It doesn't have to be pretty for it to count as a win. The Columbus Blue Jackets know that after beating the Dallas Stars, 2-1.
The Blue Jackets played their most physical game of the season. It completely flipped the game on its head and made for one interesting matchup. If you weren't checking during this game, you didn't see the ice.
It was Blue Jacket hockey through and through. Now can you do that against other teams that don't want to get into the fray?
Now for three things:
Fisticuffs
There have been three fights in the last three weeks, and frankly, it has kind of startled me. I enjoy a hockey fight as much as the next person, but they continue to happen again and again. This time it was Josh Anderson and Jamie Benn. It was a solid scrap.
There is no correlation or causation for the fight and the win. Nonetheless, it did seem to energize the away club. It likely had more to do with getting Jamie Benn out of the game for five minutes though. Just how physical is this Blue Jacket team going to get? Is this going to be the same club that we see in January?
Mr. Atkinson
It has become apparent that forward Cam Atkinson enjoys playing with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Artemi Panarin. Atkinson put up two points on the night and was all over the puck. It didn't show up in the advanced stats, but he was a big part of the up and down nature of the game at 5v5. To put it in perspective, he played five minutes less than David Savard, and they had similar attempted shots for and against. That is fast pace hockey.
Atkinson has already come into his own, at this point he is just planting himself on a pedestal that other players on his own team are going to have a tough time reaching. Atkinson has been money in 2018.
Duclair Ice Time
Another night with Anthony Duclair at less than ten minutes of ice time. We know at this point that it is due to his lack of checking. It is another night where they may have needed his services if a bounce didn't originally go their way.
You begin to wonder if this is going to be a permanent theme for the Blue Jackets and Duclair. He has put up goals, and he has put up points. That is what you signed up for; you didn't sign up for a winger that checks.
Now they're trying to readjust his game on the fly, and it may blow up in their faces if they aren't careful. The Blue Jackets keep chugging along, and they're doing it without the offensive weapon that is Duclair. How long does that last?
