Don't Knock the Blue Jackets, Panther's Were Just Better

Disagree with me all you like, but the Panther's are a better team, because they are more developed.  They have a solid Goaltender, so their welcome for Bobrovsky, who once was a Blue Jacket.  If we keep the grind, and work hard the next few years, we could be this good, soon.  It's just not going to happen overnight.  So, if you want to badmouth this team, their players or coaching, I suggest you search for another team.  It's about the grind to win, which makes the win all that much sweeter.  With that being said, let's recap this game.  

Period 1 was all Panthers.  The first four goals Merzlikins was in net.  These goals were from Verhaeghe at 0:44, Huberdeau at 2:07, Weegar at 9:27 and Verhaeghe, again, at 13:28.  In this time Merzlikins has some great saves, and a couple of these goals were just simply lucky.  Again, the defense wasn't clicking tonight, as they did in Carolina, either.  Merzlikins was pulled at this point, and Korpisalo took over the net.  No other goals were scored on him in this period.  

However, Period 2 would start with another Panther's bang.  At 2:02, Huberdeau would score his second goal of the night.  Lundell would score for the Panthers, making it a 6-0 lead for them, at 12:10.  

The Blue Jackets would then finally get on the board, at least preventing a Shutout, at 2:11 in Period 3.  This came by way of Nyquist.  The Panthers would then seal the deal, tacking on another three goals.  3:40 from Bennett, 7:33 by Lundell, again, and a third at Hornqvist at 10:14.  9-1 Panthers at this point.  At 10:50, Captain Boone Jenner would score, making the final 9-2, Panthers win.  

This team put up their best fight.  Honest, if the Panther's do not make the top 4 teams in the 2022 Stanley Cup, I will be stunned.  In the last forty-eight hours, this team has scored 16 goals against just two opponents.  That is some kind of wild impressive hockey playing, to an extent I can't find a team that I'd put money on to beat this Panthers team, right now.  It's truly that simple.  

Remember, the Blue Jackets bank a few extra days of work before their next game.  Due to the shuffle of rescheduling games, the Islander's game, which was meant to be next, was postponed.  The next Blue Jackets game won't be until Thursday, January 20th.  It will be in Philadelphia, as the team reunites with former Forward Cam Atkinson, and his Flyers teammates.  We'll see how everything shakes out, then.  

Also, if I see anything regarding Andrew Peeke, I'll be sure to relay the info to you.  In Period 2, he fell to the ice and a Panthers player, who really couldn't stop soon enough, seemed to have nicked his under arm.  Hopefully he's okay.  Also, him being lost in that period surely didn't help this score, either.  

The team will go back to practice, 1-1 on this road trip.  They played amazing at the Hurricanes, and lost at the Panthers.  It happens.  No team is going to win every game put before them.  Also, remember we are still lacking players, who are currently in Covid Protocol.  I think that Brad Larson said it best tonight in his post-game interview though, with this statement:  "We're all part of this...nobody gets out of this one."  He is 100% right, too.  This is a team loss, not any one player should be fired, or traded, on account of tonight's loss.  We lost.  Build on it, learn from it, and make a better team from it.  That's how you win games, playoffs, and cups.  Any player or coach would back me up on this, I'm sure.  Remember when Chinakhov scored his first goal?  He said, "good goal, next"?  Well, this was a bad game, so in my mind we say, "bad game, next."  We have to keep skating on.  

Go CBJ!