The Columbus Blue Jackets lose.
Theme: still the same result no matter what they do.
Location: Tampere, Finland; the hometown of Patrik Laine.
Final Score: G10 (6-3), G11 (5-1)
This is so shameful should just do it as one breakdown, but there was more to the second game than the first.
Let’s start with day 1, November 4th, being the first game in Finland and the 6-3 loss.
Colorado opened the scoring with 3 goals of their own. Forwards Logan O’Connor; JT Compher; and Finn Mikko Rantanen had the first goals for the defending champs.
O’Connor’s second of the season came 96 seconds into the game, with the assists coming from Alex Newhook and Erik Johnson. Compher’s first came from defenders Devon Toews and Samuel Girard. Rantanen’s 5th was supported by Evan Rodrigues and Nathan MacKinnon.
Columbus came back with their 3 consecutive games to make the middle of the game interesting enough to be viewable.
Jakub Voracek concluded the Avs’ shutout hopes with his first in the campaign; hometown boy Patty Laine and defender Zach Werenski had the apples. Voracek’s goal was a power play goal.
Laine got the second goal for his second of the season; linemates Johnny Gaudreau and Boone Jenner had the helpers.
Ohio’s own Sean Kuraly evened the game for his second of the season, and ended the Columbus scoring. Linemates Liam Foudy and Eric Robinson had the cookies.
Rantanen’s second of the game would count as the game winner for his 6th; Cale Makar and MacKinnon had the helpers.
Speaking of Makar, he got his first of the season for the team’s 5th goal of the game and last against the Columbus goaltender. MacKinnon and Rantanen got the assists.
Rantanen’s hattrick goal came on an empty net for his 7th; MacKinnon and Toews had the helpers.
Rantanen was my player to watch for Colorado, and in his home country he had 3 goals and an assist.
Alex Georgiev allowed 3 goals on 39 shots for a 0.923 save percentage.
Patrik Laine was my Columbus player to watch, and had his first multipoint performance of the season with a goal and an assist.
Elvis Merzlikins was in the crease for Columbus, allowing 5 goals on 35 shots for a 0.857 save percentage. Just not good enough for the salary, years remaining, or on the defense and coach.
CBJ THREE STARS OF THE GAME
1. Patrik Laine — goal (2), assist (1)
2. Jakub Voracek — goal (1),
3. Sean Kuraly — goal (2)
G11 — Korpi In, Avs Win
Colorado dominates Columbus after team changes were made before the game, with a 5-1 defeat for Columbus.
Artturi Lehkonen opened the Avalanche scoring for his third of the season; MacKinnon and Rantanen had the helpers.
Columbus Captain Boone Jenner had the lone goal for his second of the year; Werenski and Jack Roslovic had the helpers.
Martin Kaut got the game winner for his first of the season; Makar and MacKinnon had the helpers.
O’Connor’s third came from Makar and Toews. Toews’ first came from Nate Dogg and Cale. Newhook’s second came from Rodrigues and Kaut.
Lehkonnen was my Colorado player to watch; having a goal in the game.
Georgiev was the starter once again, allowing just one goal on 32 shots for a 0.969 save percentage.
Joonas Korpsialo was my player to watch being in his first game since March 2022, after having hip surgery. He was the starter in his native Finland, and allowed 5 goals on 45 shots for a 0.889 save percentage.
CBJ THREE STARS OF THE GAME
1. Boone Jenner — goal (2)
2. Zach Werenski — assist (4)
3. Jack Roslovic — assist (5)
Aftermath
Jakub Voracek sustained an injury prior to Saturday’s afternoon tilt, and Mathieu Oliver slid in.
Elvis was a healthy scratch, having Tarasov serve as the backup.
After the game, both David Jiricek and Danil Tarasov have been assigned to the Monsters (AHL).
Emil Bemstrom has been recalled
Laine said everything needed to afterward.
The Athletic: Blue Jackets go 0-for-Finland | Chronic woes on full display in blowout loss to #GoAvsGo #CBJ
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) November 5, 2022
“I’m kind of wishing that this trip had never happened after this. I feel like it was just a waste of time for us." - Patrik Lainehttps://t.co/x1maPUZ6yB pic.twitter.com/b00GgAK9AX
Torts and the Flyers are next.
More to come…