Game #11 – Columbus Blue Jackets vs. New Jersey Devils Live Blog
Welcome back to Union and Blue, and our Live Blog for the Columbus Blue Jackets’ trip to New Jersey. Here are tonight’s projected lines:
Nick Foligno – Ryan Johansen – Cam Atkinson
Scott Hartnell – Michael Chaput – Jack Skille
Marko Dano – Alexander Wennberg – Brian Gibbons
Sean Collins – Adam Cracknell – Jared Boll
And, of course, the defensive pairings:
Jack Johnson – Fedor Tyutin
Ryan Murray – David Savard
Tim Erixon – Cody Goloubef
Some shuffling in the lineup, most notably, moving Hartnell down to the second line to work with the young guys. I actually don’t hate it, it’ll put a veteran presence with Chaput and Skille (not that Foligno isn’t a veteran). Gibbons, the healthy scratch last night, gets the start for Tropp, who left last night’s game because he was sick. And, we have an NHL debut to announce, as Anton Forsberg will get his first ever NHL start tonight, giving Curtis McElhinney a night off.
Well, hope you’re ready for, what will hopefully be, a streak-ending night…in terms of the losing streak, of course. Johansen can set a franchise record if he records a point tonight. Lets. Go. JACKETS!
1st Period:
Puck Drop
Let’s do this thaaaang. Welcome aboard, everyone.
18:54, 1-0 CBJ – CBJ GOAL – Jack Skille (3)
That didn’t take long, did it?! Just what the CBJ’s needed, Skille and Gibbons connect on the odd man rush. 1-0, good guys.
15:52, 1-0 CBJ
Jackets will go on the penalty kill, as Jack Johnson is going off for hooking. Also, the NJD broadcast is pronouncing the “T” in Chaput’s name, and it’s awesome.
13:52, 1-0 CBJ
Penalty = killed. Good job by the PK unit, and Forsberg looks really good here early on.
10:33, 1-0 CBJ
Moving right along in New Jersey. Neither team really with excellent scoring chances, but the Devils are, for the most part, controlling the pace of play. No where near as bad as last night with Toronto, though.
6:20, 1-0 CBJ
The Jackets are becoming real physical, and Forsberg continues to deny the Devils of notching the equalizer. This is the Jackets team we’ve been missing for the past four games.
5:38, 1-0 CBJ
Woah, so this happened and I didn’t even realize. CBJ. On. The. POWER PLAY! Sorry bout that.
3:54, 1-0 CBJ
Jackets don’t fully take care of the man advantage, but had several chances to do so, including a spastic but great look from Atkinson. Back to full strength.
3:15, 1-0 CBJ
Another PK for the CBJ’s, this time it’s Cody Goloubef.
1:15, 1-0 CBJ
Penalty is killed. Devils had a couple of shots, but Chaput put together a shorthanded scoring opportunity.
1:00, 1-0 CBJ
CBJ going back to the PP to close out the period, as Andy Greene will go to the box for tripping, trying to save a breakaway. Smart penalty, actually.
END OF THE 1ST PERIOD: COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS 1 – NEW JERSEY DEVILS 0
Scoring Summary: Jack Skille (Brian Gibbons, Nick Foligno)
1st Period thoughts: This was the best period by the jackets over their last five games, and a goal one minute and six seconds into things certainly doesn’t hurt. After that, the Jackets have played back when they need to and have attacked when needed, but have yet to break. Forsberg hasn’t had to turn away too many shots, but when he’s needed to, he’s done so and is looking very good after 20 NHL minutes. Probably the most important stat here is the lack of power play goals allowed, which has been atrocious over the past couple of weeks.
2nd Period
Puck Drop
Let’s cash-in on this power play, and start the second period just like the first.
19:34, 1-0 CBJ
Well, there goes the man advantage. RyJo goes off for holding, and it’s 30 seconds of 4-on-4.
17:34, 1-0 CBJ
Both penalties have been killed, and the Jackets are in control using a very physical game.
15:36, 1-0 CBJ
Aaaaand it’s back to the power play, as Boll will go off. Devils are 0-for-3 so far.
15:29, 1-1 – NJD goal – Marek Zidlicky (2)
Well, that power play wasn’t long at all. Tie game in Jersey. Nothing that Forsberg could have done. Perfectly placed top-shelf shot.
11:10, 1-1
The best thing that’s happened since the goal is the Jackets haven’t let that rattle them. If anything, they want to go back up in front and they realize the goal on the PP was more or less a fluke.
9:04, 1-1
Columbus will be on the power play once again, but during delayed penalty time, the Jackets had about three really good chances to score, but they got too pass happy and couldn’t pull the trigger. Anyway, hopefully they can put this one home. It’ll be Travis Zajac in the box for a hooking.
7:30, 2-1 – CBJ GOAL – Nick Foligno PP (4)
POWER PLAY GOOAAAALLLLL. Foligno started the whole sequence, passed it to Jack Johnson, who got it to Skille and Foligno was in front ready to bury it. And a power play goal is never a bad thing. CBJ take the lead! Gibbons also has two assists tonight.
1:18, 2-1 CBJ
Oh gosh. This is just a bad joke being played by the hockey gods. Johnson lets a slapshot go, and it hits Foligno, in real time it looked like the face, but turns out to be on the upper body. Hope this isn’t the end of his night…
END OF THE 2ND PERIOD: COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS 2 – NEW JERSEY DEVILS 1
Scoring Summary: NJD – Marek Zidlicky (Michael Ryder, Damon Severson)
CBJ – Nick Foligno (Jack Johnson, Brian Gibbons)
2nd Period thoughts: I almost forgot what it was like to watch a good hockey team. While they haven’t been perfect, this is how they need to play if they wanted to end this losing streak, and not to jinx anything, but another solid period and they’ll do just that. If you’re not careful, you can forget that this is an injury-riddled team…which is a good thing, of course. CBJ had more scoring opportunities in that second period, and converted on one of them, with Gibbons recording his second point of the night and Foligno proving how much he was missed, even though he was only out one game. Unlike last night, this has been a very chip-free game. Not a whole lot of extra curricular activity after the whistle, the boys know they have a task to do and are doing everything they can to do so. Forsberg continues to impress, even with the goal allowed. While I wont call for Mac’s job, yet, I wouldn’t mind having Forsberg on the bench behind Bob more often.
3rd Period
Puck Drop
We need the third period woes to end here. Cmon boys, let’s go! Also, Foligno is back on the bench, so hopefully he’ll be on the ice, and continue to make a difference in the game.
17:17, 2-1 CBJ
We see the first post-whistle pushing and shoving after Forsberg swallows an NJD shot. The Devils have come out with more pep in their 3rd period step, but the Jackets are hanging side by side with them.
11:22, 2-1 CBJ
Adam Cracknell going to the box due to a hooking call (personally, I’m surprised it wasn’t for tripping), and the first power play of the period is underway for Jersey.
11:07, 2-2 – NJD Goal – Adam Henrique (4)
I’m honestly not sure how that went in. There was a scrum of bodies right in front of Forsberg, even Tytuin was in the net to block the goal line, but Henrique was able to bring the puck out and score. Tie game, the third PP goal on the night for both teams.
9:25, 3-2 NJD – NJD Goal – Adam Larson (1)
And the Jackets trail for the first time tonight. New Jersey has had all of the momentum for the past handful of minutes, and the third period bites CBJ again…
7:09, 3-2 NJD
You might want to hide your eyes – another Jacket is down. Goloubef was driven into Forsberg, and needs help getting off the ice. Putting absolutely no weight on his right leg. Goodness gracious, we can’t catch a break.
6:35, 3-2 NJD
After Schnieder makes a save, Hartnell is still headed to the crease, and Ryane Clowe throws him down, and some extra curricular activities ensue. It’ll be 4-on-4 as both Hartnell and Clowe go off for Embellishment, but I honestly have no idea why Hartnell is off.
4:42, 3-2 NJD
RyJo draws a penalty, after he goes around Zidlicky and we have 4-on-3 hockey.
3:19, 3-2 NJD
Atkinson walks the puck to the crease, and Schineder covers it up, and everyone pokes at it to get it free, but to no avail. Doesn’t let it go. CBJ still on a power play.
2:50, 3-2 NJD
Foligno goes off for a trip on Greene, and he thinks it should either a) go against Greene or b) let it go all together because this is hockey. I’m going to go with the latter. The Devils broadcast even said “I think that’s a favorable call for the Devils.” Great…
:44, 3-2 NJD
Last gas here for the Jackets to send this into extra hockey.
FINAL: COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS 2 – NEW JERSEY DEVILS 3
Final Thoughts: Wow. A tough one to swallow. A solid two periods goes for naught, as two Devils goals in a span of about 90 seconds is what this game will be decided by. There were some…questionable…calls from the officials, especially in the third period, but Forsberg made a great effort in his debut. Just another story of 3rd period woes for the Jackets, and the streak falls to five. Check back for our recap here in just a moment.