The Columbus Blue Jackets proceed one other powerful begin to the NHL season. After an honest month of October during which the crew sat in a wild card spot with a 5-4-1 report, they’ve completely plummeted in November. In six video games, they’ve solely secured one among a doable 12 standings factors and allowed 29 targets in opposition to. That’s virtually 5 targets in opposition to per recreation.
A tricky query to reply over the past a number of seasons has been across the Blue Jackets’ leaky protection and goaltending. It’s one thing that’s been mentioned advert nauseum. Are the crew’s outstanding targets in opposition to statistics resulting from an absence of a structured defensive system, or is it a personnel problem – be it on protection or between the pipes? Let’s focus on.
Blue Jackets’ Defensive System & Pattern Measurement
Blue Jackets’ new head coach Dean Evason was employed resulting from his work with the Minnesota Wild. In every of his three full seasons main Minnesota, he led them to the playoffs as a shock crew. They by no means had an abundance of high-end talent and had been considerably handicapped from a wage cap perspective, however he discovered a technique to get greater than the sum of elements out of his crew. A part of the explanation was his dedication to structured protection and blue-collar, hard-working method to getting issues completed.
We’ve seen glimpses of that method executed from the Blue Jackets early this season. It’s manifested within the crew taking part in in way more aggressive video games than earlier seasons. We’ve seen it within the well timed targets scored from unlikely gamers like Mathieu Olivier and Zach Aston-Reese. Nonetheless, this new regular for the crew hasn’t totally taken maintain – therefore the shedding report.
A brand new system to a hockey crew takes time to implement. We noticed this clearly with the Winnipeg Jets when Rick Bowness took over as their head coach. Within the first season beneath his tutelage, the crew made the playoffs by the pores and skin of their tooth because the final seed within the Western Convention. The second season is the place they actually got here collectively totally understanding the expectations from day one, and so they had an enormous bump to the fourth finest crew within the NHL. This season they’ve continued that success to turn into the very best crew in hockey following related programs, with new head coach Scott Arniel who took over after being an affiliate coach beneath Bowness.
Associated: CBJ Union Junction Podcast: Blue Jackets’ Dropping Streak, Jiricek Drama & Extra
All of that’s to say that 15 video games in, the Blue Jackets haven’t laced the skates sufficient occasions to totally have the ability to inform if the defensive system has improved that a lot. In our most up-to-date Union Junction Podcast, my colleague Mark Scheig posits that we’ll have a greater thought in one other 15 video games or past to the midway level of the season.
Blue Jackets’ Goalie and Protection Personnel
Whereas we don’t fairly have the pattern measurement to find out if Evason’s new system is making sufficient of a dent on the crew’s total defensive play, the returns will not be favorable when wanting on the state of the goaltending. Of the goalies who’ve performed a minimum of 5 video games within the NHL this season, Elvis Merzlikins‘ .896 save proportion (SV%) ranks thirty sixth and Daniil Tarasov’s .865 SV% ranks fiftieth. Definitely not the begin to the season that Columbus hoped for from their netminders.
Regardless of being an Achilles heel to the crew, the Blue Jackets’ goaltending has been comparatively gridlocked. Merzlikins, the incumbent starter, and Daniil Tarasov, the touted goalie of the long run. The query that must be requested right here is that since Tarasov was introduced into the group by the earlier Jarmo Kekalainen-led regime, is present basic supervisor Don Waddell fairly as enthusiastic that Tarasov is the goalie of the long run? If not, that will be a doable commerce chip to make a change within the crease to attempt to enhance issues – particularly contemplating the problem in transferring Merzlikins’ mammoth contract.
It needs to be famous that on the finish of October, Merzlikins appeared like as electrical as he did when he burst on the NHL scene in 2020. In his video games in opposition to the New York Islanders and the Edmonton Oilers he appeared rejuvenated and as if he nonetheless might be an influence participant. These video games confirmed promise to the hopes {that a} sturdy defensive system may return him to being an above common NHL starter.
On protection, not a lot of their present lineup are notably effectively famend for defensive play. Zach Werenski, Ivan Provorov, and Damon Severson have their moments defensively, however are largely lauded for his or her offensive and puck transferring capability. None are preserving opposing gamers up at night time in worry of going into the corners with them the following night time. David Jiricek remains to be younger and dealing on his defensive deficiencies. Jack Johnson is within the twilight of his profession and whereas efficient in a restricted function is a far cry from the participant he was throughout his first stint within the Buckeye State.
Probably the most punishing defensive participant, Erik Gudbranson, is out of the lineup for a important period of time following a collision along with his teammate Sean Monahan. Filling in as lead defensive stalwart within the interim is recent confronted waiver pickup Dante Fabbro. He spent the early a part of his profession sometimes partnered with Norris Trophy winner Roman Josi on the Nashville Predators. Regardless of falling out of favor in Tennessee, Fabbro remains to be younger, 26, and it’s effectively inside the realm of prospects that he’s in a position to meet or exceed his earlier ceiling. His defensive-first play fashion enhances that of Werenski and Provorov, which ought to add some type of stability to the again finish total.
As of proper now, the jury remains to be out on if the crew’s woes are personnel or systems-related. As soon as the pattern measurement with a brand new head coach grows and a structured defensive system is ready to be put in place, we’ll get a real check of if the goalies merely have to be higher. What’s promising is that now with Evason main the best way, a system is on its means so the crew will get a extra definitive reply by some means quickly sufficient.
