The cannon had barely stopped firing on Tuesday night before the Blue Jackets started talking about how they have to be better after their 8-4 win vs. Nashville at Nationwide Arena.
Sure, as head coach Dean Evason said, “it was a little more relaxed at the end than it has been in a bit” after the Jackets’ first multigoal victory since March 9, but that doesn’t mean the Blue Jackets played a perfect game.
So while players and fans were happy with the offensive explosion against the Predators, which gave Columbus 14 goals in the past two home games, the Jackets left the downtown barn knowing they had to refocus quickly for tonight’s game vs. a much tougher foe in Colorado.
“Obviously there was a lot of offense tonight,” Sean Monahan said after a four-point performance. “We know it’s not going to be like that the rest of the way. Get that out of the way. We’ll take the two points but we move forward.”
Added hat trick hero Kirill Marchenko: “It gives us a lot of confidence and energy, and I think everybody enjoys this moment. But right now, the game is done, and we need to look on the future and get ready for next games.”
Part of that is the focus a playoff race requires, as even with the crucial victory over the Predators, Columbus enters tonight two points behind Montreal and the New York Rangers for the final Eastern Conference wild card spot with nine games to play, though the Jackets hold a game in hand on the Habs and two on the Rangers.
Another factor is the reality that the Jackets gave up some excellent chances to the Predators throughout the game, leaving Evason worried about mistakes in the team’s structure. As a result, Wednesday’s short practice was focused on cleaning up the defensive zone as the highly powered Avs come to town.
“Were we concerned last night when we weren’t playing our defensive structure? Yes,” Evason said after the skate. “That’s a concern as a coaching staff, that we need to play the right way defensively, regardless of, you can call it what you want, playoff hockey or whatever. You have to keep the puck out of the net. We still gave up four goals.
“It’s wonderful to score eight goals, and we talked to the group today that we feel we can score. But we have to defend. That was the concern last night. That’s what we talked about today. That’s what we worked on today is, let’s keep the puck out of our net.”
Know The Foe: Colorado Avalanche
Head coach: Jared Bednar (Ninth season)
Team stats: Goals per game: 3.30 (6th) | Scoring defense: 2.76 (10th) | PP: 24.9 percent (8th) | PK: 79.5 percent (15th)
The narrative: The 2022 Stanley Cup champions remain one of the most talented teams in the NHL, led by Hart Trophy candidate Nathan MacKinnon and Norris Trophy candidate Cale Makar. But Colorado has won just one playoff series the past two years, and this year has been a dramatic one, including a midseason blockbuster trade that sent UFA-to-be Mikko Rantanen to Carolina for talented forward Martin Necas. In a stacked Central Division that also includes Presidents’ Trophy candidate Winnipeg, Rantanen’s new home in Dallas and a game Minnesota squad, a playoff gauntlet awaits the Avs.
Team leaders: Reigning Hart Trophy winner MacKinnon is making a good case for a repeat win, as the 29-year-old center who can be unstoppable when he turns on the jets is tied for first in the NHL with 111 points, including 30 goals and an NHL-best 81 assists. Makar leads NHL defensemen in every statistical category with a 29-58-87 line, but getting consistent secondary scoring has been a challenge. With the trade of Rantanen (25-39-64 in 49 games), Artturi Lehkonen is next with 27 goals among 43 points. Necas has fit in well, though, with 10 goals and 25 points in 27 games.
In net, the Avs started the year with a duo of Alexandar Georgiev and Justus Annunen in net, but they’ve had quite a roulette between the pipes this year, playing six goalies. Mackenzie Blackwood is expected to get the start tonight and leads the team with 33 appearances, posting a 21-9-3 record, 2.14 GAA and .919 save percentage since being acquired from San Jose.
What's new: Colorado knows it has a tough path out of the Western Conference and stocked up at the trade deadline, adding forwards Brock Nelson, Charlie Coyle and Jimmy Vesey as well as defensemen Ryan Lindgren and Erik Johnson, while center Casey Mittelstadt headlined those who were dealt along with a bevy of draft picks. The Avs come in red hot, as they are 13-2-2 in their last 17 games and have scored 65 goals in that span (3.82 per game) after last night's shootout win at Chicago.
Trending: The teams met in the second game of the season, with the Blue Jackets taking a 6-4 win at Colorado for their first victory of the year. Columbus has won two straight in the series, taking a 4-1 win at Nationwide Arena last season on April 1.
Former CBJ: The only former Blue Jacket to skate for the Avs this year is veteran forward T.J. Tynan, who has played in eight games and notched an assist. Bednar, meanwhile, is the former head coach of the AHL Monsters and led then-Lake Erie to the Calder Cup championship in 2016.
