Final Score: Blue Jackets 4 – Wild 2
Game Summary
The Blue Jackets rang in the New Year in the best way possible, winning their 15th consecutive game. The streak is now tied for the second longest in NHL history just two away from the 1992-92 Penguins who won 17. The Jackets won the unsustanabowl by jumping out to a big league and rolling from there.
Devan Dubnyk was a key for the Wild entering this game and he did not play his best, allowing four goals on 25 shots. He had not allowed four goals all season but has let in four in back to back games. The game was a very tight checking game early. There were not many shots or chances by either team. The Jackets however were able to score once in the first, a Cam Atkinson goal, that came from a tremendous play by Brandon Dubinsky.
Dubinsky makes an incredible play to steal the puck in the neutral zone. That is a great play in itself, but he takes it further, showing great awareness to make a perfect pass to Atkinson. Atkinson takes it from there and does the rest.
The game really swung towards the Jackets in the second period. Josh Anderson and Chris Stewart got into a fight at centre ice. After the fight as the players were being escorted to the penalty box, Matt Calvert and Matt Dumba got into a fight. Since this fight happened after the initial altercation they both received game misconducts. This trade off was a big win for the Jackets. Losing Calvert hurt, but not as much as losing one of your top defencemen. The Jackets scored twice almost immediately after that, the first from the stick of Jack Johnson.
This play starts with Alexander Wennberg in his own zone. He carries the puck out gives it to Saad. Johnson alertly joins the rush and creates a three on two. Wennberg cuts right between the two defencemen to give Saad the lane to pass to Johnson. Saad then makes the royal road pass and Johnson rips it.
Not long after that, we had another excellent passing display, this time from Ryan Murray.
This really was a five man unit type of goal. Each player was in on the play and contributed. Murray makes just an excellent pass to get the primary assist. He gets the puck, glides down, has his head up the entire time, and puts the puck in the perfect spot for Atkinson to tip it, and get his second of the game. Atkinson continues to be a top scorer in the league and is one of just nine players to be over a point per game this season.
Finally, it wouldn’t be a Jackets game without a goal set up by a player down low.
Brandon Saad and Nick Foligno get in on the fore-check. Saad wins the battle and takes the puck behind the net. Seth Jones pinches in; Saad feeds him, and Jones one-times in home. The Jackets sat back in the third and the Wild made it interesting scoring early in the third period and put on a lot of pressure, but the Jackets were able to hang on and get the win.
Up next the Jackets welcome Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers to Nationwide Arena on Tuesday.
Happy New Year!!
Stat of the Night
Stats courtesy of
Natural Stat Trick and
Hockey-Reference.
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