Pinch yourself. That really happened.
In front of a packed house, the Blue Jackets came from behind in dramatic fashion, taking a 4-1 deficit and Here are five key takeaways from tonight's absurd comeback.
Comeback Kids
Sergei Bobrovsky wasn't at his best, but for the second consecutive game, the Blue Jackets erased a 4-1 deficit and faced overtime. This time, the Jackets found a way to win it in the sudden death session. Ryan Murray made a sublime pass to find Pierre-Luc Dubois in the slot, and the rookie didn't hesitate to deliver the dagger.
Falling behind three goals certainly isn't a recipe for success moving forward, but repeated shows of resilience are certainly an encouraging sign – after all, it's a quality all Stanley Cup champions have in spades.
Panarin Out Here Breaking Records
Before the season, much was made of how Panarin would handle playing away from Patrick Kane. Suffice it to say that he's been okay without him.
Panarin, who notched his 52nd and 53rd assists in the game, passed Ray Whitney for the club record for assists in a single-season. Oh, and there's also this:
#BOOOM Artemi Panarin now owns the single best point-scoring season in Columbus Blue Jackets history. #CBJ https://t.co/tKpGuLVkxT
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) April 4, 2018
He has a four-game point streak going in which he has 11 points – and two more points to build on that, with a couple of franchise records already in his pocket.
Top Line Domination
Panarin is ridiculous, but his linemates, Cam Atkinson and Dubois, have stepped it up as well. With the overtime winner, Dubois now has 20 goals on the season, emphatically answering the questions about his NHL readiness coming into the season.
THE RECORD BREAKER FOR PANARIN.#CBJ pic.twitter.com/mxdvBghCNS
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) April 4, 2018
Dubois has eclipsed every hurdle placed in front of him and is now just one point away (currently sitting on 46 points) from Zach Werenski's rookie points record.
Meanwhile, Atkinson added two more goals to his campaign and now has 23 goals – including 10 in his last 10 games. This line is on another level.
YES SIR. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/yqVA3rMEZh
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) April 4, 2018
Second Period Turning Point
The second period has been a bit of a bumpy road for the Blue Jackets this year, but that was not the case against Detroit. They only came away with one goal, which is criminal when you consider how lopsided the play was tilted towards the home team.
#CBJ outshoot Wings 21-3 in the second but still trail by two, 4-2. Jackets up 31-12 in shots.
— CBJ Public Relations (@BlueJacketsPR) April 4, 2018
It's common for teams trailing to throw everything but the kitchen sink at the net in an attempt to get back into a game, but 21 shots in a period is something else. That doesn't even account for the numerous goal posts they clanked. Oliver Bjorkstrand, David Savard, Atkinson, and Panarin all rang shots off the bar, and I'm confident I'm missing at least one.
Penalty Kill Woes
Not to rain on the parade, but the penalty kill unit was a cause for concern.
The Blue Jackets took just three penalties, but in the first two instances, the Red Wings capitalized on the man advantage. The two goals made it 3-1 and 4-1 late in the first period and early in the second, and it was nearly too much to overcome in the end.
Both goals were on one-timers that sent Bobrovsky flying post to post. No matter their opponent if (when) they make it to the playoffs, they'll need to tighten up their penalty kill, or it could be a real catalyst for the opposition.
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