Final Score: Blue Jackets 2 – Canadiens 1
Game Summary The Jackets played arguably their worst game of the season, but came away with two points, thanks once again to Sergei Bobrovsky.
Here are 6 angles of the Bobrovsky lunging split blocker save where he drops his stick. Still can't believe it happened. pic.twitter.com/nyeHBtaKyl
— InGoal Magazine (@InGoalMedia) November 15, 2017
Bobrovsky is on another level right now. He is single-handedly dragging this team to wins right now. This was the fourth straight game the Jackets only scored once in regulation. In the last two games it hasn’t mattered as one goal has been enough as Bobrovsky is stopping everything. This won’t last forever, eventually Bobrovsky is going to have to some struggles, you just hope the offense is able to pick him up when he does.
The offense was bad again tonight, and they only deserved one goal. They could not get any time of pressure against the Habs, particularly in the third period. The Jackets were up one, but with the way they were playing you would have thought they were up by three or more. They turtled big time, dumping the far as far as centre ice, and if they were fortunate to get the puck in the neutral zone they would dump it in. They sat back and relied on Bobrovsky to bail them out with huge saves.
With the way Montreal was playing it was only a matter of time before they scored. Bobrovsky can stand on his head but he's not going to be perfect and make the miraculous save every time. The goal that he did allow wasn’t a pretty goal, it came off a rebound, but that was the type of goal it was going to take to beat him.
The Jackets got on the board first early in the game on their own lucky break. Markus Nutivaara’s point shot, hit Josh Anderson in front, he was able to knock down right to his stick and quickly put it past Charlie Lindgren.
7 for 77. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/uyJHkyiQBh
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) November 15, 2017
That is Anderson’s team leading seventh goal of the season. That says more about the team than Anderson himself. Anderson is playing very well right now, but he should not be leading this team in scoring.
The problem in this game was the players who should be scoring couldn’t get any offensive zone time. The Jackets had just a 43.64% Corsi, their lowest in a game this season, and allowed 62 attempts, the highest in game. Montreal did a great job at using their forwards to clog up the neutral zone and made this incredibly difficult for the Jackets. It felt like every attempted entry was contested by a defencemen with a forward nearby for support.
The Jackets were much better when they had more space as they showed in 3 on 3.
Cam finds Werenski in space.
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) November 15, 2017
Werenski does the rest. Two points for the Jackets tonight. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/10meVhmn2D
Atkinson is able to gain the zone and someone ends up with two guys on him, no one picks up Zach Werenski coming off the bench and he rifles it home for the game winner, his fifth of the season.
This is what good teams do; they find ways to win even if they are not playing at their best. As long as this doesn’t become a habit (which it hasn’t been so far) the Jackets will be fine. You need your goalie to steal you a few games here and there. The goals are going to come this group is too talented for it not to.
Stat of the Night
Werenski notched his 5th goal of the season for #CBJ. Also his 2nd career OT winner a little over a year after his 1st (Nov. 9, 2016 vs. Anaheim).
— CBJ Public Relations (@BlueJacketsPR) November 15, 2017
Stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick and Hockey-Reference.
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