The Blue Jackets welcome the Penguins to Nationwide Arena for only the sixth Stanley Cup Playoff game in the building's history Sunday evening.
With the Jackets in a 2–0 series hole, a Game 3 win in front of home fans is paramount.
Our own Rob Mixer, Jeff Svoboda and Nick Vogel break down the state of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, strategies for the third game, measuring disappointment and more.
What are your thoughts on the post-whistle stuff from Game 2, particularly the Calvert cross-check and the final scrum?
Jeff Svoboda: Extracurriculars are going to happen in any playoff series, especially one that matches division rivals who are separated by just three hours on the highway. So that kind of stuff doesn’t really bother me, though the Matt Calvert cross-check has no place in the game. That’s the kind of thing that just makes the Jackets look bad and serves no actual purpose on the ice. We all know that a good scrum or two can inspire a team, but cross-checking a guy down 4-1 in the closing seconds really doesn’t even serve that purpose. It shows frustration more than anything else, and frustration won’t help Columbus get back in this series.
Rob Mixer: These incidents concerned me for two reasons: first, because they’re unnecessary and not in the spirit of the game, as Jeff said. Second, because for as much as the Blue Jackets want to talk about being happy with their game and staying focused, etc., this is a blatant example of some serious frustration seeping in. They can’t beat the Penguins by out-hitting them or out-forechecking them. That’s silly. Their issues rest in the offensive zone, where they seem allergic to the slot and unable to sustain any sort of pressure. You hope this doesn’t move the goal posts, so to speak.
Nick Vogel: I think Calvert is frustrated. He has been great in the playoffs and always seems to elevate his game in the postseason. He is trying his hardest but the team is still not getting results and that in itself is frustrating. I thought the cross-check was dirty and not something I'm used to seeing with Calvert. I'm a little surprised he only received a one-game suspension for the incident.
The Blue Jackets are down 2–0 in the series, having been outscored 7-2. Is it panic time?
RM: Absolutely. Though the adage is that “you’re not in trouble until you lose at home,” well, the Blue Jackets lost both of their road games and have applied a Force-choke to their chances in this series. Going back home in must-win mode is a lot different than going back home looking to take control of the series with a pair of wins. It’s desperation time and the combination of an offensive dry spell and spotty goaltending means the Blue Jackets pretty much have to play a perfect game to win right now. Not great!
JS: Well when you put it that way, yes, haha. Some people will say a playoff series doesn’t really start until a home team loses a game, but the reality is going to Pittsburgh and coming back empty-handed puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the Jackets to come out in Games 3 and 4. I still think Columbus hasn’t played terribly, as John Tortorella and the underlying numbers as far as possession have indicated, but this time of year, the only thing that really matters is getting the win. If Columbus doesn’t get one Sunday night, we’ll be well past panic time.
NV: Yes, but not time to panic too much. The Blue Jackets should be worried that their power play has disappeared and they're down 2-0, however, they've played well in stretches this series. The Jackets have a very good record in NWA and having last change and home bench in the playoffs does make a difference. There's no doubt they'll need to win these next two to get back into it. Sunday should feel like a Game 7.
Nick Foligno is one of several Blue Jackets who need to step up at home. Photo: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
What weakness or weaknesses of the Blue Jackets do you see the Penguins exposing through the first two games?
NV: That if they get the puck out of the zone quickly they can eliminate the Blue Jackets' forecheck while also getting numerous odd man rushes. I think that the CBJ are trying too hard to hit the Penguins. The Blue Jackets beat this Pens team in the regular season by just carrying the puck into the zone and playing with skill, not a hit-anything-we-see type of game
JS: The inability to score right now has gone from puzzling to all too real. Columbus has players who can put the puck in the net but for whatever reason, it’s just not happening right now. You’re just not going to win many games with one goal, and that’s especially true when you’re having one of the elite scoring teams in the NHL. It looks right now like the Jackets are pressing in the offensive zone, just trying to get pucks on net and hoping for chaos, but that’s playing into the strength of a Pittsburgh defense that is filling shot lanes and collapsing to the front of the net to clear rebounds away from Marc-Andre Fleury.
RM: The Penguins don’t blink, man. They’re so good. What’s struck me is the approach of the two teams within the games. The Blue Jackets have seemed satisfied with their first periods in Games 1 and 2, and felt they established something by playing 20 good minutes. The Penguins didn’t seem to care at all; they re-grouped and took over in the second period of both games by staying the course and following the lead of their top players. So, I guess what I’m saying is the weakness seems mental right now. The Penguins’ resolve has served them well while the Blue Jackets have turned some small lapses from mole hills into mountains.
If the Blue Jackets get swept, is the season a failure?
RM: Not a chance. I’ve read a lot of comments over the past few days and the “failure” sentiment is perplexing. Here’s the deal: the playoffs are hard as hell. It’s an all-out grind. The team that wins it all is playing at 150mph for almost two months. The Blue Jackets put together an incredible season that could change the course of the franchise; the standard has been raised and John Tortorella gets a ton of credit for that. The culture has been changed and it was long overdue. They’ve identified their core, and for the first time ever, their core is legitimately great. If they bow out in the first round, it’s going to suck but it’s also going to be ok.
NV: Yes in the short term. No in the long term. Considering they were the best team in the NHL for a stretch this year, it would be disappointing to exit the first round on a sweep. It would also be disappointing because the Penguins are without Kris Letang, one of the best defensemen in the league. However, they sometimes say that you need to lose, to learn how to win. The players can build off of the series and use it as a measuring stick to understand what it takes to compete in the playoffs. The team is young and the future looks bright so they should be back next year.
JS: I don’t think so. It would be a tremendously disappointing end and give the haters plenty of ammunition to say the season was a fluke, but if you take the long view, a team that no one expected to make the playoffs had the best season in franchise history, made history with a 16-game win streak, battled the best teams in the game record-wise, and set the course for future success with a cadre of young stars in the fold. A true failure would have been another 27th-place finish; this would just be an unfortunate result.
What is your prediction for Game 3?
JS: I might as well be positive and say the things the Jackets do well will continue to the point Columbus will get the win. I think they deserve one based on just the underlying quality of play thus far in the series, and it’s clear the Jackets will play with the appropriate level of desperation returning home down 2-0. So I think the goals start going in and Columbus gets the victory.
NV: I predict a 4-1 Jackets win. The team is going to come out hot and play in front of a crowd thirsty for playoff hockey. Columbus thrives off of the energy and the atmosphere of the fans at NWA and fans get just how important this game is.
RM: Normally, I’m accused of being Mr. Positive but this is a tough call. I think the Penguins have the Blue Jackets figured out. I really do. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Blue Jackets ride the home-ice boost and take Game 3, but I have a feeling that Pittsburgh knows it has full control of the series and can really push Columbus to the literal and figurative brink with a win on Sunday.
