Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Carolina Hurricanes Live Blog – Welcome back, Matty and Boone!
The Columbus Blue Jackets’ losing streak has extended to five games, after a rough third period in New Jersey on Saturday night. Tonight, they hit the ice again, and welcome in division rivals (it’s still weird to say that, eh?) Carolina Hurricanes, who have yet to win on the road this year and are, points wise, the worst team in the league, coming win with a 2-6-2 record and six points. However, we CBJ fans don’t have much room to talk of late, as the five game losing skid has helped contribute to a 4-7-0 record to begin the year, and are just two points above the ‘Canes in the standings.
Here are the projected lineups for tonight, based on how the lines shaped up in practice today.
Cam Atkinson – Ryan Johnasen – Scott Hartnell
Brian Gibbons – Nick Foligno – Jack Skille
Matt Calvert – Alexander Wennberg – Boone Jenner
Marko Dano – Michael Chaput – Jared Boll
Of course, how could you miss the return of Calvert and Jenner, both winging Wennberg on the third line. Welcome back to the both of those! And the defensive pairings from practice today:
Jack Johnson – Fedor Tyutin
Dalton Prout – Tim Erixon
David Savard – Frederic St. Denis
St. Denis, in case you didn’t hear from this afternoon, is replacing Ryan Murray, who suffered a “minor setback,” in practice today. It’ll be St. Denis’ first NHL game since 2012, and his first in a Columbus Blue Jackets uniform.
Not to go all depressing, because it is still early in the year, but if the Jackets don’t get a point out of tonight…no, no. Happy thoughts here.
Anyway, you know how this works! Just refresh the page every so often for new updates. Let’s have some fun!
1st Period
10:31 – 0-0
Sorry for the late start everyone, but from what twitter is saying, the PK looked really good on the first opportunity of the game! Which is good, cause as soon as I turn the game on, Hartnell goes to the box for interference. Awesome. Anyway, GAME ON!
8:32 – 0-0
Nice. Another tremendous PK. Definitely looks like that has been worked on in practice over the past couple of days.
5:50, 0-0
FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT. Hartnell was going AT IT against Jay Harrison. Not quite sure what sparked it, but there are plenty of other fellows I’d rather fight with than Hartnell. Specifically – just about everyone else on the roster. He wound up going to the ice first, but he got in about five excellent punches before doing so.
4:27, 1-0 CAR – Carolina goal – Zach Boychuk (2)
And it’s the Canes who strike first. Ron Hainsey takes a shot from the blueline and it hits McElhinney in the chest, but Boychuck is in front, and puts it back topshelf. Ughhhh.
2:52, 2-0 CAR – Carolina goal – Riley Nash (3)
No no no no. I don’t like this. Make it stop.
2:00, 2-0 CAR
Lumbus has their first power play opportunity of the evening, as Victor Rask is going to the box for hooking. Here’s a perfect chance to get one of those goals back. Also, Wennberg’s first opportunity to run the point in a real-game situation.
1:01, 2-1 CAR – CBJ GOAL – Nick Foligno (5th) PP
FOLINGOALLLLLLLL. 71 starts it all in the neutral zone, RyJo takes a shot from Wards right, and Foligno is there to put back the rebound, and catches Ward out of position and, essentially, has an empty net. 7th straight game in which the CBJ have scored a power play goal. Huge.
END OF FIRST PERIOD – COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS 1 – CAROLINA HURRICANES 2
Scoring Summary: CAR – Zach Boychuck (Tim Gleason, Ron Hainsey)
Riley Nash (Andrej Sekera, Elias Lindholm)
CBJ – Nick Foligno (Ryan Johansen, David Savard) PP
1st Period thoughts: The PK is 2-for-2, the power play is 1-for-1. A fluke rebound and just a good long-range shot allowed the Canes to get out to a quick 2-0 lead, but Foligno scores a huge, HUGE, power play goal before the period ends. It’s been back and forth, and the Jackets have had a lot of good opportunities, even if they’re being outshot. Also, this is too large a discrepancy to be outshot by. Oh well. Two more periods to go.
2nd Period
Puck Drop
Here we go!
15:30, 2-1 CAR
Yes, we are still here. This has been an awesome period of hockey; back and forth, the Jackets are playing physical and the young guys – especially Wennberg – have had a couple of fantastic chances here.
14:31, 2-1 CAR
Blue. Jackets. POWER PLAYYY! The Canes had toooo many men on the ice at a time, and the Jackets have a wonderful chance to tie this game.
13:05, 3-1 CAR – Carolina goal – Justin Faulk (1)
That was a fluke goal. Mac made the stop, and it slipped past the goal line anyway. I’m honestly shocked that Mac got the start tonight, and I’ll kind of be surprised if he finishes the game. I thought Forsberg deserved a chance tonight after a great game in Jersey.
10:37, 3-1 CAR
Well, CBJ are going back on the PK, as Savard is going to the box for a hooking. Carolina is also leading the game in score, shots, faceoff wins, power play chances…it’s ugly.
8:12, 3-1 CAR
26-12 are the shots for Carolina, and even out of the power play, they still have the offense set up in the Jackets’ zone. The broadcast is exactly right – the CBJ simply look like they’re playing behind the game tonight. Something’s missing from their step.
3:11, 3-1 CAR
The Jackets just aren’t at the right places at the right times. There have been about four different times in which the puck has been sent right in front, and no one is there to make a play on it. Finish this period out, and two goals in the third isn’t impossible, but will need the best period of the year to get.
END OF THE SECOND PERIOD – COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS 1 – CAROLINA HURRICANES 3
Scoring Summary: CAR – Justin Faulk (Unassisted) SH
2nd Period thoughts: Not a very good period for the Jackets. They only allowed a goal…eventhoughitwasshorthanded…but Carolina is dominating the pace of this game. The lines aren’t in sync, the turnovers are abundant, and it seems like we will never win again. Which is complete hogwash, I know, but still. I feel hopeless.
3rd Period
Puck Drop
This is only a two goal game. It might feel like a five goal game…but it’s only two. If we see the best period of the night right here, we could see a win, or go into extra hockey.
17:37, 3-1 CAR
Well, I don’t know what was said in the locker room, but these opening minutes of the third period have been the best of the game. Brett Bellemore is going to the box for Carolina for a delay of game penalty, and the CBJ have a power play.
15:24, 3-1 CAR
Solid power play for Lumbus, but can’t find the net. Gibbons is headed to the box for riding Carolina’s Nash into the end glass. Interference is the call. I guess it’s valid…
12:29, 3-1 CAR
Honestly, this game just needs to end. Jack Johnson lays out Jiri Tlusty at center ice, and makes contact with Tlusty’s head with his shoulder. It’ll be two minutes for a hit to the head, and the NWA crowd doesn’t like it one bit. The twitter folk – as well those on the Cannon’s live thread – agree that should have been a 5-minute major and possibly a suspension. Jackets are just frustrated and aren’t doing smart things. Anyway, its a Canes PP.