The Blue Jackets need this one tonight.
Throughout their out-of-nowhere 2016-17 season, they were fortunate to avoid a true slump. Sure, they sputtered after their 16-game winning streak ended, but we all saw that coming. They never endured a four-game losing skid like they're on right now. It's frustrating them, and eating at head coach John Tortorella.
On the surface, the Blue Jackets have struggled to score. A deeper dive reveals that they're doing just about everything right. Their shot generation numbers are among the best in the NHL, their shot suppression is solid, and they're getting quality goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky every night.
A wicked dry spell from their top players is holding them back.
Tortorella addressed it in his post-game comments last night (which you can view below), and he politely named names as far as the players he needs to get righted. Artemi Panarin has two goals, Alexander Wennberg's scoring pace has fallen, Nick Foligno and Cam Atkinson have combined for seven goals.
They just...need more. And tonight, they need to get it.
VIDEO: John Tortorella
Torts discusses the positives and negatives of tonight's game against the Canes.#CBJ pic.twitter.com/ZjpIFGg0AO
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) November 11, 2017
Blue Jackets Projected Lineup
| # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Artemi Panarin | 17 GP, 2-10-12 | 10 | Alex Wennberg | 17 GP, 1-8-9 | 13 | Cam Atkinson | 17 GP, 4-1-5 |
| 18 | Pierre-Luc Dubois | 17 GP, 2-2-4 | 71 | Nick Foligno | 17 GP, 3-5-8 | 77 | Josh Anderson | 15 GP, 6-3-9 |
| 38 | Boone Jenner | 9 GP, 2-4-6 | 17 | Brandon Dubinsky | 17 GP, 2-4-6 | 28 | Oliver Bjorkstrand | 17 GP, 5-5-10 |
| 37 | Markus Hannikainen | 8 GP, 2-2-4 | TBD - based on lineup | 64 | Tyler Motte | 6 GP, 2-1-3 |
| # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Zach Werenski | 17 GP, 4-6-10 | 3 | Seth Jones | 17 GP, 3-9-12 |
| 7 | Jack Johnson | 17 GP, 1-3-4 | 58 | David Savard | 17 GP, 2-3-5 |
| 27 | Ryan Murray | 17 GP, 1-3-4 | 65 | Markus Nutivaara | 12 GP, 0-5-5 |
| # | Player | GS | W-L-OL | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72 | Sergei Bobrovsky | 13 | 8-4-1 | 2.35 | .922 | 1 |
| 70 | Joonas Korpisalo | 4 | 1-3-0 | 3.28 | .896 | 0 |
Three Storylines
- Wipe It Clean: The only thing the Blue Jackets can do is forget about last night's game. This one's a big one, for a variety of reasons, and they need two points. The last time they won a game was Nov. 2 in Sunrise, Florida – and it feels longer than that, doesn't it? Tortorella is a proponent of "one day at a time, one practice at a time, one meeting at a time" and it's probably the best thing for his team right now.
- Goalie Decision: Joonas Korpisalo deserves a fair shake like he got Oct. 17 in Winnipeg, and at the same time, the Blue Jackets need a win. After tonight's game in Detroit, the Blue Jackets are off until Tuesday's game in Montreal and they won't play another back-to-back set until the end of the month. We're not coaches around here, but it makes a lot of sense to send Bobrovsky back out there tonight. If you need a win and need to bust out of a slump, you want to leave it up to your No. 1 guy.
- Up The Ice: Zach Werenski is sure to have some extra jump tonight, playing in front of several friends and family in his first game at Little Caesars Arena. The Blue Jackets have made it no secret: they want him to carry the puck, move the puck, and get up in the attack as often as possible. He's wearing a "rover" name tag these days and that role is particularly important with the Blue Jackets gripping their sticks offensively; look for Werenski to be jumping up and trying to create odd-man situations whenever possible.
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