After an impressive road win in Arizona, the Blue Jackets lost to the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 in the second leg of their three-game road trip.
After leading 2-1 after Emil Bemstrom and Zach Werenski lit the lamp, the Blue Jackets were unable to hold the lead, as Avalanche rookie (and future superstar) Cale Makar scored twice as the home team roared back with three unanswered goals. That and more in tonight's Three Things:
The Good News
Zach Werenski's fourth goal of the season was also his 42nd career regular-season goal, the most in franchise history, eclipsing Rostislav Klesla's 41. Seth Jones and David Savard are right behind at 40 apiece.
And THAT is a franchise record!#CBJ pic.twitter.com/J0hIPAk4QJ
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) November 10, 2019
Emil Bemstrom, who went scoreless in his 15 games, has two goals in his last two games. He looked engaged and more active in the offense, which is no coincidence. Success breeds confidence, and the inverse is also true.
Gus Nyquist extended his road point-scoring streak to eight games (3-7-10). That's great, and hopefully, he can start to feel as comfortable in Nationwide Arena.
The Bad News
For starters, Cale Makar exists. The Blue Jackets had no answer for the Avalanche rookie, who added his second and third goal of the season (he now has 3-14-17 in 17 games).
But ultimately, it was their lack of run support that doomed them. It may sound like a broken record, but Joonas Korpisalo played well enough for the Blue Jackets to win in a high-tempo, offensive-minded game.
The Potentially Bad News
Late in the second period, Nick Foligno was assessed a five-minute major charging penalty and a game misconduct for a hit on Avalanche forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. The play was initially blown dead without incident, but the referees huddled together before assessing the penalty, which was then reviewed and subsequently upheld.
Four looks on Foligno clipping Bellemare. Officials assess a major penalty #CBJ pic.twitter.com/kHt0ovUgFU
— Alison (@AlisonL) November 10, 2019
Here's Foligno in his postgame comments: "My main concern is that he's alright. I've never been in this situation in (the) 13 years I've played (in the NHL)."
In Foligno's defense, the captain has a pretty sterling reputation as an aggressive player, but isn't considered a dirty player. On the other hand, his elbow hit Bellemare square in the jaw, the exact type of hit the NHL is trying to eliminate. It will be worth monitoring to see how the NHL's Department of Player Safety proceeds.
