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Brad Friedman The Hockey Writers

Published on Monday, March 30, 2015

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The Top 5 Blue Jackets Not Named Johansen or Foligno

There is more to the team than Joey and Foligno, right?

In an injury-laden season, those two have been the two bright spots on a roster that seems to shift by the day. However, that doesn’t mean it has been their show entirely.

When the Jackets are hot, like they are currently, the machine runs as smoothly because all of its parts. The players below have played the supporting roles well during Columbus’s bright stretches.

  1. Curtis McElhinney

Since the all-star break, McElhinney has posted a 7-7-1 record in games in which he started and finished, but faced at least 31 shots in four of those losses. McElhinney has displayed flashes of brilliance throughout the season, including a 29-save performance against Pittsburgh on Feb. 19 and four games in which he registered at least 40 saves.

On the season, McElhinney has accumulated a .913 save percentage, better than the likes of Jimmy Howard, Cam Ward, Kari Lehtonen and Jonathan Bernier.

  1. Marko Dano

After recording only two points during his first stint in Columbus this season, which amounted to eight games, the rookie has come on strong as of late. Since rejoining the team on Feb. 17, Dano has registered six goals and eight assists, including three multi-point games. Dano and Cody Goloubef hold plus/minus ratings of eight, good for third on the team.

  1. Scott Hartnell

Is that Umberger-Hartnell trade looking good for Columbus or what? Fresh off of a hat trick against Anaheim on March 24, Hartnell has piled up 54 points (25 G, 29 A) in his first season with the Blue Jackets. His Fenwick rating of 10.66 is the third best on the team among players with at least 50 games played.

  1. Sergei Bobrovsky

Though he has played in only 45 games this season, Bobrovsky has shown signs of the Vezina winner we once knew. He didn’t get the chance to play in the All-Star game due to injury, but received the honor despite playing on a team that allows an average of 33 shots per game. Bobrovsky’s shining performance came on Dec. 4 when he stopped 52 Florida shots.

Bobrovsky has registered 35 saves on 13 different occasions.

  1. Cam Atkinson

He stayed in Columbus after his name was involved in many trade rumors around the deadline. Instead of a trade, he signed a three-year extension to secure a first-line caliber right-winger. Atkinson made it two consecutive Columbus hat tricks on Mar. 27 against Chicago and has piled up 37 points this season (20 G, 17 A), standing fourth on the team in points.

Disagree? Drop a comment below or tweet @bradfriedman713 to make your voice heard.


Tagged in this article

Cam Atkinson Scott Hartnell Sergei Bobrovsky Marko Dano Columbus Blue Jackets National Hockey League
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