A relatively even 1st period led to a terrible 2nd period, which allowed for the Pittsburgh Penguins to take down the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-3 tonight. After getting on the board first late in the 1st, the Jackets gave up a quick tying goal, followed by three Pens goals in the 2nd, and another early in the 3rd. That Jackets managed to score a couple more goals in the third to make it look respectable, but the Pens doubled up the Jackets in shots after the 1st period, and took them 41-25 for the game, were crushed in everything possession-wise at even strength, and the Penguin powerplay went 3 for 6. Tough night.
3rd Star: Daniel Winnik
He’s a guy I’ve always liked and have thought is perennially underrated. He was available this offseason and could have just been signed for pretty cheap. He lasted until late July when Toronto picked him up for a song. After their relatively crappy year, they were able to recoup 2nd and 4th round picks for him. Pretty good move. Would love to see him in a Jackets uniform next season.
2nd Star: Derrick Pouliot
He scored his second career NHL goal. Congratulations.
1st Star: Evgeni Malkin
Malkin is really good. It seems crazy now, but there was a period where Malkin could have been had. He was signed to a massive contract, had been struggling with injuries, was scoring at a sub-point per game pace, and was consistently minus on an awesome team. It would have taken a lot, but it could have been done. I really wanted the Jackets to deal Nash for him then. The money would have been close to a match, it would have solved the Penguins three center issues (they still had Jordan Staal then), Nash was performing at a higher level and didn’t have Malkin’s injury concerns. Most CBJ fans I talked about that with said no way the Jackets should do it. Malkin got his stuff back together, has stayed mostly healthy, and been pretty much untouchable since.
Dud: The Middle
This season sucks, we all know it. Unfortunately, it sucks about the most it could suck. The injuries are a good (and justified excuse) but it doesn’t change the actual results. If they were a bit better, they would be in the playoff hunt. Even if they missed the playoffs, it would make for fun hockey games. If the Jackets were a bit worse, they would have a legitimate shot to get a real impact guy in the draft. Instead they are stuck in that dreaded middle. The same dreaded middle they were stuck in for most of the 2000’s. Not bad enough to get impact draft picks, but not good enough for the playoff chase.
Stud: Cam Atkinson
A lot of smoke around Cam Atkinson and the Boston Bruins (and possibly other teams). I have no idea if he will be traded by tomorrow’s trade deadline, or if this whole paragraph will look stupid tomorrow night. He may not have done too much tonight, but he has been an absolute joy to watch the past few seasons. His size is obviously a part of what makes him so fun, but there is also the motor, the skill, the audacity of a guy that size going the places he goes, and just his general underdogness. He’s put up 50 goals and 97 points in 199 games as a Jacket, which may make him the absolute best value the Jackets have gotten out of a draft pick. On average, one or two sixth round picks makes an impact in the NHL. Aside from the size odds, Atkinson was able to overcome his draft slot odds to become a legit top nine forward in the NHL. You don’t see a lot of guys like him in the NHL, and if this was the end of his career in Columbus, I’m glad we got to see what we did.
I will be back again on Tuesday as the Jackets take ice against freshly minted 40 goal scorer Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.
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