Well, that escalated quickly.
A goal 4:56 into the game set the tone for an ugly night for the Columbus Blue Jackets against the Nashville Predators.
Filip Forsberg scored a career-high four goals as his Predators sunk the Blue Jackets 6-0. Nashville scored two goals just nine seconds apart in the first period, the second of which was scored by Forsberg. Juuse Saros earned his first shutout, and 10th win of the season, stopping all 27 shots.
Elvis Merzlikins (six saves on nine shots) was chased from the game in the first period in favor of Joonas Korpisalo (25 saves on 28 shots) as each goaltender allowed three goals.
Filip Fours-berg
As mentioned, Forsberg had a career night with four goals – on all four shots – and he now has two career hat tricks against the Blue Jackets.
His fourth goal of the game came at 19:54 of the second period on the power play, snapping an 0-for-11 stretch by the Blue Jackets penalty kill, dating back to Nov. 22 against the Buffalo Sabres.
This is just the second time ever the Blue Jackets have given up four goals to an opponent. Blake Wheeler had four for Winnipeg on March 3, 2019.
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) December 1, 2021
Forsberg now has eight goals in nine games vs. the Jackets the past two seasons. #CBJ
Heavyweight Test
The Blue Jackets are in the middle of a tough stretch against Western Conference opponents.
Columbus allowed three goals in three consecutive periods dating back to Saturday's second and third periods against the St. Louis Blues, and the first period Tuesday in Nashville. They have been outscored 12-3 over the past two games.
These types of losses consist of the tough lessons young clubs must contend with, including learning to adjust on the fly to opponent's in-game momentum shifts, which Brad Larsen referenced following Saturday's game.
Columbus will look to get back on track and execute the good play we've seen exhibited much of this season against the Dallas Stars on Thursday as the four-game road trip continues through Texas.
Winning has never come easy against the Predators, who are now 66-22-1-7 all-time against the Blue Jackets, including 40-6-1-3 on home ice against Columbus.
Brad Larsen talked this morning about how adversity isn't a bad thing. It's what teaches you and you learn from it.
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) December 1, 2021
This will be just the second two-game losing skid for #CBJ. Two tough games left on this road trip. Big measuring stick coming up in Dallas/Washington.
Offensive Whimper
Bad games happen to everyone and this one didn't go the Blue Jackets' way in a variety of ways. For just the second time this season, the Blue Jackets failed to crack the scoreboard as they suffered the shutout loss. They entered play on Tuesday sixth in the league in GF/GP (3.42).
Though the Blue Jackets started off the game with new-look lines, they went back to basics for the second period, and things were a little bit better.
#CBJ have 12 shots on goal in the first 10 minutes of the second, plus are on the power play. It has been a better period.
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) December 1, 2021
But not where it counted on the scoreboard.
Columbus lost any momentum they might've been finding when Jack Roslovic's power play goal was wiped off the board due to a successful off-sides challenge by John Hynes and the Predators.
That ruling kept the score at 3-0 in favor of the home team as it only got worse from there.
#CBJ forward lines appear to be back to what they had been recently --
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) December 1, 2021
14-38-28
59-34-93
16-96-17
50-7-42
Boqvist still with Werenski, though.
Big D
The Blue Jackets will face the Stars from American Airlines Center on Thursday at 8:30 pm ET. Columbus defeated the Stars 4-1 on Oct. 25 at Nationwide Arena. Dallas knocked off the Carolina Hurricanes on home ice Tuesday 4-1.
