Second period collapse in Seattle costs Blue Jackets, who lose their sixth game in a row

For 20 minutes last night, we saw how good the Columbus Blue Jackets can be. They swarmed the Seattle Kraken in the first period, playing like a team determined to win a game in November for the first time. Unfortunately, a disastrous second period collapse erased one of the best full-period efforts we've seen out of this CBJ team.

Everything seemed to be going right. The ice was tilted to the Kraken defensive zone, with the Jackets getting the first 8 shots on goal of the game. The Kraken didn't get their first shot on Elvis Merzlikins until the 7:59 mark of the period. By the time the first intermission came, it was 2-0 Blue Jackets, with an 18-6 advantage in shots on goal.

The issue is, NHL games are 60 minutes long...

Ty Kartye got things going for the Kraken, scoring on a broken play just 2:50 into the second. After that, the home team took this game completely over. Brandon Tanev struck off the rush at 7:13, and then Eeli Tolvanen scored on the power-play just 10 seconds later, to give them their first lead of the night. His goal would stand as the eventual game winner.

Put simply, the Blue Jackets absolutely panicked here. After the first goal against, their defensive structure seemed to collapse entirely. They pressed too hard offensively, resulting in too many rush chances the other way, and they paid the price for it because they didn't revert back to their structure.

Their shots on goal advantage was completely wiped out after the second period, which saw the Kraken dominate that category 20-8. Will Borgen made it 4-2 at the 13:34 mark, and while the Blue Jackets did play better in the third period, they weren't able to generate quality chances, eventually losing this game 5-2 after a Jared McCann empty netter.

It wasn't all bad, but they have to mature to win games...

I thought the team did a lot of good things, but they just aren't bearing down and finishing their chances. Both goals were scored by the team's fourth line, which should serve as an example of what this team has to do to score. Simple plays, net-front presence, and pucks through traffic. That's the key to generating offense when you don't have a team loaded with superstar talent.

Dante Fabbro looked really solid in his first game with the Blue Jackets, playing on the top defense pair alongside Zach Werenski. I really think he'll be a nice fit there because his game is tailored to playing with rovers like Zach. He keeps things calm and simple, and takes on the task of being the defense-first presence. From a guy who stepped right into the lineup with little practice time, I was encouraged by what I saw.

On the flip side, this team has to mature. They need to settle down when momentum swings away from them. Stick to their structure, which does work when they play the right way. Quit pressing for offense, play simple and the goals will come. And, most importantly, they need to get a big save when that momentum has gone the other way. Last night, they did none of the above - and this score reflects that.