The streak is dead, long live the streak. After setting the franchise record with nine consecutive wins, the Jackets fell 4-3 in overtime to the Rangers under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden tonight. Down 2-1 in the second period, goals from Marko Dano late in the period and Brandon Dubinsky near the midpoint of the third had the Jackets looking like they would bring that streak into double digits. Alas, it was not to be, as Derek Stepan tied the game up with 27.5 seconds left, before icing it in overtime. The Jackets streak now sits at an uber-exciting OT 1.
3rd Star: Chris Kreider
2nd Star: Henrik Lundqvist
1st Star: Derek Stepan
Really New York media person who picked the stars? All three of them? I get Stepan. Dude scored the game tying and winning goals, picked up an assist earlier, and threw six pucks on net. That has first star written all over it. I can even buy Lundvist. He didn’t have great numbers in this game (gave up three goals, made 29 saves, for a .906 save percentage), but he absolutely kept the Rangers in it during a few stretches where the Jackets had some excellent sustained pressure. But then they added in Kreider. Who was perfectly fine. But no way in hell should all three stars go to the Rangers when the Jackets were under 30 seconds from a win in regulation. No way when Sergei Bobrovsky drops 38 saves, including a number of highlight worthy efforts. I get that there wasn’t another Jacket that was probably worthy of a star based on their boxcar numbers, but Bob was so much better in this game than Kreider it’s crazy.
Dud: Pairing two freighters on one defense pair
Dalton Prout is not the fleetest of foot. Nor the best puckhandler in the world. However, he was the best skating, best puckhandling defenseman on the ice during the Rangers game winning goal. Neither Prout nor Justin Falk were able to deal with the pressure, one panic move lead to a turnover, they couldn’t pick up the right guys, and then boom, game over. Wait, maybe this should be a stud. A healthy dose of this pair could lead to many more goals against, more notches in the L column (or maybe just OTL column), and a better draft pick. Although like the winning streak it will be too little, too late.
Stud: Matt Calvert making up for things
Check out the first Rangers goal.
Ugly work by Calvert there. Just terrible. It’s a little tough to tell (the clip starts a bit earlier than I would have liked), but Prout pinched in and Calvert should have stepped back to cover for him. Well as you can see Calvert coasting at the start of the clip, he wasn’t very quick in getting back there. Matty Hustle being Matty Hustle, he started busting ass, got back in the play, picked up Martin St. Louis….only to let him go just in time for him to score. Weak sauce.
Matt Calvert won’t go out like that. Now check out the Jackets first goal.
Jeremy Morin makes a nice play to get the puck back to him, but that goal is 100% pure Matthew H. Calvert. The H is for Hustle. With a capital H.
We’re rounding the bend now folks. With only three games to go, Columbus sits 5th in the Metro and 23rd in the league. That equates the the 8th overall pick (barring a lottery win by them or someone behind them). The only team in range (in a good direction) is the Flyers, while the CBJ could still overtake the Avalanche to continue their late season march to the middle of the standings. The Jackets are back on the ice Wednesday at Nationwide Arena to take on the super awesome Toronto Maple Leafs.
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