1 Columbus Blue Jackets News Clips November 8, 2017 Columbus Blue
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Columbus Blue Jackets News Clips November 8, 2017 Columbus Blue Jackets PAGE 02: Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets: Panarin says he was pressing, glad to get second goal PAGE 04: Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets: Atkinson activated, expected to play against Nashville PAGE 05: Columbus Dispatch: Predators 3 / Blue Jackets 1 | Jackets’ offense weak around the net in loss PAGE 07: Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets’ Cam Atkinson glad to be back after injury, illness PAGE 08: Columbus Dispatch: Deal for Duchene just too pricey for Jackets PAGE 10: The Athletic: Cam Atkinson returns tonight, plus Scott Hartnell's first game back and more PAGE 12: The Athletic: Slowly and surely, Blue Jackets rookie Pierre-Luc Dubois is coming of age Cleveland Monsters/Prospects NHL/Websites PAGE 15: The Athletic: LeBrun Notebook: Joe Sakic believes Samuel Girard key to Avs rebuild, Blue Jackets seeking centre PAGE 17: Sportsnet.ca: 31 Thoughts: Inside the Matt Duchene-Kyle Turris blockbuster PAGE 26: Sportsnet.ca: Wojtek Wolski aims for Team Canada Olympic spot after career- threatening injury PAGE 28: USA Today: After blockbuster, here are six players who could be traded this season 1 http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20171107/blue-jackets-panarin-says-he-was-pressing-glad-to-get- second-goal Blue Jackets: Panarin says he was pressing, glad to get second goal By Steve Gorten – November 7, 2017 NEW YORK — Blue Jackets winger Artemi Panarin ended his 10-game goal drought Monday night and joked after the game that it wasn’t a coincidence both of his goals this season have come against the Rangers. “I have a deal with (Rangers goalie) Henrik Lundqvist — I score only when he plays in goal,” Panarin said in Russian in a postgame interview translated by Vika Bulakhava, a reporter for Russian Chicago magazine who covered Panarin on the Blackhawks. “I have to thank him for that.” Panarin, who fired in a shot from the slot 38 seconds into the second period Monday at Madison Square Garden, scored the game-winner against the Rangers on Oct. 13 at Nationwide Arena. He has six career goals against New York. Panarin said he was “lacking confidence” during his slump. “At first I was trying to pass more. ... I am the kind of player that when I see an open player, I will pass the puck to him and won’t try to shoot myself,” Panarin said. “It seemed at first my assists were on point, but the guys couldn’t score. Then I started feeling pressure that I can’t score myself. “Everybody started rushing me. I started rushing myself. Then my confidence disappeared because I hardly scored at all. I had many opportunities, but couldn’t score. Now, hopefully, I am back on the right track.” With 10 assists, Panarin entered Monday’s game as the Jackets’ co-leader in points (11), along with defenseman Seth Jones. He also led Columbus with 44 shots on goal but hadn’t converted as expected since being acquired from the Blackhawks in an offseason trade and being placed on the Jackets’ top line. “I am maturing more, though,” Panarin said. “I don’t pressure myself as much when I don’t score as I used to do before. I tried to have a more philosophical approach to that matter — sooner or later the no-scoring period would pass or end.” Panarin undoubtedly was happy to hear the news Tuesday that the Jackets had activated winger Cam Atkinson from injured reserve. Panarin said Atkinson’s hip injury, which has kept Panarin’s linemate out the past four games, has affected his own play. “Of course, it does matter when your teammate gets injured,” Panarin said. “No matter who it is. (Matt Calvert) got injured as well. ...As far as I know, Cam will be playing in the next game (Tuesday against Nashville), so everything will be all right.” Panarin noted that he’s been happy with the linemates he’s had in Atkinson’s absence. “The main focus for me is not to worry too much, and everything will be all right,” he said. “This season, I am trying to stay mentally and physically strong. There is not enough time to make any technical improvements or practice. All of that was done during the summer.” 2 Panarin said he’s enjoyed a quiet existence in Columbus, that’s included hours playing video games. He said he’s been able to communicate with teammates better in Columbus than in Chicago because his English has improved. He also has the benefit of having fellow Russian Sergei Bobrovsky as a teammate, which he said has helped him acclimate. 3 http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20171107/blue-jackets-atkinson-activated-expected-to-play-against- nashville Blue Jackets: Atkinson activated, expected to play against Nashville By Steve Gorten – November 7, 2017 Right wing Cam Atkinson is expected to be in the lineup Tuesday night when the Blue Jackets play the Nashville Predators at Nationwide Arena. Atkinson, who has missed the past four games because of a hip injury, was activated from injured reserve Tuesday morning. The Jackets had placed him there retroactive to Oct. 28, when he was knocked out of the game in St. Louis in the third period. Atkinson’s return should spark a Jackets lineup that has dealt with a rash of injuries in recent weeks. Fourth-line center Lukas Sedlak has been out the past two weeks because of a high-ankle sprain, and the team placed winger Matt Calvert, the Jackets’ best overall player so far this season, according to coach John Tortorella, on IR because of an upper-body injury suffered Saturday at Tampa Bay. Both Sedlak and Calvert are expected to be back between three to four weeks. Atkinson was the team’s leading scorer last season with career highs in goals (35), assists (27) and points (62). He also had a plus-13 rating and was named an NHL All-Star. That followed a 2015-16 season in which he finished tied for first on the team in points (53) with Brandon Saad. Atkinson has four goals and one assist with a plus-1 rating in 11 games this season. 4 http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20171107/predators-3--blue-jackets-1--jackets-offense-weak-around- net-in-loss Predators 3 / Blue Jackets 1 | Jackets’ offense weak around the net in loss By Steve Gorten – November 7, 2017 There were many good minutes for the Blue Jackets on Tuesday, including on special teams. The penalty kill that surrendered three power-play goals in the third period the night before was perfect against the Predators, and the first unit of the Jackets’ power play created several scoring chances. But ultimately, it comes down to the Jackets finding ways to win games like this one, captain Nick Foligno said, and on this night, they couldn’t. The Jackets pulled even in the third period on a spectacular steal and score by rookie Pierre-Luc Dubois, but gave up the go-ahead goal to Calle Jarnkrok with 5:35 left, and an empty-netter to Viktor Arvidsson in the final seconds of a 3-1 loss at Nationwide Arena. “We got good chances, but I don’t think we generated enough around the net,” said Foligno, who was robbed by Predators goalie Pekka Rinne on a shot from the slot in the waning seconds of the first period. “I don’t think we were dirty enough in those areas to score goals off rebounds. The second opportunities you need to have, like their second goal — a shot off the pads and he’s there to bang it in.” Joonas Korpisalo stopped Miikka Salomaki’s hard shot, but the rebound went straight to the stick of Jarnkrok, all alone in the slot to score the deciding goal. The Jackets challenged the goal, claiming goaltender interference by Kevin Fiala. Replays showed Fiala plowed into Korpisalo, but the goal was upheld with the referees ruling that Fiala lost his balance because of a check from Jackets defenseman David Savard. That was enough for the Predators to hold off the Jackets on a night Rinne made 35 saves. “Pekka played unbelievable tonight,” said defenseman Seth Jones, who had five shots on goal. “He made a lot of big saves late in the third period that kept the lead. That’s what he does best. We could have gotten more bodies in front of him, disrupted him a little more.” The lack of traffic in front of the net was the Jackets’ biggest weakness Tuesday, coach John Tortorella said. Too many shots came from the outside. The Jackets had several chances on four power plays, but came up empty each time, including after Filip Forsberg was sent off for tripping with 5:10 left. “We’re close, but we just couldn’t find a way to score a goal tonight when we needed it,” Tortorella said. One night after allowing three power-play goals in a 5-3 loss to the New York Rangers, the Jackets’ penalty kill shut down all four opportunities for the Predators to keep the team within striking distance. 5 Dubois then pulled them even at 4:37 of the third period when he stole the puck from Predators defenseman P.K. Subban in the neutral zone, outraced Subban and Alexei Emelin down the ice and beat Rinne top-shelf on the breakaway. The Jackets couldn’t get the game to overtime, though, to salvage at least one point. It was their third consecutive loss. “They’re the team that found that one at the end to give them the lead, and we didn’t,” Foligno said.