The shot probably should have been gloved.
James Reimer , goalie for the Detroit Red Wings , had a clear look at Kirill Marchenko's wrist shot early Tuesday night at Little Caesar's Arena and was in good position to catch it — which would have kept the score tied at 2-2 in the third period. Instead, the Blue Jackets ' Marchenko ended a nine-game goal drought by zipping it just over the goalie's glove to cap a power play that nearly gave the Blue Jackets a win to start a tough five-game road trip.
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Neither the goal nor Reimer's failure to snag the puck mattered nearly as much, however, as Marchenko's decision to shoot. After receiving a pass from Zach Werenski near the top of the right circle, the Jackets' second-year Russian forward eyed the net and fired the puck. After a couple of weeks of looking lost, Marchenko didn't even consider passing. He ripped a shot, scored a big goal and finished the game looking more like the player who took Columbus by storm last season with 21 goals to set a franchise rookie record.
"I think a lot of times, the best play for me is just to relax and play hockey," Marchenko said. "Just trust my instincts and do what I can do, don't think a lot. But I've tried to think off ice and on ice. Now, just focus on the game and play how I can."
It certainly worked last season, but Marchenko also had a lot to learn about succeeding consistently in the NHL. That remains the case, but there are times when listening to his inner voice is the right call.
"When you think too much, you slow down," Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent said. "You see it often. When a guy is struggling a little bit offensively, especially for those offensive guys, they tend to overthink the game a little bit instead of just going back to the basics. And you know what? Marchy is still a young player in the NHL, so he's learning when he goes through something different than what he's experienced in the past."
Much of that process is related to the Jackets' coaching staff, which hopes to turn Marchenko and fellow Russian fowards Yegor Chinakhov and Dmitri Voronkov into consistent threats. They've played together as a line for a couple stretches thus far, but their tendency to commit turnovers while making "East-West" passes outside the offensive zone turned into a source of frustration .
All three had their ice times slashed because of it, including Marchenko being scratched March 5 in Pittsburgh , but none of them responded well to it. Marchenko's bout with overthinking even coincided with a goal drought that began Feb. 28 against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden, right before Vincent said the Jackets' Russian line attempted to play "like the Harlem Globetrotters," too often.
Marchenko had a goal and assist in the Blue Jackets' 4-2 victory over the Rangers on Feb. 25 ― his sixth and seventh points within a 10-game span ― but that's when his nine-game goal drought began. Marchenko's aim now is playing with a decisive mindset for the remaining 13 games, starting with another tough matchup Friday at the Colorado Avalanche .
"I think I can shoot all the (time), but sometimes I try to play smart and have a good line," he said. We try to help each other (as a line), so we try to pass too ... but sometimes the pass doesn't work, and, yeah, maybe focus more on the shots. But if a guy is open, I will try to make the pass."
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets need Kirill Marchenko to trust his instincts
