Freshly-minter captain is a do-it-all player, but logging too many minutes could be counter productive for coach Brad Larsen.
Boone Jenner is the duct tape of the Blue Jackets’ lineup.
He’s capable of playing all forward positions, but it’s the captain’s ability to win faceoffs, play center and make an impact on special teams that now have warning lights flashing on coach Brad Larsen’s dashboard.
Jenner has topped 20 minutes in the each of the Jackets’ past two games, including a whopping 25:07 in a 4-1 loss Tuesday in Detroit and 21:45 Thursday in a 3-2 overtime victory over the New York Islanders.
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“It’s too much,” Larsen said before the game Thursday. “It’s for all the reasons he’s on the ice. It’s because it’s a tight game (Tuesday), he’s good in faceoffs, he can kill penalties, he’s net-front on our first unit power play. We had four (power play) opportunities. So, it’s like those minutes piled up real quickly on him (in Detroit).”
Jenner started the season on the third line, providing support to 18-year old rookie center Cole Sillinger. He was moved to center of the top line toward the end of a 2-1 OT victory last Saturday against the Seattle Kraken, a role that also led to a jump in ice time. His key roles as the Jackets’ net-front guy on the top power play unit and as one of their top penalty-killing forwards took it even higher.
Against the Red Wings, Jenner logged 4:29 on power plays, 3:38 killing penalties and 17:00 at even strength.
“You try to divvy them out, but then you’re reading the game and what’s going on and the situation of the game,” Larsen said. “He can be reliable in a lot of those different situations.”
His effectiveness is the concern.
Jenner is no stranger to playing a lot, including a career-high 48:26 in the Blue Jackets’ five-overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2020 playoffs, but making it a habit won’t end well. His ice time against the Red Wings was the most he’s ever logged during the regular season and the amount he played against the Islanders was among his top 20 ice-time amounts in nine seasons.
“You don’t want it up that high,” Larsen said. “I don’t think he’s as effective when it gets that high. I don’t think many forwards are. That’s just too many minutes. So, hopefully we’re not in that situation where we’re going to have to do that too much.”
Blue Jackets flipped possession game on New York Islanders
Elvis Merzlikins bailed the Blue Jackets out multiple times against the Islanders, but the goalie’s workload was most challenging in the second period.
New York cycled the puck inside the Columbus zone for extended shifts, hounded the Jackets with a heavy forechecking presence and eventually took a 1-0 lead on Scott Mayfield’s goal just past the midpoint.
According to NaturalStatTrick.com, the Islanders dominated even-strength possession with an 11-5 edge in shots, 71% to 29% advantage in attempts (15-6) and margins of 8-3 in scoring chances and 4-2 in high-danger scoring chances.
Goals scored 33 seconds apart by Jenner and rookie Cole Sillinger gave Columbus an unexpected 2-1 lead at the second intermission, but the Islanders used their possession game to tie it again, 2-2, on Mathew Barzal’s equalizer at 5:03 of the third.
That’s when the Blue Jackets finally turned the tables, controlling the action for most the final 15 minutes of regulation — leading to a 6-2 margin in high-danger chances in the third period.
“We were on top of them,” Blue Jackets forward Jakub Voracek said. “What I really like about the (team) is that when we were down against Seattle in the third period, we absolutely dominated that third. And I think we were the better team in the third period, as well, (against New York), which is really important down the road.”
iDesign, DSW sponsor Blue Jackets helmets
The Blue Jackets have two new sponsors getting prime placement on their helmets via logo stickers this season.
Their white road helmets now include a light blue logo for iDesign, a housewares design company based in Solon, while their dark blue home lids will have a white DSW logo for Columbus-based Designer Shoe Warehouse.
Last season, Nationwide Insurance sponsored the Blue Jackets’ home and road helmets.
bhedger@dispatch.com
@BrianHedger
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