Blue Jackets Admit Concerns About Their Goals Against Opponents – Hockey Writers – Columbus Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets were hoping to win their fourth game in a row on Wednesday night against the Montreal Canadiens. Although they were able to force extra time, they could not escape with the second point.

Nick Suzuki scored a goal before overtime to lift the Canadiens to a 4-3 victory. Although their record going into the Black Friday game against the Calgary Flames is a respectable 9-9-3, the Blue Jackets have a big problem to solve.

On Thursday, head coach Dean Evason acknowledged that this is an issue they are working to address. They allow too many goals against them.

Defense Work In Progress

While the Blue Jackets' offense is among the league's best in goals, they are 29th in the NHL in goals against per game at 3.62. On Wednesday night against Montreal, Evason said his team didn't have the same kind of speed in their few outings that were wins.

“We didn't like our speed in that game,” said Evason. “And not just how we bowled, but we didn't play as fast as we did in the three games before that. We were playing a really fast game. We checked the stats (Thursday morning) and Montreal had a lot of possession time in our offensive zone which historically they haven't had this year but they did it because they beat us so much. So they were touched first and then we struggled to get away from them because we were moving slowly.”

The Blue Jackets still managed to get a point despite not playing well for a long time. That is a testament to their ability to put the ball in the net. Zach Werenski's third-period goal, his 22nd point in 21 games, tied the game. The team is 7th in the NHL in goals which helps bolster their scoring defense.

Evason said Thursday that their defense is a concern they are trying to fix.

“We had some challenges keeping it out of the net,” said Evason. “We must really drive that even in this small country we have. We threw away too many chances. It is a worrying place.”

“We worked here. We had two days of practice and worked on our defense a lot to keep it out of the net. Our PK has struggled a bit here as well because of that. That doesn't help with the goals they face. We put a lot of effort into trying to keep it out of the net as we try to score goals.”

The Blue Jackets face a team in the Calgary Flames that is in the opposite boat in terms of their results. They've gotten off to a good start in the standings but have struggled in scoring (26th in the NHL) while doing a good job preventing goals (7th in the NHL.) Friday will provide an interesting test to see if the Blue Jackets can begin to show signs of improvement on the defensive end.

Thank you Blue Jackets

Thanksgiving is always a time in the United States when friends and family get together and celebrate together the things they are thankful for in life. It's no different for a few members of the Blue Jackets.

We got to ask Werenski, Zach Aston-Reese and James van Riemsdyk what we are most thankful for and if there was a Thanksgiving tradition growing up that they remember and continue to this day. Here is what everyone had to say.

Werenski

Thank you: “I think it's great. Family, friends, health, teammates. There are many things to be thankful for. My whole family is healthy so that's the most important thing. I am very grateful for many things.”

Tradition: “Watching the Lions. That's what being honest is all about. They haven't won on Thanksgiving in a few years, so maybe there's a little bit to prove. ” Author's note: The Bears really helped the Lions late in the game, but the Lions did.

Aston-Reese

Bonga: “Truth, the opportunity I got here. It's been a long journey from a full year in Grand Rapids last year to Vegas, not to mention being here. It was just really good. Such a great team. It is quite strong. There are no egos here. It's just nice to come in every day. Thank you very much. Thank you for being here.”

Another player I caught up with today is Zach Aston-Reese. Last year, he played a season in the AHL Grand Rapids. Then I returned to the NHL only to be waived by Vegas and wanted by #CBJ. He now plays for the Blue Jackets. He is very grateful and loves it in Columbus.

– Mark Scheig (@mark_scheig) November 28, 2024

Tradition: “When I was a kid, you got sparkling grape juice. You think you are drinking wine but it goes into the wine bottle. Have a cool, champagne-like top you pour. That was always cool to me. It could be a grape or an apple.”

van Riemsdyk

Gratitude: “For me, it's just my family, especially my wife and children. It's been three teams in three years so there's a lot of moving around, a lot of preparation for the kids. A lot of things happen behind the scenes with my wife, our extended families, my parents, his parents to really help us feel settled and make each place a home. So thank you for that.”

Culture: “Growing up, we played small ball, back ball, so that was always fun. And desire. That was always good.”

I asked van Riemsdyk if his wishes ever came true. He said he didn't remember. “I must not have aspired high enough.”

Side dishes

• Black Friday will mark the first meeting between the Blue Jackets and the Calgary Flames since Gaudreau's passing. The two franchises will be permanently linked. The same two teams will play in Calgary next week. The Gaudreau family is expected to be in attendance at the Saddledome.
• Cole Sillinger, who missed Wednesday's game against Montreal with a lower-body injury, will play Friday, Dean Evason said Thursday. However, Yegor Chinakhov is skeptical on Friday. He missed practice with Evason saying he was “beaten up.” We'll see if he can play when Evason talks around 12:15 PM
• A final note on van Riemsdyk. He and his wife welcomed about 30 people including grateful families. “It's fun to put together things like this and bring together boys who may not have families here. It should be good. “