So often this season a bit of good news seems to be accompanied by some bad news for the Columbus Blue Jackets. This offseason they signed prominent UFA F Nathan Horton but his shoulder surgery (which the Jackets knew all about prior to signing him) has kept him out of the lineup longer than the most positive projections predicted. Nationwide Arena was selected to host the 2015 NHL All Star game and its related events but talented goal scorer Marian Gaborik has missed a good chunk of the season due to a variety of injuries and illness and the team has struggled to score goals. Good news, bad news. Bad news, good news. That's the story.
Don't get me wrong; no one is going to feel any sympathy for the Blue Jackets. Every team has to deal with adversity during the season. Some clubs might even have it worse than Columbus. But after a dismal start to the lockout abbreviated campaign last year followed by a late season charge that nearly resulted in an improbable playoff berth, a little extra good luck would have been appreciated.
The latest dose of misfortune has defending Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky out of the lineup for the next four to five weeks due to a groin strain suffered in the team's recent win over Tampa Bay. Bad news, good news. Injury to the teams best player, much needed victory over a conference rival.
Bobrovsky was hurt while making a third period save on a breakaway attempt by Lightning rookie winger JT Brown. Brown nearly beat Bob with a nice little wrist shot but the Columbus goalie was able to reach behind him with the glove and snare the puck out of the air before it could cross the goal line. As Bob fell forward to the ice his skate got tangled on the goal post which appears to have caused the injury.
It was one of the better saves Bob has made this season and preserved the Jackets tenuous one goal lead.
Curtis McElhinney took over in goal, a tough spot to come into a game cold, and finished off the shutout. His best stop might have been with about 1:30 left when he stoned Marty St. Louis on a backhand attempt from in close. All told, McElhinney finished with eight saves in relief.
Nick Foligno tallied the lone goal of the game, a between the skates, highlight-reel marker, early in the second period. It was Foligno's seventh goal of the season and has him on a 24-goal pace for the campaign. The Jackets will gladly take that type of production from the gritty winger.
Naturally "that guy", as in that guy Ryan Johansen, assisted on the tally. He now has a team-leading 20 points and is on pace for something close to 30/30 for the year. Johansen now has points in three straight and has netted four goals and seven points over his last five contests. He is on fire and practically carrying the Jackets offense over the last 10 days or so.
Columbus, next to last in the Eastern Conference standings, is slated to host Minnesota (16-8-5) at Nationwide tomorrow night. Being a Friday I sincerely hope more than 10,000 some odd fans make it out to the game. I have to say I was disappointed seeing so many empty seats at Nationwide for the game against Tampa. I realize the Lightning might not be a marquee opponent, particularly sans Steven Stamkos, but if Jackets fans are serious about earning respect for the Columbus market they have to come out in more force than the announced attendance of 10,223. That's just more than half of the capacity of the arena meaning there were tons of empty seats.
One more thing, you have to love that absolute phantom penalty call against Jack Johnson late in the third period of a one-goal game. Johnson, as replays showed, was nowhere near Ondrej Palat and the Lightning LW fell of his own accord. I realize the officials are human and are going to make mistakes but wow, that was a glaring mistake and one which could have hurt Columbus. Thankfully, the Jackets killed off the ensuing PP.