Final Score: Blue Jackets 4 – Ducks 2 Final Score: Capitals 4 – Blue Jackets 3
Game Summary
The Blue Jackets started the weekend with a win over Anaheim on Friday. They put in a strong effort in the second half of the back to back on Saturday against Washington, but took the loss 4-3.
The big story to come from these two games was without a doubt the play of the top line. It wasn’t a combination anyone would have thought of at the beginning of the season, but Artemi Panarin and Josh Anderson centred by Pierre-Luc Dubois have been close to unstoppable since becoming a line.
Against the Ducks this line combined for eight points with Panarin and Anderson each having a goal and two assists. Each player brings his own unique skillset to the game, Panarin with the flash, Anderson with the crash and bang and Dubois with some of both, which gives the line a very interesting dynamic, but one that works. Their ability was on display all weekend.
Panarin does great work along the boards, feeds Dubinsky and Anderson sets the screen in front. Great team effort. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/1vJrByiKx0
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 2, 2017
Brandon Dubinsky gets credit for this goal but its Anderson and Panarin doing the brunt work to make it happen. You have Anderson and Panarin winning a battle along the boards, Panarin gets the puck and sees Dubinsky coming in fresh off the bench. He hits him with the pass and Anderson goes right to the front of the net to provide the screen. Dubinsky fires it, and the Jackets take a 1-0 lead.
It seemed like every goal the Jackets scored this weekend, someone (or all three) from that line was involved.
What a pass and what an entry from Dubois. He set the table for Panarin, who picks a corner and nails it.#CBJ pic.twitter.com/cvZzG2SiFX
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 2, 2017
Josh Anderson doing work down low. The French Bread line (cc: @zekebud) is a keeper for the Blue Jackets.#CBJ pic.twitter.com/qaYfCIlw7U
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 2, 2017
What might be the most impressive thing about this line is how consistent they have been. They just had a big game against the Ducks but they were right back at it the next night.
Nothing's going to stop that shot.
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 3, 2017
Panarin in close. Full windup. Boom. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/ELYMQlve7T
Dubois has points in four straight. Panarin has points in back to back games and five in his last four. Anderson did not get a point against the Caps but had points in five straight prior to that. Night in night out this line is wreaking havoc and making things happen offensively. The other major headline from the weekend was the return of Matt Calvert from the IR. Calvert has been out since November 4th. He made his impact felt right away doing what he does best, scoring shorthanded.
Matty Hustle gets a shorty in his first game back, this one from the high slot. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/EQjCoHRSNe
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 3, 2017
Even with the loss to Washington the Jackets remain the top team in the Metro division with 35 points. They are one point up on New Jersey, though the Devils have a game in hand. Even more impressive is the Jackets are one of just three teams in the division and one of just five in the East to have a positive goal differential. Their +13 mark sits third in the conference behind Toronto (+15) and Tampa (+38). Now that the Jackets have a consistent top line that score they should see that goal differential rise more and more as the season goes on.
Stat of the Night
Ah yes, the top four players in the NHL in Corsi, just as we all predicted before the season began....... pic.twitter.com/iJ6lAMNVMJ
— Jeremy Crowe (@307x) December 4, 2017
Stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick and Hockey-Reference.
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