John Tortorella still had concerns about his team’s readiness – even after a win tonight – but in this case, he liked how the Blue Jackets seized momentum and got themselves into the game.
It did not need to be said: this was an important game. Columbus had lost four of its last six games since the end of a 16-game winning streak, and three of those losses had come to teams in the Metropolitan Division. They knew it was time to get back on track.
Despite a poor start and yielding the game’s first goal, the Blue Jackets had a counterpunch late in the first period that seemed to set the tone for the rest of the game. Boone Jenner and Brandon Dubinsky, two guys Tortorella would love to see get going offensively, scored goals 35 seconds apart to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes.
There was some “uh-oh” in the building after Sebastian Aho scored first for Carolina, but those two quick goals from the Blue Jackets turned the game the other way.
Sergei Bobrovsky, back for the first time since Jan. 8, made 24 saves to record his 27th win of the season and help the Blue Jackets get their 30th win overall. At 30-9-4, the Blue Jackets are the first NHL team to 30 wins this season and reclaimed a share of top spot in the league with 64 points.
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