The Columbus Blue Jackets were the only team without a shorthanded goal before Jan. 25.
Then Alexandre Texier had something to say about that.
In the second period of last Thursday's 5-2 win over the Calgary Flames, Texier broke a 2-2 tie on the penalty kill at 6:33.
Texier from Kuraly. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/niIOkmMFu7
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) January 26, 2024
At 4:30 of the second period against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, Texier started the scoring with his eighth goal and a second shorthanded goal in as many games. He added an assist on Sean Kuraly's goal 1:44 later.
Before Thursday, the Blue Jackets had 0 shorthanded goals. Since then, Texier and the Blue Jackets have two. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/JsmXxoEjMu
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) January 28, 2024
Texier scored his first career shorthanded goal in the 2021-22 season.
Per Stathead, this is the fifth time in #CBJ history a player has shorthanded goals in two straight games.
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) January 28, 2024
Rick Nash did it twice, while Cam Atkinson and R.J. Umburger each did it once. Good club for Alexandre Texier to join.
Cam Atkinson leads the Blue Jackets franchise with 16 career shorthanded goals. Rick Nash had a franchise single-season best five in 2008-09. Four Blue Jackets notched four shorthanded goals in a season: David Vyborny in 2003-04, Nash in 2007-08, Atkinson in 2018-19 and 2020-21, and Gus Nyquist had four in 2021-22.
#CBJ went a franchise-record 93 games without a short-handed goal before getting one Thursday vs. Calgary.
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) January 28, 2024
Now they have one in two straight games, both by Alexandre Texier.
Texier is the fifth player this season to record shorthanded goals in back-to-back games, joining Logan O'Connor, who did it in three straight, Wyatt Johnston, Sam Reinhart, and Sean Walker.
A pending restricted free agent who is arbitration-eligible, Texier has 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) in 47 games this season. He should set new career highs in games played (49), goals (11), and points (20).
Texier has been among the primary penalty-killers for the Blue Jackets, playing 90:43 on the kill this season. On the year, the Blue Jackets penalty kill is 25th in the league (77.1%) and 31st during January (65.7%).
On Dec. 1, #CBJ penalty kill was No. 2 in the #NHL at 89.2 percent.
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) January 29, 2024
Since Dec. 1, #CBJ penalty kill is the worst in the league. Including #SeaKraken 1-0 goal, Jackets are at 67.1 percent, having killed only 49 of 73 penalties.
Aside from the shorthanded goal to begin the scoring, special teams were a theme in the overtime loss to the Canucks, as the Columbus penalty kill struggled on Saturday night.
Vancouver converted on three straight third-period power-play goals to erase a 4-1 deficit and eventually win the game 5-4 in overtime. They were 3-for-4 overall. Brock Boeser scored a hat trick in the game, and Elias Pettersson scored twice, including the game-winner.
In Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken, the Kraken converted on two of three power plays.
The Blue Jackets conclude their five-game road trip on Tuesday night against the St. Louis Blues, the final game before the All-Star Break. Their next game following the break will be when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, Feb. 10.
