Final Score: Panthers 2 – Blue Jackets 1
Game Summary
The Blue Jackets played their second overtime game and first shootout of the season. Considering who the Blue Jackets were playing it never should have gotten to this point. This isn’t a knock on Florida they are a solid team, but this is the second game in a row the Jackets couldn’t score more than one goal on a team’s backup goalie.
Florida did a good job controlling the play out shooting the Jackets 32-23. Despite being heavily outshot the Jackets managed quite a few scoring chances. They out chanced Florida 20-11 at even strength.
Watching the game I couldn’t help but think how nice it would have been to have had Scott Hartnell in the lineup. Hartnell was a healthy scratch. It’s clear this was because of the penalty Hartnell took late in the Montreal game. John Tortorella has shown in his career if you do something he doesn’t like you’re going to sit. On one hand this is great, he holds all players accountable regardless of how good you are. This is something the Jackets haven’t seen a long time. On the other hand it would have been nice to have had the team’s second leading scorer and top possession player in the line-up.
Michael Chaput made his season debut and wasted no time making an impact. He scored the team’s lone goal on a great feed from Andrew Bodnarchuk. Chaput played 9:57 in the contest on the fourth line alongside Gregory Campbell and Kerby Rychel.
After the game Rychel along with Justin Falk were sent down to Lake Erie. Fedor Tyutin should be ready to come back soon so the team doesn’t need the extra defensive depth. They still have Dalton Prout should Tyutin not be ready. The Rychel demotion is curious. It must mean that one of the forwards is close to coming back off of the IR. David Clarkson has been skating so I’d expect it to be him to comes back.
Stat of the Night
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