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Post Battle #42: Safe is boring

January 5, 2018, 12:51 PM ET [6 Comments]
Paul Berthelot
Columbus Blue Jackets Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Final Score: Avalanche 2 – Blue Jackets 0

Game Summary


The new play it safe Blue Jackets are going to be very frustrating to watch over this next month. When playing it safe works, like it against Dallas it’s great but when it doesn’t, like this game, it’s tough to watch.

The Jackets came out sluggish in the first. Colorado controlled the game, putting up a 65.63% Corsi and outshooting the Jackets 14-7. The Jackets however made use of their limited time with the puck getting to the scoring areas and had four high danger chances in the period to just one for Colorado. The Jackets were much better in the following two periods but were unable to beat Jonathan Bernier.

The play it safe strategy worked on the defensive side of the puck, the Jackets made things easy on Sergei Bobrovsky. He didn’t face may chances and when he did he was sharp.




What held the Jackets back this game was their top line, the PB&J line wasn’t its usual dominate self. That line of Pierre-Luc Dubois, Josh Anderson and Artemi Panarin finished the game as the three worst forwards from a possession standpoint. They were the only forwards to be under 50% and they were way under. Panarin was at 41.18% and he was the highest of the trio. The line at one point was playing so poorly they were spilt-up, though it didn’t last long.

The third pair of Jack Johnson and Scott Harrington also did not play well. They were both under a 25% Corsi, just getting hemmed every time they were on the ice. Something needs to happen with this pair. Markus Nutivaara has adjusted well to being a top four player and that has left a big hole on the third pair. It’s getting to the point where a change needs to be made. You cannot keep running out this pair night after night. A scratch has to be coming soon for Johnson, he is not the same player he was last season and it’s glaringly obvious. Ryan Murray cannot get healthy soon enough.

Stat of the Night




Stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick and Hockey-Reference.

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