Three takeaways from the Blue Jackets 2-1 SO win over the Wild
One: Sergei Bobrovsky kept Columbus in the game with stellar saves all night long. His performance was eerily reminiscent of last year's stretch run. Timely saves, with many of the outstanding variety, paved the way for the team to win it in the shootout. A little puck luck with bounces and rebounds didn't hurt, either.
Two: The best line for the Blue Jackets tonight was the fourth line of Derek MacKenzie/Mark Letestu/Corey Tropp. From providing energy to keeping sustained pressure and presence in the Minnesota zone, they were a force to be reckoned with throughout the game. Is there room for Jared Boll, when healthy, to take a spot in the lineup with the way these guys are playing? I think not.
Three: There were mistakes made with turnovers that could have led to Minnesota goals, if not for the play of Bobrovsky. A bad puck decision followed by a good play still speaks to the bipolar nature of the team. Limiting these kinds of mistakes is paramount if they want to advance into the post-season.
Overtime: Ryan "Master of the Danglebus" Johansen faked out not only Darcy Kuemper (Minnesota goalie), but also the refs. His "goal" in the fourth round of the shootout had the four officials huddled together on the ice before it went to review in the NHL "War Room" in Toronto. The end result was Toronto over-ruling the on-ice officials, making the goal count. A 2-1 shootout victory and two points pts Columbus back into 2nd place in the Metro division.
