Labatt Blue What We Learned: CBJ 2, OTT 1

It wasn't the prettiest game, but it didn't need to be.
All the Blue Jackets needed Saturday night was the green light for another victory on a green night at Nationwide Arena, outlasting the Ottawa Senators on St. Patrick's Day, 2-1, for their seventh straight victory.
That's a season-high for consecutive wins, topping the six straight they strung together Nov. 11-24, and their seventh straight win on home ice. More importantly it was another two points for Columbus (39-28-5) in a frenetic final push to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
"The points [are] most important," said Sergei Bobrovsky, who made 23 saves and bounced back from getting bounced around on a collision in the second period. "We're fighting for playoffs and every game is huge for us."
This one came with its own challenges, despite the Senators (26-34-11) being well outside playoff contention.
Ottawa, which took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Alexandre Burrows at 12:16 of the first period, was 5-2-1 in its previous eight games and had a three-game winning streak entering the game - all against playoff contenders.
The Blue Jackets, meanwhile, didn't have top defenseman Seth Jones, who missed the game with an upper-body injury he'd played the previous two games with and has caused him to miss three practices.
None of it mattered, as Columbus again found a way to earn two points.
"It's another one-goal game," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "I think we've played over 30. There's 32 or so. I think that's our 21st one-goal win. I thought it was the most comfortable we've looked protecting a lead in the third period. I thought we checked really well. I thought we [stunk] the first period, quite honestly, but we gathered ourselves and I thought we played really well throughout the rest of the game."
As a result, they maintained their same playoff positon with the victory - keeping hold of the first wild card in the Eastern Conference with 10 games left. Led by Bobrovsky, plus big goals from Boone Jenner and Markus Nutivarra, another 'W' was added to the win column and it's onto Boston to start another key stretch Monday.
"Winning is always fun," Bobrovsky said. "At this time of the year, it's all tense and getting smaller, the focus gets narrow and each bounce matters. So, it's nice."
Here's what we learned:

I: WHAT IT MEANS
The Blue Jackets kept pace with the Devils and Flyers within the Metropolitan Division, and now have 83 points.
Prior to the game, Columbus got some help and added motivation from games that had already finished. The Florida Panthers, who are one spot outside the East's second wild card and have three games-in-hand on the Jackets, lost 4-2 to the Edmonton Oilers at BB&T Center in Sunrise, Fla., which kept them four points behind Columbus.
The Devils had also won by the time the puck dropped at Nationwide Arena, defeating the Los Angeles Kings, 3-0, at Staples Center. That one temporarily moved New Jersey into third place in the Metro, ahead of the Flyers, but Philadelphia reclaimed that spot by defeating the Carolina Hurricanes, 4-2.

II: DEFENSE DEPTH TESTED
Jones' absence, however long it lasts, will definitely be felt.
The bright side is the Blue Jackets are 10 deep in capable NHL defensemen on the active roster, which means Tortorella has some options to pick from among the other nine. He gave Ryan Murray the first crack at replacing Jones in this game, and the veteran responded with a solid game playing with Nutivaara.
"We've got [Murray] champing on the bit to come in, and 'Murr's' a good player," Tortorella said, prior to the game. "We have a bunch of 'em, and knock on wood, if we stay about our business and find a way [into the postseason], you're going to need those defensemen. We're very fortunate."
Other options included Scott Harrington, who hasn't played since Feb. 24, a span of 10 games, and rookie Dean Kukan, who missed 12 games with an upper-body injury.
"It makes all the difference in the world when we can still roll all three [defense pairs], even without Seth Jones," said defenseman Ian Cole, who was added to the mix on the Jackets' blue line at the NHL Trade Deadline. "We can still roll guys, and everyone can play a really solid game, and not give up a ton to a team that was certainly free-wheeling out there with a lot of dangerous players. I think it's huge and it shows the depth we have."
Murray was scratched in the Jackets' 5-3 win Thursday in Philadelphia, with Nutivaara playing a second straight game in his place. Murray also missed a 5-2 victory Monday against the Montreal Canadiens, when Tortorella said he was "nicked up," and unable to go.
He got the first crack at replacing Jones, who had a four-game point streak and six goals in the previous nine games, and played a solid game.
"We're really going to miss Seth Jones," Tortorella said. "As I've said, he is a Norris Trophy candidate. He has had one hell of a year. We're going to miss him, but the next guy in is [Murray]. He's [ticked] off. He wants to play. Right where we want him. Perfect … right where we want him."
III: A BOON FROM BOONE
Jenner's goal in the first period was another big one for the Blue Jackets, who'd fallen behind, 1-0, on a goal by Senators forward Alexandre Burrows 12:16 into the game.
Jenner scored 4:05 later to tie it, 1-1, on his 10th goal and third during a three-game goal streak. The goal, which he scored by beating a defenseman to a loose puck and reaching back to fire an off-balance wrist shot, extended his point streak to a career-high five games.
"I can't overstate how important that play was, just to get us tied," Tortorella said. "I thought it was a really good effort by [Thomas Vanek] in the neutral zone, just to get a chip into the end zone, and it's a great second and third effort by [Jenner]. Huge play in the game to get back even before they attempt or maybe score another one. They score another one, you never know where [the game] goes."
Jenner is clicking on a line with center Alex Wennberg and Vanek, who was also acquired at the deadline. This kind of offensive production has been missing most of the season from him, but Jenner's now providing it at the most critical time of the year.
Wennberg and Vanek are too, which gives the Blue Jackets a second scoring line they've lacked much of the season.
"It's something I want to bring, especially at this time of year," Jenner said. "You want to be playing your best hockey. I think we are, as a group. We feel comfortable, so it's good to contribute."
IV: HEAVY METAL
Aside from Irish-themed music during stoppages, the sound of the puck hitting the metal frame of the net was a common occurrence in the first period.
The Blue Jackets pinged two shots off the crossbar, one shot by David Savard and the other by Cam Atkinson, while the Senators had one draw iron off a shot by Burrows. A few inches is all that kept the score from being a lot different than 1-1 after 20 minutes.
VI: 'NUTI' WITH A BEAUTY
Nutivaara's goal, his fourth of the season, gave the Blue Jackets a 2-1 lead at the tail end of a power play late in the second period.
It was scored from the blue line, off a slap shot he sent right down the slot through traffic in front of Condon. That position on the ice, at the top of the Jackets' 1-3-1 power-play setup on the second unit, is usually manned by Zach Werenski.
Nutivaara was there because Werenski was filling in for Jones at that same position on the top power-play unit.
"'Nuti' to me looks like he believes he belongs here, where last year he just kind of followed a treaded water," Tortorella said. "I think he's trying to take control of his game. I thought he played really well tonight."
VII: 'BOB' GETS BOPPED
Bobrovsky made saves on all 10 shots he faced in the second period, but it was quite a bit more hectic for him than that makes it sound.
Bobrovsky had to make some difficult saves, lost his stick during one harried sequence and was also barrel over by Ottawa's Max McCormick after making at save at the right post. McCormick tried to follow up a rebound but fell into Bobrovsky and knocked the goalie's helmet off.
Bobrovsky stayed down on the ice for a moment, got to his knees and then got up and shook it off. He stayed in the game after being checked out by head athletic trainer Mike Vogt on the ice, making five saves in the third.
"I feel good," Bobrovsky said "It was a pretty bad hit, actually, but I saw him at the last moment and I was able to lean back a little bit. So, it was alright."
VIII: NEXT UP
The Blue Jackets will hit the road to wrap up two season series against the Boston Bruins on Monday at TD Garden (7 p.m., Fox Sports Ohio, Fox Sports Go, 97.1 FM) and New York Rangers on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.
It will be the Jackets' final back-to-back of 17 on the schedule this season and the first two of a stretch playing four games in six days. It's a key stretch with the playoff race still tight and only 10 games left in the regular season.