The Columbus Blue Jackets’ winning formula Thursday may not be sustainable, but it certainly hasn’t lacked for entertainment value.
The New Jersey Devils, on the other hand, might finally be playing the type of hockey that will allow them to meet their lofty preseason expectations.
The Devils will look to continue their December surge and slow down the potent Blue Jackets Saturday night, when New Jersey visits Columbus in the second game of the season between the Metropolitan Division rivals.
The Devils last played Wednesday, when they earned a 2-1 overtime win over the visiting Boston Bruins.
The Blue Jackets were off Friday after squandering a five-goal third period lead Thursday night before beating the host Toronto Maple Leafs, 6-5, in overtime.
The win was the seventh in the past nine games (7-2-0) for the Devils, whose recent success has been fueled by a renewed defensive commitment. New Jersey has allowed two or fewer goals in each of its past three wins after surrendering two goals or fewer in only four of its first 12 wins.
Coincidentally, the only game the Devils have lost this season in which they’ve given up two goals or fewer was to Columbus, which edged New Jersey 2-1 in Newark, N.J. on Nov. 24.
“We were stuck in the mud there — we’re trending in the right direction now,” Devils right winger Curtis Lazar told the team’s website Friday. “You can see that in the way that we’re playing: being patient with games, sticking with it, playing to our identity.”
The Devils have allowed more than two goals in a game five times in the subsequent nine games. New Jersey, which allowed the ninth-fewest goals in the NHL last year (226) before reaching the conference semifinals, has given up 96 goals, tied for the ninth-most in the league entering Friday.
Bruins center Morgan Geekie scored the game’s first goal Wednesday, when the Devils limited Boston to just 15 shots in the second and third periods and none in overtime.
“That might have been old-time Jersey hockey, where you win the game 2-1,” head coach Lindy Ruff said.
There was nothing old-school about the Blue Jackets’ wild win. Columbus, which has squandered a third-period lead in eight of its NHL-high 21 losses this season, gave up five unanswered goals in the third period Thursday, including three in the final 5:39 – the last two by Auston Matthews in a 30-second span over the last 1:15.
But Kent Johnson scored 3:26 into overtime for the Blue Jackets, who became the first team in history to win a game after blowing a five-goal lead.
Not surprisingly, the victory left Blue Jackets head coach Pascal Vincent in something less than a euphoric mood.
“I’m going to go through my emotions,” Vincent said. “We’re learning that third period thing, Found a way to win the game. Came here to get two points; we got two points.
The Blue Jackets have allowed 111 goals, second-most in the NHL behind only the San Jose Sharks entering play Friday.
“Learning curve,” Vincent said.
The task will be tougher starting Saturday for the Blue Jackets, who are expected to be without right winger Patrik Laine for the next six weeks after he suffered a fractured clavicle in Thursday’s win. Laine has six goals and three assists this season but has been limited to 18 games by a concussion and an illness.
–Field Level Media
