Final Score: Hurricanes 5 – Blue Jackets 3

Game Summary

The Jackets start a little three game series here with Carolina as they play them three times in their next six games. This was a very tight checking low event game. The Jackets were missing Sergei Bobrovsky who was out with the flu. Recently recalled Anton Forsberg received his first start of the season but struggled allowing four goals on 27 shots.

It’s hard to fault Forsberg for all the goals. Two of them came off of good chances in the slot and the other was one that bounced around through traffic. The one goal that stands out is the Canes second goal.

Jeff Skinner with a slap shot from the point. Forsberg has one slip through. Derek Ryan picks up the pieces. 2-1 Canes. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/12nh7Gj8zz

— Buckeye State Hockey (@BuckeyeStHockey) January 11, 2017

That’s a good shot by Jeff Skinner but that’s one Forsberg has to have. He has to smother that shot and not let it squeak through him.

The Jackets started this game off well with Cam Atkinson giving them an early 1-0 lead with this goal.

Atkinson scores a quick one on the Canes. Jenner active early on. 1-0 #CBJ pic.twitter.com/ssdO5WYBXx

— Buckeye State Hockey (@BuckeyeStHockey) January 11, 2017

Boone Jenner comes in on the rush and gets a good shot on Cam Ward, Jack Johnson makes a great pinch to keep the puck down low and get to Atkinson behind the net. Cam then makes a good play to wrap it around and just get it under Ward’s pad. That is Atkinson’s 20th goal of the season, his fourth straight 20 goal season.

The second period is where things started to get crazy. The Canes scored two quick ones to go ahead 2-1. Josh Anderson answered a couple minutes later with a weird goal of his own. He takes the puck and throws it on net and somehow it flutters past Ward.

Josh Anderson makes his own luck by throwing the puck on net. Puck stays in the air forever. Hartnell gives swipe at goalie for good measure pic.twitter.com/gMPUbGmL6H

— Buckeye State Hockey (@BuckeyeStHockey) January 11, 2017

The Canes re-took the lead 3-2, but Brandon Saad tied it up late in the second on this goal.

Brandon Saad ties it up late in the second in an absolutely bizarre 2nd period. 3-3. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/vG3eF66jzp

— Buckeye State Hockey (@BuckeyeStHockey) January 11, 2017

Saad just unloads a heavy wrist shot that Ward can’t handle. That is Saad’s 15th goal of the season and first of 2017. Alexander Wennberg picked up the assist on that goal, his 27th of year. That places him in a tie with Evgeni Malkin for 5th in the league.

That’s as close as the Jackets would get though as the Canes scored twice in the third including an empty-netter to get the win. The Jackets are off for two days now before heading down to Florida for a back to back against the Lightning and Panthers.

Stat of the Night

Stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick and Hockey-Reference.

You can follow me on Twitter @PaulBerthelot

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