The Columbus Blue Jackets are ready to attack their final game before the Olympic break. They get a return date Wednesday night with the Chicago Blackhawks at Nationwide Arena. With a win, the Blue Jackets would enter halftime with a 10-1 record since head coach Rick Bowness took over.
The blue jackets achieved a big 3-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday evening. Mathieu Olivier scored twice while Elvis Merzlikins pitched a 23-save shutout. Dante Fabbro scored the winning goal in his return to the lineup.
We start this edition of News and Notes by discussing the state of the defense. With Fabbro back, the Blue Jackets have eight defensemen available to play. How does Bowness deal with that?
Six defenders are ready for now
The Blue Jackets will ultimately need their depth on defense, especially if injuries occur. But for now, the team has clearly identified their top six in Bowness’ eyes.
The six defensemen who played Tuesday night are the Blue Jackets’ top six, Bowness confirmed.
“We look at players who play in the top six as our top six guys,” Bowness said. “So if you have that, you have to make an adjustment. (Fabbro) played on the left side last night. He looked good. Would we prefer three right-wingers and three left-wingers? Yes, but it’s the way the team is structured, the way the D is built. The best look we can put out is what we threw away last night.”
“Now with that being said, could there be changes along the way? Absolutely. But we really liked what we saw last night and we’ll continue to do that until we don’t.”
This means that Jake Christiansen and Egor Zamula will have to wait their turn to play. With the Olympic break just around the corner, they will have to wait an extended period before seeing the ice in a match again. All it takes is one change to get them in the door. But this is worth watching as the Blue Jackets enter the grind of a playoff race to see how this plays out.
Werensky’s Ice Age
Another thing Bowness talked about Wednesday morning was Zach Werenski’s ice time being reduced somewhat, especially in back-to-back games. The head coach confirmed this was a deliberate move to keep the defender fresher. Here’s what was said about that.
“Especially the night before. They did a good job last night keeping him under 23 minutes and I talked to Zach about that. We would prefer to stay in that range. He will be more effective. He won’t get tired. The 22-23 minutes are ideal for him. That said, if the game is on the line and we need him to play 27, we know he can respond to that. But we don’t want to get into it.” Twenty minutes into two periods, so we try to avoid it. So if we need him for those six of the last ten minutes, he can give us those minutes.”
Werenski has consistently been among the NHL leaders in ice time recently. In the heat of a playoff race, Bowness has discovered an opportunity to limit Werenski’s minutes a bit so he can be fresh and available when needed.
Lundestrom trusted by Bowness
On Saturday in St. Louis, Bowness talked about how much he liked what Isac Lundestrom brought to the team. The coach appreciated the role Lundestrom plays as a “10th man” who can play all over the lineup.
Lundestrom says he’s trying to be the same player he’s always been, but acknowledges it’s fun to hear Bowness talk to him.
“I’ve always been the same player,” Lundestrom said. “I probably don’t want to score the most points and stuff like that. But I want to get every detail right and try to be good defensively. I want to be trusted out there (so) they can put me in different situations. It’s always nice to hear.”
Lundestrom is a defense-first player. He will not cheat the game. He plays in a way where he tries to stay on the right side of the puck. But he thinks he can also add something offensively. He scored a goal Saturday night to put the Blue Jackets on the board.
“When I played at home in Sweden, I think I was a little bit more of an attacking player,” Lundestrom said. “At the same time, I want to be responsible defensively. First of all, I try to keep the puck and not throw it away. I think I’m pretty good at protecting the puck and I skate pretty well. I think I could definitely use that (part of my game) a little bit more.”
Lundestrom started on the top line Tuesday night, but ended up on the fourth line with Boone Jenner and Miles Wood. He explains why that is an effective line.
“They feel the same way,” Lundestrom said of his linemates. “They are both good skaters and play a simple game. We understand each other.”
Lundestrom will be in the fourth line most nights, but if the need for a shake-up arises, Bowness has said he will slot Lundestrom into various spots in the lineup. He seems to be getting more comfortable every day.
Same old Foligno in Chicago
Anyone who has followed Nick Foligno’s career knows he has been a mentor as of late, given his veteran status. He has been instrumental in helping the likes of Connor Bedard and others get comfortable in the NHL.
Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill opened up Wednesday about what Foligno has meant to the room. He returns to the lineup on Wednesday to play against his old team.
“He brings an unreal perspective,” Blashill said. “Obviously he’s been in the league a long time and has always been around the game. I think he’s an excellent leader. I think he’s done a great job. I’ve asked him to be kind of a daddy bear for our young players to help them grow. I think he’s doing a good job of being an extension of the coaching staff in a lot of different ways. He’s been an important player for us as well. I can’t say enough good things about him as a number one person and then as a player.” leader. He did an excellent job.”
Foligno hosted the Blackhawks at his Columbus home for a meeting on Tuesday. He continues to do everything he can to mentor the next wave of players on his team. That part of him has never changed, no matter what jersey he wears.
Side dishes
- Jet Greaves starts Wednesday night against the Blackhawks. With a win, he would improve to a perfect 5-0-0 under Bowness.
- Kirill Marchenko skated this morning. Bowness said his status would be determined based on that. We’ll see for sure during warmups, but all indications point to Marchenko playing against the Blackhawks.
- The Blue Jackets will have an Olympic broadcast for both Werenski and Elvis Merzlikins on Wednesday night as part of the festivities.
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