Like the phoenix rising out of the ashes, I am back and writing about Columbus Blue Jackets hockey. I was out the past couple of weeks after surgery, and nonetheless was able to watch hockey out of the comfort of the hospital and then bed at my own home.
I've been both impressed and disappointed in the Blue Jackets. They're good, but it's unclear just how good they really are in the grand scheme of the NHL. They came out with two great wins and a lackluster loss to the Blues.
Who gave us a good boomer and who gave us a bad boomer? Let's discuss.
Three Boomers Up
Oliver Bjorkstrand
This is going to end up being one of those names you'll see on this list time and again. Bjorkstrand isn't tearing up the league (yet), but he's putting points on the board and that's important for a team that is trying to find lines that work. His power play goal was sublime and his assist to Matt Calvert during the Blues game was magnificent. He capped it all off with a stellar shootout goal against the Bruins.
Bjorkstrand is an offensive weapon and he is finally coming into his own. That should scare the rest of the league.
Seth Jones
Much like Bjorkstrand, Jones is going to end up on this list an awful lot. He had three points in four games this past week. He along with Zach Werenski are not only the catalysts for the defense, but they're very involved with the offense as well. This isn't a new development but the skill was on full display; Jones is a valuable piece to the team and when he is clicking, the team is on a completely different level.
Tyler Motte
Going from the AHL to the NHL isn't an easy transition. Getting the right mix and making sure that your role is properly suited to you is equally tough. Motte scored seven points in seven games for the Cleveland Monsters, including a team-best five goals. In his first game with the Blue Jackets, he scored a breakaway goal that was sprung by defenseman Markus Nutivaara. He made an impact in a short period of time and it may have just ensured him a spot for the near future.
Three Boomers Down
Brandon Dubinsky
Losing the "A" sucks, plain and simple. For a player like Dubinsky that works his tail off and has embodied a lot of what "Blue Jackets hockey" is, it makes sense why losing it would hurt. Pair that with a middling week that included one point in four games, Dubinsky is having one of his worst weeks in recent memory. Then again, he has almost $6 million reasons why he shouldn't be too sad.
Power Play
It stinks. It isn't good and they have all of the players in the world that should make this unit better than it already is, but alas, they can't find a rhythm. This past week, in four games, they were 1-for-13 on the power play with the lone goal coming against the Sabres. The unit has had trouble getting the puck into the middle of the ice and because of it, no goals are being scored. Until they can fix this problem, the unit is going to continue to squander opportunities.
Joonas Korpisalo
This isn't to say that Korpisalo is a bad goaltender, but he didn't have the greatest night against the Blues. He was thrown to the wolves, and the Blues chewed him up and spit him out. Korpisalo is going to be given plenty of similar assignments on back-to-backs and is going to need to come up big for the Blue Jackets. He isn't a full boomer down, he is just a slightly disappointing boomer and to be honest, I'm not sure which is worse.
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