And, exhale.
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 Monday's 5-3 win at Wells Fargo Center:
ZACH WERENSKI [GAME SCORE: 3.03]
The other night, Werenski broke the Blue Jackets’ franchise record for rookie points as a 19-year-old defenseman. In this game, he helped bring his team back from a forgettable second period and was one of the key difference-makers in what was a tough game all around for Columbus. Werenski logged more than 16 minutes in the Blue Jackets’ gritty 5-3 comeback victory, one that helped set new franchise records for wins and points. His performance at even strength was phenomenal: Werenski was 83.3% CF at 5-on-5, which equates to a +16 in shot attempts, and contributed a goal and an assist on the scoresheet.
SETH JONES [GAME SCORE: 1.98]
We just mentioned Werenski and his impressive performance – Jones was right there with him and had a multi-point night (two assists) of his own. The Blue Jackets’ engine and a stabilizing force on the back end, Jones played 21-plus minutes in the game and was a +11 in 5-on-5 shot attempts…which is pretty strong considering the penalty barrage in the second period that shortened the bench considerably. If the Blue Jackets continue to get this level of play from their defensemen, and further, with this pairing of a 19 and 22-year-old eating up a large chunk of ice time, they’re going to be a tough out in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
CAM ATKINSON [GAME SCORE: 1.82]
Two goals for Atkinson tonight bump his total to 32 on the season, and if there was a player who’s had a bit of a quiet stretch in the goal-scoring department lately, you could say Atkinson is right there. That just speaks to the tremendous season he’s having, blowing previous career highs out of the water and continuing to improve his goal-scoring output with each passing season. Starting with seven goals in his rookie season, Atkinson has continued to raise the bar and is on track to do something few players have done in the history of the Blue Jackets. Could he hit 40 goals? It's possible, but would take a serious scoring run in the final month of the regular season. For now, though, he’ll take two points for his team and two points closer to locking up a playoff berth.
Stats/data via Corsica.hockey
