DENVER - The defensive structure was there, but the goals weren't.
This time, there were no sniped wrist shots by Oliver Bjorkstrand to save the day for the Blue Jackets like Tuesday in Dallas. Instead, they hit a couple goal posts, missed some wide openings in the net and lost, 2-0, to the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday at Pepsi Center.
Despite dominating the third period, outshooting the Avalanche 17-7, Columbus was unable to get a shot past Colorado goalie Jonathan Bernier - who made 35 saves for his second straight win.
"We played the way I think we need to play, [but] we just need to get some guys going offensively … and some pretty key guys," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "We had some good looks. [Artemi Panarin] has two open nets. It's just the first two periods, we didn't have a lot of juice it seemed like."
The Blue Jackets (23-16-3) split a two-game road trip and dropped to 3-5-2 in the last 10 games.
"We didn't have much in the first two [periods]," Tortorella said. "We switched a couple of lines and played much better in the third, but couldn't score."
Columbus outshot Colorado 28-18 in the final two periods to finish with a 35-32 margin in shots, but it wasn't enough.
The Avalanche got a power-play goal from Mikko Rantanen at 12:48 of the second period, then an insurance goal by Matt Nieto with 1:35 left in the third to seal their fourth straight win - improving to 4-1-0 in the first five games of a season-high, six-game homestand.
The Blue Jackets return home Friday, will practice Saturday and host the Florida Panthers on Sunday (5 p.m., Fox Sports Ohio, CD102.5 FM).
Here are six things we learned:
What We Learned: COL: 2, CBJ: 0
The defensive structure was there, but the goals weren't
I: ALL HANDS ON DECK
Columbus wasn't exactly lighting the scoreboard up prior to losing three key forwards to significant injuries in the past few weeks. This was the second time the Blue Jackets were shutout in the past three games, and the 10th time they've scored two-or-fewer goals in the past 15 contests - going 6-7-2 in that stretch.
Alex Wennberg (back), Brandon Dubinsky (orbital bone fracture) and Cam Atkinson (foot fracture) are each expected to be gone another three-to-five weeks. Their absence has created a significant offensive void, but the Blue Jackets still have some top players in the lineup.
The key is getting them going offensively, which has yet to happen just past the midway point in the regular season.
Captain Nick Foligno is stuck on seven goals in 42 games, Boone Jenner has four goals in 35 games and Matt Calvert has four goals in 30 games. That's just three guys who've each contributed quite a bit more in the past.
"We have so many guys out, this is our team," Tortorella said. "We've just got to keep hoping that those guys get going. It's not about digging down into [the Cleveland Monsters] and bringing people in. These are good players that we have here. It's frustrating in a game like this, where if we could get one or two of those guys going, who knows where it goes to … but right now, that's not happening."
II: 'BOB' IS BACK
It's only been two games since he returned to the net after sitting in favor of Joonas Korpisalo on New Year's Eve, but Bobrovsky has been sharp in each one.
He made 21 saves in Dallas, including several big ones to start the second period and a few more late in the third to close out a 2-1 win against the Stars.
He was even better against the Avalanche.
Bobrovsky made saves on all 14 shots he faced in the first period, allowed one goal on 11 shots in the second and gave up only the goal in the third to Nieto, when was caught trying to leave the ice for an extra attacker.
"That is my fault on pulling the goalie [too soon]," Tortorella said. "I need to wait until we get control. I put 'Bob' in a hell of a spot there on their second goal."
Overall, Bobrovsky kept the Blue Jackets within striking distance. That's a good sign with at least three-to-five more weeks without forwards Alexander Wennberg, Cam Atkinson and Brandon Dubinsky.
"I felt pretty good," he said. "To be honest, I felt comfortable there. I enjoyed my time in there, so it was a good game."
III: TOO MUCH SIN BIN
Columbus entered the game ranked third in the NHL with only 300 minutes spent in the penalty box in the first half of the season (41 games). That's an average of just 7.3 minutes a game.
Thursday night, they took four penalties for eight minutes in the first two periods. That included two by rookie center Pierre-Luc Dubois, who was called for hooking and tripping. The tripping infraction, drawn by defenseman Anton Lindholm, led to Rantanen's power-play goal in the second.
"It's a tough penalty that was 50/50, that you're not happy with but you understand," Dubois said. "It's tough for the refs to judge what's a penalty and what's not sometimes, and then to see them score, too, it's not good feeling. But it makes you want to come back and maybe get one in."
Seth Jones was also called for holding, in the first period, and Foligno was whistled for tripping in the second.
The Blue Jackets have allowed 16 power-play goals in 54 times shorthanded on the road this season. That's a 70.4 percent success rate, which ranks 31st in the league.
IV: JENNER AT CENTER A WORK IN PROGRESS
This was the second game since Jenner was given another look at center, after Tortorella changed the forward lines Monday in practice. Results are mixed thus far.
On the plus side, Jenner's been outstanding on face-offs the entire season. He entered the game Thursday with a 56.7 percent success rate at the dot, which is highest on the team among players who've taken more than a handful of draws.
He went 11 for 16 against the Avalanche, finishing at 69 percent.
What needs a little work is his defensive reads. Jenner's puck-hounding nature sometimes clashes with the Jackets' preferred zone principles.
"We still have some work to do, as far as coverages," Tortorella said. "The thing with 'Jenns' is, he's a bit of a dog-on-a-bone guy, and I think when you get in your own end and there's some low coverage, there is some zoning … there's zone coverage. It's not just running to a guy or running to the puck. It's reading a little bit, and he makes a few mistakes here and there. That's to be expected, but we think he's smart enough."
If Jenner can handle the center role, it could help Tortorella balance the lineup up front, allowing Foligno to stay on the outside on one of the top two lines. Foligno was moved from the top line to the second line in the third period, working with Jenner and Bjorkstrand - who was promoted from right wing on the third line.
V: CLASS IN SESSION
If you have to go through a swath of significant injuries like the Blue Jackets are faced with, you couldn't pick a better time on the schedule.
Columbus only plays 10 games in January, when the Jackets will be without Wennberg, Dubinsky Atkinson and, for now, defenseman Ryan Murray - who appears to be getting closer to returning after missing 18 games with an upper-body injury.
The Blue Jackets' coaching staff is taking advantage of the light schedule, which includes a mandated bye week Jan. 13-17.
"I'm trying to stay away from talking about it, but with the injuries we do have, to have a schedule like we have it not only helps us as far as getting these guys back - and not playing as many games when we haven't had them - but it has brought in a lot more video, a lot more teaching in these days," Tortorella said. "We spent 35 minutes [Thursday] morning talking about our structure and how we have to play. It gives us a little bit more opportunity [to teach], so if there's one silver lining, it is [the schedule being] spread out."
VI: 'MINIATURE HARRY' WAITS HIS TURN
Defenseman Dean Kukan has assumed the former role of defenseman Scott Harrington, which is basically to be the Blue Jackets' designated extra defenseman.
Kukan was recalled from the Cleveland Monsters on Wednesday for the second time this week, but hasn't played in five games since getting his first call-up coming out of Christmas break. He's in the same situation Harrington was in the first two months of the season - when he played just two of the first 24 games.
Asked if Kukan might get into a game while he's up, Tortorella said the rookie would just have to wait for an opportunity.
"It would probably have to be an injury, because I think our other guys are playing well enough, where I don't think I'm going to make a change there," Tortorella said. "He's 'Harry' right now, I guess. He's a miniature 'Harry,' as far as the [ice] time."
Kukan and center Zac Dalpe were each assigned to Cleveland on Wednesday morning, after they were extras in the Jackets' 2-1 win Tuesday in Dallas.
Dalpe went back to the Monsters and played Thursday in Chicago against the Chicago Wolves. Kukan was recalled Wednesday afternoon, and was told to be ready in case there was a situation that required him to play.
"I never know if I play or not, until game day," he said, prior to the game in Colorado. "I've got to be prepared every night. I'm not going to play [again], but I would've been ready to play for sure."
Tortorella said he's curious about seeing Kukan, but won't just put him in the lineup for that reason alone.
"I'm not force-feeding anything," he said. "If we think we have to make a change because of play, we'll do it. I'll tell you, just for long-term, I want to see [Kukan] play at this level, but I can't just want to see him play and take a guy out. It's not fair. So, we'll see how it all plays out."
