That was certainly closer than expected.
The Blue Jackets dominated every facet of the game tonight, but they were only able to defeat the Red Wings by two goals due to some tough puck luck.
Cam Atkinson, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Kevin Stenlund (PPG), Pierre-Luc Dubois and Gus Nyquist (ENG) scored for the Blue Jackets, while Adam Erne (2) and Tyler Bertuzzi tallied for the Red Wings. Joonas Korpisalo saved 18 of 21 shots, and his counterpart Jonathan Bernier saved 34 of 38.
Let's get into three things from tonight's win.
You Always Remember Your First
Head coach John Tortorella gave recent AHL call-up Stenlund some power play time, and Stenlund repaid him by notching his first NHL goal on the power play. It wasn't pretty and it came via a deflection, but all that matters is that it finds the back of the net.
HOW SWEDE IT IS TO SCORE YOUR FIRST!#CBJ pic.twitter.com/RQiO8fsa54
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 18, 2019
It came at an important time in the game, too — the Blue Jackets were down 3-2 in the second period despite carrying most of the play.
If he can continue to find the back of the net, the injury-depleted Blue Jackets may have a spot for him in the lineup for the long haul.
Here Come the Goals (Maybe?)
Don't look now, but some Blue Jackets who have been in season-long slumps may be breaking out of them now.
With Atkinson's goal tonight, he made it four goals in his last five games. With a total of nine goals, he's nowhere near where he was expected to be, but he's still tied for third-leading goalscorer.
Oh, and here comes Oliver Bjorkstrand. He added a goal and an assist tonight, plus two goals last night against the Capitals. Nyquist and Bjorkstrand are finding some serious chemistry, as evidenced by Nyquist's no-look feed to Bjorkstrand for a goal in the first period:
THE DANISH DYNAMO DOES IT AGAIN.#CBJ pic.twitter.com/lIqA0HzJaa
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 18, 2019
Bjorkstrand returned the favor, finding Nyquist for the empty-netter that sealed two points for the Blue Jackets tonight:
.500...Now What?
The Blue Jackets are sneakily on a five-game point streak. With their win tonight, they find themselves at 14-14-6. 34 games have come and gone, and they're at .500.
These next few games will be an opportunity for the Blue Jackets to determine how the rest of the season will go. There's potential, exemplified by the 3-0 pasting of the Capitals on Monday night. There's frustration, shown in the 4-3 defeat to Senators on December 14th, in which old friend Anthony Duclair scored a hat trick.
Expect more of both this season. These Blue Jackets sure are unpredictable.
