The Blue Jackets lost a thriller at Amalie Arena on Saturday night, a 5-4 shootout decision to the red-hot Tampa Bay Lightning.
There's good and bad here; Columbus got two big goals in the third period to grab a hard-earned road point, but couldn't capitalize in the shootout. Steven Stamkos scored the lone goal, while Oliver Bjorkstrand, Artemi Panarin, and Sonny Milano came up empty for the Blue Jackets.
Here are some observations and anecdotes from what was an entertaining game in Tampa:
Hannikainen Resiliency
Markus Hannikainen played a team-low 4:52, but managed to register a goal and an assist (the first multi-point game of his NHL career) for the Jackets' fourth line. He's making the most of his opportunity, and clearly John Tortorella will have to make some difficult decisions when Cam Atkinson is healthy enough to rejoin the team.
Hannikainen with some nifty work below the goal line. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/E2OLN6BdHd
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) November 5, 2017
In his limited ice time, Hannikainen was solid, playing a straight-forward and honest game. His goal was typical of his style, with hard work down low leading to a quick wraparound that beat Andrei Vasilevskiy to the near post. Scoring in back-to-back games is a sure-fire way to stay in the lineup, and it will be interesting to see what Tortorella does going forward.
Dubinsky Buries, Finally
It was only a matter of time, but Brandon Dubinsky finally scored his first goal of the season. His underlying metrics were brutal tonight, but sometimes a player needs just one chance to score, and his goal was a big one. Down a goal midway through the third period, Dubinsky found a soft spot in the slot and tied the game 4-4, cleaning up a Boone Jenner rebound.
Cleaning up the mess in front, Dubinsky hammers it home. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/dMQVoBtAyg
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) November 5, 2017
Top Defensemen Show Up
BREAKING: Zach Werenski and Seth Jones are very good. Both scored goals, but their contributions went beyond the score sheet. When the two were on the ice, the Blue Jackets simply dominated play.
Zach Werenski and Seth Jones were on the ice for all four #CBJ goals tonight. Werenski had a +26/-10 Corsi, Jones +24/-13. That's #pfg, imo
— Jeremy Crowe (@307x) November 5, 2017
The pair led the team in scoring chances for (per naturalstattrick), which is pretty amazing considering their position. When Werenski and Jones are on the ice, even against elite competition, they drive play in the right direction.
Shots, Shots, Shots
According to a FOX Sports Ohio graphic, the Blue Jackets have recorded at least 30 shots on goal for the 11th straight game. Tampa Bay registered 36 tonight, which is far from ideal. Still, it's encouraging that the team is generating consistently high levels of shots, and it's contributed to their 9-4-1 record.
Top Forwards: Wanted
Artemi Panarin is having a hard time finding the back of the net, but he's not alone. Alexander Wennberg hasn't exactly been lighting the lamp. The two of them are shooting 2.5% and 4.5%, respectively. At some point, these numbers will have to average out. It's not for a lack of chances. Panarin had a CF% of 62.1 tonight, but he was visibly frustrated after missing two great opportunities on the power play in overtime.
It could be considered encouraging that a team can register a point on the road against the NHL's top team, despite playing mediocre hockey for a decent chunk of the game...but the Blue Jackets need to eventually start putting games like this away.
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