With two of seven October games in the record books and a tough back-to-back weekend ahead, the Columbus Blue Jackets face the very real possibility of going winless through at least the first four games of the season. For fans of the Jackets, who have spent the offseason hoping for an improvement over last season’s 0-8 start, there must surely be a gutting sense of deja vu casting a shadow on the month of October. In a game reminiscent of last year’s breakdown against the New York Rangers, the opening night matchup against the Boston Bruins quickly swung from an impressive 3-1 lead to a 6-3 defeat, and the Jackets forwards struggled to generate scoring chances two days later as they fell to the reigning Western Conference Champion San Jose Sharks by a score of 3-2.
Embedded in this doom and gloom mindset, however, are a few glimmers of hope, a few diamonds in the rough. With the daunting task of back-to-back games against the Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars in the near future, it becomes a valuable exercise to look at those who shone in week one, as well as those who need to improve if they hope to make a difference in week two.
Week One Winners
Alexander Wennberg
At the end of last season, and indeed throughout the offseason, head coach John Tortorella‘s main criticism of Alexander Wennberg‘s play has been his hesitance to shoot. Multiple times throughout last season, Wennberg passed on a sure-fire shot and opted instead to look for a pass, regardless of how difficult it may have been. It seems fitting then, that Wennberg’s first contribution to the season came in the form of a goal on his very first shot of the season, a deceptively quick wrist shot from just inside the zone that found its way across the face of goal, over the glove of Tuukka Rask and into the top corner of the net.
To the surprise of many in attendance, this pattern of shooting continued beyond the goal and carried through even into the game against the Sharks. In fact, Wennberg seemed to be the focal point of the attack through both games, both at even strength and on special teams. Not only did he tack on two assists (one in each game), but he also finished the weekend tied with Brandon Saad for third most shots on the team. While it’s certainly too early to tell whether or not Wennberg is finally evolving into the dual-threat centerman that he can be, the prognosis from the first two games is positive, especially if he can stay focused and produce at this level throughout the season.
Zach Werenski
On the other end of the ice, rookie Zach Werenski is another young player who has already made a positive impression on both the fans and the scoreboard. For those who have followed his rapid ascent from the NCAA to the NHL, his stellar play should be no surprise. Exuding a maturity belying his 19 years, Werenski has slotted into the first pairing alongside Seth Jones immediately, and he has not disappointed. His positional sense and passing vision have established him as a threat on both ends of the ice, and he has solidified his spot on the senior roster within the first two games.
Werenski has particularly excelled on the attack, proving to be an excellent addition to the Jackets’ special teams. He has created more shots on goal (9) than anyone else in the squad, and he has reaped the rewards, scoring his first NHL goal against the Sharks. Additionally, his crisp and incisive passing has earned him a spot as a powerplay quarterback as well as an assist on Wennberg’s goal against Boston. Overall, Werenski has proven himself worthy of a starting role and should be a huge factor in the games to come.
Sergei Bobrovsky
#CBJ trail after two; BOB with 28 saves. https://t.co/OyI6lnnabO
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) October 16, 2016
After letting in seven goals within the first two games, Bobrovsky’s inclusion in this week’s winner’s circle may raise some eyebrows. However, the unfortunate reality is that in those two games, he faced some 73 shots on goal, of which he stopped 66. While a .904 save percentage isn’t anything to write home about, it does put him squarely in the top half of goalies so far this season.
More importantly, his performance against the Sharks was a drastic improvement over game one, and he finished with 35 saves and a .946 save percentage despite the loss. This was enough to earn him the first star of the game and served as an encouraging sign for the season to come. In these first two games, Bobrovsky has solidified his position as the starting goaltender and offered a sense of relief to any fans wondering which version of him they’d be seeing this season. If the skaters in front of him can find some semblance of consistency and not leave him out to dry so often, the Jackets actually have a chance of winning soon and winning often.
Week One Losers
Brandon Dubinsky
The good news is that Dubinsky came away from week one with a 63% faceoff win percentage. The bad news is that he didn’t leave with much more. Regardless of his linemates, Dubinsky simply could not produce, and he finished the first week with no goals, no assists, four shots, and four penalty minutes. On the forecheck he offered very little and was unable to prevent either opposing team from leaving their own zone.
Defensively, his effort was no better. Following both games, Dubinsky himself admitted that he had not played up to his standard and vowed to improve. If he wants to play better throughout the rest of the season, he’s going to need to get back to basics and limit turnovers.
Ryan Murray
Murray, who spent the latter half of 2015-16 on the first pairing with Seth Jones, has apparently fallen in the ranks as of late. After starting game one against the Bruins below Zach Werenski, he found himself benched due to a bruised lower leg and was replaced by Dalton Prout for the matchup against San Jose. Murray failed to stand out in the first game, either positively or negatively, and in a team featuring potential stars like Werenski and Jones, each game matters in terms of fighting for a spot on the roster. It appears as though he will return to the lineup for the matchup with the Blackhawks, where he will look to make his first true impression of the season. The combination of injuries and substandard play for much of his short NHL career has lowered Murray’s stock in the eyes of many, and he must surely be hoping to keep up with Jones and Werenski in Week 2.
The Fans
Out of everyone that could’ve been selected as the third loser of the week, of all the lines that could’ve been dissected to death, perhaps the biggest loser of them all this week turned out to be the Fifth Line. Firstly, for those 18,000+ who packed Nationwide Arena for opening night, the late-game dominance by the Bruins had to have been heartbreaking. To see the specter of last year’s incompetence on that ice after being promised massive changes had to have stung more than words can state. The surge of hope as the Jackets surged out to a 2-0 lead, that spark of belief as they slotted home a third following Boston’s first, all for nothing in the end, certainly took their toll on the fanbase.
And the results showed on Saturday against the Sharks. Instead of coming out on a beautiful weekend evening to support their team against the defending Western Conference Champions, Fifth Liners apparently decided to stay home. Admittedly, the Ohio State vs. Wisconsin football game drew massive attention and likely siphoned supporters away from Nationwide. That being said, the Saturday’s attendance was pathetic at best. Nationwide Arena, home to a literal cannon, maintained a level of silence akin to a church for most of the meeting. The fact that all five Sharks fans in attendance shouted above the home chants is simply embarrassing, and fans of the Jackets cannot allow that to happen at an important home game this early in the season.
Room, and Time, for Improvement
After a mediocre start against two tough teams, the bad news for Columbus is that October doesn’t get any easier. The good news, though, is that there is plenty of room, and time, for improvement. If they can take it day by day and week by week, there’s still plenty of life in this young team, and plenty of time to fight back to where they should be. Admittedly, the first month has the potential to be highly unkind to a team seeking to avoid another slow start. On the other hand, the Jackets have to play the tough teams eventually, and coming out of this month around .500 could do wonders for morale and set the stage for the rest of the season.
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