Game #2 at Nationwide Arena was not nearly as fun as game #1. The Blue Jackets were picked apart by the Utah Mammoth, who skated them into the ground en-route to a 4-1 win.
For all intents and purposes, this game was over after the first period. The Mammoth out-shot the Jackets 13-4, and held a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Mikhail Sergachev and Nick Schmaltz. To be honest, the gap felt even wider than the score indicated.
The Blue Jackets simply were not in this game, at any point in the first period. They found a little life in the second period, with Kent Johnson narrowing the lead to 2-1 thanks to a breakaway goal just 1:30 in.
But the Mammoth locked the game down after that point, giving up just 13 more shots on the night, few of them really threatening their lead. They fell into a strong defensive structure, and then used two power-play goals to blow the game open.
Give credit where it's due: they came to play. They had a plan, they executed it, and they were simply the better team. However, with that said, the Jackets did not bring their "A" game; and regardless who is in or out of the lineup, that's not good enough.
The writing was on the wall after the Buffalo game, if we're being honest. Even though the Blue Jackets came away with the big win, there were signs of concern. Those signs became very clear last night, as Bowness said best.
Rick Bowness with an early message in his post-game presser:
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) October 4, 2026
“We got exposed tonight.”
Added that plans for the next week (no game until Friday) have all changed. #CBJ
Cause for concern?
One of the most eye opening stats from the early part of the season, is the penalty differential. So far, the Blue Jackets have surrendered 9 power-plays to the other team, while earning only five for themselves.
Last night, it was special teams that decided the game. The Jackets were unable to get much going at 5-on-5, which overextended their game and led to guys trying to do too much. That resulted in penalties, which resulted in goals against because their penalty kill did not get the job done.
Worse, when they had the man advantage themselves, they looked disconnected. Again, they were trying to do too much, and made Utah's job defending much easier. Nothing seemed to be clicking for the guys in Union Blue last night, which is pretty concerning this early in the season.
More concerning, in my opinion, was the lack of real comradery or push back. Our third key to success last night said it best: we want to see this team impose their physical will. There is a way to do that without taking a slashing or hooking penalty (as they did last night).
The Jackets never really established the forecheck that can help them generate turnovers, and in turn, kickstart their offense. There was no imposing of any physical will, in fact: they were out-hit 26-21 on the night.
For a team that is devoid of any superstar talent up front, the only way to get their young offensive weapons into the game, might be to ignite that fuse and get the other team to take some bad penalties. At worst, you get the home crowd into it and generate some more energy.
In all, I was pretty disappointed by this team's overall effort last night. They have the next five days off, which is probably a good thing. There is a lot for them to work on.
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