Columbus Blue Jackets News Clips May 7, 2019

Columbus Blue Jackets PAGE 02: Columbus Dispatch: Fans roar, but Boston Bruins end Blue Jackets' playoff run PAGE 04: Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets: Markus Hannikainen makes playoff debut PAGE 06: Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets: Sergei Bobrovsky, Artemi Panarin quiet about future PAGE 08: Columbus Dispatch: Bruins 3, Blue Jackets 0: Boston delivers knockout blow PAGE 10: Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets discover Tuukka Rask isn't perfect PAGE 12: Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets: Vladislav Gavrikov gets first taste of NHL in Game 5 PAGE 14: Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets: Rookie Vladislav Gavrikov fights nerves, earns ice time PAGE 15: Columbus Dispatch: Michael Arace: Jackets embark on biggest game in their history PAGE 17: Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets: Jackets look to rewrite playoff script PAGE 19: FOX Sports Ohio: Blue Jackets’ wild season comes to an end as Bruins win series in Game 6 PAGE 21: The Athletic: Blue Jackets’ arduous season ends with a thud, signaling the start of a difficult summer PAGE 26: The Athletic: Blue Jackets report cards — Game 6 vs. Boston PAGE 31: The Athletic: Samuels-Thomas: Examining Artemi Panarin’s up-and-down Game 5 and how to avoid the lows in Game 6 PAGE 34: ESPN: Columbus in 'you never know' mode after ouster

Cleveland Monsters/Prospects

NHL/Websites PAGE 36: Seattle Times: Wonder Woman’s husband, ‘hero’ lawyer: Meet some of the owners for Seattle’s NHL team

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Fans roar, but Boston Bruins end Blue Jackets' playoff run

By Bill Rabinowitz, Columbus Dispatch – May 6, 2019

They filled Nationwide Arena again on Monday night, wearing jerseys with names such as Bobrovsky and Panarin.

The 19,209 fans entered the game knowing that the Blue Jackets would either send Columbus into a Game 7 for the first time in franchise history or have the team’s first extended playoff run end in disappointment and a summer of potential key departures.

Unfortunately for the Blue Jackets, it was the latter. The Boston Bruins ended their season with a 3-0 victory to win an Eastern Conference semifinal series four games to two.

The night began with much hope, with a crowd that acted like it had waited the 18 seasons it had for such a game.

“I don’t know if there’s been a better building in the playoffs,” center Matt Duchene said Monday morning. “Anybody who’s been here to see it would agree.”

Ten seconds into the game, Blue Jackets fans erupted into a full-throated “CBJ!” chant. They got in their first hearty boos of Bruins agitator Brad Marchand seconds later. They roared when a Boston goal midway through the first period was overturned on replay review for goaltender interference.

But the Blue Jackets couldn’t cash in themselves against Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask, who stopped all 39 shots and was brilliant for most of the series.

“We had a lot of chances,” Jackets defenseman Seth Jones said. “What did we hit, four or five posts?”

Boston scored on a blistering shot off a rebound by David Krejci past goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky midway through the second period, quieting the crowd only momentarily.

Their emotion turned to outrage with 20 seconds left in the period when Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy crushed Josh Anderson with a hit to the head and was given only a two-minute minor penalty and not a match penalty.

The Blue Jackets couldn’t capitalize then, nor could they later on a third-period power play in which they had numerous prime chances. Boston then put the game away with two more goals.

As the final seconds ticked off, Jackets fans responded with another “CBJ!” cheer.

Now the franchise must hope that what was built this season can be sustained. Bobrovsky is considered nearly certain to leave as a free agent, and leading scorer Artemi Panarin is a long shot to return. Both players gave noncommittal answers about their future after the game.

Duchene, added before the trade deadline as the biggest of the Jackets' go-for-it February acquisitions, is the most valuable of a few other impending free agents.

After the traditional handshake line, Blue Jackets fans saluted their team with a final ovation and “CBJ!” chant. The players responded with their own salute.

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“It means a lot to us obviously,” Jones said. “They’ve been with us through the ups and downs this year. When we played like crap in front of them, they’ve been with us. When we’ve played well, they’ve been there for us. Through the years when we’ve struggled, it’s special to see that they’re right there by your side until the end.”

The Blue Jackets were the talk of the NHL for a stunning first-round sweep of Presidents’ Trophy-winning Tampa Bay. They had a 2-1 series lead on the Bruins. But now their season is over, leaving only memories and the hope that stars can be retained or replaced to make hockey in May a regular occurrence — and maybe even in June.

“Next year, who knows what’s going to happen, who’s going to be in this locker room?” left wing Cam Atkinson said. “This one stings.”

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Blue Jackets | Markus Hannikainen makes playoff debut

By Adam Jardy & Brian Hedger, Columbus Dispatch – May 6, 2019

Markus Hannikainen enjoyed watching the Blue Jackets crash and bang in the first five games of their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Boston Bruins.

“That’s the way I play, so that’s what I want to bring to the table,” said Hannikainen, 26, who played a career-high 44 games this season. “I’ve loved to watch the series. It’s physical, it’s fast, it’s everything I want to do myself.”

That opportunity arrived Monday night, when Hannikainen made his Stanley Cup playoffs debut in Game 6 at Nationwide Arena. Hannikainen and rookie Alexandre Texier skated on the fourth line with center Brandon Dubinsky, while struggling center Alexander Wennberg and defenseman Adam Clendening were scratched.

It was Hannikainen’s first game since March 24, when he played 11:22 in the Blue Jackets’ 5-0 win at the Vancouver Canucks, the first victory in a stretch that saw the team win seven of eight to close the regular season.

Sitting out the first-round sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning plus the first five games in this series was difficult, but Hannikainen was patient.

“It’s all mental,” Hannikainen said. “It’s just being patient and staying positive and just (waiting) for your chance — and that’s all you can do.”

No double dipping

After playing seven defensemen and 11 forwards in Game 5, the Blue Jackets went back to the usual setup of six defensemen and 12 forwards in Game 6, scratching defenseman Clendening instead of rookie Vladislav Gavrikov.

Clendening played just 3:00 Saturday at Boston, but there were two reasons to keep him in the lineup for that game: It allowed the coaches more flexibility with Gavrikov, who made his NHL debut, and it created spots to double-shift Artemi Panarin up front.

Panarin played 24:36 and created a bit of a headache for the Bruins, who were looking for optimal matchup spots for their defensemen.

“We’re more matchup-oriented with our (defensemen) out against certain players, and obviously if (Panarin is) out there every second shift, it could cause some issues,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said after Boston’s morning skate. “He’s one of the leading scorers that’s getting out there more often, (so) he’s more dangerous — but we’ll find other ways to take advantage of that.”

The Blue Jackets didn’t give him that opportunity.

Got your back, coach

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For a second straight year, Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella tried to deflect the focus from his players to himself by issuing a guarantee after losing Game 5.

After the game, in a terse news conference at TD Garden, he vowed that the series would be back there for Game 7 on Wednesday. Tortorella offered the comment without being asked, but forward Matt Duchene said it wasn’t surprising to hear.

“Is there any way else to feel?” he said. “We’re not going to come in and go, ‘Oh, great season, boys. She’s over … .’ We’re not thinking like that at all. We believe in this group.”

In the past

Midway through his first career NHL game, Gavrikov found himself in a bad position in Game 5.

After a stretch of sustained possession, the Jackets gave up the puck and it turned into a four-on-one break headed in the other direction. Gavrikov was the one defender back and was powerless to stop the first goal of the game.

It was a learning moment, but one that made him laugh Monday when asked if he remembered it.

“Yeah, so, I don’t think about it now,” he said.

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Blue Jackets | Sergei Bobrovsky, Artemi Panarin quiet about future

By Adam Jardy, Columbus Dispatch – May 6, 2019

The final horn had sounded, and the deepest postseason run in Blue Jackets history had ended. Gathered at one end of the ice, the players looked around Nationwide Arena and took in applause from those who stayed.

Some of them, such as goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and forward Artemi Panarin, waved. Whether those were gestures of thanks or public goodbyes will be clear in the coming weeks, as both unrestricted free agents said after Monday’s 3-0 loss to the Boston Bruins that their futures are unknown and that it was too early to speculate on what might come next.

“I don’t think about that future right now," Bobrovsky said during a six-minute news conference. "I’m just saying how I feel right now. It’s too early to discuss about my future.”

A two-time Vezina Trophy winner, Bobrovsky has spent seven seasons with the Blue Jackets while developing into one of the NHL's premier goaltenders. After struggling in two prior postseason appearances, Bobrovsky shined this season, posting a .932 save percentage in a first-round sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

In the process, coach John Tortorella said he thought Bobrovsky was “giving the middle finger” to those who had doubted he could be an elite postseason goalie.

He spent the final moments on the bench between David Savard and Dean Kukan. Nick Foligno gave him a hug after the final horn, but he didn’t want to say that he was appreciating what might have been his final curtain call at Nationwide Arena.

“Let’s see what’s going to happen,” he said. “I don’t want to throw the words. They’re big words. I want to rest. I want to settle things down and get good rest and make a right decision.

“I have to weigh everything, every opportunity. I have to speak with more people to scale everything and make a decision. It’s a big decision. It’s a lifetime decision and I don’t want to stand here and discuss about that right now after we lost this game.”

Panarin, in his second season with the Jackets, tied for the team lead with five postseason goals. He answered questions through an interpreter, Anton Poltyrev.

“We just lost the game,” he said. “That’s all I think.”

Would he return?

“Nobody knows,” he said in English.

Mostly in the past tense, Bobrovsky spoke of his pride in helping take a team that was happy just to reach the postseason to a point where it expected to make a deep playoff run this season. And he repeatedly thanked the fans for their support.

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The team’s third marquee unrestricted free agent, forward Matt Duchene, was not available for interviews immediately after the game. He tied Panarin for the lead with five playoff goals.

For this night, at least, they all remained teammates.

“We went through some good times, some tough times,” Bobrovsky said. “We’ve been together seven years, so that’s a long time. It was special.”

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Bruins 3, Blue Jackets 0 | Boston delivers knockout blow

By Adam Jardy, Columbus Dispatch – May 6, 2019

The steps along the path to a Stanley Cup are filled with pitfalls, setbacks and painful reminders of disappointment.

It’s part of the deal, which the Blue Jackets are learning with each stinging lesson they learn in the Stanley Cup playoffs, which came to another bitter end Monday night at Nationwide Arena.

Unable to solve goaltender Tuukka Rask, who made 39 saves, the Jackets lost 3-0 to the Boston Bruins in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series, hitting goalposts or the crossbar four times in a failed bid to force Game 7 in Boston.

“We tried,” said defenseman Seth Jones, who logged game-highs with 28:49 of ice time and seven shots on goal. “I thought we played a really good game, a really good series, and I’m proud of all the guys.”

Despite that effort, the Jackets just couldn’t put another dent in Rask, who was outstanding to earn the only shutout of the series. He made 10 saves in the first period, 17 in the second and 12 in the third.

“He got better as the series went on,” Jones said. “We got a lot of chances on him, a lot of point-blank chances, and he stood in there tall.”

The Bruins’ goals were scored by David Krejci, Marcus Johansson and David Backes, a veteran forward whose career-long success against the Blue Jackets continued after he entered the series in Game 4.

>> Read more: Sergei Bobrovsky, Artemi Panarin quiet about future

Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves for the Blue Jackets, who outshot the Bruins 39-29 but went 0 for 4 on the power play. After starting the series 3 for 11 on power plays, the Jackets went 0 for 10 in the final three games.

“We had our surges, we had our pushes,” forward Cam Atkinson said. “We needed to capitalize on the power play, and I think that’s the biggest thing.”

The Bruins controlled the 5-on-5 play throughout most of the series, including the first period of this game. Dual goaltender interference penalties highlighted the first, though.

The first one sent Blue Jackets center Pierre-Luc Dubois to the penalty box at 6:46, giving Boston an early power play, and the second one negated a Bruins goal that was scored seven seconds after it ended.

Boston’s Sean Kuraly, from Dublin, put the puck in the net for a 1-0 lead, but the Jackets challenged for goaltender interference after Joakim Nordstrom ran into Bobrovsky. A lengthy video review overturned the call and fired up the crowd.

Things got wilder in the second, when the Bruins took the lead on Krejci’s goal, scored with a slap shot past Bobrovsky off a long rebound with 7:47 left.

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That would’ve been the highlight had it not been for an ugly scene in the final 20 seconds, when Boston’s Charlie McAvoy sent Josh Anderson to the ice with a right shoulder into Anderson’s face.

McAvoy was assessed a minor penalty for an illegal check to the head, which infuriated the Blue Jackets when it wasn’t announced as a match penalty. According to NHL rules, illegal checks to the head cannot result in major penalties, only minor or match penalties assessed at the referee’s discretion.

Captain Nick Foligno said referee Kelly Sutherland told him he didn’t believe Anderson was injured, despite him being crumpled on the ice grabbing his face, so he stuck with the minor.

The Blue Jackets couldn’t tie the score on the ensuing power play, and the Bruins seized full control midway through the third on goals 1:41 apart by Johansson and Backes.

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Columbus Blue Jackets discover Tuukka Rask isn't perfect

By Brian Hedger, Columbus Dispatch – May 6, 2019

It happened in a stinging 4-3 loss Saturday to the Boston Bruins, but the Blue Jackets are confident something important was gained.

Despite falling behind 3-2 in their Eastern Conference semifinal series, the Jackets finally got some pucks past Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask – three in the third period to be exact. They stormed back in the game’s final 10 minutes to tie it up late, before Boston’s David Pastrnak won it with his second goal of the game and period.

“I think one of the biggest points in our last game, in Game 5, is that we dented their goalie,” Columbus coach John Tortorella said Monday, prior to Game 6 at Nationwide Arena. “I think that was very important. I think they dented our goalie. We dented their goalie in that third period, which is very important going into Game 6.”

Until allowing goals by Seth Jones, Ryan Dzingel and Dean Kukan in a 3:25 span during the second half of the third period Saturday, Rask looked impenetrable.

He’d stopped Cam Atkinson on the doorstep, made a fantastic left skate save after Nick Foligno appeared to beat him with a backhand and either soaked up or deflected numerous shots that could’ve easily been goals.

Rask also allowed just one goal on 40 shots in the Bruins’ 4-1 victory in Game 4, which would’ve been a shutout had any of the four officials noticed the puck hit the spectator netting prior to Artemi Panarin’s goal.

Rask’s dominance nearly lasted through Game 5, until the Blue Jackets finally bit back – overcoming third-period deficits of 2-0 and 2-1 to eventually tie it 3-3 on Kukan’s one-timer with 6:02 left.

Columbus also came close to scoring twice in the final minute, after Pastrnak put the Bruins back on top. Matt Duchene hit the post and Rask made a huge save on Atkinson, again on the doorstep.

“That’s a tough loss for us, because we have a chance to go up 4-3 with (a scoring chance by Josh Anderson) right after,” Tortorella said. “We have chances to tie the game, but the biggest thing is, I think we put a dent in Rask coming into Game 6 here and that’s so important for offensive people.”

Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy, of course, sees it a little differently.

“No, I don’t think he’s been dented,” Cassidy said of Rask. “(He) got beat three times the other night. The (goalpost) got dented late by Duchene, a break went our way, and (Rask) made a big stop on Atkinson. That’s what I remember in the last 10 minutes, for the most part. We had our share of offense, as well.”

It has been a great goaltending duel, with Rask making terrific saves for Boston and Sergei Bobrovsky doing the same for the Jackets, but players on both sides appear to be figuring each of them out.

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That could make for an exciting, back-and-forth Game 6 – which will either end the series in the Bruins’ favor or send things back to Boston for the decisive Game 7 Wednesday at TD Garden.

“Both goalies have played outstanding in this series and you’ve got to find a way to get it past them,” Foligno said. “Any goal is a bonus for your club. Obviously, we would’ve liked (beating Rask) in a win, but you know there are ways to score (now).”

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Blue Jackets | Vladislav Gavrikov gets first taste of NHL in Game 5

By Adam Jardy & Brian Hedger, Columbus Dispatch – May 6, 2019

The watch began the second Vladislav Gavrikov was granted a release from his Kontinental Hockey League team in Russia.

After signing with the Blue Jackets and waiting a week for his U.S. work visa to clear, the 23-year old defenseman hustled to Ohio between playoff series — along with his wife, Anastasia — and then watched the first four games of the Blue Jackets’ Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Boston Bruins.

Gavrikov’s wait to play ended Saturday night, when he got his first taste of the NHL in Game 5 at TD Garden — a stinging 4-3 loss that put the Jackets on the brink of elimination heading into Game 6 on Monday at Nationwide Arena.

“It was a good way to get him introduced into the league,” general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said, referring to the Blue Jackets dressing Gavrikov as a seventh defenseman. “You never know how the guy’s going to do, despite the fact he’s got great experience with the Russian national team and in KHL, Olympics and world championships, etc. It’s still … your first NHL game is your first NHL game.”

As it turned out, Gavrikov’s went pretty well, despite being on the ice for each of David Pastrnak’s two goals in the third period, including the winner with 1:28 left to play.

Gavrikov, selected by in the sixth round of the 2015 NHL draft (159th overall), played 14:17 on 24 shifts and finished with five shot attempts (one on goal). He also had a hit and blocked a shot.

“I thought he played great,” Kekalainen said. “We’re really excited about him as part of our future. I think he’s going to be a real solid NHL defenseman. He looked like he’d played in the league for a while, right from his first game.”

Supporting Torts

Kekalainen said coach John Tortorella’s guarantee that the series will return to Boston on Wednesday for a deciding Game 7 was merely a reflection of what the organization believes.

“Well, what’s he supposed to say, ‘We won’t be back,’ or ‘We might be back?’” Kekalainen said, laughing. “We all believe we’ll be back. It’s a statement that could come out of everybody’s mouth in this organization. We all believe that we can win Game 6 and be back for Game 7. It’s very simple.”

Tortorella came out with the statement, unprompted, while answering a question about whether the Blue Jackets could draw upon their inspired offensive performance in the final 10 minutes of Game 5.

“Things happen for a reason, and I truly believe that,” he said. “We’ll be back here for Game 7.”

Two questions later, he was asked about Game 7 for the first time in the news conference and didn’t take a single step back.

“We will,” he said, when a reporter began to ask about the guarantee.

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Why does he feel that way?

“Because we will,” Tortorella said.

So close

After allowing what would be the winning goal, the Blue Jackets had two bona fide chances come agonizingly close to tying Game 5 in the final minute.

Matt Duchene hit the iron with about 44 seconds to play on the first one, which he initially thought was a goal.

“I thought it did (go in) because I lost sight of it, and I was waiting to see because I knew I beat him,” Duchene said. “I just didn’t know where the puck went. Hit the post dead-on. I was in shock. I thought we tied it there. Bouncing puck and almost (in).”

The second was with 14.6 seconds left, when Cam Atkinson’s shot was stopped underneath Tuukka Rask on the goal line. No conclusive replay could overturn the call, unlike the Seth Jones goal that got the Jackets on the board after a lengthy review process overturned a call of no-goal on the ice.

“It was a gutsy comeback,” Duchene said. “It’s so disappointing to lose that. We hit a goal post, and Cam’s chance was on the goal line. It wasn’t meant to be, but we’ve got a chance to go back to our rink now, refocus and start the way we finished (Saturday).”

Wild third

The insanity of the final 10 minutes stood in stark contrast to the first 50, during which the Bruins built a comfortable 2-0 lead that looked safe. Then everything went a little crazy, with the Blue Jackets later saying that some desperation kicked in.

“If anything, I’d say it’s just our mentality, the way we pressed,” captain Nick Foligno said when asked what was different. “That’s got to be the way we play the whole game. The tenacity with which we played — we play like that, then we’re a hard team to play against no matter what time it is on the clock or what period. It’s got to be all game long.”

Which begs the question: Should it be a concern that such an attitude might have been absent from the drop?

“It was like a chess match in the first period to see how it was going to go,” Foligno said of the scoreless start. “Then they obviously came out hard (in the second). We knew we had to weather that. Once we got our legs going, especially in the second, we really started to turn the tide.”

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Columbus Blue Jackets: Rookie Vladislav Gavrikov fights nerves, earns ice time

By Adam Jardy, Columbus Dispatch – May 6, 2019

The last time Vladislav Gavrikov felt such nerves, it was eight months ago and half the world away.

Saturday night at TD Garden in Boston, the Russian-born defenseman was in the lineup as the Blue Jackets took the ice for Game 5 of the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. It was the NHL debut for the 23-year-old Gavrikov, who signed with the Blue Jackets on April 13 after playing for St. Petersburg SKA in the Kontinental Hockey League and had been skating with the team in the interim.

As the sellout crowd roared for the Bruins, Gavrikov said the feelings he had inside mirrored those to when his 2018 season started in Russia with a road game against the Kazan Ak-Bars.

“It’s amazing,” Gavrikov said after Monday’s morning skate at Nationwide Arena in advance of Game 6. “It was my first NHL game, in the playoffs, in the second round, so I was a little bit nervous before the first faceoff before they started the game, but after they dropped the puck I just tried to do my best.”

The 6-3, 215-pound defenseman didn’t look out of place, skating 14:17 in his debut and recording one shot, one hit and one blocked shot. His inclusion gave the Jackets seven defensemen and 11 forwards for the game, a situation coach John Tortorella might revisit for Monday night’s elimination game against Boston. One defenseman, Adam Clendening, played only three minutes in the 4-3 loss.

Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski liked what he saw from the new guy.

“He’s just really solid all around,” Werenski said. “He’s a full 200-foot player. He just gives us balance throughout our lineup and we’re happy to have him in. I think he was pretty comfortable.”

Tortorella said he had confidence in putting Gavrikov into the lineup because of the reports passed onto him by general manager Jarmo Kekalainen. Gavrikov was a sixth-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft and taken at No. 159 overall.

Still, there was cause for concern.

“We’ve had many conversations about Gavrikov before he came here,” Tortorella said. “The thing that goes on there is when the team is finding its way and winning some games, you’ve got to be really careful just to throw people in because you think they can play. You have to worry about the chemistry of your hockey club and the camaraderie of your hockey club at this time of year. I think we’ve had some hiccups with a couple guys along the way here. We wanted to give him a chance and I thought he stood in there very nicely.”

The Ice Palace, Gavrikov’s former home arena, lists its ice dimensions as 30 meters wide by 60 meters long. That’s roughly 98 feet by 197 feet, a full 13 feet wider than the standard size for NHL rinks. Playing on the smaller ice here is more in line with Gavrikov’s skill-set.

“I like to play here on the small rink because it’s a more physical game,” he said. “On the big rink you have a couple more seconds to make decisions. I like this game because you can hit everybody close, do more shots, more attacks. On the big rinks it’s a little bit different.”

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Michael Arace | Jackets embark on biggest game in their history

By Michael Arace, Columbus Dispatch – May 6, 2019

BOSTON — Game 6 of the Blue Jackets-Boston Bruins Eastern Conference semifinal series, to be played Monday night in Nationwide Arena, will be the most consequential game in the building’s 20-year history. It’s about time.

The Jackets became America’s Team after they swept the mighty Tampa Bay Lightning out of the first round of the playoffs. America’s Team has had a much tougher go against the Hub of the Universe. The Jackets are down three games to two after a wrenching, 4-3 loss in the new Garden on Saturday.

If you were watching ... well, of course you were watching. Game 5 drew a 3.22 overnight rating nationally, which made it the second-highest rated non-Stanley Cup final game on record. Columbus set a record with a 15.2 local rating, with one household (Nationwide Arena) drawing 13,187 for a watch party. The Boston market had a 15.1 rating.

What is a “rating"? Who cares? This is very big stuff. Look at the ratings.

Jackets coach John Tortorella drew attention to himself, presumably by design, after a furious third- period rally fell short. He had shuffled his lineup by dressing 11 forwards and seven defensemen, including a rookie, Vladislav Gavrikov, making his NHL debut. By the end of the game, he was using about half of all of them.

Did this shuffling have an effect on his team’s rhythm? Was the too-many-men (seven!) penalty in the first period any indication? And what was up with the sluggish start, and the largely sluggish second period, and the sluggish first 10 minutes of the third?

Tortorella vigorously dismissed any idea of any sluggishness and proclaimed, “We’ll be back here for Game 7.” He said it twice. Of course, he said the same thing after losing Game 5 in Washington last year. But what else is he going to say?

Tortorella wants the national media to look at his waving right hand while he gets his players ready with his left, behind his back. Who knows? Maybe it’ll work. It’s working for this piece.

America and Jackets fans have to hope that their team figured something out in the third period of Game 5, when the Union Blue soldiers emerged from stasis, rediscovered their forecheck and stormed back from a 3-1 deficit. They tied the score with six minutes remaining. It was bedlam in the Garden.

It will take three periods of relentlessness to get this series back to Boston. The Bruins’ big scorers have awakened: Sniper David Pastrnak, pest Brad Marchand and maestro Patrice Bergeron have combined for six goals and 11 points in the past two games. The Jackets will have to redouble their efforts to take away their space. The Jackets also have to find a way to get more pucks past goaltender Tuukka Rask.

From the middle of the first period of Game 4 until Seth Jones squeezed a deflected shot inside the near post in the third period of Game 5, the Jackets went nearly 102 minutes without a goal.

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Tortorella looked for a spark by using three retooled lines — Artemi Panarin-Pierre-Luc Dubois-Josh Anderson, Ryan Dzingel-Matt Duchene-Oliver Bjorkstrand, Nick Foligno-Boone Jenner-Cam Atkinson — and he got it. Pure top-shelf goals from Dzingel and defenseman Dean Kukan provided a stunning about- face and had Game 5 aimed at overtime.

Even after Pastrnak gave the Bruins a one-goal lead with 1:28 remaining in regulation, the Jackets surged with an extra attacker. Dang, but they almost tied the thing up again.

Is the series headed back to Boston? Not only have the Jackets never won a Game 5 (0-4), they’ve never won a Game 6 (0-2). In the home of America’s Team, they like to say, “It’s time.” We’ll see if those T- shirts really work.

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Blue Jackets | Jackets look to rewrite playoff script

By Brian Hedger, Columbus Dispatch – May 6, 2019

Coming off losses in Games 4 and 5 — the most recent Saturday night at TD Garden — the Blue Jackets now trail the Boston Bruins in the NHL playoff series 3-2 and face possible elimination in Game 6 on Monday at Nationwide Arena, just like they did a year ago after losing Games 3, 4 and 5 to the Washington Capitals.

If the spot the Blue Jackets are in right now seems familiar, it’s because they’ve been in the same exact same spot before.

Sort of.

It was the first round a year ago and this Eastern Conference semifinal round now, but their situation five games into this playoff series against the Boston Bruins is nearly identical to one they faced a year ago against the Washington Capitals.

Coming off losses in Games 4 and 5 — the most recent Saturday night at TD Garden — the Jackets now trail the series 3-2 and face possible elimination in Game 6 on Monday at Nationwide Arena, just like they did a year ago after losing Games 3, 4 and 5 to the Capitals.

“We’ll be back here for Game 7,” coach John Tortorella said then, after the Blue Jackets lost 4-3 in overtime of Game 5 at Capital One Arena in Washington. “I won’t have to say a damn word to ’em (in Game 6). We’ll be back here for Game 7.”

Fast forward to Saturday night, following another 4-3 loss in Game 5 — only this time in Boston in a game that almost went to OT.

“Things happen for a reason, and I truly believe that,” Tortorella said. “We’ll be back here for Game 7.”

The similarity is uncanny, even though this time they’re coming off back-to-back losses instead of three in a row.

Is it also serendipitous for the Blue Jackets? Could this, perhaps, be some sort of a cosmic do-over granted to Columbus after things unraveled a year ago in a 6-3 loss in Game 6 to the Capitals on home ice?

Stay tuned on that one, but it’s worth noting that hockey’s cosmos did align for a do-over of sorts in the Jackets’ stunning first-round sweep of the heavily favored Tampa Bay Lightning.

Just as they’d done to the Capitals, the Blue Jackets took a 2-0 series lead on the Lightning by winning twice on the road to start the series, setting them up to succeed spectacularly in the exact same scenario they’d failed miserably in the year before.

Could that be happening again?

Only time and the Blue Jackets can provide that answer — and you can be sure they’re not wasting time pondering it. Instead, they’re taking what they can from a sock-in-the-gut the Bruins gave them Saturday

17

— specifically three goals in the final 10 minutes of the third period — and they’re prepping to save their season.

“We’re looking forward to Game 6, where we can improve upon our game and get back in front of our fans,” captain Nick Foligno said after Game 5. “We’ve got a great opportunity in front of us. We had to win Game 6 anyway, at some point.”

It is, indeed, another opportunity. Another go at it, another kick at the can or whichever cliche you prefer. That cuts two ways, though, because it’s also an opportunity for the Bruins, who are looking to avoid their second straight seven-game series.

Boston goalie Tuukka Rask has been a tick sharper than Sergei Bobrovsky, and the Bruins have dictated more of the action in this series outside of special-teams situations.

“Games are tight, the margins are small and there’s lots of great opportunities,” said Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, the team’s lone representative to speak with reporters between games. “We have another opportunity to get the offense going with some of the (top) guys … and there’s no better time to start than (Game 6).”

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Blue Jackets’ wild season comes to an end as Bruins win series in Game 6

By Staff, FOX Sports Ohio – May 6, 2019

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Tuukka Rask was impenetrable when it counted in Game 6, and the Boston Bruins are on their way to the Eastern Conference final.

Rask made 39 saves and recorded his sixth career playoff shutout as Boston beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-0 Monday night to clinch their second-round series 4-2.

Rask was supported by great defensive play in front of the net by the Bruins, who were outshot 39-29 in a tight physical game that has been the norm in this series.

Boston advances to face the Carolina Hurricanes, who swept the New York Islanders in four games. The Bruins advanced to the Eastern Conference final for the first time since the 2012-13 season, when they lost in the Stanley Cup finals.

“(Rask) was definitely our most consistent player throughout the whole series,” Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said. “We had guys give us good performances from game to game. He was there every night.”

Boston’s top-liners were kept off the scoresheet again, but it didn’t matter.

David Krejci scored in the first period, and Marcus Johansson and David Backes had third-period goals for the Bruins, who gave up four power plays to the Blue Jackets but Rask stonewalled Columbus on a number of high-danger chances.

Columbus hit posts at least four times.

“We peppered him,” Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno said. “It wasn’t through lack of trying or competing on anyone’s part. I thought everyone brought it, and it’s just disappointing.”

A disappointed Nick Foligno wishes the @BlueJacketsNHL had delivered a different ending for the #5thLine, whose support "means the world to us."#CBJ | #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/lBCzZafC7F

— FOX Sports Ohio (@FOXSportsOH) May 7, 2019

Rask said he put up with increased pushing and shoving in the crease and kept Columbus from taking him out of his game.

“As the series went on, they kind of felt like they needed to do that,” Rask said. “Trying to get in my head a little bit. It’s funny when that happens because you know you got the better of them at that point.”

Columbus goalie Sergei Bobrovsky had an outstanding postseason but allowed the two quick goals in the third period that sealed it for Boston. He finished with 26 saves.

"We will remember that all our life."

Sergei Bobrovsky will always cherish the love he's received from the @BlueJacketsNHL's #5thLine.#CBJ | #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/aQlQtHWhV9

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— FOX Sports Ohio (@FOXSportsOH) May 7, 2019

The Bruins appeared to have a goal in the first period when Sean Kuraly put one in after an extended close-in attack on a power play, but it was overturned after a replay showed that Joakim Nordstrom had pushed Bobrovsky out of the crease.

After Jake DeBrusk hit a goal post, Krejci got the rebound off the boards and scored the first goal of the game with a slap shot from the top of the right circle with 7:47 left in the second.

“I was comfortable even with the one-goal lead just the way (Rask) was going,” Cassidy said. “You’re not sitting there nursing it by any means, but I wasn’t worried about Tuukka. … He’s been in a real good place, consistent, just solid and composed.”

Near the end of the second, Boston’s Charlie McAvoy nearly took off Josh Anderson’s head with a hit, but the officials leveled only a two-minute minor penalty for an illegal check. The Blue Jackets had 1:41 of the power play remaining to start the third period but again couldn’t capitalize.

Boston got its second goal 8:58 into the third when Bobrovsky allowed a shot by Johansson to bounce behind him after the initial stop. Backes got the third on a rush about 2 ½ minutes later.

Columbus faces a daunting offseason. Bobrovsky and star forward Artemi Panarin are unrestricted free agents and have refused, so far, to re-sign with the Blue Jackets. Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel, picked up in trades at the deadline, also will be unrestricted free agents.

“We just have to remember how tough it is in the playoffs,” Columbus forward Cam Atkinson said. “Next year, who knows what’s going to happen, who’s going to be in this locker room, so this one stings.”

NOTES: Columbus F Markus Hannikainen played in his first career playoff game. Alexander Wennberg was a healthy scratch. D Adam Clendening also was scratched after playing in the last seven playoff games. … Boston F Noel Acciari was a scratch for the second time in the series.

UP NEXT: Boston advances to conference final against Carolina.

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Blue Jackets’ arduous season ends with a thud, signaling the start of a difficult summer

By Aaron Portzline, The Athletic – May 6, 2019

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Blue Jackets’ dressing room was quiet enough to hear the players’ sighs. It was hard to miss the blank stares and difficult to watch the sweat-soaked, heartbroken players struggle for the right words.

The end of any Stanley Cup playoff run is difficult enough. As soon as the handshake line is finished and the sticks are raised to salute the crowd, there’s nowhere to go but the dressing room for the season’s last shower.

But the atmosphere after the Blue Jackets’ 3-0 loss to Boston on Monday — they were bounced from a second-round series vs. the Bruins in six games — was exceptionally difficult, not just because of the arduous season that ended but for the difficult summer that lies ahead.

“Right now … what a shitty feeling,” Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno said. “What an awful, rotten … to have it end like that is just … especially this year with all the shit and how we found a way through it.

“I’m so damn proud of this group. I love this group of guys. And it sucks that we’re probably not going to keep the band together. We have to figure that out. You hate thinking like that, but it’s the reality.”

Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky gave Foligno a hug, even though that’s usually reserved for the victory conga line. Left winger Artemi Panarin took a few more twirls and raised his stick to the crowd of 19,219 in Nationwide Arena.

A hug and a wave goodbye, perhaps. Both players — unrestricted free agents on July 1 — are expected to move along this summer, along with fellow UFAs Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel and Adam McQuaid.

The Blue Jackets might also lose their president of hockey operations, John Davidson, who is rumored to be the one and only candidate to fill that same job with the New York Rangers.

Asked if the Blue Jackets took a step forward this season — they’ve never made it out of the first round in previous springs — right winger Cam Atkinson didn’t mince words.

“You never know what’s going to happen in the summer: who’s gonna stay, who’s leaving,” Atkinson said. “We had the group to do it this year, that’s for sure. We’ll see what happens.”

The Blue Jackets didn’t go down without a fight, but Game 6 was the culmination of the last three games of the season, in which the Jackets never had a lead.

They created enough scoring chances against a sturdy, veteran Bruins club, but they had very few quality second chances and very little luck getting pucks past Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask, who got better as the series matured.

21

Rask had 39 saves, including 29 in the final two periods. He had the full support of the iron behind him — “What did we hit, four or five posts? How many crossbars?” Foligno said — but the Blue Jackets never seemed to make him uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets were chasing a 1-0 deficit at 8:58 of the third period when Bobrovsky let in a soft goal — his worst of the playoffs — by Marcus Johansson. It was a snap wrister from the high slot, and it slid between Bobrovsky’s blocker and pad, flipped up in the air and skidded over the line.

“That second goal … ” Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. “We’re still playing (after that), but the second goal, that one hurts, ’cause you know what’s happening down on the other end. We’re hitting posts. (Rask) is making some saves. Yeah. That’s the game of hockey.

“Rask took off (in the series). I mean, he’s a big reason. We had some opportunities. But Rask just took off.”

JOHANSSON SCORES AND THE #NHLBRUINS TAKE A 2-0 LEAD IN THE THIRD PIC.TWITTER.COM/IBJBCVHN5Z

— SHAYNA (@HAYYYSHAYYY) MAY 7, 2019

When the Bruins pushed the lead to 3-0 at 10:39 of the third, the Blue Jackets’ hopes were all but extinguished.

Blue Jackets forwards scored six even-strength goals in this entire six-game series, a chill falling over some of their top players at exactly the wrong time of the season.

Tortorella talks about his players adding “skin” through their hardships and experiences, but there are few teams in the NHL that have more players with “skin” in their lineups than just about any team in the league.

And it showed.

While the Bruins’ top players took off at the midway point of the series — David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, etc. — some of the Blue Jackets’ top offensive players faded.

Atkinson (25 shots on goal), Foligno (14), Josh Anderson (15) and Oliver Bjorkstrand (12) failed to score a goal, while Duchene, who had two power-play goals early in the series, totaled only eight shots on goal in six games.

“I hate seeing it end like this because I thought we played really well,” Foligno said. “We just didn’t score. That’s hockey, though. You have to score. We dried up at the wrong time.”

The Blue Jackets thought they had a game-changing moment before them late in the second period when Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy landed a blindside hit to the head of Anderson as he carried the puck into the offensive zone with the Bruins’ Zdeno Chara already defending him.

McAvoy launched his right shoulder into the left side of Anderson’s head, twisting his neck awkwardly and sending him to the ice in a scary scene.

MCAVOY HITS ANDERSON HIGH, HE'S GIVEN TWO MINUTES FOR AN ILLEGAL CHECK TO THE HEAD #CBJ #NHLBRUINS PIC.TWITTER.COM/M9XCUEMH4D

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— SHAYNA (@HAYYYSHAYYY) MAY 7, 2019

Anderson needed a minute to gain his feet and walk back to the dressing room under his own power, and he returned for the start of the third period.

The Blue Jackets seemed shocked that McAvoy was allowed to stay in the game. He was given only a minor penalty for an illegal check to the head.

The NHL rulebook does not allow for a major penalty to be called on an illegal check to the head — no, really — and NHL official Kelly Sutherland opted not to give McAvoy a match penalty, ruling that he didn’t hit Anderson with the intent to injure.

The Blue Jackets could have changed the game, perhaps, with a five-minute power play. But then, they ended the series on an 0-for-11 dive with the power play, so …

“Andy ends up being OK,” Foligno said. “So you kind of wash your hands with it.”

Anderson’s good health was a rare bit of good news on this night.

The Blue Jackets stayed on the ice to thank the fans who remained in Nationwide Arena for the final buzzer. Several players launched their sticks over the glass as souvenirs for fans.

The city embraced the Blue Jackets at a level not seen since the first two years of the organization, when the city was enthralled with its new “major league” status and the roster was filled with hardworking, passionate players.

But this was the first time the Blue Jackets made it out of the first round and took the locals on a ride. The fans responded with deafening crowds in Nationwide — 13,000-plus showed up for a watch party while the team played in Boston, 5,500 showed up for an intrasquad scrimmage — and the ratings soared in Central Ohio for games shown on NBC and NBC Sports Network.

That will take root as a sweet memory for players and coaches soon enough.

But not just yet.

Tortorella had vowed that the Blue Jackets were heading back to Boston for Game 7. Beyond that, several players arrived at the rink on Monday with their bags packed with enough clothes for a week. If they went back to Boston and won Game 7, they were headed directly to Carolina for the start of a new series.

Instead, they’re off to the offseason.

“Don’t even go there,” Tortorella snapped, when asked if any part of this postseason felt like an accomplishment for the franchise.

“Don’t even go there with me. I’m not going to listen to that shit about an accomplishment. You got to the second round. I don’t even want to listen to it.”

Notebook

Now it can be told, Part 1: D Markus Nutivaara, out of the lineup since Game 3 of the first round after a hit by Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov, suffered a muscle tear halfway through his 4- to 6-week recovery.

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NICBT, Part 2: D Ryan Murray suffered a herniated disc in his back, though not in the same spot as last season. He was out for three months, so there was a chance he could have played in the conference finals had the Blue Jackets advanced.

Here’s Atkinson on his struggles in the series: “Obviously not that great, because I couldn’t score. I had chances. It’s a shitty feeling on my part. It is what it is. I thought … I don’t know, I obviously could have played better. I thought I gave it my all, but it’s not … it’s not good enough.”

The Bruins appeared to take a 1-0 lead at 8:53 of the first period when Sean Kuraly scored after a scramble in front. The Blue Jackets challenged the goal on the basis of goaltender interference, believing Boston’s Joakim Nordstrom pushed Bobrovsky out of his position and that Bobrovsky didn’t have ample time to return to his spot before Kuraly scored. The call was overturned, keeping the game 0-0.

Here’s the explanation from the NHL Situation Room: “At 8:53 of the first period in the Bruins/Blue Jackets game, Columbus requested a Coach’s Challenge to review whether Boston’s Joakim Nordstrom interfered with Sergei Bobrovsky prior to Sean Kuraly’s goal. After reviewing all available replays and consulting with the Referees, the Situation Room determined that the actions of Nordstrom impaired Bobrovsky’s ability to play his position in the crease. According to Rule 78.7, ‘The standard for overturning the call in the event of a “GOAL” call on the ice is that the NHL Situation Room (which shall include a former referee in the Officiating Department in the decision-making process), after reviewing any and all available replays and consulting with the Referee who made the original call, determines that the goal should have been disallowed due to “Interference on the Goalkeeper,” as described in Rules 69.1, 69.3 and 69.4.’ Therefore, the original call is overturned — no goal Boston Bruins. Since the Coach’s Challenge resulted in the original call being overturned, the Columbus Blue Jackets retain their time-out.”

AFTER #CBJ CHALLENGES, THE CALL ON THE ICE IS OVERTURNED, AND THE GOAL IS WAVED OFF. JOHN TORTORELLA AND THE BLUE JACKETS CHALLENGED TWO GOALS IN THE REGULAR SEASON FOR INTERFERENCE, BUT NEITHER WAS OVERTURNED. STICK TAPS TO THE CBJ BENCH AND VIDEO COACH DAN SINGLETON HERE. PIC.TWITTER.COM/SBYYFUE2AJ

— SHAYNA (@HAYYYSHAYYY) MAY 6, 2019

Man, did Kuraly have a series against his hometown team. Full marks to that kid. He had only one goal — a second was taken away by the above ruling — but he totaled 19 shots and won 56.8 percent of his faceoffs. He averaged 16:11 in ice time, too.

Seth Jones was probably the Blue Jackets’ best player in the series. He had a club-high seven shots on goal, three hits and two blocked shots, and he played 28:49. Prediction: 2020 Norris Trophy winner. I don’t think there are many skeptics left now.

Bobrovsky finished with 26 saves. This was probably his worst game of the playoffs, but he was really in the postseason for the first time in his career. His totals in these playoffs: 6-4 with a .925 save percentage and 2.41 goals-against average. His playoff totals before this spring: 5-14 with an .891 save percentage and 3.49 goals-against.

The Blue Jackets are now 1-5 all-time in elimination games and 0-3 in Game 6s. They’ve never played in a Game 7.

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Don’t be the least bit surprised if McAvoy is suspended once the NHL reviews the hit on Tuesday. It won’t do the Blue Jackets any good, of course, but he could miss the start of the conference semifinal against Carolina.

The series-ending handshake line is always interesting to me. Here’s Anderson with McAvoy just an hour or so after McAvoy nearly detached his head …

PIC.TWITTER.COM/VKWWPK6I6H

— SHAYNA (@HAYYYSHAYYY) MAY 7, 2019

The Blue Jackets will gather on Wednesday to clear out their lockers and say goodbye. Blue Jackets management is likely to give its take on the series on Thursday.

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Blue Jackets report cards — Game 6 vs. Boston

By Alison Lukan, The Athletic – May 6, 2019

It wasn’t the result anyone in Blue Jackets land wanted — Columbus lost the second round of the Eastern Conference semifinal in the Stanley Cup playoff to the Boston Bruins in six games. The last match, while at home, had the Jackets falling by a score of 3-0 for their first shutout of the postseason. The weapons that had served them so well in Round 1 were weakened in Round 2, and now a long offseason awaits.

What did Rob Mixer and I make of the Game 6 performance? Let’s get to it.

How did the team look?

5-on-5 — ⭐⭐⭐

John Tortorella called this game the Jackets’ best of the series. He said his team got chances but Tuukka Rask “took off.” In some ways, the coach wasn’t wrong. The Jackets finally got above water in terms of getting more shot attempts than the Bruins (53.26 percent), and it was their second-best showing in terms of scoring chances (53.85 percent). But for all that, the team couldn’t find a way to get a puck past Rask (hitting the post four times on Monday alone), and in a short series, that’s the measure that matters most. It’s also not a good sign when the guys getting the most chances are Josh Anderson (4), Brandon Dubinsky (3) and Oliver Bjorkstrand (3). Top offensive players weren’t generating enough to give themselves the chances they needed to convert. There was also still an element of mental fatigue — passes falling off target and missed recoveries off rebounds or turnovers.

Power Play — ⭐⭐

Four chances, no goals. And it wasn’t until the second power play that the units started to even look like they were playing with an extra skater. The fourth and final power play was their best — good formation, good puck movement … and then, in an event reminiscent of regular-season woes, Seth Jones’ stick breaks on a chance from the point. Kind of encapsulated the whole thing right there. All in all, in 8:06 of power-play time, 15 shot attempts, 11 shots (five against), nine scoring chances and zero goals. In such a tightly played series, special teams matter, and the unfortunate truth is that in Game 6, the Jackets’ power play didn’t.

Penalty Kill — ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

At least one part of the Jackets’ play remained on top of its game: the penalty kill. It was a part of this Columbus team’s success all season, and while it got only one opportunity tonight, it reminded everyone why it’s been so good. The 1-3 forecheck was strong, allowing only three zone entries, and the aggressive in-zone play capitalized on loose pucks clearing the zone seven times in two minutes. The Bruins had only one shot attempt — the same number as the Jackets!

Player Reports

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Best player on the ice: Seth Jones — 28:47, seven shots on goal, another dominant performance all around

Jones proved in this series there aren’t many plays he can’t make, whether it’s an outstretched keep-in on the power play or a separation play in the defensive zone that leads to a breakout. Up and down the ice, he was one of the best players in this series, and he was awesome in Game 6.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Zach Werenski — 24:56, plus-4 in scoring chances and a poorly timed crossbar

Another bright spot for the Blue Jackets tonight, and throughout the series, was Werenski’s game. When it looked like he might miss some time or be limited due to a hand injury, he stepped up and played big minutes alongside Jones in some difficult situations.

Josh Anderson — 22:06, five shots on goal, plus-5 in scoring chances … and a bit of good fortune

First and foremost, it’s encouraging to see (at least, we believe) that Anderson escaped serious injury following Charlie McAvoy’s nasty hit in the second period. Anderson had himself a strong effort in Game 6, and his best chance was in the third period as he won a battle on the doorstep and got a clean look at Rask from close range. But, like all the Columbus attempts Monday, it was turned away. Anderson had five shots, hit everything that moved and did his part to get the Jackets back into the game.

⭐⭐⭐

Oliver Bjorkstrand — 11:57, five shots on goal, just lacking finish

The Blue Jackets had to like what they saw from Bjorkstrand in the opening round, but it was a much different story in this second-round series against the Bruins. He had five shots on goal in Game 5, though not many were from dangerous areas, and struggled to find a hole on Rask. Unfortunately for the Blue Jackets, he wasn’t alone.

Artemi Panarin — 24:42, three shots on goal and a likely farewell

If this was Panarin’s final game as a member of the Blue Jackets, well, it could’ve gone better. He played a lot of minutes and generated a bit of offense, but again, the Bruins had his number defensively for most of the game.

Nick Foligno — 23:41, four shots on goal, nine hits

Foligno fell into a category that many Blue Jackets did in Game 6 (and in the latter part of the series) … there was puck possession, there were chances, but they didn’t go in the net. Foligno was solid with the puck on his stick tonight and made some plays without it as well. His renaissance in the playoffs has to be a positive development for the Blue Jackets, who have seen the benefits of quality depth firsthand.

Sergei Bobrovsky — 26 saves … among them some good mixed with some bad

Bobrovsky was simply bested in the final games of this series, and that came after he made his stamp early with hair-on-fire performances in Games 2 and 3. The game didn’t end as well as it started (for obvious reasons), and Bobrovsky probably wants the Marcus Johansson goal back, but he went a long

27 way toward exorcizing some postseason demons in 2019. We’ll wait to see what the future holds for him now, whether it’s in Columbus or elsewhere.

Dean Kukan — 11:24, two shots on goal and an overall convincing showing

Not many fans knew of Kukan’s game before the playoffs began, but they know it now. The kid can play. The Blue Jackets didn’t use him much in Game 6, as they spent most of the game chasing, but Kukan showed he’s got the swiftness and the decisiveness to be an NHL regular. We suspect he will be part of the mix on opening night 2019.

Boone Jenner — 18:52, two shots on goal, another impressive game

No matter where Tortorella slots Boone Jenner in the lineup, he just goes about his business. Tonight was no different, even though he was back in the middle. Get the puck in below the goal line, use your strength and win battles. Unfortunately, that line didn’t create much in the way of dangerous chances, but Jenner’s performance was consistent throughout the series.

⭐⭐

Ryan Dzingel — 12:39, one shot on goal, generally underwhelming

Ironically enough, Dzingel was the only Blue Jackets trade-deadline acquisition who outwardly proclaimed his interest in re-signing. After a mighty struggle in the playoffs and a fight just to stay in the lineup, it’s safe to say Dzingel might not be long for Columbus. It just wasn’t the best fit.

Cam Atkinson — 20:27, four shots on goal, maddeningly frustrated

One of the big “what-ifs” for the Blue Jackets in this series has to be the lack of scoring from Atkinson. Both of his goals in this playoff run came in the opening round (one was an empty-netter), and his contributions were sporadic only early in the second round. He had opportunities, but nothing in the back of the net. Tough series for him.

Matt Duchene — 19:42, one shot on goal, 69 percent in the faceoff circle in Game 6

Now that it’s over, you have to wonder what’s in the cards for Duchene. It’s been a perfect fit for him in Columbus, and the Blue Jackets would obviously love to keep him around. As for tonight, it wasn’t his best game, but it’s hard to turn away from the impact he had on the Jackets’ run this spring. He was a difference-maker on the power play and added a needed playmaking element to their top lines.

Vladislav Gavrikov — 16:53, most of which was not that great

The Blue Jackets could better pick and choose assignments and deployment for Gavrikov in Game 5, when they used seven defensemen. Tonight, he was a top-four defenseman in his second NHL game, and it didn’t go as well. The game was quick, and Gavrikov had issues keeping up.

David Savard — his first true “blah” game of the playoffs

For a guy who laid it all on the line and did the dirty, thankless work all season and into the playoffs, it’s a tough way for David Savard’s year to end — both in the overall team result and in the individual category. The Bruins attacked this pairing with Gavrikov and had some of their best chances against him

28 and Savard (-4 in high-danger chances). You can’t help but think how much Savard missed Markus Nutivaara, who didn’t play after Nikita Kucherov’s hit in the first round.

Scott Harrington — 9:36, -3 in high-danger chances

Harrington’s been a good soldier for the Blue Jackets. Monday was just a limited-minutes kind of night, and in those minutes, it wasn’t pretty.

Pierre-Luc Dubois — 18:49, and “average” is probably the best we can offer

For whatever reason (and we might never know), Pierre-Luc Dubois has not looked himself in the playoffs. It was magnified in the second round against the Bruins, a big-bodied team that could use some resistance from a guy such as Dubois. Offensively, it was never really there. In Game 6, he had an early chance off the crossbar after a strong drive to the net … and committed a goaltender interference penalty. It was that kind of series and that kind of night once again for a guy who opened a lot of eyes (in a good way) during the regular season.

⭐

Brandon Dubinsky — only 5:22 in an elimination game

Tortorella didn’t have many options left as this series wound down, and he made the decision to essentially play three lines in Game 6. Dubinsky, who had been relied on as a matchup and defensive zone faceoff specialist, took only seven faceoffs and played a shade more than five minutes.

Markus Hannikainen — four minutes, yes, four minutes of ice time

If you thought Dubinsky barely played, you’d probably have to check the box score to make sure Hannikainen did. Full disclosure: The box score was consulted in the preparation of this particular report card.

Alexandre Texier — 6:34, no shots on goal and the picture of youth

This kid’s sharp rise, and sharper fall, in the playoffs is an example of how unforgiving this time of year can be. A few weeks ago, Texier was hailed as the Blue Jackets’ imported-from-Finland savior after his impressive opening-round effort. And now he’s on the fourth line playing 6:34 in Game 6 and was a healthy scratch earlier in the series. Regardless of how this played out, there’s a lot to like about Texier’s future with the Blue Jackets.

Game Score

Most important GIF of the night:

Final thoughts from the game

Playoffs are a brutal beast. Every team but one goes home disappointed. And while the Jackets gave their fans more than they’ve ever enjoyed in a playoff run to date, it’s hard to feel positive after Jarmo Kekalainen’s all-in bid fell short. And now an offseason begins that could be full of a lot of changes for this organization.

Final grade: C

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— Data via NaturalStatTrick.com and Evolving-Hockey.com. All numbers represent five-on-five play unless otherwise stated. This post relies heavily on shot-based metrics. Here is a good primer on these numbers.

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Samuels-Thomas: Examining Artemi Panarin’s up-and-down Game 5 and how to avoid the lows in Game 6

By Jordan Samuels-Thomas, The Athletic – May 6, 2019

Artemi Panarin is an elite offensive talent and has been a big part of the Columbus Blue Jackets’ surprising playoff run. But as we saw on Saturday, sometimes his creativity and confidence with the puck can be problematic. Here’s a timeline of Panarin’s up-and-down Game 5 and some suggestions for improvement in Monday’s must-win Game 6.

With five points in the first four games of the second round, Panarin came out confident in Game 5 against the Bruins. He was moving his feet, his hands were going and he was looking to create. Less than three minutes had ticked off the clock before Panarin put his strength, skill and vision on display.

With 17:13 remaining in the first period, the 27-year-old Blue Jackets star picked up a loose puck near the blue line just outside the Bruins’ zone. Most players would have just punted the puck back into the Bruins zone but Panarin, with his momentum taking him toward the teeth of the Bruins defense, masterfully corralled the puck. Using his body to shield off the perusing opposition, he made a backhand pass into space allowing his linemates to enter the zone with possession.

A small play that a small number of players – even at this level – would attempt to make and even are capable of completing. It can be easy to take for granted how effortless Panarin makes a play like this look.

If I’m Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy, I’m not happy that Panarin was able to make that play at our blue line, even though it turned out to be harmless. I’d encourage my players to play Panarin even harder whenever he tries to slow the play down and make a play around the blue line. And that by doing so, it could lead to more offense.

With that in mind, let’s fast-forward a period, where Panarin was once again looking to make a play in that four-foot area around the blue line. However, this time, the pending result wouldn’t be as harmless for the Blue Jackets.

What Panarin saw 18:21 into the second period was the puck carrier, Pierre-Luc Dubois, driving down the wall with Oliver Bjorkstrand serving as the middle lane drive. At Panarin’s first glance — as you will see in the screen shot below – he sees Bjorkstrand attracting the attention of two Boston players which would create space in the middle of the ice where the traffic once was.

If the play develops cleanly, Panarin would have had the spacing needed to get the puck into the middle of the ice. However, David Backes breaks off Bjorkstrand, which forces Panarin to make a split-second decision.

Panarin’s vision is elite, so I’m assuming he knew it wasn’t just any player, but Backes, who was attempting to line him up. Any scouting report would tell Panarin that Backes is going to finish his hit in this situation and at the very least attempt to separate him from the puck, which must factor into Panarin’s decision at this point.

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He has two choices. Panarin could either, A) chip the puck in deep, hoping that he or Bjorkstand can win the race to the puck or, B) attempt to make a play to the middle of the ice trusting that he has the skill to outmaneuver Backes.

And while Panarin has a good idea of what’s going on before Dubois makes the play back toward him, because the play takes a little longer to develop, Panarin appears unaware of the Boston backchecker who had worked himself back into the play. Unbeknownst to Panarin, was that even if he was able to dance around Backes, David Krejci (the backchecker and eventual goal scorer) was right there waiting for him in the middle of the ice.

The right play

The right play is often the simple play. Get the puck deep. Both Columbus and Boston had even numbers upon entering Boston’s defensive zone, a fact that Panarin is aware of as the trailing forward during this rush.

The first and last two minutes of a period are often the most important in a hockey game. The first two minutes set the tone, while the last two minutes set the momentum heading into the intermission or decide the game.

In this instance, it led to Boston taking a 1-0 lead in Game 5.

The best players often have short memories and while Panarin’s results when attacking the offensive zone without an advantage in numbers have been hit or miss up to this point, Panarin – as he should — continues to try to make plays.

With 2:49 remaining on the clock in the second period, in a play similar to the one he made that had cost Columbus earlier in the period, Panarin once again looks into making something out of nothing.

No harm no foul. After a couple nifty stickhandles under the stick of Brandon Carlo by Panarin at the end of his shift, the Boston defenseman was eventually able to poke the puck out of the zone leading to a Columbus regroup.

It’s fun watching Panarin play because his one-on-one skill is so impressive, but what really drives his playmaking and goal-scoring success is his ability to find open ice. He’s gifted at getting ‘lost’ on the ice.

With 6:05 remaining in the third period, Panarin finds himself with the puck on his stick – after a nice find by Josh Anderson — with no one between him and Tuukka Rask. The pass he receives meets all the criteria of a ‘slot line pass’ giving Panarin a 31 percent chance of scoring is he chose to shoot.

There certainly appears to be room low blocker.

Instead, Panarin waits, forcing Rask to fight his away completely across the crease and eventually to his feet. However, as soon as Rask gets to his feet Panarin finds a loaded Dean Kukan who sends a laser over the shoulder.

While Panarin certainly could have shot and scored this goal himself, the way Panarin put himself in that position in the first place was simple yet nuanced. This is the type of intelligence that makes Panarin an elite player. Panarin glided by the right shoulder of the Boston forward who then looked over his right

32 shoulder anticipating Panarin would be there, only to find Panarin – who had changed his path – alone in front of the goal. Panarin makes a simple, non-flashy play and the result was a goal for Columbus.

At this point, Panarin has now accomplished what all elite offensive stars want to accomplish each and every game, register a point. Not only did he do that, but he also contributed on the goal that brought the game back to even and his plus/minus is now even. Earlier he had contributed to Boston’s first goal but at this moment, he’s atoned.

Yet with just a 1:39 remaining in regulation in a tie game, Panarin finds himself in the same situation that he’s found himself in three times before during Game 5. He was able to fight the Bruins off once, was forced into a turnover for a goal against the second time and was angled into to a regroup the third.

Again, Columbus did not have an odd-man advantage on the rush, in fact Panarin see’s that he and his linemate are outnumbered. What Panarin was thinking was that he would use his body to shield and protect the puck in effort to buy time in hopes that more support would come. However, by the time support came, three Boston defenders had surrounded Panarin, led by Carlo who’s able to stop Panarin’s forward progress, separate him from the puck, and make the first pass that lead to transition and the game winning goal.

The right play, and likely the right play for all the above scenarios, was to just get the puck deep and get in on the forecheck, a pillar and a strength of this Blue Jacket team.

You never want to limit the offensive creativity of one of your top players. A player of Panarin’s caliber needs the feel the freedom and sometimes the encouragement to create. However, times and places to make these creative plays are magnified during the playoffs.

Panarin will have to keep this in mind for a successful Game 6. He must keep creating, that’s what he does best, but Panarin has to have a better appreciation of the right situations to do so. Like the example from the first period illustrated, even when you make that extra little play around the blue line, it doesn’t necessarily result in an offensive opportunity. Even if Panarin was able to successfully make the plays in which he turned the puck over leading to goals against, the offensive opportunity and upside were low. Likely the best-case scenario was an entry via possession rather than a dump-in.

Instead, Panarin should let his offense come to him like it did during the Kukan goal or the goal he scored – though controversial – in Game 4, where Panarin uses his smarts to find open ice.

Once Panarin finds open ice in the offensive zone, there’s no limiting what he can do. No singular play loses a game, but a series of plays can define it. One of the best things about playoff hockey is there’s usually an opportunity to change the narrative — until there isn’t.

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Columbus in 'you never know' mode after ouster

By Emily Kaplan, ESPN – May 7, 2019

COLUMBUS -- The Columbus Blue Jackets shocked the NHL this season by doing something few teams do: They went all-in.

Instead of selling off soon-to-be unrestricted free agents such as goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and winger Artemi Panarin, the Blue Jackets kept both players on the roster as their own "rentals." They also loaded up, adding center Matt Duchene, defenseman Adam McQuaid, winger Ryan Dzingel and backup goalie Keith Kinkaid at the trade deadline.

It all culminated with the Blue Jackets making it further than they had in franchise history: past the first round. But it didn't end with a Stanley Cup, as Columbus was eliminated by the Bruins in the second round after a 3-0 loss in Game 6. And now the team is wondering, what's next?

"You never know what's going to happen this summer, who is going to stay, who is going to go," veteran winger Cam Atkinson said. "We had the group to do it this year, that's for sure."

Chief among concerns are Panarin and Bobrovsky, two of the most talented players in franchise history. The club tried to work out extensions with both players; Panarin expressed an interest in testing unrestricted free agency, and Bobrovsky and the team were so far apart on money and term that talks broke off.

General manager Jarmo Kekalainen was characteristically blunt when talking to local reporters.

"Guys that want to be here are going to be here," Kekalainen said. "Guys that don't want to be here, it's, well, 'Good luck.'"

Bobrovsky, a two time Vezina winner, spent seven seasons in Columbus. He said it was too early to talk about his future because "it's a big decision, it's a lifetime decision."

"I'm definitely thankful for everything I had here," Bobrovsky said.

Bobrovsky was somber as he spoke and repeatedly thanked fans for their support. Just as the Blue Jackets did, Bobrovsky rewrote his own narrative this postseason. He was always known as a terrific regular-season goaltender who had a tendency to crumble in the playoffs.

Between 2011 and 2018, Bobrovsky went 5-14 in the playoffs, with a 3.49 goals-against average and .891 save percentage. According to ESPN Stats & Information, he allowed at least three goals in 79 percent of his postseason appearances in that span, by far the most of any goalie with at least 10 appearances.

Bobrovsky was spectacular in the first-round sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning, posting a .932 save percentage, and he had some strong performances against the Bruins.

"We went through some good times, some tough times," Bobrovsky said. "We've been together seven years, so that's a long time. It was special."

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This was Panarin's second season with the team after he was traded from the Chicago Blackhawks. He set a franchise record for points and became a fan favorite.

Panarin, who, like Bobrovsky, is Russian, rarely does media interviews, but on Monday, he spoke through an interpreter for a large media scrum.

"We just lost the game, that's all I think," Panarin said through the interpreter. When asked if he would return to Columbus, Panarin looked at the reporter, laughed and shrugged a couple times. "Nobody knows," he said in English.

The Blue Jackets will likely try to re-sign Duchene, a No. 1 center in free agency, but he will have other suitors. He was not made available after the game.

"I think it's important moving forward that we have the guys that are proud to be Blue Jackets and proud to be living in Columbus and loving it here," Kekalainen said. "That's really important -- that they bleed blue or whatever you want to call it."

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Wonder Woman’s husband, ‘hero’ lawyer: Meet some of the owners for Seattle’s NHL team

By Geoff Baker, Seattle Times – May 6, 2019

Inside the NHL

If ownership has its privileges, then there must be plenty of folks feeling privileged when it comes to Seattle’s NHL team.

That team has taken on a slew of additional minority owners locally, nationwide and in Canada that have yet to be formally announced. The Seattle Times reported a few months back that Montreal lawyer Mitch Garber, the longtime head of Cirque du Soleil and one of those trying to revive the MLB Expos in that city, had joined the Seattle group headed by billionaire investment banker David Bonderman and Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

But it turns out there are plenty more owners beyond Garber, many with interesting stories. One is married to the actress that first played Wonder Woman, another got his fingertip bitten off rescuing a restaurant employee from a man threatening her, while yet another paid a princely sum for Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s rental house.

There’s also the recycling king of Toronto and, for local flavor, the head of Seattle-based Zillow in addition to a former vice president of the Bellevue High School football team’s booster club.

“We’ve said from the beginning we were going to add additional owners, and that’s what we’ve done,’’ NHL Seattle president and CEO Tod Leiweke said. “Keep in mind that a lot of these people were there from the beginning and some were added later on.’’

The NHL mandated a minimum $5 million buy-in price for ownership stakes.

Some of the owners were already known to Leiweke. Others were more familiar with his brother, Tim, head of the Oak View Group developer that is redoing KeyArena, or to Bonderman and Bruckheimer and bigger local owners such as Adrian Hanauer and the Wright family.

The money paid by the additional owners taken on will no doubt help efforts to pay those additional costs of the $900 million KeyArena overhaul. At least some of the cost increase was self-inflicted, driven by spruced-up luxury amenities inside the arena any owner would be proud of.

Among the more interesting of the previously undisclosed owners is Robert A. Altman, married since 1984 to actress Lynda Carter, who famously played the original Wonder Woman on the 1970s television series. The pair have two children and reside in Maryland, where they are known as a D.C. “power couple’’ for their Democratic Party work. Altman is a co-founder and CEO of video-game publisher ZeniMax Media and heavily involved in the region’s gaming innovation and design sector.

Another owner is Toronto lawyer Peter Brauti, one of Canada’s top criminal defenders of police officers and an owner of several restaurants. In 2007, the 6-foot-3, 230-pound Brauti was hailed a “hero” for twice grappling with a drunken McDonald’s patron that had threatened an elderly female cashier.

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Brauti physically threw the patron out of the restaurant, only to have him return. He was in the process of throwing him out a second time when the patron bit off the tip of his finger.

Another Toronto owner of our incoming NHL team is Ted Manziaris, co-founder and president of the Turtle Island Recycling company. Manziaris and a college buddy got their fledgling company launched big time in the early 1990s by agreeing to a last-minute overnight cleanup of Maple Leaf Gardens before Bobby Orr’s annual charity event. They had only just randomly handed their business cards to the head of janitorial services at the fabled former NHL arena and got a call back at 11 p.m. that night. A book mention of the anecdote quotes Manziaris saying they “rounded up some homeless guys” and got the job done by morning — landing the arena’s full-time cleaning contract.

There’s also Behdad Eghbali, the San Francisco-based head of Clearlake Capital, who last August made headlines with a $50 million purchase of the 14-bedroom Malibu rental home used by singer Beyoncé and her mogul husband, Jay-Z.

Former longtime Fox Sports executive David Nathanson, instrumental in landing FIFA World Cup rights for the network and who now serves as chairman and CEO of Falcon Water Technologies, is another new owner. So is real-estate scion and film producer Sam Slater.

More locally, there’s Joe Razore, vice president of the Bellevue-based Broderick Group commercial real- estate firm and whose father, Warren, ran one of the nation’s largest private garbage-collection companies before selling for a reported $400 million in 1998. His family was involved for years in coaching Bellevue High’s football team and funding its booster club — with Razore serving as the club vice president — until being named as part of an independent investigative report that resulted in sanctions against the program.

Beyond Razore, there’s Lee Rolfe, a trustee at the Seattle-based philanthropic Grousemont Foundation and member of the Space Needle-owning Wright family. Her brothers, David and Jeff, are also NHL Seattle minority owners, while her husband, Stuart Rolfe, manages the Wright Hotels chain that owns the downtown Sheraton and Cedarbrook Lodge.

Zillow co-founder Lloyd Frink is another local owner, as are real-estate mavens Len Evans and the Lott Family. Rounding out the locals is John Meisenbach, president of financial-services company MCM.

Additional owners from outside Seattle include Todd Sisitsky, an executive with Bonderman’s TPG Capital firm. There’s also Isser Elishis, managing partner of the Toronto-based Waterton Global Resources private equity firm, as well as hedge-fund chief Marc Stad of Dragoneer Investment Group, who recently appeared in Fortune magazine’s “40 under 40’’ segment of up-and-coming business leaders.

Safe to say, it could get awfully crowded in the owners’ suite come opening night.

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