Good morning, Columbus Blue Jackets fans! The CBJ are back in action Friday evening, kicking off their date with the Pittsburgh Penguins at 7 p.m. EDT. As you probably know, a win for the Jackets here will even the series as the teams head back to Columbus for games 3 and 4.
A win for the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Pittsburgh Penguins is a lot easier said than done though. Despite looking outmatched in the first period of game one, the Penguins made adjustments and hung three on the Jackets in the second.
Something like that cannot happen again tonight. Once the Blue Jackets go soft or even think about taking their foot off the throttle, the Pens will respond. Columbus’ timidness in regards to entering the slot seemed to be a major issue and one of the key components to Wednesday’s loss.
To back up my point, here is a heat map between the teams through the first two periods in game one. Shoutout to Natural Stat Trick for this even though it makes me sad.
...have you tried maybe going near the net, Columbus? pic.twitter.com/KfVfHBH9Rk
— Natural Stat Trick (@NatStatTrick) April 13, 2017
As you can see, Pittsburgh was plenty comfortable with taking shots from in front of the net but the Jackets weren’t. Many of their shots came in or behind the faceoff circles. That’s inexcusable and a recipe to get swept if continued.
Drink your hot cup of Joe and read your links to get your day going!
Columbus Blue Jackets
Penguins fan refuses treatment for stab wound to head until after game (Sporting News)
Game 2 Preview: Blue Jackets vs. Penguins (NHL.com)
Blue Jackets rookie defenseman Zach Werenski, 19, plays like a grizzled veteran (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Penguins confirm Murray out with lower-body injury (FanRag)
Marc-Andre Fleury Gets Another Playoff Moment (Pens Labyrinth)