You want simple? Well, you got simple.
John Tortorella spoke earlier this week about the Blue Jackets getting back to basics with their power play.
He meant, like, really back to basics. Who goes where? Who passes? Who shoots?
The message and the meeting had its desired effect; the Blue Jackets scored two power play goals in the same game — a rare feat — and it helped them pull away fro the Florida Panthers in a game that easily could have gone the other way. The Panthers were better at the start but the Blue Jackets came alive late in the first period, and from there, it was a slow crescendo for Columbus.
It began with a Vincent Trocheck goal 8:43 into the second period, a goal that pulled the Panthers even at 3-3. The goal was shorthanded for Florida and downright disastrous for the Blue Jackets; they fumbled the puck in the offensive zone, then after a clear, Zach Werenski fell down and allowed Trocheck to break in from a bad angle on Bobrovsky.
A low, off-speed shot squeaked underneath Bobrovsky (how?) — but the Blue Jackets responded on the same power play. Momentum killed, and momentum shifted.
They kept it simple: Seth Jones found Bjorkstrand on the right wing, and he blasted a half-slap shot over James Reimer, a goal that signaled the end of Reimer’s night (and he was not happy about it). Basic movement, sound execution, and an important goal came from it, giving the Blue Jackets a 4-3 lead after a sequence that could have derailed them.
"I don’t think we have the best record in power plays," Bjorkstrand said. "It’s good that we get a few goals on the power play (tonight). It builds confidence for the different units out there. We’ve got to keep building on that."
In the third period, it looked as though Artemi Panarin had scored his first goal since Oct. 13 against the New York Rangers. He came as close as one can get, but nonetheless, it was Columbus’ second power play goal of the game and it boosted their lead to 7-3.
Again, the play was nothing spectacular, but it was effective.
Zach Werenski made a nice play at the center point to sell the shot and found Panarin on the right wing. Panarin snapped a shot through traffic that glanced off Boone Jenner on the way in, and you will be hard-pressed to find anyone complaining about how the goals are going in. When it comes to the power play, which has fought everything including itself in the season’s first month, any goal is a beautiful goal.
"You guys will ask the questions (still), I’m sure, but it was good to get a couple," Tortorella said, smiling.
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