Post Battle #12: Jackets start strong and hang on for shootout win (Blue Jackets)

Blue Jackets

Post Battle #12: Jackets start strong and hang on for shootout win

By Paul Berthelot

Oct 31, 2017 • 9:02 am

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Final Score: Blue Jackets 4 – Bruins 3

Game Summary

The Jackets had themselves a much stronger start to this game. They scored twice but it was much more than just the goals. As a whole the period was less sloppy and the Jackets looked to have their legs under them. Seth Jones and Markus Nutivaara had a couple nice rushes early on that really set the tone of what the Jackets were trying to do. Overall the Jackets held an 11-6 shot advantage in the period and had a 58.33% Corsi at 5 on 5.

The Jackets got on the board early, with David Savard getting credited with his second of the season.

Savard takes the initial shot and you see it get clearly changes direction, but apparently the official scorer deemed it bounced off a Boston player and not Oliver Bjorkstrand in front. Boone Jenner scored the second goal of the period, in as many were saying, typical Boone Jenner fashion.

This is what Jenner does best. He gets to the front of the net and uses his strong frame to get positions and win puck battles. Here he wins the battle for position, is first on the puck and whacks it into the net. Jenner had himself a very strong game. That goal was his first of the season and he also helped set the tone physically for the game. He and Brandon Dubinsky late in the first period laid a couple huge hits on Zdeno Chara. Boone finished the game with a team high six hits and five shots.

Nutivaara was also very impressive in this one. He got the primary assist on that Jenner goal and set up Tyler Motte with this ridiculous stretch pass for the Jackets third goal.

That is some Erik Karlsson type of passing right there. To have that kind of vision to see Motte and the confidence to make that kind of pass, it shows how far Nutivaara has come since last season. He was much more tentative last year, making the safe play and not unleashing his offensive abilities. It appears he has bought into the John Tortorella’s “safe is death… motto.

Nutivaara was all over the ice. He was arguably the Jackets best offensive defencmen. Looking at the tracking data from Corey Sznajder, Nutivaara was the top offensive contributor among the defencmen at 5 on 5 and tied for the team lead with three controlled zone entries.

After this goal the Jackets fell victim to score effects. They were much more passive, as most teams are with a big lead, and they let the Bruins back into it. Their penalty which has been very strong let them down allowing two goals. The Jackets however were able to hang on and take the game to a shootout where both Artemi Panarin and Bjorkstrand scored giving the Jackets a 4-3 win.

Stat of the Night

Stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick and Hockey-Reference.

You can follow me on Twitter @PaulBerthelot

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