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Columbus Blue Jackets reeling after loss to Carolina Hurricanes: 3 takeaways
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- Columbus Blue Jackets reeling after loss to Carolina Hurricanes: 3 takeaways
The wheels are coming off the Blue Jackets ' season.
It's taken longer than it did the past two years, but the Jackets are starting to resemble those teams again after starting this season looking much improved. Another humbling 4-1 loss Sunday to the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh, North Carolina , made the Blue Jackets (12-14-5) winless in four straight games and 1-5-2 in their past eight — all while injury losses pile up.
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More: Carolina Hurricanes hand Columbus Blue Jackets fourth straight loss
That may sound familiar to those who have followed the Blue Jackets the past few years , and they're running out of time to change the narrative. The schedule doesn't get any easier this week, as another daunting road matchup awaits Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning followed by a return to Columbus on Thursday against the high-powered New Jersey Devils .
Here are three takeaways from Sunday's loss:
Dec 15, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (20) scores against Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (90) during the first period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
Shortage of forwards stifling Columbus Blue Jackets
Boone Jenner recently began skating through individual workouts during his recovery from shoulder surgery , but the Blue Jackets' captain isn't expected to return to the lineup soon.
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Yegor Chinakhov missed his 10thstraight game Sunday with an undisclosed upper-body injury and doesn't have an expected return timeline. The Blue Jackets are 3-5-2 without him. Justin Danforth has missed the past three games, all losses, with an undisclosed lower-body injury, and there's no stated timetable for his return.
Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Mathieu Olivier (24) hits Washington Capitals center Nic Dowd (26) during the second period of the NHL hockey game at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Dec. 12, 2024.
Throw in Mathieu Olivier playing through an undisclosed lower-body injury and center Sean Kuraly appearing to grind through an ailment of some sort and it quickly becomes clear why their once powerful offensive attack has gone silent. That's without mentioning the immense loss from the offseason death of Johnny Gaudreau plus trades that sent Patrik Laine to the Montreal Canadiens and Alexandre Texier to the St. Louis Blues
The Blue Jackets' depth up front was thin to start this season, but it's reaching critical levels of depletion. Carolina was the latest team to dictate pace of play and puck possession against the depleted Blue Jackets, who haven't looked like the team they used to be since routing the Calgary Flames 5-2 on Nov. 29 in Columbus.
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That was more than two weeks ago, and they've gone just 2-5-2 since.
It might be time to consider a forward or two from the AHL's Cleveland Monsters, which would require some interesting roster decisions with their current three-goalie mix.
Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Dean Evason signals to his team during the second period of the NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Dec. 12, 2024.
Columbus Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason is a riverboat gambler
Dean Evason is only 31 games into his Blue Jackets coaching career, but we've learned something important about him already.
Don't put him in charge of your money at a casino. Evason is proving to be a bit of a gambler when it comes to coaching challenges, especially with goaltender interference. That tendency led to starkly opposite outcomes Sunday against the Hurricanes.
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Late in the second period, Evason challenged Jordan Martinook's goal for goaltender interference by William Carrier , who did enter the crease on his own just before Jordan Staal 's shot from the point and he lightly contacted goalie Elvis Merzlikins . Based on NHL officials' varied interpretations of the league's goaltender interference rules this season, it felt like an unwinnable challenge.
Dec 15, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes left wing William Carrier (28) celebrates a goal with center Jordan Staal (11) against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the first period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
Indeed, the goal stood for a 3-1 Hurricanes lead and the Blue Jackets were penalized for a failed challenge. Like clockwork, Carolina made it 4-1 on the ensuing power play with a goal by former Blue Jackets forward Jack Roslovic . It was the second time the Jackets were burned for two quick goals thanks to failed goaltender interference challenges, but Evason's further gambling erased this mistake. After his video coaches spotted a missed hand pass by the Hurricanes off a draw that preceded Roslovic's goal, Evason issued a challenge for that one and won, which negated Roslovic's goal.
Dec 15, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes left wing Jordan Martinook (48) celebrates his goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the second period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
Had that challenge failed, the Blue Jackets would've been assessed a four-minute penalty because it would've been their second failed challenge in one game.
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Columbus ranks near the bottom of the NHL in penalty-killing, so risking additional short-handed situations doesn't seem like a great idea right now, especially with goaltender interference debates decided by officials looking at their own calls on iPads.
Dec 15, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (90) makes save against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
All eyes focused on Columbus Blue Jackets' goalies
Keeping three goalies in the NHL and making one a healthy scratch is a curious decision even when teams aren't hampered by injuries. Doing it with a growing number of players sidelined doesn't seem tenable. The Blue Jackets lost defenseman Jack Johnson (eye) and forward Kevin Labanc (face) to ugly injuries against Carolina, so they may need AHL reinforcements before Tuesday's game in Tampa .
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If so, attention will shift to goalies Elvis Merzlikins, Daniil Tarasov and rookie Jet Greaves , whose recall from the Monsters on Wednesday added a third backstop to the locker room. Tarasov has become the odd man out as a healthy scratch thus far, but he requires exposure to waivers if the Jackets aim to free up a roster spot by assigning him to AHL Cleveland.
Greaves is the only one who doesn't require waivers for AHL assignment, but he's been sharp in both of his NHL starts. Jordan Harris , the Jackets' extra defenseman this past weekend, can fill Johnson's spot if needed, but it will be interesting to see how Don Waddell, the Blue Jackets' president of hockey operations/general manager, handles the roster if Labanc is unavailable.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets stumble against Carolina Hurricanes: 3 takeaways
