For the first time in a long while, the Jackets were badly outplayed.
They were outshot for the first time in 10 games and this was just the second game all season in which they failed to collect at least 20 shots.
Somehow they managed to hold the Devils to just a single goal and picked up two points, vaulting them back into a playoff spot. Here are five thoughts from the win:
What the heck happened in the final two periods?
Columbus came out with a good start to this game. They came out fast, they controlled the game, and they were putting pucks on net, and getting chances. They were playing like they have been the last couple weeks. Something happened in the first intermission and the game completely flipped. The Jackets went from controlling the puck to barely having it, their smart puck decisions turned into bad turnovers. They had two long stretches of 7:39 and 12:12 without a shot. After 13 shots in the first, the Jackets combined for just six in the second and the third.
Someway somehow they managed to score a goal on one of those six shots and it ended up being the difference in the game.
Bounce-back Bob
Sergei Bobrovsky was marvelous tonight. That Pittsburgh game feels like a distant memory with his performance tonight. Bob was dialed in right from the get go. He made a huge save early in the game on a partial break from Taylor Hall, and that really set the tone that this was going to be a tough night for the Devils to score. They got to Bobrovsky once, but he was rock solid otherwise, stopping 30 of 31.
When you see Bobrovsky making plays like this, you know he was playing with some serious confidence.
Sergei "Safe Is Death" Bobrovsky. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/QYXWisZMHs
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) February 21, 2018
Holy Hall
Hall entered the game with a point in his last 18 games. He was stopped on that early chance mentioned above, but he would get his point early in the second period, scoring to tie the game. His speed was evident; numerous times he got chances by simply outskating the Jackets defence. He was the Devils' most dangerous forward, and every time he was on the ice it felt like the Devils were getting high-quality opportunities.
He’s having an unreal season and needs to be in the Hart conversation.
Ryan Murray’s return
The Jackets are getting Murray back at just the right time. Their defense has been a mess with Murray out, and getting him back should provide some stability to the back end. He was not very good tonight, though none of the top four had a good game. Murray finished with the lowest Corsi among the six defensemen at 26.09%. He made a couple good plays in the first period, but those were few and far between. He definitely looked off, his decision making at times was questionable.
I’m willing to give him a pass for the first few games here. He hasn’t played in two and half months and had just a single rehab game. It’s going to take a bit here for him to shake the rust off.
Who’s stepping up?
The loss of Nick Foligno puts a big hole in the lineup. The captain plays big minutes and someone needs to step up and fill that void. Tonight it was Matt Calvert getting a bump in minutes, and Boone Jenner stepping up offensively. Calvert played 17:09, including an uncharacteristic 2:04 on the power play. This game was the fifth-most minutes he’s played in a game this season. This was a big step up for a player who in the nine previous games this month has averaged just a little over 10 minutes.
Jenner saw a slight increase in minutes as well. He was looking more like Boone Jenner. He was one of the few players getting pucks on net, he and Cam Atkinson tied for the team lead with three. Jenner was physical laying hits, and he was getting to the front of the net, scoring those greasy Boone Jenner goals.
Vintage Boone Jenner greasy goal. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/Gq8VmG4dy3
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) February 21, 2018
