collision with Scott Hartnell in from of the net, Eddie Lack for Carolina was extremely slow getting up at 5:00.
Lack stopped a Brandon Saad wrap around attempt at 6:00.
Nice change generated by Gregory Campbell and Dalton Prout at 7:30.
At 8:00, David Savard beat Lack, but drew iron.
Seth Jones was denied at 9:00 as he crashed the net hard from the point.
Scrum at 9:22 as Brandon Dubinsky and Elias Lindholm had a nice exchange. Both went off for roughing, and we would skate 4 on 4 for 2 minutes.
Jackets power play. At 12:05, Carolina was hit for too many men on the ice.
Save for Bobrovsky on a 2 on 1 (while shorthanded!!) chance for Carolina.
Our power play is a war crime.
Carolina, needless to say, killed the penalty.
Michael Chaput LEVELED Ron Hainsey at 16:30.
BLUE JACKETS GOAL. Brandon Dubinsky won an offensive zone faceoff, and the puck found its way to Dalton Prout. Prout let a shot go, and it Calvert’s deflection beat Lack at 17:35. Carolina challenged the play for goaltender interference as Matt Calvert was in the way of Lack’s line of sight. The goal stood, however, after replay. Assists to Dalton Prout and Brandon Dubinsky.
Ryan Murray had the puck in the slot as Lack went down, but SOMEHOW this team did not find the ability to even get a shot off.
Elias Lindolm and Cam Atkinson went at each other after a whistle. Lindholm was the aggressor, and somehow ended up with only 2 minutes. Cam went off for 4 minutes with roughing and interference minors. All penalties at 18:45.
Not sure how that’s on Cam, but okay.
At the end of the second period, the Jackets led 1-0, outshooting Carolina 29-14.
THIRD PERIOD HIGHLIGHTS
Big save for Bobrovsky to deny Victor Rask early.
Hurricanes goal. As Victor Rask entered the zone, he let a shot go between Murray’s legs and right under the crossbar. He equalized the game at 0:52. Assists to Jeff Skinner and Noah Hanifin.
Brandon Saad denied at 1:00.
Hurricanes goal. Chris Terry, after being sprung on a breakaway by Ryan Murphy, put the Canes on top 2-1 at 1:19.
Hurricanes goal. Immediately after the faceoff, Jordan Staal threw a shot at Bobrovsky and it beat Bobrovsky at 1:28.
Boy, that escalated quickly.
Blue Jackets goal. Following a scrum in front of the net, Boone Jenner buried a rebound by basically hammering Eddie Lack till the puck was jammed across the line at 4:03. Team leading 27th for Jenner. Assists to Bjorkstrand Brandon Saad.
Immediately off the faceoff, Bobrovsky denied Jordan Staal on a breakaway.
That all happened so fast, I got no updates on the assists for the Carolina goals. Apologies.
Brandon Saad was denied on a close backhand at 6:00.
With Sergei Bobrovsky down, Gregory Campbell was able to clear the zone at 8:00.
After Bjorkstrand rushed the puck into the zone, Boone Jenner just fired the puck over the net on a rebound.
Brandon Dubinsky hit the post at 10:22.
Lack denied a Bjorkstrand one timer at 12:00.
Dalton Prout hobbled to the bench at 13:00- didn’t see what happened to him.
Nathan Gerbe cross checked Nick Foligno. No call at 14:00.
Continuous action through the closing minutes of the hockey game, but Columbus could not find a real scoring chance.
Eddie Lack saved a point blank shot from Scott Hartnell at 17:45, flat robbing Hartnell.
The team pulled Bobrovsky with 90 seconds left.
Nordstrom missed a gaping net for Carolinawith 30 seconds left.
FINAL
Carolina Hurricanes 3 Columbus Blue Jackets 2
THREE STARS
*** Victor Rask
** Boone Jenner
* Eddie Lack
QUICK THOUGHTS
I am convinced there has never been a team as bad at zone entries in the entire history of the NHL as the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Our power play is just beyond words totally awful.
Our defense misses Jack Johnson. Badly.
Mental lapses like what happened at the start of the third period cannot happen. 3 goals in 38 seconds? Really?
Once again, Columbus recorded a high volume of shots against a netminder who was clearly struggling with rebounds, but it took until the third period and Boone Jenner’s goal for the team to really crash the net hard.
The first 2 minutes of the third period killed this team.
29 high danger scoring chances to 13 for Carolina and a loss. Welp.
UP NEXT
Columbus heads out on the road to take on the Nashville Predators on Saturday night. Faceoff is at 8:00 EST.