COLUMBUS, Ohio – The most pressing period of the game for the Columbus Blue Jackets came in the final minutes of the third period on Thursday as they struggled to overcome a two-goal deficit against the Arizona Coyotes.
It’s the kind of desperation you’d expect from a club that has won a game since October 21, but the surprise was – once again – which players weren’t part of the final offensive.
Patrik Laine did not play in the final 9:53 minutes of the game. Johnny Gaudreau was benched for the final 6:15. That’s 432 career goals watching from the bench as the Blue Jackets fall to 1-7-4 in their last 12 games.
Those two, who excelled on offense along with linemate Yegor Chinakhov, were on the ice when Arizona scored its second goal 28 seconds into the third period to take a 3-1 lead. Chinakhov also didn’t play for the final 9:53, but that’s not as significant as the fact that Laine and Gaudreau were benched.
Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent instead leaned heavily on rookie Adam Fantilli’s line with wingers Dmitri Voronkov and Kirill Marchenko late in the game.
“I coach a team,” Vincent said. “I don’t coach individuals. These guys wanted they were going to play. That’s what we’ve been doing all year.
“Once the game starts we have 18 players and two goalkeepers. Tonight it was those guys who were out and that’s why they were on the ice.”
When asked if the opposite was true for Gaudreau and Laine, Vincent delivered perhaps his best performance so far this season.
“To ask this question is to answer this question,” he said.
Not many people thought the Blue Jackets were a playoff contender in the Eastern Conference this season, although GM Jarmo Kekalainen has insisted that is the goal and Vincent acknowledged that possibility this week after a disappointing 5-3 loss to Pittsburgh repeated.
But the fact that they ended up in the basement of the conference standings – where they finished last season, remember? – is breathtaking. And that likely won’t change until Gaudreau, Laine and others break out of their early-season angst.
Gaudreau, who had two shots on goal Thursday, has scored one goal all season, an empty-net shot. He has one point and one assist in his last seven games.
Laine, back at center on Thursday, had no shots on goal and won 2 of 8 faceoffs. He has scored one goal in four games since returning from a concussion early in the season, but his most noticeable act on Thursday was smashing his stick on the wall in front of the bench after a frustrating substitution.
“I feel for our players right now,” Vincent said. “They work hard. They do so many good things that we forget because of these little mistakes. And the first thing you know: If we make a mistake, the puck is in our net.
“I feel for them because they work hard. They really do. They’re all there. They want to do the right things. But if (the Coyotes) score that goal, we’re a little vulnerable.”
The score was 1-1 until the middle of the third period. Arizona’s Logan Cooley scored a power-play goal at 9:39 to give the Coyotes the lead. Just 28 seconds later, the lead increased to 3-1 when Lawson Crouse scored. Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson had the puck ripped off his stick behind the Columbus net by Nick Bjugstad, who fed a wide-open Crouse.
That’s it for the Laine line. Gaudreau took over a shift later that season along with Cole Sillinger and Boone Jenner, but otherwise sat on the bench.
The Blue Jackets’ goals were both scored by senior defenseman Damon Severson, his second and third of the season. They both came from a similar spot in the right circle, the first giving the Jackets a 1-0 lead early in the second period and the last giving the Coyotes a 3-2 lead with 1:57 left .
Severson has scored as many goals as Gaudreau and Laine combined, a telling statistic.
“We can’t have too tight a grip on our sticks,” Severson said. “We have lost a lot of games in a row now. The worst thing that can happen is that we keep losing. So why not be aggressive and do something that makes a difference? We have to play our game and just be confident.”
Confidence is not a problem for Fantilli and his teammates. Fantilli had 10 shots on goal Thursday, Marchenko six and Voronkov four. Voronkov provided the first assist on Severson’s first goal and gave him points in four of his last five games.
“I bring everything I can every night,” Fantilli said. “Sometimes it just doesn’t work. But I’m trying to score and do my best for this team. I want to win. I’ve said it 100 times: I hate losing. I hate this losing streak. I despise it. I want to do everything I can every night.”
“I thought we were strong defensively. I thought we tried our best to transition but we didn’t take our chances. This seems to be a topic right now. It’s really frustrating.”
So far, this season doesn’t feel quite like last season, which was already over at this point. Not only were the Blue Jackets losing games, but they had already lost several starters to injuries this season. These Blue Jackets are mostly healthy, with the exception of Jack Roslovic (broken ankle).
But the two seasons are not completely different either. In fact, the Blue Jackets were 6-10-1 (13 points) in 17 games last season. The 2023-24 version is 4-9-4.
“It’s the NHL,” Vincent said. “No one will give you anything. We cannot feel sorry for ourselves. Tomorrow we get up and do it again. Find a solution, work together.”
(Photo by Johnny Gaudreau: Jason Mowry/Getty Images)