Well, that could have ended better.
You just watched the game. Odds are you thought a certain player had a great night, and you're wondering if the numbers back up what your eyes told you. Even if that's completely false, "Battery Mates" is here to help.
We'll pick our own three stars based on Game Score, a comprehensive individual performance metric developed in the hockey analytics community. For more on how Game Score works, read this.
These are 1st Ohio Battery's three stars from Saturday's 3-2 loss in Ottawa:
ZACH WERENSKI [Game Score: 1.75]
Werenski was phenomenal in this game, which isn't much of a surprise considering he's been so good all season. But the 19-year-old (editor's note: it's still purely outrageous to digest that he's a teenager) has shown no sign of slowing down as the season hits its most grueling point; he played over 25 minutes and his Corsi was 60.47%, which is kind of absurd. But that's how good he is.
His pass to Brandon Saad, leading to the opening goal, was sublime:
.@BSaad20 hits the 20-goal mark, the third #CBJ player to do so this season! pic.twitter.com/JGXqTH7FUJ
— ColumbusBlueJackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) March 5, 2017
SAM GAGNER [Game Score: 1.18]
Gagner needed a game like this, and by that, I mean one in which he scored a goal. His last goal was a power play goal on Dec. 23 against Montreal -- an entire presidential administration ago (sorry). Since John Tortorella assembled a line with Gagner at center between Brandon Saad and Scott Hartnell, the Blue Jackets' forward group has been more balanced than it's been all year, quite the statement considering they're already one of the NHL's most balanced teams with nine 30-point scorers. Gagner played over 15 minutes against the Senators and boasted a 59.26% clip in the Corsi department - yet another game where his line drives play at even strength.
BRANDON SAAD [Game Score: 1.07]
If the Blue Jackets can get this guy going, look out.
Saad scored the only goal in Thursday's 1-0 win over the Minnesota Wild, and tonight, he opened the scoring with a very Brandon Saad-like goal. Werenski teed him up with a stretch pass through the neutral zone, and Saad used his speed to explode past the Ottawa defense and beat Craig Anderson with a quick wrist shot.
Brandon Saads 20th goal of the season puts the Blue Jackets ahead 1-0. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/znOgqo1MqS
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) March 5, 2017
Saad was a +9 in Corsi tonight (65.5% overall) and, along with Gagner and Hartnell, gave the Blue Jackets another threatening line while the Korpikoski-Karlsson-Anderson unit really struggled. His first-period tally pushed him to the 20-goal mark on the season, making him the third Blue Jackets player to get there alongside Cam Atkinson (29) and Nick Foligno (22). Saad has 20-plus goals in three consecutive seasons, including his first two seasons with the Blue Jackets.
Game Score/Corsi data comes via Corsica.hockey.
