COLUMBUS, Ohio - Stop me if you've heard this one before. Two rookies and a veteran take to the ice, create a bunch of chances and score a few goals, the last of which wins the game.
One forward line that Blue Jackets head coach Todd Richards has kept intact for a few games has been Scott Hartnell, Alex Wennberg and Marko Dano. And yet, Richards didn't think this was one of their better games.
"They were okay tonight," he said, "I've seen them better. They were okay and generated some chances. We finished the game obviously well. It was entertaining in the overtime after scoring a goal late in the third."
That goal scored at 16:23 of the third period tied the game at 4-4 and was Hartnell's 20th on the year. These three players combined for two goals and three assists for five points, not counting the shootout game-winner from Wennberg.
Dano opened the scoring with an assist from Wennberg on their first shift. Once again, Dano, 4-4-8 in his last 12 games, was a catalyst for that line with his speed and tenacity.
"I don't like Marko," Hartnell said, to much laughter from the assembled media. "I'm just kidding. Marko's a real competitive kid. He goes to the hard areas and comes out with the puck most of the time. We've had a lot of opportunities and its fun playing with those young legs to get me going. It's an exciting few games that we've had together."
Hartnell seems to almost be reinvigorated playing on a line with Wennberg and Dano. He notched his 20th goal of the season, joining Ryan Johansen and Nick Foligno in achieving that this year. He's 4-0-4 in his last three games and 20-27-47 in 63 games with the Blue Jackets.
Wennberg has become more confident with and without the puck, playing with a poise that he's showcasing on a nightly basis. He went 0-2-2 on the night and is 0-4-4 in his last six games. He has also taken a bit of a beating in the last two games, including a puck to the chin Thursday night in Detroit.
"I had to go and get it stitched up," he said, "and it was the same thing today, too. It was a good week for me.
"I don't know," Wennberg said about what's working for his line, "it's hard to tell. We're just hard-working guys right now. For me and Dano playing with Hartnell, he always shows up in the open spots, finds pucks and scores goals. Right now, I think the secret is just being out there and working one hundred percent."
The two rookies have taken the mandate to go out and finish the stretch run by improving their play to heart. Coupled with the experience of Hartnell, they are developing a chemistry that is showing up on the scoreboard on a nightly basis.
"I feel like we have good chemistry," Wennberg said of his line-mates. "I think that's something to build on. We keep working and try to be better for the next game."
The team has a meeting in the morning with a possible optional skate to follow. They return to action on Sunday at 5:00 p.m. as they host the Carolina Hurricanes.
