Just two teams in NHL history had ever put together 10-game winning streaks in consecutive seasons coming into tonight.
Make room on that list for a third.
If @BlueJacketsNHL win their 10th straight, they'll become 3rd team in NHL history with 10-game win streaks in consecutive seasons. Penguins (2010-13) did it in 3 straight seasons. Also Flyers (1984-85 and 1985-86).
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) March 23, 2018
| 1 | 2 | 3 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PANTHERS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| BLUE JACKETS | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
With a win over the Florida Panthers, the Columbus Blue Jackets extended their string of victories to 10, and in combination with last season's 16-game streak, made NHL history.
Not only that, but this win was key for Eastern Conference playoff positioning. The Blue Jackets are now into the picture by eight points, ahead of the Panthers, and have moved into a tie with the Pittsburgh Penguins for second place in the Metropolitan Division.
The score was 0-0 after the first 20 minutes in this one, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t a ton of action between these two teams hungry for playoff positioning.
25 shots in total were thrown on net in that first frame, 14 of them by the Panthers. It took some incredible goaltending by both Sergei Bobrovsky and Roberto Luongo to keep both squads out of the scoring column.
Period two, that was a different story – for the Blue Jackets at least.
To put it simply, the Blue Jackets strung nine shots on goal together before the Panthers could muster any and scored three of them -- all in a span of less than five minutes.
First came a clinic in puck management from Artemi Panarin, who got a takeaway before moving up the ice and dumping it off to Cam Atkinson. Atkinson fired the soft-served puck into the back of the net. 1-0.
Bread with a nice move at the blue line, serves it right up to Cam Atkinson who knocks it home. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/uL6RUcPdee
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) March 23, 2018
Next came a Matt Calvert dump off to a speeding Sonny Milano, a dump off Milano deposited into the five-hole. 2-0.
Sonny Milano, coming in hot.
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) March 23, 2018
Luongo wasn't ready, and the Jackets are looking good. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/v2csZlQpzA
Finally, yes, Seth Jones made his return to the ice tonight after missing three games with an upper body injury. And yes, his one-timer from the point is still extremely volatile. 3-0 on a power play goal.
Goodness, Seth Jones. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/7QLYd4TTCW
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) March 23, 2018
Two successful penalty kills cemented the Blue Jackets’ second period dominance. The Panthers couldn’t get a shot on goal in either man advantage. Overall the penalty kill was 4/4 on the night, allowing a total of three shots.
Period three was all about Bobrovsky and the Blue Jackets' defense, because in spite of an aggressive push, the Panthers scored no goals on their 14 shots. A bit of a scrum involving a gaggle of players broke out with 8:38 remaining, but only Alexander Petrovic of the Florida Panthers was penalized.
Thomas Vanek shot home an empty netter to seal things at a 4-0 final score.
Final tally was 4-0, giving Bobrovsky his fifth shutout of the year on 33 saves.
Injury Update
Seth Jones, as mentioned above, returned tonight. Dean Kukan remained out with an upper-body injury, and his status is still unclear. Josh Anderson missed another game with his knee injury. Brandon Dubinsky and Jack Johnson were healthy scratches for the contest. Lukas Sedlak left the game in the third period after taking a puck to the back of the head and did not return.
Next Up
The Blue Jackets play the St. Louis Blues in Nationwide Arena at 7:00 p.m. on Fox Sports Ohio.
