5 things we learned from the Columbus Blue Jackets' OT loss to the Montreal Canadiens
If the Blue Jackets play the rest of the season how they’ve played their last four games, they’re going to make some playoff contenders squirm.
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Despite taking another gut punch Thursday at Bell Center in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens, the Jackets left with a four-game point streak. That might not seem like a big deal, but it only happened once last season.
The next trick is turning OT losses into wins.
“We always want two points and, managing the score, we know in this league nowadays, a one-goal, two-goal lead is not like it used to be in the past,” coach Pascal Vincent said. “But we’ve got to find ways (to win). Managing the game, managing the clock (and) managing the score is something that we need to get better at.”
Here are five things we learned about Blue Jackets in Montreal:
Columbus Blue Jackets rookie Dmitri Voronkov has intriguing skills
Dmitri Voronkov’s NHL debut can be described in many ways, but “boring” isn’t one of them.
The 6-foot-5, 240 pound forward rocked Montreal’s Jesse Ylonen with a thunderous hit a few seconds into his first shift and smashed into Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj from behind on his second shift, immediately touching off his first NHL fight.
“He spent more time in the penalty box than on our bench,” Vincent said. “First shift, big hit. Second shift, big hit and then a fight. It’s going to take him some time to get used to the speed of this league, but he brings something special.”
Xhekaj happens to be one of the league’s toughest fighters and he responded to Voronkov’s hit in the expected fashion. The Russian rookie wasn’t fazed.
He also picked up a minor penalty in the second for checking Canadiens defenseman Jordan Harris in the head and notched his first NHL point with an assist on Emil Bemstrom’s second of two power play goals. Bemstrom’s first was scored with a one-timer that zipped past Voronkov’s screen in the first.
Voronkov finished the night with an assist and three penalties totaling nine minutes during an 8:21 debut.
“He’s got an element of physicality obviously,” Vincent said. “He’s got some pretty good hands for a big man. I liked his game. He’s not just a physical guy. He’s got some skills.”
Jack Roslovic, Emil Bemstrom sizzling for Columbus Blue Jackets
Whatever got into Jack Roslovic and Emil Bemstrom needs to be bottled and refrigerated.
Roslovic, 26, was absolutely flying and finished with three points on a goal and two assists. Bemstrom is looking like the goal-scorer the Blue Jackets hoped they were getting in 2019 when he arrived from Sweden as a teenage rookie.
This was Roslovic’s fourth straight game with a point, matching the Blue Jackets’ point streak as a team, and Bemstrom scored at least one goal for the second straight game.
“Jack is playing extremely well for us, and so is Bemstrom,” Vincent said. “Those two guys, there’s some connection there on the power play and those two guys have been working really hard in practices … and it’s paying off.”
Columbus Blue Jackets rookie Adam Fantilli won’t back down
Adam Fantilli’s confidence level just seven games into his NHL career is something to behold. It’s a rarity within a league that carries a tendency to humble rookies of all ages and talent levels in short order.
Fantilli's confidence skyrocketed during his 17:54 despite not adding a single point to the stat sheet. The 19-year old, who was selected third overall in June, won just under 50% of faceoffs (6 for 13), blocked two shots, clocked defenseman Justin Barron with a huge hit, put two shots on goal and attempted four.
Fantilli also piped up to the officials, to no avail, after his stick was slashed in half without a penalty called late in the second period. His aggressive play continued in the third, when Fantilli was called for a costly interference penalty after colliding with Montreal’s Mike Matheson in the neutral zone.
Sean Monahan tied it with a goal on the ensuing power play, but it was still another impressive game for Fantilli.
“He’s got the size, he’s got the speed and he’s got the brain,” Vincent said. “He was pretty good on faceoffs again, winning key faceoffs ... and he’s got that desire to be a difference maker with that drive. We’re lucky to have this guy on our team.”
Columbus Blue Jackets' Kent Johnson scratched by numbers game
Kent Johnson sat for the season-opener as a healthy scratch before adding a goal and assist in his first five games.
He was scratched again Thursday, but Vincent said this time it was mostly about a numbers game with somebody needing to come out for Voronkov. Johnson was tabbed to watch, but Vincent said it wasn’t for anything he did wrong.
“We wanted to see Voronkov and we had to make some decisions,” Vincent said. “So, (Johnson) doesn't necessarily deserve to come out, but we had to make a decision. It’s a league rule. We can dress only 20. … but we're going to work on his strength and make sure he gets stronger. It's not a punishment whatsoever. We talked to him, and we have a plan with KJ.”
Columbus Blue Jackets tweak power play against Montreal Canadiens
After going 1 for 7 on power plays Tuesday in a 3-2 OT loss to the Anaheim Ducks, Vincent and assistant Mark Recchi made a couple tweaks to the Jackets’ two groups.
Justin Danforth joined Johnny Gaudreau’s group as the new bumper located in the middle of the 1-3-1 setup and Voronkov joined the Roslovic/Bemstrom group as a new net-front presence with imposing size and good hands.
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Bemstrom’s goals were both scored late on power plays and Voronkov played a role in each one, first with a screen and then a pass to Roslovic for his first NHL assist.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Montreal Canadiens edge Columbus Blue Jackets in OT: 5 things learned
