Momentum swings unnerving young Columbus Blue Jackets team
Brian Hedger
ST. LOUIS — One of the Blue Jackets' top priorities this season is to show growth from their growing pains.
Striving to become a playoff contender again will require maturation in a number of areas, but dealing with momentum swings remains a top concern. The Jackets have a tendency to shrink against teams that turn up the heat by pressuring the puck, and the latest example led to a confounding 6-3 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night at Enterprise Center.
After dominating the first period and taking a 1-0 lead into the first intermission, the Blue Jackets (12-7-0) had the game flipped on them to start the second. The Blues came out with fire in their eyes and sent forecheckers into the Columbus zone in waves to overwhelm the Jackets.
“We’ve definitely got to learn from it,” said captain Boone Jenner, who scored the game's first goal on a power play in the first period. “When the momentum swings a little bit in their favor, just try to simplify and get back to our game and get some pressure off our (defensemen) and get on our forecheck. A big part of the game is when it changes momentum like that, so I think we could’ve been better in that aspect.”
It's not the first time they've had that assessment after a loss. It probably won't be the last, either.
Blue Jackets need to learn how to recompose when opponents catch breaks
Similar struggles occurred in losses to the Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers (twice), Washington Capitals and Vegas Golden Knights. The Jackets’ 4-2 victory Friday against the Canucks could also be included, but that was a full-on “dead legs” game that was stolen thanks to some timely goals and Elvis Merzlikins’ goaltending.
What happened against the Blues was different.
Columbus got off to a great start and dominated the first 20 minutes. Once the Blues punched back to start the second, scoring goals 58 seconds apart to take a 2-1 lead, the Jackets had no answer. It became three straight goals before Columbus settled things down late in the period, and the Jackets crumbled again in the third —after Adam Boqvist's first of two goals pulled them within 3-2 just 1:03 into the period.
Turnovers, missed coverages and failure to win puck battles were the biggest culprits.
“It seems like whenever another team has momentum and we get to the other team’s blue line, we’re trying to make plays or we’re turning pucks over,” defenseman Zach Werenski said. “We’re not keeping it simple and they just keep coming and coming (at us).”
Another way to put it is calming the game down, which the Jackets have yet to master.
“We’ve got to learn how to, and that’s something that we’ve got to help coach them through it," coach Brad Larsen said. "We’ve got a practice (Monday). We’ll look at the video and try and address some things. (We’re) giving up way too much in the slot, so we’ll address some stuff and work at it.”
bhedger@dispatch.com
@BrianHedger