Game #43 recap, another multi-goal lead, another loss for the Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets went into Vegas last night, hoping to get off their skid and win a hockey game. Their start was encouraging, but the middle of the game cost them another valuable 2 points.

It's a tale as old as time. The Jackets started slow, found their game, took the game over, and then immediately took their foot off the gas and cruised.

Well, they watched Vegas cruise. To the tune of 4 unanswered goals. All while the guys bench had no answers.

The frustrating thing is, this was another very winnable game. Yes, the Golden Knights are a great team. But, they are going through some injury troubles, and have been on a skid of their own. In fact, they had won just 2 of their last 10 games going into last night.

So, when the Jackets took a 2-0 lead after starting goaltender Carter Hart had left with an injury, the expectation should have been cruising to a big win.

But, as a fanbase, we knew that wasn't going to happen. And, worse, the team knew that wasn't going to happen as well. You could see it in their body language. They looked disheartened, even with the lead.

Vegas made adjustments, Columbus did not.

When the game got tough, the Vegas Golden Knights found fuel, got to work, and altered their scheme. They tightened things up defensively, eliminated the forecheck of the Blue Jackets, and then dominated this game in transition.

The Jackets stubbornly stuck to what worked for them early on, and did not make any adjustments to their game plan. Even as it failed time and again. Every time down the ice, it was the same: dump puck into the corner, chase, and lose.

Meanwhile, the top players for the Knights exploited a CBJ defense corps that just doesn't have what it takes to close out hockey games. Their counter attack was fantastic, and they looked like they could score at will.

Yes, they have great players. But, what made them dangerous was the fact that they're all on the same page. Check out their second goal:

They really make it look easy on this play. But, it starts with their structure. They eliminate the forecheck by supporting each other. They do not get outnumbered by the Jackets, who have fallen into prevent mode with the delayed penalty.

The forwards come back and give the defensemen short, easy passes. Then, they move up the ice as a unit, looking for odd man plays. When they gain the blue line, the puck doesn't get shot around the boards. Instead, they buy an extra half second to allow the weak-side 2-on-1 to open up.

Then, it's an easy pass and shoot against an exposed defenseman. The Blue Jackets have enough talent to do this. The problem is, that's not the way they're being coached. They are supposed to shoot the puck into the corner and go get it. Or, when they have the lead, shoot the puck in and fall into a defensive posture.

The issue with that game plan is, it's the only one they have. Other teams have figured it out, and they have learned how to take advantage of it. As Vegas did last night. Here's another example:

This was at the end of a good shift by the Jackets. But the Knights are the ones who score the goal. They force the forward to the point, because they know that his only play is going to be to fire the puck back into the corner.

Their defensemen have backed off, but their forwards have opened up and created the rush the other way. They know that the Blue Jackets can't defend in transition, and they expose the hell out of it to take the lead.

Have they given up?

They may have. Watching this team's third period was pretty concerning. They didn't look like a team that is ready to make a playoff push. Actually, the first word that came to mind for me was malaise.

For a veteran laden group that is built to play heavy, physical, emotional hockey; malaise is not a good sign. They looked like a team ready to mail this season in.

Even during the late timeout, I didn't get the impression that they came away from the bench as a unit. In fact, Zach Werenski had to stop everyone and explain something, as if the scheme drawn up wasn't clear enough. Ahem: coaching.

There was no big energy burst. No hard checks. No fight. Just a lost team that had no answers.

If last night is any indication, buckle up. It's going to be another long stretch of hard to watch CBJ hockey.