To say that the Columbus Blue Jackets bounced back tonight after a poor effort earlier this week would be an understatement. Against one of the league's hottest teams – the red-hot Chicago Blackhawks – Columbus dominated, winning 5-2.
Let's dive right into tonight's three things.
Bread On Fire
If this is how Artemi Panarin treats his former teams when he faces off against them, well, Columbus is going to have some problems when they run into him after this season.
Panarin was a force all night long, notching three points (2-1–3) and nearly having another highlight-reel assist to spring Cam Atkinson for a breakaway goal that was eventually overturned on replay review. He had no trouble carving up his former team, and generated plenty of scoring chances – including hitting a post – in addition to his contributions on the scoresheet.
This was the first goal Bread ever scored against the Blackhawks and his 23rd of the season. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/pyqediBKNz
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) February 17, 2019
Panarin was certainly the game's biggest standout, but his linemates got in on the action as well. Pierre-Luc Dubois had a snipe to open the scoring, while Atkinson notched a goal of his own before the disallowed one. Still, Panarin was in the driver's seat all night long, and his three points tied Ryan Murray for the game high tonight.
Kole Sherwood Makes History
With Brandon Dubinsky, Boone Jenner and Markus Hannikainen all out of the lineup, the Blue Jackets had to call in reinforcements from Cleveland to fill out their lineup, and they settled on Eric Robinson and Columbus native Kole Sherwood.
This wasn't Robinson's first rodeo, but for Sherwood, who was briefly called up earlier this year but did not play, it was especially meaningful. The New Albany-raised winger isn't the first Columbusite to make it to the NHL, but he is the first to play a game in a Blue Jackets uniform.
He didn't see much ice time, with just 6:58 played in the game, but he threw the body and showed off his speed. Regardless, it's still a great story for the burgeoning Columbus hockey community, seeing one of its native sons grow up to play for the local team.
Bobrovsky, Elite
Sergei Bobrovsky hasn't often looked like his Vezina-winning self throughout this season, but as the kids would say, he went sicko mode tonight.
Folks, Sergei Bobrovsky snapped. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/lGpC3edzF7
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) February 17, 2019
Bobrovsky stopped 39 of 41 shots by the Blackhawks tonight, good for a .951 save percentage on the night. He had his share of highlight-reel saves, and was particularly strong in the second period of the game, in which he faced 20 shots as the Blue Jackets ran into some defensive issues.
The Blue Jackets have now won five of the last six games, and Bobrovsky has started in net for all of them. As the team has hit its stride, so has he, and while there's plenty of trade speculation for both him and Panarin, their play of late certainly has the team looking like a legit contender.
