Winning Thoughts: Blue Jackets battle way past Nashville

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

BLUE JACKETS 3, PREDATORS 2

1. The Blue Jackets got back to basics to score two third-period goals and get a much-needed victory. 

The Blue Jackets felt that they had been the victims of some bad puck luck at times coming out of the Olympic break, with both Boston and the New York Islanders scoring goals that went off CBJ players or fortuitously ended up in the right place to whack home on the way to victories. 

The story was the same against Nashville, as the Predators jammed home a rebound at the crease on the power play to tie the score at 1 in the first, then took a 2-1 lead in the second on another scramble in the blue in which Ivan Provorov’s clearing attempt bounced off a CBJ player and into the net. 

But there was also a lesson inside those tallies for the opposing team – this time of the year, if you get the puck to the net, good things can happen. 

That was the message the Blue Jackets talked about in the second intermission, and lo and behold, they took advantage in the third. Charlie Coyle was a big part of it, with the veteran center crashing the net on both goals as the Blue Jackets overturned the deficit and earned the 3-2 victory. 

First, Coyle was driving the net with the Blue Jackets shorthanded less than two minutes into the period when Sean Monahan’s odd-man rush shot deflected off Steven Stamkos – who was defending Coyle – and went in past goalie Justus Annunen. Just over four minutes later, Coyle was in the right spot again, and Damon Severson’s shot from the right point went off Coyle and past Annunen for what would be the winning goal.

“They’re not always gonna be pretty,” Coyle said. “The pretty ones are nice. We had the first one (Adam Fantilli’s first-period goal) that was pretty, and it’s not always like that. I’d say more times than not, you have to go hard to the net and traffic, and it’s not even really a shot, it’s a shot that goes off of something or someone and it’s in. 

“You see their two goals they had. We talked in between periods, that’s what it’s gonna come down to. They just did it; why can’t we?” 

From there, the Blue Jackets were able to do what they couldn’t do Monday in New York – defend in the third period. Per Natural Stat Trick, high-danger chances at 5-on-5 were 4-1 in favor of Columbus in the frame, and Nashville couldn’t even get much going in the final two minutes with Annunen pulled for the extra attacker. 

The win was just the second all season in which the Blue Jackets trailed after two periods, and it was because they simply got the puck to the net and took advantage. 

“(The Predators) got both of their goals by just putting it to the net and slashing it in, and we were encouraging our forwards (to do the same),” head coach Rick Bowness said. “We did a much better job in the third period overall of getting into the paint, get in there. We got a lucky one with Charlie there, but you need those breaks. You don’t get those unless you’re there.” 

2. On a night when neither team had its best game, the Blue Jackets found a way to win. 

Going into the game, you kind of knew it was going to be a battle of attrition. Both teams played Monday in different cities – the Blue Jackets at New York, the Predators in Detroit – so energy was going to be in short supply, and both entered as desperate teams just outside the playoff line. 

The Blue Jackets also dealt with the adversity of not having captain Boone Jenner (maintenance) and standout defenseman Zach Werenski (illness) available. Add it all up and it was going to be a grind, something Bowness said he noticed as the game went on. 

“It certainly wasn’t a Picasso out there tonight. You had two tired teams and it was obvious,” he said. “You could feel it. The energy wasn’t there like it was for most nights, and you just try the best you can to keep them wired up and keep the shifts short and keep as much energy as you can.” 

And as the game went on, it was one of the weirder contests you’ll see in the NHL. There were two goal reviews, including an unsuccessful goaltender interference challenge by Nashville on the winning goal. With the trade deadline nearing and deals lined up, the Predators sat forward Michael McCarron and gave forward Cole Smith just three seconds of ice time. CBJ goalie Jet Greaves had to leave for an eight-minute stretch of the first after being bumped into by Nick Blankenburg (of all people!), while Nashville lost forwards Ryan O’Reilly and Erik Haula for stretches of time because of injury. 

That kind of fluky stuff tends to happen in games like these, but the Blue Jackets persevered and got the victory. 

“Just a solid group of guys in the room who trust each other,” Severson said. “We’re confident in one another. Clearly we’re down our best player on the back end, and two games in a row we’ve got it done, and then obviously the captain. It just goes to show we’re going to do what’s necessary. It’s not easy, it’s not always pretty, but we ultimately got the job done and those guys will be back in our lineup hopefully soon and be able to help us with our push.” 

3. Fantilli delivered again, and he could be in line for another excellent stretch run. 

A year ago, Fantilli was one of the major reasons for the Blue Jackets’ push in the final games, scoring 24 goals in the last 43 contests including six in the last four. 

This year, he appears to be heating up at the right time again. Fantilli scored for the fourth game in a row coming out of the break Tuesday night, matching the career-best streak from the end of last year.

This goal was a bit of a masterpiece, as well, a slick transition move that felt a bit out of the Harlem Globetrotters. Four different CBJ players touched the puck coming up the ice, with Kirill Marchenko looping into the zone and giving it to Denton Mateychuk, who quickly dropped it off to Mason Marchment on the left wing. Marchment returned the puck across the slot to Marchenko on the right, and he swung it back to Fantilli on the left leaving Annunen no chance to get back.  

“I think we’re building chemistry as a line, trying to focus on being in the right place for those guys and support them as much as I can,” Fantilli said of his hot streak. “The puck is finding me a bit right now. It’s great.” 

Fantilli is now up to 17 goals and 42 points in 60 games, and while he’d have to go on a real heater to match last year’s 31 tallies, he said he’s merely focusing on his overall game and now reaping the rewards on the scoresheet. 

“I’ve been trying to play this way all year, and I’ve been saying it through the whole year – I like my game,” he said. “I’ve matured a lot. I’m starting to get rewarded for it right now. It’s great, but I’m not changing anything. It’s just going in, so it’s great to see.”