Adam Fantilli arrived at Nationwide Arena on Thursday night for Hockey Fights Cancer Night with some extra motivation. He donned a pair of lavender shoes while thinking of his grandmother Mariola who is undergoing cancer treatments.
Fantilli went out and played a historic game Thursday night with her at the top of his mind. Despite losing the game 3-2 to the Arizona Coyotes, he did something no Blue Jackets’ rookie has done since 2003.
Fantilli’s Historic Night
Fantilli finished the night with 10 shots on goal, which is a Blue Jackets’ rookie record for a single game. It also tied the overall single-game record for shots in a game last accomplished by Patrik Laine.
Overall, Fantilli’s line with Kirill Marchenko and Dmitri Voronkov accounted for almost half of the team’s 41 shots on goal. They created 20 shots on goal against Coyotes’ goalie Connor Ingram. Unfortunately for them, they were unable to beat him on the night.
The only two shots that beat Ingram were by defenseman Damon Severson. He opened the scoring in the second period and then brought the Blue Jackets within 3-2 late. Ingram stopped the other 39 shots he faced on his way to a 6-1-0 record.
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We’ll talk about the other big story of the night later. But what more can you say about Fantilli right now? His line was depended upon late in the game to find a tying goal. There was a reason they were the top line going into the game. They have chemistry and they’re making a big impact on the game.
According to Nat Stat Trick, Fantilli generated an xGF of 2.41 at 5-on-5. He was all over the place generating chances and giving his team a fighting chance. As luck would have it, his line was outscored 1-0 on the night. The Ingram Effect was in full force.
It is clear who the number-one line for the Blue Jackets at this point. Here’s head coach Pascal Vincent postgame on Fantilli.
“You’ve seen him all year. Are you surprised?” Vincent said. “We’re not. Nobody is. He doesn’t play like a 19-year old. 10 shots on net. He’s all over the place. He touched the puck every shift. He’s trying to make a difference. And he did.”
Vincent went on to say that it’s too bad they can’t emphasize these good moments more given the mistakes they are making as a team. If there’s one thing that is a bright spot for the Blue Jackets, it’s the recent performances of Fantilli. He’s already trying to take it upon himself to make a difference. He’s also said he doesn’t want to get used to losing.
Let’s see if others can follow Fantilli’s example.
Gaudreau/Laine Benched
At the end of the game trailing 3-1 with a 6-on-5 opportunity, the Blue Jackets had their top line led by Fantilli along with Severson, Zach Werenski and Boone Jenner. Notably absent were Laine and Johnny Gaudreau.
Laine and Gaudreau were on the ice for the 3-1 goal just 28 seconds after the Coyotes converted on the power play to make it 2-1. That turned out to be the game-winning goal.
While Gaudreau saw one more shift afterwards, Laine did not. Even in need of goals, both players were stapled to the bench during the second half of the third period and during the 6-on-5 situation.
Both players did not play well at all. In particular, Laine was held shotless, was 2/8 at the faceoff circle and generated just 0.03 expected goals for at 5-on-5. He was the third-line center for this game. It was a frustrating night for them all around capped off by this benching.
Based on who was playing well, this was warranted. The question now becomes how do the Blue Jackets overcome this? At 4-9-4 and losers of seven in a row, Laine and Gaudreau have to be a reason they start getting wins. Performances like Thursday should send red alerts throughout the team. Something needs to be addressed, especially when they’re throwing their fourth line out with more confidence than what Laine and Gaudreau are bringing.
The Blue Jackets have a pair of huge division games on Saturday and Sunday when they go to Washington and to Philadelphia. How will the lines look? And what are the Blue Jackets doing to help their stars get out of this funk? They need to find solutions soon. So far they haven’t found the answer. That’s what should be most concerning of all given this losing streak.
