Columbus has looked sharp defensively over the last few games, and that’s the biggest reason there’s real optimism heading into the second half of this back-to-back on the road. The challenge now is simple: bring that same intensity and focus away from home.
There’s also reason to feel good about the way the Jackets have finished games lately. They’ve been out-shooting opponents in the third period in recent outings, and Zach Werenski’s first goal of the season came at exactly the right moment.
After going 14 games without scoring, that was a clean way to snap the drought. There’s no reason to panic there.
As Porty wrote in his postgame review in The Athletic:
If it were any other defenseman with zero goals through the first month of the season, you might wonder if they were ever going to score.
But Zach Werenski is one of the highest-scoring blueliners in the NHL, not to mention the reigning Norris Trophy winner. It was only a matter of time.
The right time.
In a second game of a back-to-back, especially after a shootout win the night before, the burden usually shifts to the secondary scoring. That puts pressure on players like Monahan, who has been okay but cannot score, Nichushkin, who has been excellent and has scored recently, and Garland, who has too often seen good chances go nowhere when he’s involved. Those guys need to step forward.
There are also a few forwards who still need to find their footing. Fantilli, Knies, and Voronkov have all had trouble getting going.
Fantilli has been a slow starter the past two seasons, but Knies is the one who really needs to settle into a rhythm. Voronkov’s situation will be worth watching on Sunday.
At least, this time, there isn’t anyone on the list who has already been waived.
On the blue line, the pairings are pretty much what you’d expect. Nothing flashy there, but they work.
One of the bigger long-term developments has been Christiansen’s emergence. Injuries forced Bones’ hand, and that opened the door for Christiansen’s first real run of NHL games.
He responded by playing big minutes and proving he could handle them. What once looked like a ceiling of a seventh defenseman or a tweener moving between the NHL and AHL now looks very different.
He’s playing like a legitimate top-six NHL defenseman.
Buffalo brings its own concerns, starting with the forwards who have been linked in rumors around the Hellebuyck-to-Buffalo talk. Those players have been bouncing between the third and fourth lines and have not exactly been driving play. The third line, on paper, should be as strong as Coyle’s line or better, but the numbers haven’t matched the expectation.
The Sabres’ defense is also more dangerous than it may look at first glance. Metsa-Crevier could be a top pairing or a 1A pairing on a number of NHL teams, and Metsa brings plenty of raw skill along with the willingness to take on Olivier. Crevier, meanwhile, is a better defensive defenseman than most people realize.
As for the team comparison over the last six games, the numbers are close in some areas and lopsided in others:
28.8% Power Play % 31.3%
81.8% Penalty Kill % 77.3%
51.3% Face-off % 43.7%
2.83 GF/GP 2.83
2.17 GA/GP 2.83
That’s a reminder that Buffalo is not where it was last season, at least not yet. The Sabres started slowly a year ago too before finding their switch and taking off.
Their goaltending, especially UPL, appears to have steadied after a rough stretch. Both teams are scoring below the league average right now, but Columbus can live with that if the defense keeps holding up.
Still, getting back above the 3.00 goals-for-per-game mark would make things feel a lot safer.
The main point is this: Buffalo’s current record can’t be taken at face value. This is a team that has climbed quickly before, and Columbus can’t afford to be the one that lets it start again.
In Other News...
Stars Face A Tough Blue Line Test Without Miro Heiskanen
Dallas is again bracing for life without Miro Heiskanen, and that matters for a Stars blue line already trying to hold together against the kind of schedule that can expose any crack. The defenseman is listed as doubtful for the upcoming game against San Jose because of an upper-body injury, leaving Dallas to sort through its options if he cannot go.
Thomas Harley and Nils Lundkvist handled the top pairing duties in Heiskanens absence last time out, a setup the Stars would rather not lean on for long. Around the league, John Tavares is nearing a return for Toronto after a nine-game absence, while Minnesotas Nick and Marcus Foligno are also working back from upper-body injuries, a reminder that this time of year can turn the injury report into a nightly storyline. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Bring New Intrigue Into Buffalo As Turnaround Gains Steam
The Blue Jackets are carrying a little more confidence into Buffalo after winning two straight and four of their last six, a stretch that has given Rick Bowness group a clearer sense of identity. Columbus has leaned into a disciplined, system-based style during the turnaround, and the next test comes against a Sabres team that has been uneven lately, which makes this trip feel like another useful measuring stick for where the Jackets really are.
To help keep that momentum going, Columbus added some fresh depth up front by recalling Steven Lorentz and Jack Williams from the AHL, a move aimed at strengthening the bottom six and keeping the lineup competitive as the games tighten up. The Blue Jackets have spent enough time searching for traction this season to know better than to get ahead of themselves, but the recent run has at least made the conversation around them a little more interesting. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Are Finally Showing A More Encouraging Trend
The Blue Jackets homestand ended with a result that felt more like a step forward than a stopgap, as they outlasted Dallas in a shootout after a 1-1 tie through regulation and overtime. Columbus also picked up four points over the two-game stretch against Colorado and Dallas, a useful return for a team trying to show it can hang around in tight games and come out with something to show for it.
Zach Werenski gave the Jackets a much-needed jolt with his first goal of the season, helping drag the game back to even when it mattered most. Cam Talbot did the rest of the heavy lifting, coming up with several key saves and then staying sharp when the game went to the skills competition, the kind of late-game steadiness Columbus has been looking for as it works its way back to .500. [Read more 🡒]