Could Alexandre Texier be the Next Trade Domino to Fall for the Blue Jackets?
The Blue Jackets have been playing better hockey of late. Late night in New York, they were able to roll four lines against the Rangers, while icing a lineup that did not include Alexandre Texier.
By Curtis Deem
The Blue Jackets do seem to be finding their way, even if the end result hasn't been a long winning streak. Or even two wins in a row.
Last night in New York, the Jackets played the first place Rangers pretty much straight up; though ultimately losing the game 4-1. It was a much closer game than the score would indicate, however - the Rangers scored two empty net goals late.
I thought the Jackets played well enough to win, aside from not generating enough high danger scoring chances. They defended pretty well. They got superb goaltending. And, they were able to spend a lot of time in the New York end, even late in the third period.
Part of the reason they were able to keep pace in this one: head coach Pascal Vincent rolled four lines. None of his forward groups spent a significant stretch of time on the bench last night.
Boone Jenner led all forwards in time on ice, playing 20:17. Mathieu Olivier (11:22) was at the other end of the spectrum. For the most part, however, the 5 on 5 minutes were pretty evenly distributed.
Only three forwards played less than 13 minutes. Only three forwards played more than 17 minutes. That's basically ideal for an NHL team, and at the end of the game, you could see the difference. They didn't look like they were wiped out.
So, what does this have to do with Alexandre Texier? He didn't even play last night! Well, that's the point we're working towards...