Columbus Blue Jackets: Top 3 takeaways from series loss to Lightning
Just like the Tampa Bay Lightning learned lessons from losing to the Columbus Blue Jackets last season, the Blue Jackets can learn from losing to Tampa.
Last season, the Columbus Blue Jackets got the best of the Tampa Bay Lightning, sweeping them in the first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. This year, the Bolts returned the favor by besting the Blue Jackets in five games in the first round.
While their series with the Lightning didn’t end as well as they were hoping, the Blue Jackets should be proud of how they fought in the series. Each of their losses to Tampa were by merely one goal. They were close to potentially upsetting the Lightning again, but the pucks were nearly as friendly to them this year as they were last year.
When the Lightning lost to the Blue Jackets last year, they took some lessons from it. You could see it in the way they played this year and their series victory proves they learned those lessons well. The Blue Jackets should take some notes because that’s how they’re going to get better.
Columbus is in good hands with John Tortorella. The Blue Jackets overcame so much adversity this season. No one projected them to be in the playoffs and though it technically took a pandemic for them to even have a shot at making the playoffs, they made the best of the shot given to them.
It wasn’t easy for them to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, as they needed all five games to do it, but they did. So many things went wrong this season for the Blue Jackets. It was enough to make people question if the team was cursed. But instead of underachieving, the Blue Jackets kept fighting and got further than anyone could have expected.
Here are three things the Blue Jackets should take away from their rough series loss to the Lightning.
1. The Kids Are Alright
There are several positives the Columbus Blue Jackets can take from their experiences in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The first is their future is in very good hands, as they have some very impressive young skaters.
Pierre-Luc Dubois was phenomenal during the postseason. Not only was he productive (6 points in 5 games against Tampa and 10 points overall in 10 games), he was gritty and annoying as heck to play against. Dubois wasn’t afraid to take on the Leafs, or even Nikita Kucherov in Game 5. Even Lightning head coach Jon Cooper had some very kind words to say about him.
Jon Cooper calls Pierre-Luc Dubois a "baller." Says he's got deceiving speed: "He's just got that blend of quickness, he's tough. He's a guy that plays with an edge. He walks the line in how he plays, which even makes guys like him harder to play against. He's a cornerstone guy."
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) August 19, 2020
If there was any concerns about Dubois being a franchise center, this postseason ended them. He’s a number one center and he’s continuing to blossom into a very special player.
Oliver Bjorkstrand was great against Tampa, as he gave them some big goals to keep them in Games 3, 4, and 5. He’s always been good at creating scoring chances and getting pucks on net. Now he’s starting to learn how to finish and score.
Alexandre Texier had a rough rookie season, as it was sadly defined by injuries. But he was able to get back into the lineup during the playoffs and had 2 points in five games against the Lightning. Texier’s a very gifted player and if he stays healthy, it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s a permanent fixture in the Blue Jackets’ top-six forward group shortly.
Liam Foudy was very effective in the postseason. He proved to the Blue Jackets that he’s ready to hold down a roster spot. Foudy still has some developing to do, but he was an important part of the Blue Jackets’ fourth line. With his blend of speed, size, and physicality, get used to hating him because he’s going to be a pain in the butt to play against.
2. Goaltending Is Great
Before the 2019-20 season, a lot of people didn’t know what to expect from the Columbus Blue Jackets goaltenders. After losing Sergei Bobrovsky to the Florida Panthers, the Blue Jackets entered the season with Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzilkins. The former was an inconsistent backup while the latter was some guy with a cool name. That’s about it.
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Nearly a year later, the Blue Jackets are pretty well set as far as their goaltending. Korpisalo was in line to be an All-Star before an injury cost him his appearance. And while he didn’t finish the regular season strong, he was simply out of this world during the postseason. Korpisalo set the NHL record for most saves made in a postseason game with 88 in Game 1 against Tampa.
Meanwhile, Merzilkins’ postseason, unfortunately, was short due to an injury. But Elvis stole the show in the regular season when the Columbus Blue Jackets needed him to be great. The Blue Jackets got to the postseason because of their goalies.
Goaltending has always been an important part of the Blue Jackets identity. With Korpisalo and Merzilkins leading the way, that’s not changing anytime soon. Oh, and if you think those names are a pain to spell, just you wait until Veini Vehvilainen and Matiss Kivlenieks come around!
3. The Columbus Blue Jackets Need Difference Makers
So how did the Columbus Blue Jackets go from sweeping the Lightning to losing to them in a year? That’s a loaded question with numerous answers, but if you want the most simple answer, it’s this. Last year, the Blue Jackets had Matt Duchene and Artemi Panarin. This year, they did not.
While a Tortorella coached team is rarely going to be known for their offense, this year, the Blue Jackets didn’t have enough difference makers. Dubois emerged as one, but still, Columbus doesn’t have anyone like Panarin who can completely shift the momentum of a game in one shift. Duchene struggled in his first year in Nashville, but he played a huge role in helping Columbus sweep Tampa.
To be fair, it’s next to impossible to replace someone like Artemi Panarin. You don’t just go to a Panarin tree and get another Panarin. The same could be said of Duchene. For the Blue Jackets to take the next step, they need to add some difference makers and they’re probably not coming internally. At least not yet.
Next. 2020 NHL Mock Draft. dark
How did the Blue Jackets get Panarin? By making a trade. That’s probably how the Blue Jackets are going to have to acquire their difference makers. Free agency could provide some bargains, but unless Columbus wants to get really weird and go after Taylor Hall, I don’t see any difference makers there. Getting difference makers is much harder than it sounds, but the Blue Jackets need some difference makers.