3 Takeaways From the Blue Jackets’ 4-3 Loss to the Capitals

Head coach Dean Evason spoke on the “sloppy” play throughout most of the game, harping more on the lack of sharpness rather than the turnovers.

“We didn’t play bad hockey, but we played pretty sloppy, that’s how we were talking about it in there. Our execution tonight wasn’t there. I don’t think it was about turning it over, obviously, we did on a couple goals, but for the most part, it was just a little sloppy.”

Evason did mention some positives, especially on special teams. The penalty kill went 0-for-1 but looked organized, and the power play showed signs of life. With eight days until the season opener, there is time to clean things up.

“We’ve got a couple of days to correct some stuff. We’ve got some good teaching material; a lack of straightforwardness. We need to get to the net, get pucks on net. They did a good job blocking and keeping us away. We had attempts, but not enough quality. We need to simplify, go straight forward, and improve our execution.”

Greaves Solid Despite Tough Bounces

Greaves didn’t have his best night, but he wasn’t the reason for the loss either. Three of the goals against came off deflections and screens, and the team in front of him didn’t do him many favors.

Werenski backed his goalie post-game and made it clear the group has confidence in him.

“Jet played great. I mean, a couple of goals, there’s nothing he can do on them. All sticks and legs and screens. So, I’m definitely confident in our group right now.”

Evason also suggested they were more about team breakdowns and a lack of puck luck than goaltending.

“We basically scored three goals in our net, right? It was just our execution tonight wasn’t there. It was just a little bit sloppy, and we need to clean it up.”

Power Play Showing Signs of Progress

The power play was one of the bright spots on Tuesday night. Jenner scored twice on the man advantage, both times from his usual spot in front of the net. Columbus runs a 1-3-1 setup, and Jenner is the net-front guy, causing havoc most times. Both goals came from traffic, deflections, and rebounds, including one that went in off his skate on a double screen.

That is the kind of gritty, simple style that worked for them last season when the power play was rolling.

Post-game, Jenner talked about the unit starting to click this preseason.

“We want to be a difference maker. When you get opportunities, you want to give your team some juice and life. With the personnel we have, I think we can be a really good power play. We’ve been working on it, talking about it. I think we read off each other quite well. A lot of guys were on that unit last year, so we can build off it. We want to be dangerous and score every time we go out.”

Faceoffs were another area where the Blue Jackets looked sharp. They won 5 of 7 draws (71%) on the power play, with Sean Monahan going 4-for-5 (80%) as the top unit’s centerman. Winning possession off the draw is huge, especially on the man advantage, and they did a good job of that.

Werenski, who quarterbacks the top unit from the blue line, mentioned how important those early touches are.

“I thought we were sustaining some offensive zone time, had chances, scored goals. Off the faceoff, which is what we wanted, attack right away. Our entries were good. It’s a huge thing for our group, and hopefully we can keep it rolling into the season.”

The Blue Jackets will have a few days of practice before wrapping up their preseason Saturday in Washington, D.C.