Final Score: Blue Jackets 3 – Islanders 2

Game Summary

Hope everyone had a Happy St. Patrick’s Day. The Blue Jackets certainly did, they took plenty of shots. They put up 38 against the Islanders, and only conceded 22. They took it to the Isles but a strong goal-tending performance from Thomas Greiss kept them in the game and got them a point.

The Islanders jumped out to a 1-0 first period lead. Oliver Bjorkstrand tied the game up in the second with his sixth goal of the season.

Bjorkstrand ties it up. 1-1. Unassisted. He is a one man scoring machine. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/bRopc9zzXi

— Buckeye State Hockey (@BuckeyeStHockey) March 18, 2017

Bjorkstrand has played 15 games since his recall and has been an absolute game changer. He’s added another element of skill to the team and as you can see on the he goal, he can create plays out of nothing.

It’s pretty remarkable what the Jackets rookies have been able to do. Werenski gets the attention and deservedly so, but the play of players like Bjorkstrand, Markus Nutivaara, Lukas Sedlak and Josh Anderson should not go unnoticed. Anderson has been really impressive since he came back from his injury. He was held pointless against the Flyers, in his first game back, but followed up with two points against the Panthers and scored again today.

Josh Anderson has been all around the net in this matinee game. No surprise that he scores to make it a 2-1 game. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/yVQliJIp74

— Buckeye State Hockey (@BuckeyeStHockey) March 18, 2017

It was only a matter of time before Anderson scored in the game. He was everywhere, and seemingly had an impact every shift. He finished the game with four shots and five hits.

As things would have it the game needed to be settled in overtime. In OT, the Jackets put on a pretty passing play finished off by Cam Atkinson.

This Werenski pass is so damn good. It completely throws off the Isles and from there Dubinsky makes it happen. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/kgCwQnJRkG

— Buckeye State Hockey (@BuckeyeStHockey) March 18, 2017

Werenski’s pass here is simply ridiculous. How he was able to find Dubinsky and then hit him with a perfect tape to tape pass, it shows how fast he thinks the game. Dubinsky then waits out Greiss, pulls him out of position, and sets Atkinson up for the tap in. Werenski had two assists in the game bringing him to 46 points on the season and into second place on the Blue Jackets all-time defencemen scoring list. He is just five points back of James Wisniewski for first. Werenski is on a five game point streak with seven points in those games.

Stat of the Night

Stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick and Hockey-Reference.

You can follow me on Twitter @PaulBerthelot

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