Laine injury sours good start for Blue Jackets in opening loss to Hurricanes
RALEIGH, N.C. — Things couldn't have gone much better for the Blue Jackets through the first 25 minutes of their season opener against the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night at PNC Arena.
Then Patrik Laine sustained an upper-body injury related to his right arm six minutes into the second period and it all fell apart. The Hurricanes swung the momentum with a late goal in the second, dominated the third and cruised to a 4-1 victory.
Laine scored the game's first goal 11 seconds into the second period, putting the Blue Jackets up 1-0 in Johnny Gaudreau's debut for Columbus. Following Laine's departure, the Hurricanes scored the next four goals — including two in the second by Seth Jarvis and Brady Skjei and two in the third by Martin Necas and Andrei Svechnikov.
Gaudreau didn't record a point and finished with two shots.
"The first game, it was nice to get it out of the way, but I wanted to get off on the right foot, the right start, and get a win, but we didn’t do that," said Gaudreau, who signed a seven-year contract worth $68.25 million with the Blue Jackets in July. "Going back home (Friday against Tampa Bay), it’s an important game for us. We don’t want to start the season 0-2."
Rookie Daniil Tarasov started in net for the Blue Jackets (0-1-0), replacing Elvis Merzlikins (illness). Frederik Andersen started for Carolina and earned the victory with 31 saves. Carolina outshot Columbus 43-32, including 20-8 in the third period.
Here’s a breakdown:
Columbus Blue Jackets at Carolina Hurricanes key moments
— Laine’s goal 11 seconds into the second period set the tone for an entertaining 20 minutes of hockey. After getting to a loose puck in the right circle, he fired off a hard wrist shot that beat Andersen clean into the far side corner. It was Laine’s first goal and point, but his presence in the game was short-lived.
— Laine left the game three shifts after his goal, exiting at 6:45 of the second after Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce's hip hyperextended his right elbow along the boards behind the Carolina net. Laine, who'd attempted a stick lift while forechecking on the play, left the game and didn’t return. His "upper-body injury" forced the Blue Jackets to finish with just 11 forwards and rotate line combinations.
"Both teams (were) kind of being smart (in the first), getting pucks in deep, but that start of that second period, I thought we were really moving our feet, our line there," Gaudreau said of he, Laine and Boone Jenner. "Two, three shifts in a row, we were in their zone, we were making plays, we were getting good opportunities and then (Laine) went down, and then you never know who you’re playing with the next shift. It’s tough to play like that.”
— Carolina knotted it 1-1 on Jarvis' goal at 5:12 of the second, after he intercepted a reverse pass from Jack Roslovic behind the Blue Jackets’ net. Jarvis' shot was taken with a backhand from outside the crease to the right of the net and beat Tarasov to the inside of the left post. It took some energy out of a strong Blue Jackets start to the period, but there were further negative momentum shifts ahead for Columbus.
— A key turning point happened during the Jackets’ first power play, which was the first of two Columbus power plays in the second period. After struggling to gain entry into the Carolina zone, Cole Sillinger took matters into his own hands. He attempted a solo entry through defenseman Brent Burns and forward Martin Necas, who were stationed outside the Hurricanes’ blue line.
Sillinger slid the puck through both players, split between them, collected it inside the zone and ripped a wrist shot to the short side that beat Andersen for an apparent go-ahead goal that would've made it 2-1. Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour challenged for offside and won. Officials ruled Sillinger crossed into the zone ahead of the puck without controlling it. Players can enter the zone prior to the puck if they're deemed to have control, but referee Kyle Rehman didn't see it that way.
Larsen didn't either.
“It’s offside," he said. "It’s a good call. He never had control of the puck. I thought that was the right call.”
— An even bigger turning point for the Hurricanes occured at the end of the second, when Justin Danforth flubbed a shot from the doorstep with Andersen sprawled. The Hurricanes took the puck down the ice and scored on their next trip into the Columbus zone. They took a 2-1 lead on Skjei’s goal with 1:30 left, his shot beating Tarasov from the left point after the puck slid past mass of players in front. Carolina got a big lift from it and dominated the third.
"It’s tough giving up goals at the end of periods, so that was a big one for them," Gaudreau said. "Other than that, I thought our start was good, but not good enough.”
— The Blue Jackets got too sloppy in their own end to start the third and paid a price when Necas made it 3-1 at 6:29 with a goal off a turnover by Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov. It capped a sequence in which the Blue Jackets couldn't clear their own end, which put Tarasov in a bad spot. The rookie goalie made a save on Jordan Martinook, but couldn't get over in time to stop Necas' snap shot three seconds later.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Carolina Hurricanes takeaways
— Overturning Sillinger’s goal is another example of the NHL’s fickle determination of what is offside and what is not.
Replays show Sillinger did proceed the puck into the zone without touching it, although there’s one angle that appears to show the puck very close, if not touching, his left skate as it crosses the blue line. The point is the NHL’s offside rule is open to interpretation and allows for a player to proceed the puck into the offensive zone as long as the linesman feels he’s in possession.
An argument can be made that Sillinger’s decision to split two defenders at the blue line walled the two Hurricanes off from the puck as it crossed, which some may argue is definition enough that Sillinger had “control” over it the whole way.
That’s not how it was ruled and it robbed the Blue Jackets of a big goal, which would’ve put them up 2-1 in a tight game. It also robbed hockey fans of a highlight-reel goal that was the result of Sillinger’s stubborn will and impressive hand-eye skill to beat three defenders and rip a laser past one of the NHL’s best goalies.
That is a sport inflicting damage on itself by erasing a thrilling moment in a tight hockey game, all for the matter of a technicality that’s been interpreted both ways over the history of the rule.
— Larsen didn’t have an update on Laine after the game, so it’s unknown whether he’ll be out long-term or return soon.
What was learned after he left is the Blue Jackets will need him if they want to tread water through a meat grinder of an October schedule with seven of the first nine games against playoff teams from last season. Without Laine, Larsen rifled through his remaining 11 forwards, trying to find combinations that clicked, and Carolina took full advantage.
The Hurricanes also took over the game, swinging momentum back in their direction in the second, without Laine around, and outshooting Columbus 20-8 in the third.
“It was a (line) blender in the third, trying a couple guys in different spots,” Larsen said. “We’ll watch the video, come back and get ready for (practice Thursday).”
— Tarasov faced the Hurricanes again and was peppered with shots again, just like he was New Year’s Day last season at Nationwide Arena in a 7-4 Carolina victory. Tarasov tore a hip labrum in the second period of that game and left after two periods with a 4-2 lead. He needed surgery in February and spent a lot of time rehabbing to get himself ready for this season.
There is still some rust to shake off and scar tissue to work through, but he was solid in net for his first regular-season game back between the pipes for the Blue Jackets.
“I’m still finding my best hockey,” Tarasov said. “It was a tough time after surgery. It’s kind of like a first game since January. I feel good. I’m really happy. I’m back and excited for this season.”
— The Hurricanes have good size and employed it killing penalties against the Blue Jackets, who struggled to get past the Carolina blue line on three power plays to get set up. They also went1-for-4 on faceoffs during power plays (25%), which also helped the Hurricanes clear pucks off shorthanded draws in their own end of the ice.
“The power play needs to be better,” Gaudreau said. “We didn’t get nearly enough scoring opportunities on the power play and we had two or three of them tonight. (The Hurricanes) stand up on the blue line there and they’re tough to get by, and they did a good job there standing on the blue line and knocking pucks down. We had a little bit of trouble entering the zone.”
— Faceoffs largely don’t matter until they do. They began to matter for the Blue Jackets late in the second, when Carolina got a power play after Sillinger was called for slashing.
The Hurricanes didn’t score a goal on the power play, but used it to build momentum that led up to Skjei’s goal to break a 1-1 tie. Carolina went 0 for 2 on power plays, but the Blue Jackets made it hard on themselves killing them while going just 2 for 9 on shorthanded draws (22%).
Boone Jenner (15 for 27) was the only Blue Jacket to finish above 50% on faceoffs (56%), while Sean Kuraly (39%), Justin Danforth (33%), Sillinger (20%) and Roslovic (30%) all struggled at the dots.
— Erik Gudbranson played 20:59 and finished with one shot, four attempts and one hit. The hulking defenseman, who signed with the Blue Jackets just hours before Gaudreau in July, also was spotted having a chat with the Hurricanes’ bench not long after Carolina started taking liberties, physically, with a couple of Blue Jackets.
That happened not long after Jenner was shoved to the ice in front of the net and mauled by Brent Burns in the second. Jaccob Slavin also stepped up to deliver a shoulder to Johnny Gaudreau in the second, sending the Blue Jackets’ shiny new toy crashing to the ice. There weren’t any fights, but Gudbranson went over the boards a lot.
They said it: Columbus Blue Jackets at Carolina Hurricanes
“Well, the thing is it’s a full 60 (minutes). You don’t get to quit after two (periods) and I don’t think we quit. It’s just, you know, the good teams … (The Hurricanes) started to push and they came at you in waves. And when they’re pressing like that, you don’t win as many wall battles that you need to win."
"It’s disappointment. It’s not frustration ... that’s a wasted emotion. It’s just, unfortunately, I think they were building something there. They had a couple good looks, they finish on one and then that’s hockey. You can’t sit and feel sorry for yourself now. Now we’ll move forward, see where it goes.”
— Larsen on losing Laine so soon after the Finnish star forward had started to show chemistry with linemates Gaudreau and Jenner.
"You never want someone to get hurt, but you’re on a new team, you’re building chemistry with your linemates, you think you had a good camp and then, you know, you’re not playing together in the middle of the second period. Hopefully it’s nothing too serious, but I thought we were playing well there. The game kind of slipped away from us there ..."
— Gaudreau on losing Laine in the second period of the season-opener, which spoiled a lot of work they'd put into building chemistry in training camp.
"Yeah, well, the word we’ve talked about about with our group is ‘humility,’ and there’s a lot of layers to that word and being humble enough to stay in the moment. That’s really where we have to stay, because it could be terrifying when you start looking at the schedule and the quality of opponent. But again, you show me the easy game, I’ll show you the fool because there is no such thing. And as soon as you dip a little bit, your focus isn’t there, your details, your concentration, you get smacked right in the mouth."
“We wanted to address some size and some different things (in the offseason) and we did that, so I don’t think it changes anything about how we go about our business. The guys that we brought in, they’re bigger bodies, heavier, they bring a different skill set, and if the game calls for it, they’re there to rise to the challenge. But that doesn’t let anybody off the hook. We don’t get less competitive because we’ve got a couple extra guys that are bigger. That should be part of our DNA.”
— Larsen on going into this season with defenseman Erik Gudbranson and forward Mathieu Olivier, who were added to provide more toughness to the Blue Jackets’ lineup.
“Yeah, I mean, it was a sweet … non-goal. But it was offside, so another momentum changer. That would’ve made it a 2-1 game there and then it gets called back."
— Gaudreau on Sillinger's impressive effort on the Blue Jackets' overturned power play goal in the second.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Carolina Hurricanes notes
— Elvis Merzlikins was supposed to start this game in the Blue Jackets’ net, but he was scratched because of an illness. Tarasov, who’s Merzlikins’ backup while Joonas Korpisalo is recovering from hip surgery, got the nod and rookie Jet Greaves was recalled on emergency basis from the Cleveland Monsters to back him up.
— The Blue Jackets loaned rookie forward Kent Johnson to the Monsters to create a roster spot for Greaves.
— This is the eighth time in franchise history the Blue Jackets are opening a season with a road game. They went 4-3-0 in the first seven, including 4-1-0 in their previous five road openers.
— The Blue Jackets announced Wednesday that Laine has pledged to donate $1,000 for every point he gets this season to Community Shelter Board to help provide assistance for families in Columbus facing homelessness.
“Family homelessness is one of the biggest issues facing our community, so I am proud to support the Community Shelter Board and the essential work it does to help people in Columbus,” Laine said in a statement. “I am very lucky to get to do what I love to do and do it in a city like Columbus, so it was important to me to give back to families that need some help.”
Laine finished last season with 56 points in 56 games.
— The Blue Jackets are wearing blue plants with red trim at the bottom with their white road jerseys this season. They typically wear red pants at home and the road, but are going with a new look first made popular in 2020-21 as part of their “reverse retro” uniforms that season. The team petitioned the NHL that season to wear the blue pants with their road jersey once that season and the look was popular with players and fans alike.
— The Jackets’ opening roster has an average age of 25.9, which is tied with the Arizona Coyotes and New Jersey Devils for third-youngest in the league. Only the Ottawa Senators (25.7) and Buffalo Sabres (25.0) are younger to start the season.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Carolina Hurricanes: analysis
The Hurricanes controlled the puck, but the Blue Jackets found ways to keep it tight until the third. In fact, Columbus held an edge in scoring chances through two periods despite far fewer attempted shots.
Here’s a look at the statistical breakdown, courtesy of Natural Stat Trick:
Shots: Hurricanes 43, Blue Jackets 32 (57.3%)
Shot attempts: Hurricanes 96, Blue Jackets 51 (65.3%)
Scoring chances: Hurricanes 36, Blue Jackets 27 (57.1%)
High-danger chances: Hurricanes 15, Blue Jackets 8 (65.2%)
Expected goals: Hurricanes 3.8, Blue Jackets 2.8
Faceoffs: Hurricanes 47-77 61%, Blue Jackets 30-77 39%
Hits: Blue Jackets 26, Hurricanes 22
Blocked shots: Blue Jackets 21, Hurricanes 9
Columbus Jackets at Carolina Hurricanes: Dispatch's three stars
First star
Frederik Andersen, Hurricanes, goaltender
Andersen is one of the NHL's best goalies and showed why so many are bullish in the Hurricanes to contend for the Stanley Cup this season, provided he avoids the kind of injury that kept him out of last year's playoffs. Andersen allowed one goal to Laine and got help from a video review to negate another by Cole Sillinger, but he stopped 31 shots and made a number of key stops in the first two periods, when the game was close.
Second star
Martin Necas, Hurricanes, RW
Necas did what he usually does against the Blue Jackets. He led the Hurricanes in scoring with a goal, two assists and three points, helping blow the game open on the first two goals in the third that put Carolina up 4-1. He scored the first one and set up the second with a primary assist.
Third star
Daniil Tarasov, Blue Jackets, goaltender
Tarasov allowed four goals, but he was sharp most of the night and faced a whopping 43 shots in relief of Elvis Merzlikins, who was supposed to start before an illness sidelined him Wednesday morning.
Up next for the Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus will host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday in the Blue Jackets’ home-opener at Nationwide Arena.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets stumble against Hurricanes, lose Laine
