Final Score: Kings 5 – Blue Jackets 2
Game Summary
The team knew what was at stake. The late start gave the Jackets the luxury of knowing the results of the games from the teams that are chasing them. Both the Hurricanes and Panthers won so it was crucial for the Jackets to pick up some points and maintain their edge. They started out well but could not get the job done against the Kings. The Jackets now sit just two points up on Carolina and three up on the Panthers for the second wild card.
Talk about a perfect start to a game. The Jackets took it to the Kings right out of the gate putting up eight shots and a goal before the Kings could record their first shot. The Jackets were flying; it was shift after shift just constant pressure in the Kings zone. The Jackets outshot the Kings 13-8, out chanced them 4-2, had 53.13% Corsi at 5 on 5, and most importantly outscored the Kings 2-0.
Cam Atkinson got them on the board first with third goal in his last three games.
Short Bread strikes again. Atkinson now has a three-game goal streak. Heck of a start from the Blue Jackets.#CBJ pic.twitter.com/pPZMzxc2d3
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) March 2, 2018
Seth Jones who has been on fire of late scored the second.
Seth Jones scores his 10th goal of the season and the Blue Jackets are now up two.#CBJ pic.twitter.com/vzai4OtVIz
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) March 2, 2018
Jones had went 16 straight games without a goal and now has one in back to back games. He has playing exceptionally well with two goals and five points in his last three games. The Jackets lead didn’t last long. Everything Columbus did in the first, the Kings did in the second. They came out fast and shift after shift took it to the Jackets. The 2-0 lead quickly became a 3-2 deficit.
The Jackets 5 on 5 was not good and their power play was worse. The Jackets went 0-for-3 on the power play and managed just two shots. Even with Thomas Vanek playing 2:34 this was the same old Blue Jackets power play. The Kings have an elite penalty kill and this was just a mismatch for the Blue Jackets power play. All the puck movement they had against the Capitals was being thwarted by the Kings. Nothing was working. The Kings managed to match the Jackets two shots with two short-handed shots of their own. Making things worse, the Kings scored a short-handed goal and just to add salt to the wound it was Jeff Carter with the shorty.
Finally, I thought Sonny Milano had himself a really good game. He was playing on the third line with Brandon Dubinsky and Oliver Bjorkstrand and they worked really well together. Bjorkstrand and Milano finished as the top two possession players on the team with a 77.42% Corsi and a 76.67% Corsi respectively. Milano was actually playing significant minutes for what felt like the first time ever. He played 17:02 which is the most he's played this season. His line was dangerous he was on the ice for three high danger chances for at 5 on 5 and none against. He didn’t have a point but he did have a couple shots. I felt there was a lot to like about Sonny’s game tonight.
Unfortunately all that good will he built up was gone in a flash. Milano made one really bad play and it ended up in the back of the net. He turned the puck over in the neutral zone on the power play leading to that Carter goal. A mistake at that point in the game (it was 3-2 at the time) might be more than enough to have Milano sent back to Cleveland.
The Jackets have little time to worry about this loss they are back at it again tonight as they are in Anaheim to take on the Ducks.
Stat of the Night
With his goal, Seth Jones now has points in 3-straight games (2-3-5). He is first D in #CBJ history w/ two 10-goal seasons (12, 2016-17).
— CBJ Public Relations (@BlueJacketsPR) March 2, 2018
*In a follow up this was corrected, Jones was the second defencemen to achieve this. Zach Werenski accomplished it earlier in the season
Stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick and Hockey-Reference.
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