Previously: October
Results
W 4-2 vs. TBL
L 1-2 @ WSH
L 4-5 (OT) @ FLA
L 2-5 vs. DAL
L 4-5 @ DET
L 3-4 (SO) @ NYR
L 3-5 vs. PIT
L 2-3 vs. ARI
L 3-4 @ WSH
L 2-5 @ PHI
W 7-3 vs. CHI
W 2-1 @ NJD
L 2-3 @ CAR
W 5-2 vs. BOS
L 2-4 vs. MTL
One more win this month than in October, yay! In six more games…boo. That’s a 9 game losing streak there in the middle, which tied the franchise record. The most frustrating part is how close the Jackets were in some of those losses. There was a stretch of 7 straight games where the Blue Jackets held a lead but still lost. For the month:
Scored first: 10 out of 15 games (4-5-1 record)
Held a lead: 13 out of 15 games (4-7-2 record)
You can find a silver lining in the fact that the Jackets are competitive, but at the same time it’s way more excruciating to lose after we’ve been given hope. This group needs to learn how to win.
Standings
I don’t need to tell you that the Jackets are still buried in last place in the Metro. They are two points ahead of Ottawa for last place in the East, but the Senators have a baffling SEVEN games in hand. There are 5 teams in the Western Conference with fewer points, but all have at least 2 games in hand. Only Chicago and San Jose have a worse points percentage than .375.
Stats
| Stat | November | October | 2022-23 |
| 5v5 CF% | 46.15 (26) | 48.10 (22) | 44.92 (30) |
| 5v5 FF% | 46.84 (27) | 48.26 (21) | 44.53 (30) |
| 5v5 Save % | 90.26 (23) | 91.04 (19) | 90.10 (30) |
| 5v5 Shooting % | 10.92 (4) | 6.70 (24) | 7.67 (30) |
| 5v5 xGF% | 46.37 (25) | 46.56 (26) | 44.13 (29) |
| GPG | 3.07 (20) | 2.56 (26) | 2.60 (30) |
| GAPG | 3.47 (22) | 3.33 (24) | 4.01 (31) |
| PP% | 7.1 (31) | 16.1 (18) | 18.3 (26) |
| PK% | 94.1 (1) | 83.9 (10) | 75.1 (25) |
Lots of regression from October to November, with the exception of shooting percentage (which is odd, since finishing still seems to be a struggle) and the legitimately excellent penalty kill.
Three Stars
Honorable Mention: Penalty Kill
I have been consistently critical of the continued employment of assistant coach Steve McCarthy, but I have to give him credit here for how well the penalty kill has played this season. That doesn’t make up for how bad the defense is at 5v5, but at least we’re not gifting opponents goals when we take penalties.
Honorable Mention: Zach Werenski
It has taken time for Z to shake off the rust after missing most of last season while recovering from a shoulder injury. He’s still not necessarily a noticeable, dominant force every night but he is nevertheless having a positive impact. He has a team-leading 11 points on the month (including a 4 assist night against the Blackhawks in the streak-breaking win) and, along with new partner Adam Boqvist, leads Jackets skaters in on-ice 5v5 goals for per 60 minutes.
Third Star: Kirill Marchenko
Marchy was scratched for two games to end October, and even though I don’t think that was warranted, it clearly lit a fire under him. He has 7 goals and 10 points on the month and is noticeable even when he isn’t scoring.
Second Star: Boone Jenner
The Captain continues to produce at a high level for the third season in a row. For November, he co-led the team in both goals and points. He also broke the franchise record for games played in a Blue Jackets uniform (681 and counting).
First Star: Dmitri Voronkov
Whether paired with Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko, or with Cole Sillinger and Yegor Chinakhov, Voronkov’s line has led the way. He has 3/6/9 in 15 games, is +3, and physically dominates on both ends of the ice. He has battled homesickness, but this has not shown up in the games. Hopefully he gets as comfortable away from the arena as he is there.
Needs Improvement
Star Forwards
Johnny Gaudreau has played better of late, and a 3/4/7 line is…well, it’s OK. Not that I’m happy about him being outscored by Erik Gudbranson, you know? He’s been playing way better over the last week, at least.
Patrik Laine, on the other hand, has not looked right since returning from his concussion. He has 3 goals this month, but they’re empty calories: 2 came in multi-goal losses and 1 came in a blowout win. His lines are getting dominated in possession (42.52% of 5v5 shot attempts, 38.88% of 5v5 expected goals).
Schedule
15 games in 27 days is a bit ridiculous, isn’t it? Twice they had 2 days off between games, but nothing longer than that. Could fatigue be a reason for the third period collapses?
Another issue is the lack of practice time allowed. With all of the lineup changes, practices are critical for getting on the same page. Often this looks like a team that hasn’t practiced much.
Unfortunately, December won’t provide much relief. There are 5 games in the first 8 days. The gap between games on 12/10 and 12/14 could be the first true break.