Columbus Blue Jackets Look Ready for War in Round 2

The Columbus Blue Jackets probably have little interest in silver linings following a 3-2 overtime loss in Game 1 of their second-round matchup against the Boston Bruins. After all, a moral victory isn’t an actual win.

With that said, John Tortorella’s club delivered about as strong a road game as you could hope for under the circumstances. Columbus hadn’t played in nine days since completing its remarkable sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning. On the flip side, Boston had just eliminated the rival Toronto Maple Leafs and was always going to come flying out of the gates at home. The Bruins were indeed feeling it early on Thursday night, pushing a blistering pace and swarming the Blue Jackets to create chance upon chance. They owned 82.6% of the shot attempts at 5-on-5 in the first period and even managed to pot a shorthanded goal to seize the lead.

But then Columbus settled in. Some of the rust dissipated and the Blue Jackets got back to business, controlling the lion’s share of the action in the second frame and planting a seed of doubt in Boston’s mind. That momentum carried into the third, when Brandon Dubinsky and Pierre-Luc Dubois scored back-to-back goals to establish a 2-1 advantage.

In the end, it wasn’t enough. Bruins forward Charlie Coyle potted his fourth and fifth goals of the postseason to tie the game and seal the win for his team in extra time.

However, Columbus showed guts and composure to regain its footing in this contest. If the Bruins didn’t know heading into the series, they do now: The Blue Jackets aren’t the Leafs. They may not prevail in this series, but they won’t wilt in the face of adversity and will compete fiercely throughout. That’s already half the battle. Moreover, it’s essential in a Tortorella scheme that sees the Blue Jackets collapse in the defensive zone and simply outlast opposing offenses. So far in the playoffs, Columbus ranks near the very bottom in shot (42.8 CF%) and chance (43.5 SCF%) shares, but it sits at fifth in goal shares (55.6 GF%). Though Sergei Bobrovsky (2.16 GAA, 92.9 SV%) has been stellar, there’s more to it than stand-on-your-head goaltending.

Whether they’re disrupting shots at the point of attack or jarring pucks loose along the boards, the Blue Jackets are heavy in the trenches. That’s how they can register just 44.6% of the high-danger bids but 60.0% of the goals from those areas. On both offense and defense, they make you work for everything.

This style can wear on you, though. You won’t get as many touches as you’d like — especially the skilled players — but if you believe in the process, success is waiting on the other side. That’s always been the big “if” with Tortorella-coached groups: Will they buy in? When they don’t, it’s like watching a train wreck in slow motion. When they do, it’s a winning display of heart, sacrifice and cohesion. Columbus appears fully committed to his vision and reaped the rewards against an unsuspecting Lightning squad in the first round.

Now there’s a different puzzle to solve. Boston’s talent level isn’t quite as spectacular as Tampa Bay’s, but its three-zone game is more refined. Its ceiling is lower, but its floor is higher. The Blue Jackets will have to deal with an opponent that is better at handling the ebbs and flows of the game. This conference semifinal series will be a test of wills.

Thankfully, Columbus is equipped with soldiers who relish such conditions.

Dubinsky, Boone Jenner, Josh Anderson, Nick Foligno, Scott Harrington and David Savard are rugged, no-nonsense players who will gladly finish their checks. Even former Bruin Riley Nash, who was sometimes maligned for his soft play, did his part by running over second-line center David Krejci and keeping him out of overtime in Game 1. He is officially considered day-to-day. Even if he does return soon, his play will likely be affected by the collision. That puts a significant dent in Boston’s depth and marks the start of this battle of attrition.

Here’s the hit that left David Krejci injured pic.twitter.com/WCmepxFgRa

— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) April 26, 2019

But it’s not just the big hits. Many of Columbus’ troops live for trench warfare, eagerly dumping pucks into the corners and digging to retrieve them. Anderson’s size and speed are a nightmare to contend with. Jenner is an old-school Swiss Army knife. Foligno is a crafty veteran who was seemingly cycling right out of the womb. Savard is activating on the attack more often in the playoffs, but he specializes in getting his body in front of any puck in the vicinity. These players lean on you, they make you carry their weight, they challenge your fortitude.

That’s precisely what Toronto could not accomplish in the first round, so when Boston effectively shrunk the size of the rink, the Maple Leafs had no answers. Columbus is licking its chops in anticipation of this scenario, as it thrives on the long game — frustrating opponents with its stinginess and resilience in close quarters, chipping away at their armor with every passing shift.

This complements the team’s raw skill up front. Artemi Panarin, Matt Duchene, Cam Atkinson, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Ryan Dzingel and Oliver Bjorkstrand represent a strong top-six cast that will command much of Boston’s attention. In truth, Panarin and Duchene were largely awful in Game 1. The former, typically an absolute wizard with the puck, committed a slew of turnovers and couldn’t seem to make a play when the team needed it. The latter, meanwhile, was simply invisible outside of one or two rushes. His usual elusiveness down low was completely neutralized and he failed to dictate any of the play.

Granted, that came against shutdown specialist Patrice Bergeron. However, it’s hard to imagine his impact will remain that modest once the Blue Jackets find their rhythm. It’s also hard to see them granting another freebie like they did on Noel Acciari’s shorthanded marker.

Columbus’ stars weren’t their usual selves on Thursday night, and the game was still up for grabs until the bitter end. The Blue Jackets won’t make this easy on the Bruins.

General manager Jarmo Kekalainen has assembled a really strong and diverse group, blending high-end skill with the experience required to keep their eyes on the prize. If they’re afforded room to create, they can slice open defenses. If their finesse falters, they can assume the form of a battering ram. Much like Boston, no matter how you approach them, they won’t be thrown off. That’s exactly why this is such an intriguing matchup.

Make no mistake: The Blue Jackets didn’t look great on Thursday. Frankly, it’s never pretty for Tortorella’s teams. When they embrace the grime and the grind, though, they’re very difficult to beat.