The Columbus Blue Jackets are a much different team these days.
As a result of a high-flying offense, and with a new-look, less-experienced Blue Jackets defense, there have been more goals for, and against, the Jackets this season.
The result?
More entertaining hockey.
The Blue Jackets are ninth in goals per game (3.26) and next to last in goals allowed per game (3.61). Their xGA/60 while 5v5 is last in the league at 2.84 per Evolving-Hockey.
Three seasons ago, in the first of a COVID-shortened regular season of 2019-20, the Blue Jackets allowed the third-fewest goals in the league. That was the first year of the Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins goalie tandem between the pipes.
The year before that, the Blue Jackets made their run against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Per Evolving-Hockey, Sergei Bobrovsky's GSAx (goals saved above expected) was -2.84 in all situations for the regular season, meaning he saved fewer goals than expected. A good season, but not his best. Until the playoffs against the Lightning.
In spite of a less-than-spectacular regular season, by Bobrovsky's standards, he still finished ninth in Vezina voting and second in wins (37) with a .913 SV% and a 2.58 GAA. He's the type of veteran you can count on to cover up any defensive lapses.
With an inexperienced group like today's team, it's common for poor nights in which the goalie gets left out to dry, the defense doesn't play well, and you move on to the next one. Per Natural Stat Trick, Columbus has utilized 42 different defensive combinations this season.
The cumulative defensive numbers like goals allowed per game are not good. That said, individually, the players making up the defense exhibit a lot to like.
Andrew Peeke is blossoming in his first full season. You see the physicality he provides, ranking second with 129 hits and first with 115 blocked shots. Adam Boqvist has added 10 goals to the club and makes just a fraction of the Seth Jones trade look good from Columbus’ point of view. Everyone knows what they're getting with Vladislav Gavrikov and Zach Werenski, representing the two most tenured Blue Jackets' blue liners.
With a groin injury to Jake Bean since January and ailments sidelining Boqvist and Werenski in recent days—Werenski is back for Friday night's game—the back end takes a hit, thus allowing opportunities for the likes of Jake Christiansen and Dean Kukan to have shining moments.
Christiansen scored the first goal of his career on Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils. He’s one of six Blue Jackets rookies to accomplish the feat this season.
First career NHL goals for #CBJ this year -- Sillinger, Chinakhov, Hofmann, Danforth, Fix-Wolansky and now Christiansen.
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) March 2, 2022
Collectively, the defense has accounted for 31 goals and 92 assists.
Aaron Portzline in The Athletic (Blue Jackets Sunday Gathering: Improved D-zone play has been key; Jarmo Kekalainen lashes out) had interesting things to say about the latest improvements from the defense. Sean Kuraly referenced the tougher practices as a benefit for the team's defensive improvement.
“It’s been a couple of months in the making, honestly,” Kuraly said. “It’s a bunch of drills we’ve worked on almost every day, both getting to our spots and holding guys up.
“The message is, ‘We can do this. It’s not fun or glamorous, but we’re going to get more offense out of it.’ And when guys start to see that, you get more buy-in from the guys. That’s what has transpired.”
With still some obvious areas that need shoring up, the season feels like a win to this point.
For one reason, we're able to even think about the what-if of the team cracking the playoff picture. Improbable but not impossible.
The explosive offense keeping the team in games on a nightly basis is a far cry from how things have been over the previous stretch of Blue Jackets hockey.
A bounce your way is nice too.
Last season the team couldn't buy a win in overtime (12 overtime losses, three shootout losses), but now the club has improved to 9-1 this season in that area.
Call it good luck. Resiliency, the mark of a good team, is the other word that comes to mind.
Columbus' 18 come-from-behind wins this season ties them with the New York Rangers for second-most in the league, behind the Colorado Avalanche's 19.
Given the competitiveness of this Blue Jackets squad and being above .500 in the standings, you'll take that. Once they limit the chances against and execute more effectively across the board, this team has a chance to be really dangerous real soon.
