Reading the comments, yes I do read every single one on here, how is it possible to be alright when a rebuilding and building team is not pushing their selling pieces to build a better value for them? Going 5-9-0 is one thing, and understandable for a non-playoff team, but we’re now down to the last full month before the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline. The Jackets were 3-3 at home, and 2-6 at home in the month. In the 31 days, they were outscored 61-41 by their opponents, good for a goal differential of a minus 20 (-20). As of February 1, their overall goal differential is a minus 23 (-23) on the season.
To round up the month:
Columbus began the year up 4-0 on Carolina, when they came back to stomp them 7-4. The first Columbus goal scored in 2022 was by defenseman Zach Werenski.
Tampa stomped Columbus for their second straight home loss of 2022, with Dean Kukan getting his first goal of the season after missing most of it with a leg injury.
The first road game of the year was a loss from the Jack Hughes’ top line in Newark, and Mackenzie Blackwood stopping all but one at the hands of Max Domi.
Joonas Korpisalo got the first win for a Columbus goalie in 2022 in the backend of the home-and-home matchup with the Devils; Oliver Bjorkstrand was credited with the game winning goal.
Dublin native Connor Murphy pushed the Blackhawks over the Jackets at home with the power of Marc-Andre Fleury.
Emil Bemstrom’s first and Merzlikins’ first shutout in 2022 got Columbus rolling over the Hurricanes 6-0.
Florida pounces with 9, and Carter Verhaeghe scored as many as Columbus did in the game— 2.
Patrik Laine’s snipe lifts Columbus over Philly in the Wells Fargo Arena. Merzlikins got the win on the road.
Sidney Crosby’s 4 points elevated his Penguins over the Union Blue the night after the win in Philly.
Tim Stuzle’s first game against Columbus is a win for the Ottawa Senators, and the starting goalie was Anton Forsberg.
Calgary’s 62 shots on goal in the game was an achievement that hasn’t been done in 40 years, and 6 of them got past Merzlikins.
Boone Jenner led his teammates over the Bread Man, and it was Korpisalo’s second win at home.
Korpi and the Jets led the Jackets over Montreal in their first trip to Canada since December 16; their last win in Canada was in 2020.
Mason Marchment has a 6 point night in a game where the Panthers scored 8, though Sergei Bobrovsky was beat by Laine twice, and two other Jackets twice.
In light of the game notes, the team got a lot healthier, with the returns of Dean Kukan on the defense and Emil Bemstrom up front.
Nyquist had 14 points in 14 games in January to lead the team in points and in goals, with 7. As of February 1, he is tied with Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers with 4 short-handed goals on the season.
Speaking of league leaders, Zach Werenski ranks 5th in average time on ice per game for the season at 26 minutes and 4 seconds. The next closest on his own team is at 21 minutes.
Elvis Merzlikins was 2-5-0 in January with a 4.04GAA and a 0.888 save percentage. Both of his wins were on the road, and one was the shutout in Carolina. Joonas Korpisalo was 3-4-0 with a 3.85GAA and a 0.883 save percentage in January, and all 3 wins were at home.
The three guys that played their best, aka the three stars of the team for the month of January were:
1. Gustav Nyquist— 7 goals, 7 assists, 14 points in 14 games played.
2. Boone Jenner— 6 goals, 4 assists, 10 points in 14 games played.
3. Zach Werenski— 1 goal, 5 assists for 6 points in 12 games played. Yes; it is a controversial decision, but his ice time, cornering the power play, manning the penalty kill, and getting points will hurt is -9 for the month, he is their top guy, and has been better than any other defenseman on the team.
To look ahead through this month, my eyes are on Max Domi; Joonas Korpisalo; and Patrik Laine as the next batch of guys to see do well. Domi will likely be moved in March, and has 19 points in 33 games on the season. Over a half a point a game player, he produces offensively and physically. Korpi will also be moved, but this is more of a definite and where. The more he plays, and the better he plays, the higher the value. Laine is riding a 3 game point streak with 4 goals and 2 assists to close January, and he is calling for either money or his ticket to Los Angeles.
January showed this team will sell, and even with the Rangers game maybe being their biggest surprise and potentially their best game of the season, this team is continuing to play the kids, and that maybe the right thing to do now with it being later on.
Thoughts? More to come…