Columbus Blue Jackets let another one slip away in Nashville: 3 takeaways
Ultimately, what happened to the Blue Jackets on Saturday night at Bridgestone Arena is what usually happens to them in that arena.
More: Replay: Columbus Blue Jackets fumble multiple leads in OT loss to Nashville Predators
They lost to the Nashville Predators, 4-3, on a goal by Jonathan Marchessault 1:44 into overtime, making the point earned with an OT loss a side note. After leading 2-0 in the second period, the Blue Jackets (3-3-1) couldn't increase the margin before Nashville clawed back to force OT and win on the goal by Marchessault ― an undersized forward whose NHL stardom didn't begin until long after his cup of coffee with the Blue Jackets ended.
It was the ninth straight loss for Columbus in Nashville, where the Jackets haven’t won since 2019.
Here are three takeaways:
Tough night for Columbus Blue Jackets defensive pairing against Nashville Predators
Jake Christiansen and Damon Severson have given the Blue Jackets a solid defensive duo thus far, but this was a night they'll erase from memory. There were bright spots, especially with Christiansen, but they combined for five of the Blue Jackets' 18 giveaways and played significant parts in three Nashville goals.
Christiansen was beaten to a loose puck moments before Alexandre Carrier scored a tying goal in the third that forced OT, while Severson was on the ice for that goal plus Nashville’s first tally and Marchessault’s winner. His turnover at the offensive blue line started a rush leading to Filip Forsberg cutting the Jackets’ lead to 2-1 in the second, he couldn’t prevent a low-to-high pass to Carrier in the third and Severson also fell in OT trying to keep up with Marchessault’s sharp misdirection cut.
During his postgame comments, Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason spotlighted Severson's turnover on Forsberg’s goal.
"The game should’ve been cleaner than it was,” he said. “It wasn't clean here tonight. We, for the most part, did the right things, but when you turn the puck over at the blue line, you give a team that has the talent level of (Nashville) to come at you freely and not have to come (up) 200 feet.”
Straddling the Nashville blue line with only his left hand on the stick, Severson tried sliding the puck around Adam Fantilli — who’d stopped to avoid offside. Ryan O’Reilly scooped the puck behind Fantilli, raced up the right wing and dropped a pass to Forsberg for the first shot to beat Daniil Tarasov.
Rather than pushing for a three-goal lead, the Blue Jackets faced a quick momentum swing that forced them to fend off the Predators the rest of the period.
"It’s not just playing ‘brain dead’ hockey and dumping it in every time, making them come up 200 feet,” Evason said. “It’s just simply not turning it over in those crucial areas on the ice, where you give a team, any team in the National Hockey League, momentum to come back at you ... and we did that in tonight's hockey game.”
Columbus Blue Jackets evade injury with Adam Fantilli
Fantilli blocked Carrier's wrist shot with 1:02 left in the second, which protected the Jackets’ 2-1 lead and sent the young center off the ice in pain. He could barely put weight on his left skate, but it must’ve improved during the intermission.
Fantilli didn’t miss a shift in the third, finishing the game with a team-high six shots in 16:12 of ice time.
According to Natural Stat Trick, the Blue Jackets got the better of play during Fantilli’s 5-on-5 time (14:00), including attempts (13-12, 52%), unblocked attempts (12-6, 66.7%), shots (9-2, 81.8%), goals (1-0), expected goals (56.5%), scoring chances (6-4, 60%) and high-danger chances (3-2, 60%).
Fantilli’s line, which includes Yegor Chinakhov and Mikael Pyyhtia as wingers, was Evason’s best forward group to send over the boards. It didn’t lead to any of them scoring, but that was only because Predators goalie Scott Wedgewood made impressive stops on Fantilli and Pyyhtia.
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski continues strong start
The Blue Jackets’ coaching staff is making sure their most gifted offensive players, like Fantilli and defenseman Zach Werenski, spend enough time in the offensive zone.
They’ve started top skill players at least 60-65% of the time in that zone, which has contributed to Werenski having a hot start. His goal in the third briefly put the Blue Jackets up, 3-2 and was his seventh point (three goals, four assists) in seven games.
After Johnny Gaudreau’s tragic offseason death, a requested trade that sent Patrik Laine to Montreal plus shoulder injuries to three other forwards, it’s imperative that Werenski’s offensive side flourish. Skating with Ivan Provorov as a dependable partner, he’s sending more pucks to the net, has increased the flexibility of his stick and is scorching hot as a result.
That needs to continue for the Blue Jackets to remain competitive.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets lose in OT to Nashville Predators: 3 takeaways
