The Columbus Blue Jackets arrived in Alberta yesterday for the start of a season-long (to this point) five game road trip that will take them through Western Canada, Seattle, and finally St. Louis before enjoying a 10 day break. Here are some things we want to see on this trip:
Don’t sweat the first change
The Jackets have spent much of the first half of the season in the familiar environs of Nationwide Arena, with 26 of 45 games played at home. They haven’t benefited much from that, with a record of 9-13-4. Still, that’s way better than the meager 5-9-5 record on the road.
One solution I’m looking for is trusting all four lines. Opponents will take advantage of last change to shut down the top line…so make sure that multiple lines are playing well in a given night. Pascal Vincent seems to certain lines more late in games at home (the Boone Jenner and Sean Kuraly lines in particular) because of their supposed two-way strength. On the road, keep things balanced so everyone is fresh. Let the home coach overthink the matchups.
Share the goalie load
Elvis Merzlikins made the best of his return to action with a 4-3 OT win against Vancouver last Monday…then followed it up with an unimpressive performance in a 1-4 loss to New Jersey on Friday. So, is he still the #1 or will that crown go back to Daniil Tarasov?
Of course, there’s no need to make either #1 at this point. There are five games in nine days. Play Elvis three times and Tarasov twice, including a split of the one back-to-back, in Vancouver and Seattle on Saturday and Sunday. Each can be fresh but still avoid rust.
Get healthy and stay healthy
With Nick Blankenburg activated from IR on Sunday (and immediately sent back to Cleveland), just two Jackets remain on the injured list: Zach Werenski (ankle) and Patrik Laine (clavicle). Both have resumed practicing with the team, and are joining this trip. Could we see either make his comeback? They can join Jenner, who made his return on Friday.
Without further departures, there could be some lineup stability. That hasn’t been Vincent’s MO so far this season, but we can dream.
Play the spoiler
This season has been over for awhile, but that just means the Jackets have nothing to lose. They can’t make the playoffs, but they can make their opponents miserable for a night. Many teams on this trip are riding high at the moment, starting with the Edmonton Oilers in the first game. They have now won 13 games in a row, which is both a franchise record and Canadian franchise record. If they beat us, then they become the first team with 14 straight wins since the 2016-17 Blue Jackets (that finished with 16). We can’t let that happen, can we?
The challenge doesn’t stop there. Calgary has won 10 of their last 16, which has them within 4 points of the wild card. Seattle is tied with them and had a 9 game winning streak recently (but have lost their last 4). Vancouver hasn’t lost consecutive games since November and the only loss in their last 8 games was to Columbus.
Improve team chemistry
What is the mood in the locker room at this point? There are some moments that could have caused a rift: Veterans and young players having different experiences with Mike Babcock, which led to his dismissal. Frustration with Elvis over his fight with Tom Wilson. Dmitry Voronkov’s homesickness.
We have seen in the past, however, that this road trip can bring the team together. A team dinner in Vancouver in 2019 focused the team on the playoff run and launched a hot streak that got the team into the postseason. Time spent on the plane, at team dinners, or any other group activities away from the rink, can loosen things up. Time away from home can eliminate distractions and re-focus the players on hockey games at hand.
Adam Fantilli already had some fun on the plane (though let’s not focus on the fact that not only was he born long after Polaroids fell out of popularity, but after digital cameras had pretty much entirely replaced those with film)
You may also see some guys energized by the chance to play in front of friends and family closer to home: Cole Sillinger and Damon Severson from Saskatchewan, Jake Bean from Calgary, and Kent Johnson from Vancouver.
What do you want to see on this trip? What do you expect to see on the trip? Any predictions for the record?
I’ll say:
Edmonton WIN (the last thing anyone will expect)
Calgary LOSS
Vancouver LOSS
Seattle OT LOSS
St. Louis OT WIN