We were expecting a lot, because last year the team scored 50 victories and scored 108 points for the first time in its history.
However, the road to the Stanley Cup playoffs wasn't as smooth as the Blue Jackets had hoped.
Columbus got off to a strong start, going 17-8-1 in their first 26 games, but then went through a three-month streak of instability and injury, with key players such as center Alexander Wennberg and Brandon Dubinsky, forward Cam Atkinson and defenseman sidelined for extended periods. Ryan Murray.
The Blue Jackets lost 2-4 to the Anaheim Ducks on March 2, 32-28-5, and tied for second wild card with the Carolina Hurricanes with 69 points. Two days later, they defeated the San Jose Sharks 4-2, completing a three-game away tour of California, after which they began a 10-game winning streak and significantly strengthened their position in the fight for the playoffs.
On Thursday, "Columbus" (45-29-7) in overtime (4:5) lost " Pittsburgh Penguins", but thanks to one point earned, he received a place in the playoffs. The Blue Jackets earned a ticket to the Stanley Cup for the fourth time in 17 years of existence in the NHL, and the first time they did it twice in a row.
"Losing is extremely unpleasant, but I'm happy for the team," said coach John Tortorella. experience".
Here are five factors that led the Blue Jackets to book a playoff spot:
1. Bread bears fruit
On June 23, 2017, Artemiy Panarin was traded by the Chicago Blackhawks and provided the Blue Jackets with an extra-class offensive game. The 26-year-old left winger leads the team with 27 goals, 55 assists and 82 points and shows that his performance in Chicago didn't depend on Patrick Kane. The number of assists and points Panarin is a record, “Columbus”.
Rookie Pierre-Luc Dubois is the second most productive Blue Jackets forward with 48 (20+28) points.
"I had no idea how complete a player he was," Tortorella said of Panarin. "It didn't take long for me to realize that it wasn't his environment. He makes others better."
2. Jones and Verensky
The scariest fact about Columbus' first pair of defensemen is that Seth Jones is 23 and Zach Werenski is 20, so they can play together for a very long time and keep progressing. Jones' 57 (16+41) points is second on the team. Verensky is in sixth position with 37 (16+21) points.
Jones leads the Blue Jackets in game time, averaging 24:36 minutes on the ice. Verensky is second with 22:34.
Tortorella believes that the figure of Jones should be considered as a contender for the Norris Trophy.
"Forget his points, his speed and his control," Tortorella said. "I want to see a video of another defender who is better than Seth Jones. Because there aren't many."
3. What about Bob?
It was extremely difficult for Sergei Bobrovsky to repeat the result of last season, when he won the Vezina Trophy for the second time in his career. That year, he led the league with a 2.06 goals conceded and 93.1 percent saved percentage, while also finishing third in wins (41) and tied for third in shutouts (seven). However, the 29-year-old was once again a key player for the Blue Jackets: 37-22-6, 2.42 goals conceded, 92.1% saves and five clean sheets.
4. Most earned
After the first 42 games, the majority of Columbus took the last place in the NHL with the implementation of 11.4 percent (14 of 123). In 39 games since Jan. 7, sales have been 24.3 percent (25 out of 103) and 26.8 percent (15 out of 56) in 20 games since Feb. 24, which is the sixth best in the league in that span.
Jones is the top scorer for the Blue Jackets with 24 (7+17) points. Including 18 (5+13) points since January 7th.
"We've become a confident team," Blue Jackets forward Nick Foligno said of the powerplay. "We've had some very good plays and some great goals. There's no need for more."
5. Acquisitions in Deadline Exchanges
Other teams made more high-profile signings in the February 26 trade deadline, but the Blue Jackets were filled with veterans who came to court.
Forward Thomas Vanek has scored 15 (7-8) points in 18 games since joining the Vancouver Canucks and has been a solid offensive addition for the Blue Jackets. With Vanek's help, Columbus scored the most goals in the league since the trade deadline, with 77 goals in 19 games.
Acquired from the Nashville Predators (who previously traded him from the Edmonton Oilers), Marc Letestu was a worthy reinforcement in the form of a two-way center forward, and two-time Stanley Cup winner Ian Cole, acquired from the Ottawa Senators (and before that from Pittsburgh Penguins"), gave stability and rigidity to the defense (24 blocks and 25 power moves in 19 games), and also brought surprisingly little offensive value (two goals, five assists).
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Kane, Anisimov and Panarin again "cheated"
"Chicago" continued the pursuit of the leader of the Central Division "Minnesota", in a brilliant style, beating away "Winnipeg". This victory was the fourth in a row for the "black hawks", but, which is especially pleasant, the strike combination again worked for the wards of Quenneville. IN Lately this bunch acted unstable - the same Panarin, who played his debut season superbly, in current championship not so productive, and only with the onset of 2017 began to regain confidence (four points in the previous three matches).
Anisimov had a similar story, who started the season great, but then slowed down and only in January began to steadily score points for assists again. Kane looked more formidable against the background of the Russians, and it was Chicago's number 88 that was destined to be the first to break through Jets goaltender Connor Hellebike: in the middle of the first period, Anisimov fought on someone else's blue line and took the puck away, Panarin made a flank pass, and then gave great pass on Kane.
At the start of the second twenty-minute period, the "jetmen" bounced back with the efforts of Brian Little, but the guests were able to stop the impulse of "Winnipeg" in time. In the middle of the period, Kane tried to repay Panarin for a great pass, leading the Russian to throw with pure ice, but Anisimov intervened in the matter, who skillfully corrected the puck on the patch, again bringing Chicago forward.
On last minutes meeting, the Jets hockey players made a desperate attempt to formalize the return, and as a result of their efforts, Anisimov’s goal did not become victorious, the defender Keith’s puck, which he drove into the Hellebike goal with a mighty long-range shot, was recognized as such. Closed the scoring in this match Panarin, who struck an empty net, and all the leading trio of guests earned seven points in this game.
“We are counting on this link. In the last matches before the break, they did not act very well, now they have an unsuccessful streak. They need to be more efficient, better with the puck. They have moments, ”Chicago mentor Joel Quenneville said 10 days ago when his team lost to San Jose, and Panarin, Kane and Anisimov extended their goalless streaks. After a week and a half, it became clear that the mentor had taken the right measures and the leading three of the "black hawks" began to work effectively again.
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Dubnik beat Vasilevsky and beat Bobrovsky
37 saves by Tampa goalkeeper Andrei Vasilevsky did not help the Lightning extend their winning streak to three games. The leader of the Western Conference, Minnesota, loaded the goalkeeper of the southerners with shots, but she managed to score only once in 65 minutes - this happened at the end of the second period, when Nino Niederreiter successfully played on finishing moves in the majority. Three minutes later, Tampa bounced back: rookie Braden Point masterfully corrected a throw from defender Garrison on the patch, and due to this puck, the Lightning hockey players transferred the meeting first to overtime, and then to a shootout.
Wild's Mikko Koivu was the only one to convert his free throw. Finn outplayed Vasilevskiy, putting the puck on the wrong side of the hook, and the goalkeeper of the "savages" Devan Dubnik neutralized the shots of Point, Druen and Kucherov. For Dubnik, this victory was the 30th of the season, and according to this indicator, he overtook Columbus goalkeeper Sergei Bobrovsky. Dubnik reaches the mark of 30 wins for the third consecutive season.
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Mike Ilic dies
Detroit Red Wings owner Mike Ilic passed away on February 10 at the age of 87. Ilic, a native of Detroit, was rightfully considered one of the main creators of those winning traditions that were laid down by the Red Wings since the mid-1990s. It was in his era that Detroit won four Stanley Cups (1997, 1998, 2002, 2008), and Scotty Bowman's famous Russian Five delighted fans with their fantastic game.
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“My father instilled good views in both our organization and our family. He had a positive impact both in sports and in society. We will continue to work hard to continue his legacy and the legacy he started,” said Mike's son Chris Ilich, who currently manages all of the Red Wings' business. So far, Detroit continues a record streak of 25 consecutive playoff hits, but in order for words not to go wrong, Chris Ilic's team will have to seriously try: Detroit is in last place in its division, lagging behind the playoff zone for six points.
A student of Korkino hockey, Panarin, already in his debut year of playing in the NHL, managed to become a real star. The South Ural immediately became one of the leaders of Chicago, quickly playing with team captain Patrick Kane. In addition, Panarin immediately won the love of fans, one of whom became famous in Runet because of embarrassment with a poster with which he wanted to attract the attention of a hockey player.
Overseas fan culture is strong in that they often come up with various nicknames. This is especially true for athletes who come from abroad. That's exactly what happened to Korkin's Chicago Blackhawks rookie Artemy Panarin. As soon as the South Uralian appeared in the Illinois team, he immediately came up with a funny nickname. Associative thinking worked for the fans.
Fans have found an obvious similarity between the name of the hockey player and the name of the popular US bakery chain Panera Bread. So Panarin turned into a "baker" (Breadman). However, the nickname of the hockey player was embarrassingly changed when a young fan of Panarin tried to ask the hockey player for a stick after the match.
-BREAD Man, can I please have your stick. I'm a huge fan! Thank you,- reads the inscription on the poster of Panarin's fan.
This poster of a personal fan of Artemy Panarin, who looks about 10 years old, is now being discussed in RuNet. The commentators are touched by the request of the American boy and note a funny linguistic embarrassment that occurred, probably due to the use of an online translator.
Note that Artemy Panarin scored 64 points in 74 games of his debut season in the NHL. He scored 25 goals for "Chicago" and gave 39 assists to his partners. , according to experts, is the main contender for the Calder Trophy - a prize best newcomer season. His club - the Chicago Blackhawks - has already secured participation in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Alexander Radulov - "Tasmanian Devil"
The Tasmanian Devil is a cartoon character, which is a bunch of energy, illegible expressing his thoughts. According to Radulov's partner in Montreal, Paul Byron, the hockey player got this nickname because he is a "funny guy" who does not always speak clearly.
Evgeny Kuznetsov - "Harry Potter"
Kuznetsov received this nickname not for his resemblance to the main character of the "Potteriana" and not even for his love for the saga of a young magician. The fact is that the Russian masterfully owns a stick, as his colleagues noticed, in the hands of Kuznetsov it turns into a magic wand.
Igor Larionov - "Professor"
The hockey player was nicknamed "the professor" for his game literacy and strategic thinking on the field. In addition, Larionov wore glasses with round glasses - such a stereotype.
Sergei Gonchar - "Benjamin Button"
Goalkeeper Ben Bishop said that his colleague Sergei Gonchar only gets younger with age. For that Russian hockey player and received the nominal nickname of the hero of the story, Francis Scott Fitzgerald, reports "Championship".
Alexey Kovalev - "Artist"
The hockey player was nicknamed the "artist" not at all for his passion for painting. According to colleagues, Kovalev is not just a player on the ice - he is a real creator.
Ilya Bryzgalov - "Mr. Universe"
Bryzgalov's nickname was determined by chance. Or rather, a quote from the player. "Now I'm very interested in the question of the origin of the universe - how did this even happen?" - the goalkeeper asked a question. Since then, Bryzgalov's name is none other than "Mr. Universe".
Vladimir Tarasenko - "Frank"
According to one version, the nickname "Frank" is a reference to the hero of the movie "Old School" Frank Tank. And the point is not in the characteristics of the character, but in the fact that initially Tarasenko's colleagues called him the Tank for a powerful and uncompromising game, and then decided to be a little more original.
Evgeni Malkin - "Hooligan"
Malkin's teammates have long known that he is ready to challenge any opponent. For the rebellious spirit, the Russian got his nickname.
Artemy Panarin - "Bread"
Panarin is called "bread" in honor of the network of American buns "Panera", which the athlete loves. The hockey player himself likes to joke about his nickname. “In general, I’m different. At night I try to be white, and in the morning I’m black. On weekends I’m sweet. I’m never callous,” said Panarin.
Pavel Datsyuk - "Houdini"
Datsyuk was given the nickname by journalist Chris McCosky. “He stoops a little when walking, with his gait he resembles a crab. But as soon as Pavel goes on the ice, he turns into Houdini,” McCosky wrote about the Russian.
