The Columbus Blue Jackets were hoping to continue their winning ways but eventually fell in the shootout to the New York Rangers.
Columbus looked dominant at times and also allowed goals that had no business going in. Some of it falls at the feet of goaltender Joonas Korpisalo and other times it fell at the feet of the defense.
The complete game still hasn't really come for the Blue Jackets, but once again you saw flashes that should be encouraging for all fans.
Here are your three things:
Uneven Ice Time
Four Blue Jacket forwards played less than ten minutes against the New York Rangers. Markus Hannikainen, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Anthony Duclair, and Riley Nash all saw less than ten minutes. With that being said, six Blue Jacket forwards, Nick Foligno, Josh Anderson, Boone Jenner, Cam Atkinson, Artemi Panarin and Pierre-Luc Dubois all saw over twenty minutes of ice time.
Why the uneven playing time?
Duclair and Bjorkstrand were on the ice for goals against, but they were completely abandoned. You then rely on other players more than usual, and you don't have the full capabilities of your team. Certain players aren't going to have the legs they used to, and it is going to make for a tough third period when your bench is only six players deep. The positives and negatives should end up even at the end of the day.
The power play continues to hum
The Blue Jackets power play has been straight up problematic. Tonight against the Rangers it was 1 for 2 and Dubois had one of the prettiest passes you'll ever see. The Blue Jackets are beginning to attack the weak areas of other teams and are moving straight forward.
The personnel hasn't really changed all that much, but the execution is starting to take shape. That takes time and patience that people don't normally have for a special teams unit.
The Blue Jackets are sticking with it on the power play, and they're succeeding because of it.
His Name Is Joonas
Let's be frank about Joonas Korpisalo's game against the Rangers. It stunk. It can't be entirely put at his feet though. Every goal against was an automatic goal and a gaping net due to the poor defense in front of him. He didn't let in any howlers throughout the night.
He also can't continue to be at a less than .900 save percentage consistently, or they'll need to look elsewhere. That is just a fact. The Blue Jackets needed a save and couldn't buy one. The final shot in the shootout saw a puck go off Korpisalo's glove and go in. It was a microcosm of his game, and it will be interesting if he can play consistently going forward.
