The stars are not aligning for them this season. Not often a team comes back from a nine came losing streak, or one win in their last 13 games, and makes the playoffs. This year, this is the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Blue Jackets’ last won game was November 2nd against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Columbus has seen Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic injured during this span; with Laine returning and also being a healthy scratch.
Laine has only two goals in nine games this season, despite the last one being his milestone 200th of his career.
Johnny Gaudreau scored his first goal on a goaltender on Saturday. Before Saturday, his only goal was an empty netter against Tampa.
Boone Jenner is the only forward on the team with double digit points (11). Ivan Provorov (12) and Zach Werenski (11) are the others.
Rookie Adam Fantilli is one point shy, just knocking on the Calder and double digit point steps.
The goaltending is nonexistent. Since the first two games of the season, Elvis has disappeared; Martin has only once while being league average.
Coaching continues to tinker with depth pieces that struggle to produce in Alexandre Texier and Cole Sillinger; yet will assign productive players like Kent Johnson and Emil Bemstrom to the minors.
Screwing their development has also gone on the defense to Adam Boqvist and David Jiricek while also health bombing Andrew Peeke when he was the top guy for most of the year with everyone else getting hurt.
This is a tire fire, and while all the changes are happening below, ownership must move on from the men that are no longer moving the team forward, despite their best efforts of a top five prospect pool.
Nine consecutive games lost. Last and by a country mile. This weekend showed no hope. Maybe thanksgiving will turn fortunes around.
CBJ PG18 — Stars Benched
Despite early showings, the Columbus Blue Jackets were defeated by the Washington Capitals by the final score of 4-3 in regulation, with all goals coming in the final two periods.
Period II
Johnny Gaudreau opened the scoring with the early second period goal for his second goal of the season. His first goal on a goaltender was assisted by the all time games leader, captain Boone Jenner. The secondary assist was by defender Damon Severson, earned his eighth career point as a Blue Jacket.
The former Blue Jackets’ first round pick Sonny Milano evened the game for the home Capitals at one a piece for his third of the season. Aliaksei Protas and Hendrix Lapierre had the assists.
Protas’ second period go ahead goal got Washington up by one for his second of the year from Trevor van Riemsdyk and Lappiere.
Alexander Ovechkin got the final goal for his fifth of the campaign on Dylan Strome’s first assist of the season.
Period III
Ivan Provorov scored his first goal as a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets with the lone assist to Cole Sillinger.
Lappiere got his first goal of the season next on what would be the eventual game winning goal. Milano and Protas had the apples.
Justin Danforth brought the road team with one with his fifth of the season from Sean Kuraly and Zach Werenski.
Elvis Merzlikins had 22 saves on 26 shots for a 0.846 save percentage. Abysmal. Basement level goaltending.
Boone Jenner got a primary assist on the opening goal of the game for Johnny Gaudreau. The leader was a +1 with a 61% success rate in the faceoff department with also two recorded shots on goal and three hits.
Sonny Milano was my Capitals player to watch being the former Blue Jacket. Scoring earlier in the month in the first encounter, he did so tonight with a goal and two assists.
Charlie Lindgren had 33 saves on 36 shots for totaling a 0.917 save percentage.
Columbus coach Pascal Vincent benched forwards Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine for the majority of the third period - preaching a message of reset. Both men have a combined total of 4 goals in 28 games. For the two highest paid forwards, it’s not good enough. With that said, as a rookie head coach, and the necessity of reps after both having been injured and dealing with their own office ice lives, they need the reps on the ice to succeed for the franchise. This treatment will get stale, and could lead to both asking for trades.
CBJ THREE STARS OF THE GAME
1. Ivan Provorov - first goal as a CBJ
2. Justin Danforth - goal (5)
3. Boone Jenner - games leader; primary assist (3)
CBJ PG19 — Not Enough Fight
With the highlight reel fists, the Columbus Blue Jackets did not back it up. They lose in the back half of a back to back to former bench boss John Tortorella and the Philadelphia Flyers by the final score of 5-2 in Philly.
Period I
Joel Farabee opened the home scoring for the Flyers with his seventh of the season from Ryan Poehling and Cam York.
Alexandre Texier evened the game with his fourth of the year with the assists to Sean Kuraly and Mathieu Oliver, in for the scratched Patrik Laine.
Period II
Special teams came in next for the best first period team in hockey.
Bobby Brink got a powerplay goal for his fourth of the season from Sean Walker and Farabee.
Poehling got on the board with a short handed goal to be his second as a Flyer from Garnet Hathaway on his first assist as a Flyer and Walker.
Captain Boone Jenner deflected a knuckle puck off a wiffed Ivan Provorov shot for the leader’s eighth goal of the season.
Period III
Travis Konecny got his 11th goal of the season from Louis Belpedio.
York got a late period empty net goal from Poehling.
Cam Atkinson was my Flyers’ player to watch having 2 shots and being a -1 in 16:13TOI.
Samuel Ersson allowed two goals on 22 shots faced for a 0.909 save percentage.
After a goal last night, Johnny Hockey once again disappeared with nothing to show in 24 minutes of ice time. Hoping the holidays reset the most disappointing start of his career.
Spencer Martin allowed 4 goals on 26 shots faced for a 0.842 save percentage.
This game had two major stories - Olivier v Deslauriers and Laine.
Patrik Laine was a healthy scratch for the first time in his career. He missed most of October and some of November with a concussion. Two goals in nine games. That’s more than guys that have played all 19 on the roster. Confusing and illogical when kids in the AHL like KJ and Bemstrom have been more productive this season on this team.
Olivier and Deslauriers had the fight of the year and the most gentlemanly closing of a tilt I have ever seen. What a show of respect and a healthy dose of why fighting belongs
CBJ THREE STARS OF THE GAME
1. Boone Jenner - goal (8)
2. Alexandre Texier - goal (4)
3. Matheiu Olivier - fight
Thanksgiving week and we get Connor Bedard v Adam Fantilli on Wednesday when Columbus hosts Chicago. Columbus travels to New Jersey on Black Friday and Carolina Sunday.
Injury woes also continue as Damon Severson suffered an injury against the Flyers. We will see how many more games one of Peeke or Boqvist get.
Columbus Blue Jackets Blogger • 
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