Columbus Blue Jackets Get Back On Winning Track In 3-2 Shootout Win

The Columbus Blue Jackets looked like a team that just had their seven game winning streak snapped by a shady call, but I digress. They looked flat to start the game, and never really played their best hockey. When you have a goaltender like Sergei Bobrovsky you don’t have to play your best every game, even when you are playing one of the top teams in the league.

Dec 20, 2014; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets right wing

(10) celebrates a goal against the Chicago Blackhawks during the first period at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports

Columbus was out shot 15-3 in the first period, but Bobrovsky kept them in the game and allowed the Blue Jackets to take a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. Just by looking at the stats you would have thought Chicago was in the lead, but one of the 3 shots taken by the Blue Jackets found its way past Corey Crawford. Jack Skille tipped in a Fedor Tyutin shot from the point, just like that Columbus had the lead.

The second periods shot chart was a little less lopsided, the Blue Jackets were only out shot 14-9 in the second. This period only saw one goal as well, it came off the stick of Patrick Sharp and it beat Bobrovsky glove side. It was one of those goals that you say I bet Bob wished he had that one back, as good as Bobrovsky was tonight he should have had that save. The teams would head into the locker rooms knotted at one, with the way the Blue Jackets offense had played so far they had to feel lucky to still be in the game.

It didn’t take long for the Columbus Blue Jackets to take back the lead, just 1:55 into the third Kevin Connauton beat Corey Crawford with a wicked wrister. That is when things got interesting, and by interesting I mean Toronto took another chance to really kick the Blue Jackets where it hurts. After a slew of shots in front of Bobrovsky, Marcus Kruger got the steal sign from the third base coach and slid skates first towards Bobrovsky and the puck that was sitting close to the crease. After Kruger kicked the puck towards the goal line, someones stick knocked it into the net. Then after a lengthy review Toronto “said” it was a legal play and overturned the ruling on the ice, tying the game at two and that’s how the third period ended.

Overtime saw some pretty good end to end action, but ultimately no goals were scored and the teams would take their talents to a shootout. With the shootout we saw what we had already seen for most of the game, amazing play from both goaltenders which extended the shootout itself to overtime.

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Nobody scored in the shootout until round five when Jeremy Morin, yes the same Morin that was traded from the Blackhawks put the rubber past Crawford. It would have been a storybook ending if not for Andrew Shaw extending the shootout on the next shot as he beat Bobrovsky. Three more rounds saw no goals scored, then came round 9 and a certain gentleman named Jack Johnson, or J.M.F.J  for short skate to center ice. J.M.F.J proceeded to deke Crawford out of his jersey and deposit the puck into the back of the net. The extra point was on Bobrovsky’s shoulders again and this time he would not disappoint, stopping Bryan Bickell rather easily and preserving the W.

The Blue Jackets have won 8 0f 9 games and taken 17 of a possible 18 points, while clawing their way out of the cellar and back into the playoff picture. There is still a lot of season to play, the injuries keep coming but this team has started to show signs of the team we have come to know and love.