COLUMBUS, Ohio — New coach Dean Evason overhauled the Columbus Blue Jackets’ forward lines after a lackluster loss Saturday, hoping to create two scoring lines that could make the Blue Jackets more challenging to defend.
It worked perfectly, and yet not in the way most expected.
The Blue Jackets simply overwhelmed the ultra-talented Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday, jumping to a 5-0 lead by the middle of the second period thanks to a combination of speed and structure that hasn’t been seen from this club in at least a couple of seasons.
But it was the Blue Jackets’ third line — or is that the fourth line? — that did much of the damage in a 6-2 win before 14,852 in Nationwide Arena.
Mathieu Olivier had the first two-goal game of his career, while center Justin Danforth (1-2-3) had his second three-point game and Zach Aston-Reese added an assist, part of a six-point night for that line.
“It’s wonderful, right?” Evason said. “You’ve talked a lot about (Sean) Monahan’s line, the success they’ve had analytically and obviously on the scoresheet. You want all the guys to get rewarded for playing the right way and playing hard.
“Everybody wants to score. For us to get scoring up and down the lineup … ”
Truly a #FrozenFrenzy!
Ollie makes it 3️⃣ in the first!@FanaticsBook | #CBJ pic.twitter.com/niokBeiHb3
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) October 23, 2024
There were other superlatives, of course. Monahan, James van Riemsdyk and Kirill Marchenko also scored for the Blue Jackets, who scored six goals in a game for the third time already this season. Goaltender Daniil Tarasov, making his third straight start, had 26 saves.
It was an important game for the Blue Jackets, too, as they were not pleased with a less-than-inspired effort in a 3-1 loss to Minnesota on Saturday. After that game, Blue Jackets players discussed a new “standard” with the franchise, how such a lethargic showing was “unacceptable.”
In recent seasons, Blue Jackets fans have rolled their eyes at those types of comments because they weren’t always backed up with a big response.
Tuesday, the Blue Jackets responded. They led 3-0 after the first period and 5-0 at 11:36 of the second period, and the game was never in doubt.
“We were aggressive and we were on top of them for most of the night,” Olivier said. “They were on a back-to-back, and that’s never easy, so we knew we had to get on them early. To our credit, that’s what we did.
“Everyone’s buying into the way we want to play. You can see it in the way we’re playing. It’s simple. It’s black and white. And everybody’s on board.”
The Leafs’ big four offensive players — Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares — combined for only one point, an assist by Tavares late in the game. Marner and Matthews had minus-3 ratings.
“The neutral zone was the Autobahn for them tonight,” Matthews told reporters in the Maple Leafs’ dressing room after the game. “They just came flying through.”
Olivier was all smiles, wearing the donkey cap — yep, a donkey cap — that’s being passed around the dressing room after victories to the player of the game. It’s a nod to Johnny Gaudreau, who jabbed all of his friends by calling them “donkey.”
And Olivier should be smiling. After scoring four goals in the preseason, he now has three on the season, including two multi-point games. It’s the product, he said, of hard work over the summer to buttress the offensive side of his game, including equipment changes he declined to elaborate on.
His career high is five goals, set in each of the last two seasons (54 games in 2023-24 and 66 games in 2022-23) with Columbus.
“People have their own opinions as far as what type of hockey player I am, and that’s fine,” Olivier said. “You always have to believe that you’ve got more and you can continue to build your game. This summer I really wanted to take a step on the offensive side of the game. I tweaked a few things here and there.”
That’s why they call him Dancin’ Danny!
…. They don’t. But they could. @FanaticsBook | #CBJ pic.twitter.com/uxTogSHsSO
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) October 23, 2024
Danforth made it 2-0 at 6:21 of the first when he and Werenski came into the zone with three Maple Leafs backpedaling. Instead of reading the numbers, dumping the puck and getting a change, they pushed. Werenski made a terrific saucer pass to Danforth through the right circle.
Olivier pushed the lead to 3-0 at 12:42 of the first when he scored off the rush from the left circle. His second goal made it 5-0 midway through the second when Aston-Reese directed a centering pass through traffic to Olivier in front.
“We’re disrupting a lot of things on the forecheck,” Olivier said. “That’s how we generate our offense as a line.”
Danforth has made quite an impression on Evason since he joined the lineup after missing the first three games following offseason wrist surgery.
Evason wanted to create two scoring lines by moving third-line center Cole Sillinger to right wing on the top line and dropping Yegor Chinakhov to the second line. That was only possible, though, if Danforth was able to play center.
When asked if he’s still learning what type of player Danforth can be, the Blue Jackets’ first-year coach cut the question short.
“No, I’ve got a pretty good feel. I’ve been in the game for a bit,” Evason said. “I’m pretty secure with him being a really, really good center iceman and a really good penalty-killer and a really good, hard-nosed player who has a skill set that’s going to score.
“Does that answer your question?”
(Photo: Aaron Doster / Imagn Images)
