First Period

The Blue Jackets came into the game looking for a rebound performance from Friday’s 4-2 loss against Toronto. The beginning of the period had lots of stoppages and prevented either team from getting into a rhythm. The Blue Jackets, though, quickly took control of the game to set the tone. They threw their weight around to make plays, moved the puck effectively, and fired shots at the net. This contributed to most of the play taking place in the Jackets’ offensive zone for the first half of the period. As always, however, the Jackets failed to capitalize on any chances. Many shots went wide of the net, eliminating any chance of scoring. The rest of the period saw Ottawa push back, aided by numerous Jackets’ turnovers in their own defensive zone. Though he only faced five shots, Sergei Bobrovsky looked strong in the period. Late in the first, he stopped an Ottawa breakaway and the defense cleaned up any second chance opportunity. Columbus outshot Ottawa 7-5, but that is a little deceiving due to the number of blocked and missed shots by both teams. It’s also important to note that Columbus had a 6-1 advantage at the 10-minute mark.



Second Period

The second period started how the first finished: the Jackets missed passes and missed the net. Josh Anderson, in an effort to give his team a spark, dropped the gloves with Mark Boroweicki. After a few good shots both ways, Anderson lost his balance and tumbled to the ice. In addition to his five-minute major, Anderson was also penalized two minutes for cross-checking. The Senators, struggled early in the power play, a common sight at Nationwide Arena. As time expired, however, Ohio State product Ryan Dzingel buried a shot over Bobrovsky’s left pad after the Senators put on a passing clinic. Less than a minute later, Columbus jumped back on the attack and capitalized on their own set of nice passes. Zach Werenski received a cross-ice pass from Artemi Panarin and hit the back of the net. Later in the second, the Jackets received a power play of their own. Artemi Panarin, perhaps in an effort to get the Jackets’ woeful power play unit off the ice, was called for hooking to end it as all of them end: scoreless. The two teams played evenly to close out the period. The goalies were tested a little more in the second as the Jackets outshot the Senators by a margin of 14-13.



Third Period

Just over a minute in the period, the Jackets went on the power play after Anderson was tripped by his earlier tango partner, Boroweicki. The Jackets didn’t score. Once the power play concluded, the Jackets got back to playing watchable hockey. Pierre-Luc Dubois cleaned up a juicy rebound in front of the net to give the Jackets a 2-1 lead. Columbus kept their foot on the gas. Dubois fought hard in the corner and fired a puck across the goal mouth that ricocheted in for his second of the evening. Ottawa retaliated with a lucky bounce of their own when Bobby Ryan fired a puck off of David Savard’s leg past Bobrovsky. With a little over six minutes left, Dzingel scored his second of the night after he was left unattended on the back side of the net. The fans sensed this was going to be a repeat performance of so many games given away late. The Jackets, however, proved them wrong and pushed the envelope trying to expose the Senators defense. Their effort paid off. Werenski tipped a pass from Cam Atkinson past Marcus Hogberg and put the Jackets ahead 4-3. Columbus added two more goals, both empty-netters. Despite the rally from Ottawa, the third period belonged to Columbus who outshot the Senators 17-6.



Final Thoughts

Despite winning their last six of seven, the Jackets have been in a rut. They have improved their play to maximize chances, but still, so many things have to go right for the Jackets to score. A main part of the problem is their shot accuracy. Granted the Jackets, courtesy of Dubois, scored on an off-target shot, the fact remains it’s hard to score if you don’t hit the net. Tonight, the Jackets missed many shots high and wide, virtually eliminating a possibility of a goal. Their increased scoring chances mean nothing if they consistently miss the net. Fans can take solace that this team is still a work in progress and have yet to hit their ceiling. Since the Capitals shellacked them in early December, the Jackets have consistently improved. The team has tightened up its defensive play in all three zones, created more opportunities for themselves, and, with tonight as evidence, closed out games. Especially after taking a 2-goal punch in the mouth in the third, the Jackets played with passion and poise and answered the call. While Ottawa is not an elite team by any stretch, it’s important to play the right way all the time. The Jackets will need this type of mentality to have any chance at playing late into the year.

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Avid watcher of the Blue Jackets, Browns, Indians, and Buckeyes. Be sure to follow me on Twitter @jacksonsjackets for CBJ news, updates, and articles.