5 Takeaways from Columbus Blue Jackets' gutting meltdown against Carolina Hurricanes
RALEIGH, N.C. ― It happened again.
Another lead in the third period vanished on the Blue Jackets in a three-goal meltdown that erased a 2-0 margin and resulted in their 3-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday night at PNC Arena.
More: Columbus Blue Jackets hang on against New Jersey Devils, win second straight: 4 takeaways
It was another gut punch for a team that desperately needs to find its inner Houdini.
“It’s the same thing over and over again,” star forward Johnny Gaudreau said. “We’ve got to learn. We keep shooting ourselves in the foot. When there’s 10 minutes left and we’ve got a two-goal lead, we’ve got to find a way to win that game, especially with a big (penalty) kill (in the third).”
The loss prevented the Blue Jackets (6-12-4) from stringing together their first winning streak of more than two games, which they were headed toward doing after Kirill Marchenko and Gaudreau scored back-to-back goals in the first 6:41 of the third. Instead of building off the momentum, the Jackets wilted under the Hurricanes’ push in the final 10 minutes.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi cut the lead to 2-1 at 10:01 with a goal, defenseman Brady Skjei tied it 2-2 with 3:09 left and Andrei Svechnikov scored the winner with 1:57 left to play.
“We’ve got to learn how to play with a lead,” Gaudreau said. “We did a good job the past two games. We were moving on the right track, but they were just pushing pretty hard there at the end of the third.”
Here are five takeaways:
Columbus Blue Jackets' resilience tested again after loss to Carolina Hurricanes
Ivan Provorov said it was like watching the same horrible movie on an endless loop, and that was after the Jackets’ 4-3 loss to the Washington Capitals that pushed a winless skid to eight games.
That was five games ago.
A ninth winless game followed the very next day, which preceded the Jackets ending their slide with wins against the Blackhawks and Devils earlier this week.
Now this one.
It's another kick to the midsection that left Gaudreau sounding like Provorov. The Blue Jackets also have another game to play Monday at Nationwide Arena against the Boston Bruins, who are merely tied with the New York Rangers atop the Eastern Conference with 31 points.
The Blue Jackets have played hard amidst numerous letdowns, so they can't stop now.
“You win a hockey game, the next day you have to get up and do it again,” Vincent said. “You lose a hockey game, whether it’s hard (and) you deserved a better fate or not, the next day you have to get up and do it again. And I think that’s what they’re good at. I know they’re frustrated right now. We can feel it. But the vibe is right and (Monday) we’ll get up and do it again.”
Columbus Blue Jackets must improve possession to protect leads
Two things that need to start going the opposite direction for the Blue Jackets are shots and attempts, especially after they gain the lead.
After barely surviving against a 38-26 shot disadvantage in a 2-1 victory Friday against the New Jersey Devils, the Jackets were overwhelmed by Carolina's 43-23 margin that included an 18-6 edge in the first period and 16-7 in the third.
The Jackets aren't going to win many close games by turning their goalies into sitting targets, even if most of the shots are kept to the outside. The longer opposing teams possess the puck in the Jackets’ zone, the more likely it will be for those teams to score tying and go-ahead goals. This is particularly vexing in third periods, when the Jackets have been outshot by a combined 252-225 and outscored 31-19.
The results have gutted them, as Gaudreau put it, “over and over again.”
This was the sixth time Columbus has fumbled away a lead in the third and their record is 1-1-4 in those games. That's six potential points they could've had with wins. Veteran defenseman Erik Gudbranson, who had two key bounces go against him on the Hurricanes’ last two goals, was nearly at a loss for words on how this keeps happening.
“That’s hockey, I guess,” he said. “It happened quick. I mean, from the opposition, yeah, they start pressing for sure (while trailing), and we’re leaving Carolina dry with no points. We have to sit down, take a look at it and figure out what happened. We’ve got to close that out.”
Gudbranson will take criticism on the Hurricanes' winning goal, which was scored by Svechnikov after the puck slipped by the Jackets’ defender along the wall in the neutral zone. The bigger picture is the possession game in the third, which was far more to blame for the Jackets’ meltdown.
According to Natural Stat Trick, Columbus took just 25.7% of attempted 5-on-5 shots in that period (9-26) and the Hurricanes built gigantic edges in scoring chances (14-3) and high-danger chances (6-0). That was in a period that couldn’t have started better for the Blue Jackets on the goals from Marchenko and Gaudreau.
"We're talking about small moments in a game," Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent said. "Against a team like that, that's all they need. So, they won one period, 3-2. We tied them for the first two periods. We were playing the right way. It's a few minutes that ... we know we're better than that, but at the same time, that's a team that aspires to win the Stanley Cup this year."
If the Blue Jackets ever aspire to say the same thing, they've got to figure this out.
Johnny Gaudreau heating up for Columbus Blue Jackets
It's been a season of silver linings in Columbus.
The latest should provide encouragement moving forward, since it’s about Gaudreau finally producing. The star left wing is off to the worst start of his professional career, but is looking more like himself lately. Against the Hurricanes, Gaudreau assisted on Marchenko’s goal and scored his own to bring his season scoring line up to 3-8-11 in 22 games.
Gaudreau is typically a point-a-game producer, if not more, so this could be the start of an offensive wave. He has points in four of the last five games, including three in a row.
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brady Skjei continues to torch Columbus Blue Jackets
It took almost the entire game, but Skjei finally scored his customary goal against the Blue Jackets to tie it late in the third. The goal was Skjei’s eighth and 15th point against Columbus in 32 career games, including goals against the Blue Jackets in three of the past five meetings.
That’s quite a hot hand for any player, especially a defenseman who typically flies under the radar in terms of publicity for his success. In this game, Skjei tied it 2-2 by pinching to the low slot and backhanding a puck into the net after it bounced off Gudbranson’s skate.
“He’s the guy you don’t hear much about,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “He gets overshadowed on this team without a doubt. He’s a special player for us, no question.”
Columbus Blue Jackets could tap depth to grind through schedule
The Blue Jackets are playing their fourth of 14 back-to-back sets on the schedule and their third game in four days. They’ve also played 22 games already, which is tied for most in the league.
That typically means the backup goalie will get a chance to play, but this stretch could also give one or both extras a chance to stretch their legs against the Boston Bruins. The Jackets haven’t placed defenseman Damon Severson on injured reserve yet for his oblique injury, so he’s an injured scratch, but forward Mathieu Olivier and defenseman Andrew Peeke could play thanks to having fresher legs.
Vincent could also keep the lineup the same.
Olivier played the previous two games while Alexandre Texier (illness) was out, and Vincent said it was a tough call to sit him Sunday. Peeke has only played four times all season and sat in Raleigh for the eighth straight game.
“(The busy schedule) certainly has a toll on you,” Vincent said. “But I think, as a team, we’ve been doing a good job at managing the rest and effort in practices and making sure we do the right things. … As far as the lineups? We could play seven games in seven days. No one wants to come out of the lineup. They never do, so it’s going to be up to us to manage that part.”
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets/2023/11/24/blue-jackets-edge-devils-on-merzlikins-40-saves/71690643007/
