Final Score: Blue Jackets 3 – Hurricanes 2
Game Summary
The Jackets played a really strong game for a team on the second half of a back to back. Carolina maybe doesn’t have the points to show for it yet, but this is one of the better teams in the league. They lead the NHL in Corsi, as they do a tremendous job of dictating play and forcing teams away from their game. We saw this the first two times these teams matched up. Carolina clogged up the neutral zone didn’t let the Jackets speed beat them. This strategy led to the Jackets having two of their three worst possession games of the season.
This game was much better in that and the teams were about even. The Jackets had a 49.45% Corsi, just their seventh game all season below 50%, but it’s much improves from the 44% they had against Carolina in the previous meeting. The Jackets did well here to keep Carolina from having long extended shifts in the offensive zone. The Jackets players did a very good job covering the Hurricanes forwards and not letting them roam wild offensively. Carolina is not the biggest team, and the Jackets were able to use their size advantage to muscle Carolina off pucks and protect the puck better when in the offensive zone.
We see this in full effect on the Jackets first goal.
What a pass and what a goal. Amazing effort from Dubois and a sublime finish from Anderson.#CBJ pic.twitter.com/4ENw0HGucY
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) November 29, 2017
Pierre-Luc Dubois has a good four inches and 30 pounds on Derek Ryan. Dubois shields the puck well here and his size allows him to keep Ryan away from the puck using just one arm. From there he is somehow able to make a perfect royal road pass with one hand across to Josh Anderson for the easy tap in.
Another area where the Jackets had success was they were able to get their defencemen involved more in the offense. In the two prior meetings Carolina looked to focus in on the defencemen and made sure they wouldn’t beat them. Again the strategy worked and the Jackets defencemen were held pointless for both games. This game however was another story. Zach Werenski got an assist on the first goal, and was given space to walk in and shoot, scoring the Jackets second goal.
Confirmed: Wennberg still a great passer.
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) November 29, 2017
Confirmed: Werenski still has a great shot.#CBJ pic.twitter.com/bqCDMn2PoS
The multi-point game breaks a mini slump for Werenski who had gone pointless in the previous four games.
The Jackets won the game in the shootout, with both Cam Atkinson and Artemi Panarin scoring. Making this win more impressive was that it was not Sergei Bobrovsky in net. Joonas Korpisalo got a rare start and was Bobrovsky like, stopping 29 of 31 shots and two more in the shootout.
Joonas Korpisalo doing his best Bobrovsky impression while stopping this shorthanded chance.
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) November 29, 2017
1-1. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/UkrOrONy1z
Stat of the Night
With tonight's win, head coach John Tortorella became the third coach in #CBJ history to record 100 career victories, joining Todd Richards (127) and Ken Hitchcock (125).
— CBJ Public Relations (@BlueJacketsPR) November 29, 2017
Stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick and Hockey-Reference.
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