One of the biggest storylines coming into the new season for the Columbus Blue Jackets was how were they going to reduce their goals against. If they were going to have any chance to make someone out of this season from a competitive standpoint, this had to be a point of emphasis.
It’s still very early just five games into the new season. But there is some reason for optimism even though the numbers don’t quite bear that out yet.
The Blue Jackets have allowed 18 goals in their first five games in 2024-25. Giving up 3.60 goals per game usually doesn’t bode well for a team.
With a new head coach in place and the implementation of a new system, it was expected there would be a learning curve. That curve perhaps got steeper with so many key injuries on the team. However, the Blue Jackets like the direction the defense is trending.
Players React
Outside of the game Saturday against the Minnesota Wild, the Blue Jackets have felt good about their progress on the defensive end. It’s not that the numbers bear it out yet. It’s the process of getting better with each passing game.
Zach Werenski says it starts in the neutral zone and goes from there.
“I actually think we’ve been in the first four games, we’re really good defensively,” Werenski said. “It’s one of those things where it’s team defense. It starts in the neutral zone. It starts on the forecheck. It starts on the back check. And I thought the first four games we were really good defensively as a team. I just think if we stay with the process that we’ve been having these first five games, really the first four, I think we’re going to start to see better results. We really haven’t given up too much.”
“We’ve been pretty solid I think in the neutral zone and our gaps and our forecheck and all the way through our game. I think that’s where our mindset has to be is just continuing to do what we did those first four games.”
Adam Fantilli notches his 2nd of the season to restore #CBJ's 2-goal lead, 3-1, 12:18 into the 2nd.
— CBJ Public Relations (@BlueJacketsPR) October 18, 2024
Zach Werenski (0-2-2) picks up the primary assist and has now collected the club's 4th multi-assist outing of the campaign.
For the Blue Jackets, there is a belief in what they are doing. They’ve seen the good in their meetings and hope to continue to build off of that.
“We talk about it. We watch video on it. I hate saying it. We could have been 4-0 to start the year,” Werenski said. “It’s just how hockey is. It’s just continuing to have that belief and that same mindset that if we play that way, we’re going to get the results at some point.”
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Forward Mathieu Olivier echoes the sentiments of Werenski in terms of liking what they’ve seen in the early going.
“I think we’re definitely heading in the right direction,” Olivier said. “I think the structure’s good. I think we’re playing to our strengths, which is our speed and our skill as a team. I think they’ve been very clear as to what they want, that black and white in our systems is huge as a hockey player.”
“It’s weird to say, but you want to almost be predictable as a teammate but also as a team in terms of what you’re going to do because the less time you think about what you have to do on the ice, the easier it is and the faster we can play which is what we’re aiming for here. We’re heading into that direction where we’re very direct, very aggressive. We don’t think twice. It’s very black and white what we have to do and I’m all for it.”
Evason Reacts
Coach Evason has liked the first four games. But like the players, he didn’t like the game against the Wild. To him, he takes the defensive part of the game a step further.
“I’ll elaborate even further on that. Is that yes, we like how we’ve defended. We like our team defensive commitment,” Evason said. “But if our D don’t generate like last game (against the Wild), we didn’t have the offensive thrust that we had in the games prior to that. So our D are going to drive a lot of our game defensively.”
“(In) the National Hockey League, you need the defense to get involved in order to try to score goals in this league. It’s too good. Goalies are too good. Our D are going to play a big part in all of our structure throughout our game.”
So far, despite only have a 2-3 record going into Tuesday night’s game, the Blue Jackets are seeing improvements. They are outshooting their opponents on average. They haven’t allowed more than four goals in a game. It’s a start. They’ll face perhaps their stiffest test of the new season against the Toronto Maple Leafs. That should provide a good barometer of their defensive progress.
Bottom Line
The defense had to be a top priority for correction for the Blue Jackets. Thus far, they are showing signs. It might be slow progress but it is progress nonetheless.
The Blue Jackets are going more north with the puck. They’re making quicker decisions. Their system is simple enough where they can play faster.
Eventually, results will come. It might not be tomorrow or next week or even two months from now. But the more they learn Evason’s system and put it into practice, the better they’ll get.
The players like the early progress. They see the process in action and are embracing it more with each passing day. To the eye test, the Blue Jackets have shown signs of looking different than the past couple seasons. That’s as good a start as they can hope for.