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If the Blue Jackets weren't already out of the playoff race, last night's loss to the Rangers may have been the final nail in the coffin.
There were certainly some positives, though, and 20-year-old Marko Dano was at the forefront of that.
Some notes:
1) Dano didn't see nearly as much ice (14:15) as his linemates Nick Foligno and Artem Anisimov (both around 20), but he was just as effective. He was making poised plays with the puck, did a nice job finding soft spots in the defense, and obviously tallied a goal and an assist. Dano posted a game-high 73% Corsi For, and was a threat from start to finish. I'd like to see him get consistent ice time, because I think he can handle it if he has skill players around him.
2) The Dano, Foligno, Anisimov line was truly dominant against New York. All three posted 68CF% or better at even-strength, and they combined for 12 of Columbus' 21 scoring chances. I'm thinking they should stay together.
3) Curtis McElhinney put forth another quality outing last night despite the loss. He stopped 34-37 for a .919SV%, and made some big saves to keep the Jackets in it until they got their legs underneath them. I didn't think he'd be able to consistently string together solid starts as a No. 1 (with Bobrovsky hurt) but he's done just that.
4) David Savard has really picked it up offensively of late with five points and 10 shots in his last eight games. I don't necessarily agree with it,
but it's not hard to see why Jarmo Kekalainen and co. are telling teams he's untouchable.
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