The Columbus Blue Jackets have a Connor McDavid problem.
Like most teams in the league do, by the way. Somehow, though, the Blue Jackets' is ten times as worse.
Columbus hosts McDavid and his Edmonton Oilers tonight, and history shows it may not be pretty.
Connor McDavid has played the Blue Jackets eight times in his career, all over the past four seasons.
— Brian Hedger (@BrianHedger) October 30, 2019
He has five goals, 12 assists and 17 points in those games on 19 shots.
Torts: ... were very well aware of what that line is and what that guy is.
On top of that, McDavid a +7 rating, has a shorthanded goal (which is bad news for struggling Blue Jacket power play) and a 26.3 shooting percentage, the second-highest he has against any team. Finally, his 2.1 points per game against Columbus is his most against any team in the league.
Yikes.
This is without mentioning his partner in crime, Leon Draisaitl, who has not shied away from the scoresheet when facing Columbus, too. He himself has ten points in those eight games, shooting at a solid 15.8%. All in all, they are the highest-scoring line (including Zack Kassian) in the league with 14 goals for (and the next closest being 11).
So, why not try and fight fire with fire? The new-look Sonny Milano, Boone Jenner and Josh Anderson line could be a good fit. Currently, Anderson and Milano have the highest team one-ice shooting percentages on the club with 16.7% and 20.8%, respectively. Jenner isn't too far down at 9.8 %.
Milano, if he isn't anything else, is a goal-scorer at heart. Anderson had 27 of his own a year ago, and Jenner is a defensive-minded forward who can annoy the hell out of teams on a forecheck. It may not be the worst trio to throw at McDavid and company to trip them up.
Can any line neutralize that line? Likely not. Can a line slow them down to just one goal tonight? That's the hope, folks!
