Sergei Bobrovsky was 90 seconds away from a second straight shutout to begin the new season.
And no one feels worse about it than Markus Hannikainen. The kid knows better. He can't try to force that play through the middle of the ice, even if it's airborne, and Jeff Skinner needed only two seconds to make the turnover a costly one.
But that's not the story here. The Blue Jackets (2-1-0) won the game, and at the heart of it, their goaltender was sharper than a steak knife. Again. That's two starts for Bobrovsky and two flirtations with perfection, and it's no surprise the Blue Jackets are 2-0-0 in those appearances.
If this is how Bobrovsky, an infamously slow starter, is going to carry through the season, the Blue Jackets might be able to get away with a few clunkers like Saturday night in Chicago.
The Bobrovsky we've seen in his first two starts is the Bobrovsky that can (and will) steal games for the Blue Jackets when they don't have their best stuff.
Skinner's gift-wrapped goal late in regulation was the first time Bobrovsky had been beaten this season. Prior to that, he'd made 58 saves on 58 shots and finished this game with 37 total in what was a far busier night of work than last Friday. The Hurricanes fired six shots on goal during their 4-on-3 power play in overtime and Bobrovsky got them all, including flashy glove save on Sebastian Aho that was not as easy as it looked.
His game has been precise, tidy, and under control in the Blue Jackets' first two games. While the team in front of him gets things sorted out, Bobrovsky has resumed his role as the club's backbone.
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