COLUMBUS, Ohio — It was a glaring mistake made seconds into overtime. The kind of error that seems to play out in slow motion because fans can see what’s going to happen next if the puck gets turned over with so much open ice.
“It’s just a bad play,” the Blue Jackets defenseman said. “… this is a risk I shouldn’t have (taken).”
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The player making the comment was not Zach Werenski, but Seth Jones, whose turnover a week ago led to a breakaway on the first shift of overtime against the Panthers. The miscue was forgotten, however, because Vincent Trocheck failed to convert the breakaway and Werenski rescued the Blue Jackets a minute later with a great shot past Sergei Bobrovsky.
Jones and Werenski. Werenski and Jones. For the past 3 1/2 seasons, they have been nearly inseparable. One always picking up the other. Since the start of the 2016-17 season, when Werenski entered the NHL, no two defensemen have played more minutes together (3,923) at five vs. five, according to MoneyPuck.com.
“He’s a great partner,” Werenski said of Jones last week. “He’s a full 200-foot defenseman, a Norris Trophy-caliber defenseman.”
Now, Werenski and the Blue Jackets will have to endure without Jones for at least eight weeks as the three-time All-Star recovers from a fractured ankle he suffered Saturday in a loss to the Avalanche. It’s a huge blow with the club fighting to qualify for a fourth consecutive playoff appearance, and it casts a spotlight on his longtime partner who must prove he can thrive in Jones’ absence.
Monday night, Werenski showed he was ready for the challenge — right up to the moment his own mistake in overtime cost the Blue Jackets a point in a 2-1 loss to the Lightning.
The defenseman’s brutal turnover on the first 3v3 shift, one normally reserved for Jones, led to Nikita Kucherov’s game-winning goal.
“I fucked that one up. That’s about it, pretty much,” said Werenski of his decision to casually retreat with the puck behind the Blue Jackets’ net before having it stripped by the Lightning’s Brayden Point.
The loss of Jones is not only massive for an organization that’s defied odds by overcoming a raft of injuries. It’s also an individual test for Werenski, who must adjust to a new partner in the crucible of a postseason race.
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The 22-year-old Werenski is enjoying the best season of his young career. His 17 goals lead all NHL defensemen, and he entered Monday’s action as the only blueliner to hold a share of his team’s goal-scoring lead. (Oliver Bjorkstrand has since scored his 18th goal.)
In the past 12 months, Werenski has shed the label of being a one-dimensional player. He’s more reliable in the defensive end and stronger along the wall, using his 6-foot-2, 212-pound to its full advantage.
Werenski is playing with the confidence of someone who’s been in the league for four seasons and knows what to expect. You can argue he was every bit as deserving of an All-Star nomination as Jones.
But until Saturday, the majority of Werenski’s growth had come alongside Jones, one of the NHL’s most complete defensemen. To go a step further, the Blue Jackets have been blessed with top-four defensive pairings that fit together as well as any in the league.
The talents of David Savard and Vladislav Gavrikov complement each other splendidly. The same has been said of Jones and Werenski, a partnership of smooth-skating, offensively gifted defensemen, who read off each other so well.
“It’s like losing your right arm,” one Blue Jackets insider said. “It’s going to be an adjustment, but (Werenski) is a premier player and those kind of players always find a way.”
While potentially playing the rest of the regular season without Jones is a gut punch, it’s also a significant chance for Werenski to step outside his shadow.
Don’t forget there was a time when some around the league attributed Artemi Panarin’s success in Chicago to playing on a line with Patrick Kane. That take aged about as well the Buffalo Sabres’ rebuild.
“He’s a huge part of this now,” coach John Tortorella said of Werenski. “Jonesy is going to be out for a while. Z will probably get a lot of time on both power-play units depending on how many breakouts we have on the power play and so a lot more falls on his shoulders.”
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The overtime gaffe overshadowed what otherwise was a solid performance from Werenski, who led the Blue Jackets with 24:16 of ice time — most of it alongside Markus Nutivaara. The pair was out against the Lightning’s top two lines on a night the Blue Jackets estimated they allowed just 12 scoring chances.
Werenski made a few nice defensive reads, including a beautiful strip of Mitchell Stephens as he cut across the offensive zone one-on-one in the first period. He also picked his spots as to when to jump into the rush and when to lay back. Werenski led the Blue Jackets with five shots on goal and eight attempts overall.
Really nice play here by Werenski to break up the chance and change possession in favor of #TBLightning pic.twitter.com/VvyWkkEpsD
— Alison (@AlisonL) February 11, 2020
Tortorella wants Werenski to remain aggressive. The Blue Jackets really have no choice given the fact they rank 26th in scoring and have tallied just five goals in their last four games (2-1-1).
With 7:33 left in regulation, Werenski created a chance out of nothing, circling with the puck in the offensive zone, cutting down the slot and faking out a Lightning defender before firing a shot.
The Blue Jackets simply don’t have many players with that skill set.
Nice scoring chance developed by Werenski #TBLightning pic.twitter.com/GkNwcEv2MV
— Alison (@AlisonL) February 11, 2020
“He’s gotta go, he’s gotta play,” Tortorella said Tuesday. “I put Nuti with him last night and I’m not sure if we stay with it, (but) we’re not taking anything away. He’s one of our leading goal scorers. So we are not taking any of that push offensively away from him.
“A big part of his defense is carrying the puck and not letting (the other) team have the puck. … There’s no talk, no conversation with him. We’re going to let him play.”
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The only defensive pairing likely to stay intact is Savard and Gavrikov. It means Werenski could cycle through several blueliners as the coaching staff looks for the right mix and Ryan Murray eventually draws back into the lineup.
For a player who had developed such a trust and comfort level with Jones, the next few weeks could be unnerving for Werenski. Such is the burden he must bear.
“Me and (Jones) have built some good chemistry this year and have been playing really well,” Werenski said. “It will be a little different to start, but as deep as we are as a team. … I don’t think it will be too hard for me to get used to that.
“You can’t replace a guy like Seth Jones. At this time of year, … everyone has to step up a little bit more and give a little more.”
Werenski must live and learn from his game-ending blunder, understanding any mistake in 3v3 could end up in the back of the net. During his rookie season, he watched Jones commit several such mistakes on the way to becoming one of the league’s best overtime closers.
A week ago, Jones made another miscue that almost cost the Blue Jackets a game, demonstrating again how arbitrary overtime can be when it comes to either wearing the goat horns or the kepi.
Werenski gets another chance Thursday in Buffalo. He won’t have Jones to guide him. Only his own experiences. That will need to be enough if the Blue Jackets hope to make the playoffs and welcome back Jones in April.
— The Athletic’s Alison Lukan contributed to this report.
(Photo of Zach Werenski: Jason Mowry / Getty Images)