This time last year, Zach Werenski was just joining the then-Lake Erie Monsters on their soon-to-be Calder Cup run after playing in the NCAA tournament with Michigan. He was joined in Cleveland by a young Dane in Oliver Bjorkstrand who had just posted eight points in his first 12 NHL games in Columbus.
Both would provide stellar play during the AHL playoffs, and both wound up on the Blue Jackets this year. It shouldn't surprise anyone that watched the team closely. Bjorkstrand was masterful during that playoff run and Werenski played well beyond his years.
Despite a significantly different setting, they're both on a similar path to impress during the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Bjorkstrand had an impeccable plus-15 shot differential at even strength during the Jackets' Game 1 loss against the Penguins. That mark, with 16 shots for and just one against, gives him a 94.1% CF. That is unheard of in the regular season, and to do so during the playoffs is otherworldly. It's hard to score on someone when the player and his linemates have the puck the entire time. It's a great sign, and with sustained play like this his line will contribute.
While Bjorkstrand impressed at times, Werenski took the game over. He had six shots on goal and 12 overall attempted shots, all while playing over 25 minutes. With the Jackets attempting 60 shots overall, that's one-fifth of all Jacket attempts. The ability to push play that much is reserved for truly special players, not for defensemen that haven't even reached their 21st birthday.
Head coach John Tortorella was just as impressed by the former Michigan standout and said as much during his postgame press conference:
What can you say about him? He hasn’t played (for a few games), he’s a 19-year-old kid, and you lose the game but I thought he put on a show. I thought his determination and the things he does – I hope it rubs off on other people on our team because that was inspiring to me to see what that kid can do.
Inspiring? That's high praise from the Jackets' coach.
It's easy to be pessimistic about Columbus after the first game. The team has never won a playoff series and they're playing one of the better teams in the league, but that doesn't mean that the Jackets don't have weapons of their own.
The team has positives to draw upon, and their star young players were impressive in their first postseason appearances. These are great signals that point to a bounce back game. Optimism should reign supreme.
