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Columbus Blue Jackets: Responding to Injury Plague

By Mike Majeski

Oct 23, 2014; San Jose, CA, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (72) blocks a shot by San Jose Sharks center Tommy Wingels (57) during the first period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 23, 2014; San Jose, CA, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (72) blocks a shot by San Jose Sharks center Tommy Wingels (57) during the first period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports /
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The NHL‘s Columbus Blue Jackets are going through quite the injury plague — how will they respond?

I’ve heard of teams catching the “injury bug” but it might be more appropriate to refer to what the Columbus Blue Jackets have as an injury plague. Prior to the start of yesterday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings, the Blue Jackets’ injury report read like this: Brandon Dubinsky (abdominal), Boone Jenner (broken hand), Nathan Horton (back), Cam Atkinson (eye). Atkinson sustained his injury the previous night when Ryan Kesler’s skate caught him just above the eye. By the looks of the grisly images, Atkinson was lucky it wasn’t worse:

The Blue Jackets did get some good news on the injury front prior to yesterday’s game against the Kings when defensemen Ryan Murray was activated from the IR after missing the start of the season due to a knee injury. But before the injury blues could go away, forward Nick Foligno was stretchered off after a scary collision with an official. Foligno was rubbed out along the boards by Jeff Carter and his head made contact with the official’s leg. At first Foligno was motionless on the ice, but he flashed a thumbs up as he was being carted off the ice and a trip to the hospital was not required. Foligno said today that he suffered a stinger that numbed the right side of his body. He regained feeling shortly thereafter on the ice. He hopes to be back in the lineup on Tuesday night.

The good news from Foligno was coupled with the announcement that Matt Clavert would be going to the IR with an upper body injury, suffered against the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.

The injuries to Foligno and Atkinson come in the same week that it was announced that Nathan Horton’s career could be in jeopardy due to a degenerative back condition. Horton is reportedly in a great deal of pain and it is making day-to-day life difficult. While his agent has made it clear he is frustrated by the situation and wants nothing more than to return to the Blue Jackets lineup, the long-term life implications of Horton’s condition are much more important.

Mar 28, 2014; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Nathan Horton (8) battles for the puck with Pittsburgh Penguins left wing James Neal (18) at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 28, 2014; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Nathan Horton (8) battles for the puck with Pittsburgh Penguins left wing James Neal (18) at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports /

No team has faced more injury adversity than the Columbus Blue Jackets to start the 2014-15 NHL season. The Carolina Hurricanes are likely a close second, but unlike the Hurricanes, the Columbus Blue Jackets haven’t turned into a complete dumpster fire. The Blue Jackets have eight points in the Metropolitan Division with four wins and four losses. Two of those four losses have come in the last two days on their Western Conference road trip, which has mercifully come to an end.

How have the Columbus Blue Jackets weathered this plague of injuries, where other teams have completely faltered out of the gate? Sergei Bobrovsky has been good enough in net to keep them in games – he’s posted a 2.81 GAA and a .908 SV%, not Vezina winning numbers by any means, but the type of stuff that gives the offense a chance. Ryan Johansen and Scott Hartnell have also stepped up and have been dominant on offense. Johansen has five goals and six assists in eight games played. Hartnell has one goal and nine assists. Prior to his injury last night, Foligno had three goals and six assists.

Ryan Johansen tried to argue this summer during his contract dispute that he was indispensable to the Blue Jackets. Many felt that one good season was not enough to prove that. So far Johansen is proving to be exactly was he believes he is – someone that will step up and lead the offense when there are holes in the lineup.

Perhaps after the storybook season in 2013-14, this is exactly what the Columbus Blue Jackets needed. So much of last season rode on the back of Brandon Dubinsky, Boone Jenner, and Sergei Bobrovsky. Johansen obviously played a big role as well. Without Dubinsky and Jenner in the lineup, we get to see Johansen carry more of the load and players like Foligno and Hartnell step up.

As long as the Blue Jackets can avoid a Hurricanes-like implosion, this team should be in a good place once Dubinsky and Jenner return to the lineup. You would rather have the Blue Jackets go through adversity to start the season, than have the injury plague hit at the end and de-rail a run to the playoffs.

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