Let’s get this out of the way: last night’s game was downright ugly.
Tough back-to-backs tend to breed those types of performances in this league, and hey, at least the Jackets didn’t get it as badly as their rivals from Pittsburgh did a few nights before.
So, no, one bad performance doesn’t define this team. Neither does the (very) good performance for the Jackets the night before, for that matter. But with all that in mind, here are a few things that stood out from the first two games – and why you should take note going forward.
1) Artemi Panarin is the real freakin’ deal
First thing’s first – the Breadman is really damn good. He hasn’t quite shown that elite shot that had CBJ fans salivating when the trade was announced – not yet, anyways – but he’s done just about everything else.
Panarin gelled instantly with Alexander Wennberg and Cam Atkinson on the No. 1 line, racking up three assists in his first game with the club. He’s been far from a one-dimensional player, too, and has really stood out in the transition game. He’s been slippery along the boards and done a great job of creating space, and he’s hustled on the backcheck, something that will only earn him more favor with head coach John Tortorella.
Simply put, get used to seeing Panarin out there on the ice. Through two games, he leads all Jackets forwards in ice time, notching 19 minutes per game so far. That also puts him at third among all Columbus skaters. And about those guys…
2) Savor every second of the Werenski-Jones pair
The Blue Jackets have never had a pairing like this.
Okay, so, last night may not have been the best night for the 8-3 pair, but very few players stood out in the second leg of a tough back-to-back. But given the amount of talent between the two, odds are they’ll have many more performances like the gem they each turned in on Friday night.
And boy, what a performance it was.
As impressive as that shot through traffic was, he made an equally impressive move to set up Matt Calvert for a chance just a few minutes earlier. But nothing was as impressive as this keep by Seth Jones to set up Pierre-Luc Dubois’ first NHL goal.
3) The rookies look good
Speaking of Dubois, he’s been impressive so far, getting a few chances and converting on one of them. He’s got all the tools – size, skill, smarts – and it’ll be interesting to see how he puts them all together as the season goes on. He’s found a home (for now) on a line with Brandon Dubinsky and Matt Calvert, and that trio absolutely dominated the Islanders in the season opener.
Tortorella said 18-17-11 was one of the strongest lines tonight for CBJ. He wasn’t wrong. pic.twitter.com/t6at56CrjL
— Alison (@AlisonL) October 7, 2017
But Dubois isn’t the only youngster making waves. Sonny Milano leads the club with two goals so far, and while neither of them truly showcased his skill, they did show how his time in Cleveland shaped him into a more complete player. We’ve also seen a willingness to throw the body in the first game, and his line with Nick Foligno and Oliver Bjorkstrand looked dynamic at times.
Gabriel Carlsson has also quietly made an impact in what is his rookie campaign so far. The big Swede is getting decent minutes alongside Ryan Murray – 17:00 against the Islanders and 16:50 last night – and he certainly looks like he belongs.
4) This team can be dangerous – even without being whole
Playing the second half of a back-to-back against a team as fast and dynamic as the Blackhawks – on the road, no less – is about as tough of a challenge as a team will face in the regular season. With that in mind, it’s wise to put more stock in their opening night performance than what they did last night.
Columbus had four rookies in its opening-night lineup – two of them on a second line centered by a guy who’s not a center – and put together a dominant performance against a decent team. They showed immense confidence in their skill, and that confidence was certainly warranted. And they did so without the help of two of their best wingers, too.
Boone Jenner will provide a boost to the top nine, and if he get close to his 2015-16 form, when he scored 30 goals, this team will be much better for it. And the Blue Jackets are obviously high on Josh Anderson’s potential, having bent over backwards to protect him during the expansion draft. Thanks to some Jarmo Kekalainen cold-blooded sorcery, he’s back on board at a very reasonable cap hit. He should be back in the lineup sometime next week.
There’s a huge gap between the talent level of those two wingers and the guys they’d bump out of the lineup (likely Markus Hannikainen and Zac Dalpe). Their return could make the Jackets into a legit Cup contender – especially if guys like Dubois, Milano and Bjorkstrand are legit. So far, all signs point to yes.
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