COLUMBUS — Five games into the NHL season, the Columbus Blue Jackets have a problem that is becoming increasingly difficult to overlook. They're giving up too many goals, and Tuesday's 7-3 loss to the Florida Panthers demonstrated just how quickly things can get out of hand.
Columbus has allowed 21 goals through its first five games, an average of 4.2 per contest. After opening the season with an encouraging 6-3 victory over Buffalo, the Blue Jackets have lost three of four, including consecutive defeats in which they've surrendered 12 goals.
Some early inconsistency was expected as the team adjusted to new personnel and combinations under head coach Rick Bowness. But there's a difference between players learning to work together and the kind of mistakes that have repeatedly put Columbus in difficult positions.
Tuesday's loss offered a particularly troubling example. The Blue Jackets carried a 1-0 lead into the second period before Florida's Brady Tkachuk scored three consecutive goals in just over eight minutes. His natural hat trick turned a promising evening into a 3-1 deficit, and the Panthers weren't finished.
Florida scored four times on six power-play opportunities, capitalizing on a Columbus penalty kill that seemed unable to contain the Panthers' movement and passing. Matthew Tkachuk finished with five assists, while former Blue Jacket Seth Jones added four.
Mathieu Olivier's five-minute major for slashing Uvis Balinskis only made matters worse. Florida scored during the extended power play to take a 4-1 lead, then added another power-play goal early in the third period.
Bowness didn't attempt to disguise his frustration afterward, calling the mistakes self-inflicted and pointing to similar problems in Saturday's 5-3 loss at St. Louis.
The coach's assessment raises an uncomfortable question. If the Blue Jackets are repeatedly creating their own problems, how much of this can realistically be attributed to early-season adjustments?
The penalty kill is an obvious place to begin. Allowing four power-play goals in one game is difficult to overcome regardless of how well a team plays at even strength. Columbus also needs better defensive coverage around the slot, where dangerous opponents can turn relatively routine possessions into quality scoring opportunities.
Goaltending has not provided much relief, either. Cam Talbot surrendered six goals on 23 shots against Florida before being replaced by Jet Greaves late in the third period. Talbot certainly wasn't responsible for every defensive breakdown, but Columbus needs more dependable results from its goaltenders while the skaters in front of them work through their problems.
There are encouraging signs elsewhere. Kent Johnson has three goals through five games, and the Blue Jackets have demonstrated they can generate enough offense to compete. Their 3-2 shootout victory over Pittsburgh also showed that they are capable of playing a more controlled, disciplined game, particularly during extended stretches of even-strength hockey.
The problem is sustaining that level of play. Columbus has shown flashes of the team it wants to become, but those moments have been overshadowed by penalties, defensive lapses, and an inability to limit opponents' scoring opportunities.
It's much too early to declare the season in trouble, and Bowness has expressed confidence that the mistakes can be corrected. With 77 games remaining, Columbus has plenty of time to improve its defensive structure and develop greater consistency.
But if the Blue Jackets intend to contend for a playoff position, allowing more than four goals per game isn't a sustainable approach. The adjustments need to begin producing results before an early-season problem becomes a much larger one.
