The Blue Jackets played a strong game in Dallas on Halloween, but could not get over the hump and pick up two points. We learned that sometimes, even when you play your best game, you need just a little bit more.
The Stars got onto the board early in this one, scoring just 2:16 into the game. A Jet Greaves clearing attempt sailed over the glass and led to a power-play, which the home team took full advantage of.
The Jackets somehow lost Mikko Rantanen in coverage. He snuck in behind the penalty killing diamond and timed his rush perfectly, receiving a sneaky pass from Wyatt Johnston for an easy tap-in goal.
If that had been the only blemish on the night, the Jackets might have come out of this one unscathed. But late in the period, they quit playing about 5 seconds too early, and their soft coverage cost them a long shot from Thomas Harley that somehow found its way behind Greaves with just 0.2 seconds left.
Down 2-0 on the road, the Blue Jackets may have played their best second period of the season. They out-shot the Stars 9-5, and gave themselves a chance to get back into the game. Unfortunately, they just could not get their offense to click and get on the board.
It looked like they did that early in the third period thanks to a Valeri Nichushkin goal, but the play was called back upon an offsides challenge. Still, the team kept their foot on the gas, spending much of the period in the Stars end.
Damon Severson cut the lead to 2-1 at 6:21 of the third, after a terrific pass from Zach Werenski. The two defensemen jumped into the play thanks to a clean faceoff win (big key!) from Adam Fantilli, but this would cap off their offense for the night.
The Jackets buzzed around for the rest of the third period, and on several occasions looked like they were going to tie the game. Perhaps the best opportunity was on the stick of Conor Garland, who fired a Denton Mateychuk pass just wide late in the period.
Garland's scoreless drought is now at 20 games, which is a big part of the reason this team has struggled to get their sputtering offense going. Last night, however, one thing stood out: they were just a little bit off.
Dallas found an empty net goal with just one second on the clock-their second late period goal of the night-and took the 3-1 win.
Game of inches.
I thought the Blue Jackets played a really good game of hockey last night. The took the play to the Stars for long stretches, and by advanced measures should have won the game.
But advanced metrics don't account for timing, and that's where I thought they lost the game. On both sides of the puck, they were just a hair away from executing, and it cost them the win.
Whether it's Sean Monahan being just a touch late getting to the rushing Rantanen on the first goal, Charlie Coyle being two inches offside, or Garland being just a hair early to the net on that late third period play; they just could not get the timing right.
Sometimes, no matter how well you play, it's the execution that matters most. And a lot of execution is about timing. The one goal the Jackets scored was on a perfectly time rush to the net by Severson.
I do see a lot of good things going on, but if the veterans for this team can't figure it out and get off the schnide, none of this play driving matters. Hopefully they can get the monkey off their backs at home on Tuesday night.
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