The Columbus Blue Jackets split their first two games, laying an egg on opening night against a likely-basement-dwelling Philadephia Flyers team, before responding with a convincing win against a New York Rangers team that figures to be a player atop the Metropolitan Division.
It's been a mixed bag, but it's also too early to say too much with conviction. Here are three general thoughts on the early goings:
Boone Jenner Delivers
It seems that the captain was slept on this offseason, as much of the storylines centered around a new coach (or two), the high-profile additions on the blue line, and the drafting of Adam Fantilli.
Jenner posted a natural hat trick in Saturday night's win and now has an encouraging 3-1-4 through two games.
Hats came down after Jenner's third goal in the second period to complete the natural hat trick. Assist from Jake Bean. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/LUgEcisDjM
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) October 15, 2023
With question marks still remaining at center - is Laine the real deal? Is Fantilli ready for 3C? - Jenner is a nice security blanket for the young and developing team.
Tale Of Two Games
Pascal Vincent was properly frustrated with his team's effort on Thursday's opener, as the team lacked intensity, composure, and all kinds of things (to quote him) that don’t “relate to any talent at all.
The team responded on Saturday night, though they were fortunate that two goals were called back due to offsides. Still, the team showed a lot of poise. Contributions came from all over the lineup, with defensemen David Jiricek scoring his first career goal, Justin Danforth tallying an insurance goal, and Spencer Martin coming in in relief of Elvis Merzlikins. With the injury of Zach Werenski, the team opted for an 11-7 (F-D) alignment, and the whole defensemen corps pitched in nicely.
David Jiricek scored his first career NHL goal. Assists from Patrik Laine and Provorov. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/xppszZSyL4
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) October 15, 2023
Over the course of an 82-game season, there will be stinkers. Having one in game one was clearly not ideal, but responding in game two was a positive development.
Still Sorting Out Roles
The demotion to the AHL of Eric Robinson (and his $1.5M salary) should be a clear message to the team that this is a meritocracy.
That's a good thing for a young team, where such a move is used more as a theoretical threat than a reality. There are so many spots that are up for grabs throughout this lineup that it's hard to know where to start. Outside of Jenner, Patrik Laine, and Johnny Gaudreau, there are a handful of forward roles that still need to be sorted out.
Alexandre Texier has flashed for me, and I've liked what I've seen from Kirill Marchenko. Kent Johnson was a healthy scratch in the first game but was the catalyst for Danforth's insurance goal. Cole Sillinger, who made the eventual pass on that goal, has already played all over the lineup after starting the first game with Gaudreau and Laine. Fantilli looks physically like he's been playing in the NHL for a decade, and we'll need to remind ourselves that he's 19 and will make 19-year-old rookie mistakes (though the early returns have been promising).
On the back end, we'll need the sample size to get a bit larger before making any sweeping proclamations, but I feel comfortable saying that Jake Bean has been the club's pleasant surprise. That is significant given that the club is down to him and Ivan Provorov as healthy, left-shot defensemen. We'll see which players are able to capitalize on these spots in the coming days.
