Sharks host Jackets, who are taking lessons in effort to turn corner
After being one of the NHL's also-rans for much of their existence, the Columbus Blue Jackets feel that it may be time to emulate the things successful teams do.
The Blue Jackets seek their third consecutive win in San Jose on Thursday night when they meet the Sharks for the second and final time in the regular season.
Since entering the league in 2000, Columbus has made the playoffs just twice. But there is optimism this season behind budding stars up front in Alexander Wennberg and on the blueline in Zach Werenski along with a veteran core that includes forwards Nick Foligno and Cam Atkinson, defenseman Seth Jones and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.
Following a loss to the Sharks on Oct. 15, Columbus defeated perennial powerhouses Chicago and Dallas before dropping a 3-2 decision in overtime on Tuesday in Los Angeles.
Brandon Saad tallied his first goal of the season and Atkinson added a power-play marker. Bobrovsky stopped 27 shots.
Foligno, who is tied with Wennberg and Werenski for the team lead with five points, is in his 10th NHL season and fifth with the Blue Jackets. He likes the direction the club is taking after finishing last in the Eastern Conference in 2015-16.
"We can take a lot of lessons from that game (against Los Angeles) of what type of team we need to be, and how we can be successful doing it. ... Now we got to get ready and, the things we talked about, don't get too high, don't get too low, and we've got a big game against San Jose," Foligno said.
One facet in which Columbus has excelled this season is on special teams -- the Blue Jackets have killed off 16 of 17 short-handed situations. San Jose provided the only blemish by scoring in the final minute of a 3-2 win on Oct. 15 in Columbus.
Though they've failed to make the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, the Blue Jackets won in both of their visits to San Jose, totaling 10 goals.
After losing three games during an early five-game road trip, the Sharks (4-3-0) opened a three-game homestand with a 2-1 overtime win against Anaheim on Tuesday. Joe Pavelski scored a power-play goal less than 8 minutes into the game, and assisted on Marc-Edouard Vlasic's game-winner.
"It was one of those game where we needed everybody, and everyone showed up and played hard," Pavelski told the Mercury News.
Pavelski leads the Sharks with nine points on three goals and six assists, but failed to register a point in San Jose's win in Columbus a couple of weeks ago. Given his recent history, that could change. Pavelski has recorded two-goal games in each of his last two home meetings against Columbus.
The Sharks' Brent Burns is tied with Pavelski for the team lead with nine points -- also on three goals and six assists -- but the defenseman had failed to make the scoresheet in each of his last two contests. He had a season-high eight shots and drew a pair of assists in Columbus a couple of weeks back.
While with San Jose, Burns has one assist in six career home games against the Blue Jackets.
Joe Thornton, who has five assists but is still looking for his first goal in 2016-17, has failed to light the lamp when facing Columbus in San Jose in four straight games since Jan. 31, 2012.
