What We Learned: VGK 6, CBJ 3

LAS VEGAS - It's becoming an issue happening too often to the Blue Jackets.
They play well for stretches in games, but stretches of strong play don't lead to victories consistently enough. In those times when they aren't so hot, they're getting gashed for multiple goals and losing games in the process.
Tuesday night in the desert, a 6-3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena, was a perfect example. The Blue Jackets (26-19-3) played a decent first period, tied 1-1 with a 14-13 edge in shots at the first intermission, but couldn't sustain it.
Despite Josh Anderson's team-leading 15th goal putting them up 2-1 at 6:46 of the second, the Jackets allowed the game's next four goals - including three in the third and another to start the second by former Blue Jackets center William Karlsson, who scored his 26th and 27th goals of the season.
Just like that, it was 5-2 with 10:39 left in the third period and the game was essentially over.
"We've had some injuries, but we've got to find ways to get bodies to the net, trying to get greasy, hard-nosed goals and get around the net a little bit more," defenseman Seth Jones said. "I think we did that pretty good in stretches of the third period, and in the first period, but we're struggling to find ways to play 60-minute hockey games. We can't go an entire period of just, you know, [being] brain dead and let up three goals. You can't win."
It's not the first time, either.
The Jackets have lost a lead in the second period in three of their past eight games in January, and have struggled - on and off - with a letdown in play for more than a month.
"I pride ourselves on being a pretty heavy team too, and I think we just got schooled a little bit on that," said Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno, who had two assists. "So, I just hope guys realize there's a right way to play, and we have a really good team in here, that when we play that way we're really hard to play against."
There were flashes of it in the first and third periods, but not nearly enough to win.
After Anderson's goal, they couldn't keep the Golden Knights from storming the castle. Vegas (32-11-4) played the way Columbus wanted to play, swarming the Jackets' net and scoring the next three goals. They tacked on two more in the third, and improved their home record to a blistering 19-2-2.
The Blue Jackets (26-19-3) dropped to 10-11-3 on the road, with a game left against the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday to conclude a two-game road trip.
"No, I'm not surprised," Columbus coach John Tortorella said of the Golden Knights. "We've kind of watched 'em from afar. They're feeling it. It's a confident group, and a lot of guys are chipping in with their club, but it didn't surprise us. We knew it was going to be a tough game. So, we've got to lick our wounds and get ready for Arizona."
Here's what we learned:

'WILD BILL' STRIKES AGAIN, AND AGAIN.
The Blue Jackets have watched from afar as former teammate William Karlsson has taken the NHL by storm.
[They got a firsthand view Tuesday, as Karlsson scored the game's first goal at 8:22 of the first period, his 26th of the season, and then scored his 27th in the third period to give Vegas a 5-2 lead. That one all but sealed the victory for the Golden Knights, who improved to 19-2-1 when leading after two periods.
"I don't like him scoring two goals against us tonight, but I'm thrilled for him, though," Tortorella said. "As an ex-coach, in caring about Bill, I'm thrilled for him. He did some really good things for us. I wish he'd scored a few more goals for us, but you can see in watching him tonight, he is just full of confidence."
He's got good reason.
Karlsson's second goal lifted him into a tie for second in the NHL in goals with Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov and New York Islanders forward Anders Lee - all three are two goals behind Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin. Karlsson, who scored 15 goals in two seasons with the Blue Jackets, has scored seven in the past eight games.
He also wound up on the Golden Knights through the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, when Vegas agreed to take him after working out a trade with the Blue Jackets.
Karlsson is, thus far, the biggest addition for the Golden Knights. He centers their top line, has 42 points and shows no signs of slowing down. He could've had two more goals Tuesday, but Bobrovsky made two great saves 00shorthanded breakaways in the first and second periods.
II: ON THE BRIGHT SIDE ...
Columbus still needs its veterans to step up and lead the way in the final two months of the regular season, so Foligno's night was a step in the right direction.
He assisted on goals by Markus Nutivaara in the first and Calvert in the third, and recorded his second two-assist performance in the past three games. He has six points (two goals, four assists) in the past six games.
Foligno's play has picked up noticeably the past two games, playing right wing on a line with Calvert and center Jussi Jokinen.
III: NO REGRET
Prior to the game, Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said he didn't have any regrets about bringing the team to Las Vegas a few days early to soak in the festive atmosphere.
The Jackets had a night on the town Saturday, which included the annual rookie dinner, and they enjoyed themselves. Tortorella said it was a good opportunity to increase team bonding, and Foligno confirmed that to him Sunday.
"We wouldn't have planned it if we didn't think it was going to help our team," Tortorella said. "I stay out of their way when they're off the ice, but I did talk to Nick after their day off, and asked him how things are going, and he said it was just so good for the hockey club. It was so good for guys to be with one another, in a great city. It was really good."
Despite the loss, the idea of the extended trip was made with more of a big picture focus.
"Sometimes, it's not always the short-term goal, but it's the long-term goal when you're building your team and building your organization, as we continue to do here," Tortorella said. "So, I thought it was a very important time for us."
IV: VEGAS, BABY, VEGAS
Las Vegas is known for its spectacular shows, and the new one in town at T-Mobile Arena is worth every single penny.
The Golden Knight would be a fun team to watch in any arena, with a relentless approach to the game, but they also have all the bells and whistles to entertain their fans with a great in-arena experience.
They play heavy on the Viva Las Vegas party theme, complete with Knights and castle imagery nearly everywhere you look. The in-house DJ keeps fans going with an electric mix of sounds, and the fans respond by dancing start to finish.
It's a unique hockey experience, but it works - and it's something every hockey fan should experience at least once, even if things don't turn out so well for your favorite team in the game.
V: PREPPING FOR THE MADNESS
Bobrovsky made his first start since Jan. 12, when the Vancouver Canucks won, 5-2, at Nationwide Arena in the Jackets' final game before their mandated five-day bye.
He was really sharp to start the game, allowing only Karlsson's goal on 12 shots, and also made a great blocker save to stop Karlsson on a shorthanded break in the opening period. The second period wasn't as kind, as the Golden Knights scored three goals on a 4-2 lead.
Bobrovsky didn't get the start in the Blue Jackets' first game back from their break, against Dallas last Thursday in Columbus, because he's shown a tendency to struggle in his first games coming back from an extended time off.
The idea behind waiting until this game was to get him as many looks at shots in high-intensity practices between that game and his start Tuesday, and to rest Bobrovsky for two busy months ahead.
"Listen, we play two games in three nights here [this week]," Tortorella said. "I think we've played three games in 17 days or something like that … it's coming. In February and March, it's coming. So, this was a really good opportunity for 'Bob' to not only get away from a little bit of the pressure of just being ready to play … it [also] gave him a good chance to work on his technique - whatever it is, I don't know what it is - and get himself ready, because he's going to play a lot of hockey here."
VI: NEWS AND NOTES
Brandon Dubinsky, who made the first leg of the trip and has been skating with the Blue Jackets in practices recently, will not travel to Arizona with the team. Dubinsky, who's on injured reserve and needed surgery for a fractured orbital bone, went to see a physician.
Columbus is expected to announce the signing of free-agent forward Nathan Gerbe to a two-way contract Wednesday, with the intent of assigning him to the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League. Gerbe last played in the NHL for the Carolina Hurricanes in 2015-16, posting seven points (three goals, four assists) in 47 games. Gerbe, who's 5-foot-4, 178 pounds, has 138 points (58 goals, 80 assists) in 394 NHL games, split over eight years between Carolina and the Buffalo Sabres.