Blue Jackets Drop Third Straight Game, Lose 2-0 to Islanders

Eight Blue Jackets in Saturday's lineup still have yet to score this season.

Photo courtesy Kevin Lam (CBUS Sports)

COLUMBUS--- The Blue Jackets suffered a 2-0 loss to the Islanders on Saturday night. Despite growing frustration over the performance of several players on the team, the overall game itself wasn't too disastrous.

Kyle Palmeri scored his third of the season 15:45 into the contest, off of a rebound courtesy of a Pierre Engvall shot from the right half wall that went off of Spencer Martin's right pad, straight out to a waiting Palmeri with a wide-open net.

The game then went two periods without a goal. Matt Martin ended up being the one who scored the 2-0 goal, and he scored it in a very "Matt Martin" way, banging home a rebound in front.

Johnny Gaudreau has been held to a grand total of zero goals so far this season. As a player that surpassed 70 points last year and made it to 115 the year before, a lot more is expected of him offensively. "We're in a better spot as a team right now than last season." Gaudreau said. "You go through these things (at) some point in the season. It just happens to be right now."

Statistic wise, the two teams were almost identical. 34 shots for the Jackets, 33 for the Isles, along with six penalty minutes a piece. The difference was goaltending. Semyon Varlamov stole the show at Nationwide Arena, stopping all 34 shots.

MY TAKEAWAYS

-Not every line is bringing the energy that they need to bring.

-Goaltending has upgraded significantly since last season.

-We need to score to win hockey games.

-Voronkov will be a force in the league for years to come. He is a big dude.

-Roslovic looked good tonight. Two missed breakaways, oh well.

-The clock is ticking for an Andrew Peeke or Adam Boqvist trade. Players as young as them should not be sitting in the press box during these games.

-Fantilli belongs as a center. If anyone should move into the wing position once Patrik Laine is back, my vote is Cole Sillinger.

-The pace of the game from the Jackets was good. On the back end, Jiricek continued to play well, as well as Provorov, who had some key blocked shots.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Jackets will make their way down to Dallas to face the Stars on Monday at 8 p.m.

-Ian Phillips for Yamo Media