Final Score: Canucks 5 – Blue Jackets 3
Game Summary
The Blue Jackets returned home after a great stretch through California. The Blue Jackets played the game they wanted out shooting the Canucks 45-30 but ultimately came up short falling 5-3.
This is so frustrating to watch. They play a bad game and win and then play a great game and lose. Hockey can be unforgiving at times.
What killed the Jackets tonight was goal scoring at 5 on 5. They scored two power play goals and one shorthanded. The Jackets had plenty of opportunities, recording 33 scoring chances and 15 high danger chances. They fell victim to bad puck luck I mean how does this not go in for Nick Foligno?
Jacob Markstrom Great Stick Save on Foiligno: https://t.co/4q2kEDwZBX via @YouTube
— SomeHockeyVideos (@SomeHockeyVideo) November 11, 2015Credit has to be given to Jacob Markstrom who played very well, giving the Jackets shooters fits.
Boone Jenner had a good game. He added to his team leading goal total registering his eighth of the season. He also picked up an assist, his second. He was very heavily used by John Tortorella. Boone played 19:04 which was tied with Brandon Dubinsky for the lead among forwards.
Scott Hartnell had another strong game. He picked up an assist and fired seven shots on goal. Recently I've seen a few fans suggesting that Hartnell has to pick up his play and get it going. As you can see below in the stat of the night that is simply not the case. He is having another very good season and has been on fire of late.
Alexander Wennberg was another player who played extremely well. He is making the fourth line look respectable which is no easy task. Jared Boll of all players was getting good looks. If Wennberg keeps this up he should get an opportunity in the middle six where he really could start to flourish.
After the game Tortorella called out Foligno as someone who needs to step up.
"We need a big play out of him," Tortorella said. "He had a couple of chances to score. We're going to say 'Nick, his game is coming' but to me, he needs to make a big play."
Foligno is coming off of a career best 31 goal, 73 point campaign, which was inflated by a very high 17.0% shooting percentage. So far this season he has just one goal and six points and his shooting percentage has dropped to 2.4%. Players have very little control over how well they shoot. Over time it regresses or progresses to roughly a player’s career average. Folingo’s career shooting percentage is 11.9%, so I would expect to see his shooting percentage rise. The big goals are coming, just don’t expect as many as we saw last season.
Stat of the Night
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