Loss of Zach Werenski adds more gloom to Columbus Blue Jackets' season | Michael Arace
The Blue Jackets fended off a late charge by John Tortorella’s Philadelphia Flyers, scored a couple of empty-net goals and posted a 5-2 victory in Nationwide Arena Thursday night. It was strong medicine for the Jackets, who had lost their previous five, and for CBJ fans, who were growing oh, so weary of watching their team get beaten like a rented mule, as Mike Lange used to say.
There is a fat asterisk*. Maybe two**.
The Jackets (4-9) protected their goaltender, Joonas Korpisalo. How about that? At one point, defenseman Nick Blankenburg shoved one Flyer out of the crease and dropped his gloves when another Flyer took umbrage. Korpisalo (32 saves) was excellent.
“We looked like the game was fun,” Korpisalo said. “That’s where the fun comes from, everyone pulling on the same rope. And winning. Winning is always fun.”
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The top line of Johnny Gaudreau-Boone Jenner-Patrik Laine combined for three goals and three assists (Johnny Hockey had half of those points). They did this against one of the stingiest defenses and hottest goalies (Carter Hart) in the league.
The Jackets' back end somehow held up, even though the defensive corps played with only four men for half the game. Forward Mathieu Oliver, who had a fistic pursuit with tough customer Nicolas Deslauriers in the first period, filled in on defense in the third. It was like when a shortstop comes in to pitch the ninth inning because the bullpen is spent.
Oh, it was not a perfect game for the home team. There were some of those mystifying giveaways that conjured the five-game losing streak in which the Jackets were outscored 28-8. The Flyers got physical and pinned the Jackets back for much of the third period. When the Flyers got to within 3-2, everyone in the building was expecting the worst. Who wouldn’t?
General manager Jarmo Kekalainen had been rubbing his temples to a bloody pulp, cogitating on how to get his team out of its awful funk. He said one thing it needed was to have something good to happen.
Something good happened, and it was terrific theater for the home fans. They gave Tortorella, the greatest coach in Jackets history, a rousing ovation when he was recognized on the visiting bench. (Tortorella added to his legend by blowing off the media after the game.) They recognized that the Jackets had a pulse. They shared the heartbeat.
Asterisk*.
Defenseman Zach Werenski, who scored a goal off a three-on-one rush in the middle of the first period, left the game later in the period with a right shoulder injury. He did not return.
“It’s not good for Z,” Larsen said. “It’s not going to be good at all.”
Werenski was angling to check Flyers forward Travis Konecny but got only a piece of the slippery winger. As Werenski went awkwardly into the wall, he extended his right arm to brace himself. The arm got caught on the shelf of the dasher as he went down.
Werenski had an “oh no” look as he skated to the bench. He was holding his right shoulder with his left hand.
Werenski, 25, is a franchise cornerstone. He’s a top-pair, first-power-play-unit, three-zone impact player.
In July 2021, he signed a six-year, $57.5-million contract extension to remain in Columbus through 2027-28. The signing was a statement: Werenski put his foot in what had been a revolving door of exiting free agents; he is the star who stayed; he placed his trust in the front office to build a winner and, in so doing, invited others to do the same.
Werenski in 2017-18 played most of the season with a left shoulder injury and, after the Jackets were eliminated from the playoffs, had surgery to repair a torn labrum. If there is a sliver of good news about his new injury, it’s that it’s the other shoulder.
This does not mitigate the terribleness of the situation for Werenski and the Jackets. Werenski has a torn labrum and a separated right shoulder and is expected to miss the remainder of the season. When he comes back, he will have to answer the question of how far he can take his game with a pair of repaired shoulders.
The Jackets will have to find out how well they can get on without their All-Star anchor. Their defense was already thin. They’re waiting on prospects such as Corson Ceulemans, David Jiricek and Denton Mateychuk – first-round picks all – to come through the pipeline. It could take a couple-three years; defensemen need seasoning before they’re ready for the big leagues.
Werenski’s loss has the potential to vaporize whatever faint playoff hopes the Jackets might have had.
Asterisk*. Yeah, another one.
The 2023 draft is shaping up to be on the level of the 2015 draft, which has already produced a dozen All-Stars – including Connor McDavid (No. 1 overall), Werenski (No. 8) and Konecny (No. 24). The next draft is both deep and top-heavy, especially with centers. It may be that there are six high-end, top-line centers, beginning with Connor Bedard, who will be among the top 15.
You hate to talk about the draft in November. Here, we have to.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Zach Werenski injury is big blow to Columbus Blue Jackets
