Winning Thoughts: Blue Jackets play a full 60 minutes to down Lightning

After CBJ wins, we'll give three takeaways about what stood out or what we'll remember from the Blue Jackets' victory. 

BLUE JACKETS 5, LIGHTNING 2 

1. It’s hard to overstate just how impressive the Blue Jackets’ level of play and defensive effort were Tuesday night. 

Tampa Bay entered as one of the NHL’s best teams, placing fifth in the league in points percentage while having won 21 of its previous 28 games. The Blue Jackets have known very little success by the bay, as they had just five previous victories in Tampa and had lost nine straight going back to 2021. And just to add another curveball to the equation, Columbus had to fly out for the road game Monday night after its rescheduled evening affair vs. Los Angeles at Nationwide Arena. 

If you looked at the pregame vibes, it seemed like not much was in the Blue Jackets’ favor, and in fact the Blue Jackets were the second biggest underdogs of their season in the pregame odds.

So what did they do? Turn in one of their most comprehensive performances of the year in the 5-2 victory over the Lightning. 

The Blue Jackets won just about every way you can win, having major advantages in shots on goal (31-18), special teams scoring (2-0), and all the 5-on-5 possession metrics per Natural Stat Trick including expected goals (3.61-0.88), high-danger chances (11-2) and scoring chances (25-10).  

“Obviously they’re one of the best teams in the league with some of the best players in the world,” defenseman Zach Werenski said. “We feel like when we play like that, we can play with anyone and beat anyone.” 

And perhaps the best part about the performance is the way the Blue Jackets were able to limit Tampa’s attack. The Lightning were coming off an 8-7 loss Sunday in Buffalo in what might have been the league’s game of the year, and featuring some of the top offensive talents in the sport, Tampa Bay had scored at least four goals in 21 of its previous 28 contests. 

Head coach Rick Bowness talked pregame about how his team had to play in a much more connected fashion after allowing five goals apiece in consecutive overtime losses to Utah and Los Angeles, and that type of game was on display against the Lightning. The Blue Jackets’ forecheck was relentless, causing numerous turnovers, and Tampa Bay was never able to get much going in transition or sustain shifts in the offensive zone.  

“We talked to the team this morning and again tonight – we're at our best when we play with that 2-1 mentality,” Bowness said. “You say 2-1, but you’re obviously trying to score four or five goals, but we did a really good job of handling that. The puck management was far better tonight than it has been.” 

2. Conor Garland’s off to a historic start for the Blue Jackets, and his linemates Sean Monahan and Kent Johnson also turned in tremendous performances. 

Sometimes all it takes is a bounce or two to get a player going.  

Sometimes, a trade helps, too.  

When Garland was acquired by the Blue Jackets late last week at the deadline, he hadn’t scored in 23 games, a stretch that went back to Dec. 16 with the Canucks.  

All he’s done in his first three games with Columbus is post back-to-back two-goal games, becoming the first player in CBJ history to score four times in his first three games with the club. In Tampa, he gave the Blue Jackets the lead when he scored just 30 seconds after Ivan Provorov’s goal in the second period, then added a key insurance marker on the power play in the third.

Garland said his belief never waned during the scoreless stretch because he was still getting chances, and he said not much was different now that the puck is going in.  

“No, my confidence doesn’t change,” Garland said. “I was confident then as well. I just like winning, I like competing, and we’re in every game here so it’s fun to be a part of it. KJ and Monny make lots of plays, so you have to get to the slot, you have to get to the areas where the pucks are going to, and you’re going to get your looks.” 

It seems chemistry has come quick between Garland and his new linemates Monahan and Johnson, who were difficult for the Bolts to deal with all night. Per Natural Stat Trick, the line had a 9-1 edge in scoring chances and a 5-0 advantage in high-danger chances, not to mention 96.5 of the expected goals share.  

“They’re on the puck,” Bowness said. “They don’t get looked off. If there’s a battle for the puck, they’re on it. Their sticks are on it, they’re breaking up plays, they’re always around the puck, and when you do that, you get some breaks and they got it tonight. But they played the game the right way, they’re tenacious and they’ve worked good so far.” 

It’s a good sign, as well, for two players in Johnson and Monahan who have struggled to match last year’s production, as getting that line to turn into a consistent scoring threat would serve to make the Blue Jackets considerably harder to play against.  

“It’s been good,” Monahan said. “There’s lots of room to improve, but you start to build some chemistry to be able to read off each other, and when you’re doing that, the game is a little bit easier.” 

3. Against one of the best special teams squads in the NHL, the Blue Jackets got the job done on the power play and the penalty kill. 

In fact, can you remember a time where the Blue Jackets’ power play has been this threatening? 

We might be overstating it a bit – there have been some pretty darn good stretches the past few years – but the power play seemingly has been a thorn in the team’s side for long stretches of its history. But after the Blue Jackets went 2-for-4 Tuesday night in Tampa, Columbus is 5-for-18 (27.8 percent) in its last six games, and the puck movement and chances created are certainly passing the eye test.  

“We’re definitely rolling right now,” Werenski said. “I feel like every time we go out there, we can score, but I feel like it’s been two years now with a similar unit and I feel like we’re all on the same page. Whether it goes in or not is one thing, but I definitely feel like when it comes to breakouts, when it comes to in-zone, plays we want to run, things we want to accomplish, we’re all on the same page. We have the right hands that match up now and guys are making plays, so it’s definitely a huge boost.” 

Garland and Kirill Marchenko did the honors with goals on this night, and they came after the Blue Jackets were held scoreless on their two power plays in the opening period. The first one was threatening, with Marchenko hitting the post on the best chance, but the second left a lot to be desired and prompted what turned out to be a bit of foreshadowing from Bowness in the team locker room after the opening period. 

“Actually I told them after the first period, ‘All right, that first power play was really good. That second power play was terrible,’” Bowness said. “And it was. I said, ‘You guys go get a goal and we’ll call it even.’ So they went out and got a goal and we call it even. No, they were really good tonight other than the second one.”