On any given night, you can never be too sure who is showing up for the Columbus Blue Jackets. It could be any of the forward lines, and it could be any of the defensive pairings.
Tonight when the Blue Jackets took on the Detroit Red Wings, it was tough to determine how they would bounce back after their loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Red Wings are a middling team, but they have good young players that can make you look silly when given a chance.
After almost blowing it at one point, the Blue Jackets ended up taking down the Red Wings, 7-5.
Here are your three things:
Just Short
Cam Atkinson had a seven-game goal streak snapped tonight, and while it was unfortunate, his streak was outstanding. It didn't matter what he did; it seemed like the puck was going to go into the net. How it didn't continue on in a 7-5 game is anyone's guess.
But to see Atkinson succeed was a nice moment and it helped the Blue Jackets get past tough teams along the way. He pitched in with an assist tonight, so his point streak has continued. The first line remains hot; it doesn't get much better than Atkinson, Artemi Panarin and Pierre-Luc Dubois.
Dubois Does It
Head coach John Tortorella made comments about Dubois' recent play, and it raised some eyebrows. No one is above the ire of Tortorella. He is a tough coach to constantly appease. It seems like Dubois did everything he could to get back in his good graces.
Two goals and one assist, Dubois led the way and did everything. He worked down in dirty near the crease, and it is when he is at his best. Being a physical specimen is god given, Dubois just makes sure that he uses those tools when given a chance. The Blue Jackets are better for it.
Scorekeeping
A lot of people on Twitter were giving a hard time to the on-ice officials in Detroit for constantly changing who did what. My thought? Let them live!
None of us are perfect, and if they have an off night, hey, we've all been there.
Sure, they only had to work a few hours tonight. Sure, they just had to pay attention to the players to determine who scored. Sure, one team is wearing white, and the other red but anyone could be mistaken.
Actually, in hindsight, what the hell were they doing all night?
