Columbus looks to get back in the win column and end a two-game losing skid against the Canucks
Blue Jackets head coach Dean Evason has preached throughout his tenure that his team has to play the same way each game.
It’s the same message in the middle of each contest, as well. Every hockey game is going to have swings, of course, but being as consistent as possible and never getting too high or too low are integral parts of managing games at the NHL level. The cliche of playing 60 minutes of hockey has become part of the sport’s lexicon because it’s true, after all.
The last two games, though, game management has contributed to losses for the Blue Jackets. Sunday at the Islanders, Columbus gave up two goals in the final 1:07 to see a potential 2-1 win turn into a 3-2 loss.
Wednesday at Calgary, the Blue Jackets again had two instances in the game in which they gave up back-to-back goals on the way to a 5-1 setback. Most frustrating to Evason was what happened in the second period, as the Blue Jackets had rebounded from a tough start to cut the Flames’ lead to 2-1, then were pushing for the tying goal early in the second.
But when Calgary scored on back-to-back odd-man rushes 37 seconds apart, the Blue Jackets went from feeling like they were getting back into the game to having a mountain to climb.
“The third and fourth goals, they were both 2-on-1s,” Evason said. “We had seven scoring chances for before those two went in the net. So what we talked about today to the team was that our game management has to be a lot better. We’ve praised our guys about staying in hockey games and not shooting ourselves. We definitely shot ourselves (in Calgary).
“You can’t give up two 2-on-1s there. We had all the momentum in the hockey game and we’re trying to push for offensive, obviously. We’re down 2-1 at the time, but we have to give ourselves an opportunity to get back into that hockey game, and that’s not by playing risky hockey. We can still play aggressive, but what we did was not manage the game properly in that situation.”
That will again be key tonight in Vancouver as the Blue Jackets look to nip that two-game losing skid in the bud. Another part of consistency in the NHL is not allowing losing streaks to fester, and the Blue Jackets see the importance of getting points tonight against the Canucks.
“We never want to let one (loss) become two, right?” Adam Fantilli said. “So we’re gonna get back out there and we’re gonna try our best. I mean, that can’t happen again. Especially the way we lost in New York and then coming in and the way we lost in Calgary, I don’t want to let that happen again. We know what we did wrong and we know what we have to correct, so hopefully we come out and it’s a different hockey team you’re watching.”
Scratches: Zach Aston-Reese, Isac Lundeström, Dysin Mayo
Injured reserve/Non-Roster: Erik Gudbranson (upper body injury)
Roster Report: Both Monahan and Mateychuk practiced despite nagging injuries, and Evason said he’ll have to see how they progress before proclaiming either would play tonight. The Blue Jackets also experimented with some major line changes in practice, so time will tell how everything will shake out.
Nov. 8, 2011: Center Mark Letestu is acquired in a trade with Pittsburgh, with a 2012 fourth-round draft pick going to the Pens. Letestu would go on to play 255 games with the Blue Jackets over two stints, totaling 44 goals and 102 points.
Cole Sillinger is set to play in his 300th NHL game, while Zach Aston-Reese could play in the 400th of his career depending on how the lineup shakes out. … Elvis Merzlikins’ .917 save percentage is fifth among NHL goalies who have played at least 300 minutes. … Blue Jackets defensemen have scored in nine of 13 games so far this year, and the team’s 11 tallies from blueliners lead the NHL. … Zach Werenski is tied for second in the NHL among defensemen in goals (four), tied for 11th in points (10), tied for sixth in plus/minus (plus-9) and second in average time on ice (26:08). … Kirill Marchenko has points in 11 of 13 games this year and a 6-7-13 line, plus a six-game point streak (1-5-6) after scoring his first career shorthanded goal Wednesday. … The Blue Jackets have outscored opponents 30-24 at 5-on-5 thus far, the fifth-best ratio in the NHL. … Columbus is 4-0-0 in Saturday games this season.
Head coach: Adam Foote (First season)
Team stats: Goals per game: 2.67 (27th) | Scoring defense: 3.33 (25th) | PP: 19.2 percent (18th) | PK: 68.0 percent (31st)
The narrative: There always seems to be plenty happening off the ice with the Canucks, and this offseason was no exception. Head coach Rick Tocchet left to take over the Flyers, with Vancouver giving Foote – a former CBJ captain – his first head coaching job. There was also much chatter about the futures of stars Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes in Vancouver, with the Canucks having just two playoff appearances in the last 10 seasons. It’s a talented mix but one that hasn’t led to as much success as the franchise likely would have hoped in recent years.
Scoring leaders: The Canucks have struggled to put the puck in the net so far this season, scoring two goals or less in seven of 15 games. Conor Garland leads the way in the early going with a 3-8-11 line, with Pettersson right behind with three goals among his 10 points. Columbus-area native Kiefer Sherwood has been one of the most intriguing stories of the early season, as a year after setting an NHL record with 462 hits, he’s tallied nine goals in the early part of the campaign. Brock Boeser has chipped in six goals while Quinn Hughes has a 1-7-8 line in 11 games.
In net: Longtime Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko leads the way with nine starts on the season, going 5-4-0 with a 2.57 GAA and .911 save percentage in his ninth season with the Canucks.
What’s new: Coming off a 5-2 home loss to Chicago on Wednesday, the Canucks have alternated wins and losses in the last seven games, though all three of those victories have come in overtime or a shootout. They’re also dealing with injuries to such depth players as Filip Chytil, Teddy Blueger, Nils Hoglander, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Derek Forbort and Victor Mancini.
Trending: The teams have split the season series each of the last four years, with Columbus winning all four games at home and dropping all four in Vancouver. Last season, the Canucks held serve at home, capturing a 5-2 victory Dec. 6.
Former CBJ: After playing six games with the Blue Jackets last season, wing Joseph LaBate has ended up back in Vancouver – the team that originally drafted him in 2011 – and played one game this season.
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