Unfortunately for the Blue Jackets, this season is no longer about wins and losses.
The team is currently 14-23-9, last place in the Eastern Conference, and 16 points out of a playoff spot.
Now the focus turns to what it probably should have been from day one: the development of the team's young core, which includes every member of the team's third line of 21-year-old Kent Johnson, 23-year-old Dmitri Voronkov, and 23-year-old Kirill Marchenko.
That trio has been together for the team's past two games, both 4-1 losses to the Devils and Oilers, respectively, and has been excellent in both games, as the chart below shows.
| Time On Ice | Shot Attempts For/Against | Shots on Goal For/Against | Scoring Chances For/Against | High Danger Chances For/Against | Expected Goals For/Against | Goals For/Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16:43 | 28/15 | 17/6 | 13/5 | 8/4 | 2.18/0.72 | 1/0 |
According to hockeystatcards.com, Voronkov and Johnson posted the two-best game scores among both teams on Tuesday against Edmonton while Marchenko's game score was the third-best on the team and eighth-best overall.
#NHL GameScore Card for Columbus Blue Jackets @ Edmonton Oilers on 2024-01-23:#CBJ #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/A1cYQCnWiL
— HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) January 24, 2024
The Blue Jackets are a bad hockey team, but that doesn't mean there can't be silver linings and moments of growth throughout the season. The play of this line is certainly one of them, despite the small sample size.
Dmitri Voronkov ties it up on the turnover! pic.twitter.com/LwVlH9y0zF
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 24, 2024
Lines can be fluid throughout the season, so who knows how long this one will stick. However, if they keep playing at this level, there will no be reason to break them up.
