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1. Columbus deserves a lot of credit for what they were able to do in Game 4. Trailing 3-0 early, it would have been easy to mail it in and accept defeat. They certainly didn't do that, though, as they carried play for the final 55 minutes or so, and eventually were granted the result they deserved when Nick Foligno won it in overtime. I didn't think they had a comeback in them, but they certainly proved me wrong, and now have the momentum in this series. The pressure is on the heavy favorites now, and with Marc-Andre Fleury showing signs of the goaltender we saw in the playoffs the last few years, I think the Blue Jackets will steal this series.
2. Marc-Andre Fleury was good for much of the night, but the misplay he made on the tying-goal was awful, and the overtime winner was abysmal. He always seems to struggle after allowing a bad goal, especially in the playoffs, and I think this loss will get to him. If he starts Game 5 - I imagine he will - the Blue Jackets will need to put pucks on net early and often. Make him work, because if you get in his head the simplest of saves won't be made, as we saw in overtime.
3. Sergei Bobrovsky impressed me a lot in this game. The goaltending position is one of the most taxing jobs in sports, and it's easy to get riled up, lose focus and confidence. When it rains it usually pours. He didn't face a ton of rubber after the Penguins took a 3-0 lead, but he was able to lock the door, and make saves when called upon. He gave his guys a chance to get back in it.
4. Brandon Dubinsky is having one heck of a series. He's been one of the best players on the ice every game, and was a key contributor once again in the 4-3 win. He made a beautiful cross-crease feed to Ryan Johansen/Artem Anisimov on the Blue Jackets' 2nd goal to really get them back in it, and scored the tying-goal on the door step with less than 25 seconds to go in regulation. Not only did he record two points, but he had five shots, seven hits and was a positive possession player while going up against tough competition.
5. More Dubinsky: he has points in all four games this series, including consecutive two-point games.
6. Jack Johnson played 31 minutes. James Wisniewski played 27 minutes. David Savard played over 23, and Nikita Nikitin played over 21. Dalton Prout and Nick Schultz: 22 minutes combined. The Blue Jackets need Ryan Murray back, because without him Todd Richards is forced to work his top-4 defensemen into the ground. It may work in the short-term, but over time it'll take its toll.
7. Paul Martin recorded two assists and played over 25 minutes, while posting a plus-2 rating once again. As I said in my preview, he doesn't get much credit but he quietly gets it done and is one of the upper-echelon defensemen in the league. Martin has tallied two assists in all four games this series while playing against top competition, and is averaging over 27 minutes a night. If the Penguins go down, it certainly won't be his fault.
8. The Penguins' power play looked a little sloppy at times, but they did go a respectable 1-4 with the man advantage. I think they'll start clicking with more consistency now, so the Blue Jackets need to make sure they stay disciplined. They can't afford to give away easy ones. Make the Penguins work for what they get.
9. Chris Kunitz scored. James Neal scored. Malkin recorded an assist, and he and Sidney Crosby both had several good chances despite not scoring. The big guns aren't out in full force, but they're starting to show signs of being the players we saw all regular season, and in the past. Columbus needs to continue to play them tough, physical and give them no easy outs. Pittsburgh's stars are playing at half speed right now, and the Jackets need to take advantage of that, and win games while they can. It'll be a lot tougher when Malkin, and Crosby get going, and they're showing signs that might not be far off.
10. Ryan Johansen is turning into a star before our eyes. He was excellent all season long, and he's carried his strong play into the playoffs. He notched a goal, an assist and record his second multi-point game in his last three outings. Johansen also posted good possession numbers having been on the ice for 11 shot attempts for during 5 vs 5 play, and only six against.
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