Hildeby Outlasts the Blue Jackets at Nationwide
Columbus played the better game on Thursday and walked away with nothing. The difference was Dennis Hildeby, who held the Blue Jackets to one goal in Tampa Bay's 3-1 road win.
The home side threw 72 shot attempts at the net to Tampa's 54, and its chances added up to 2.95 expected goals (a measure of how many goals those chances were worth). Columbus scored once. Hildeby stopped 28 of 29 shots, finishing +1.95 in goals saved above expected, roughly two goals better than an average goalie would have managed. Matthew Knies, on a line with Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson, was the only one to solve him.
The bounces piled on, too. Denton Mateychuk hit the iron twice and his partner Jake Christiansen once more. Down the other end, Jet Greaves made 25 saves on 28 shots, about what the chances in front of him called for.
For Columbus (7-10-0), it is a third straight loss that felt better than the score. Tampa Bay (13-4-2) stays first in the Atlantic, this time on its goalie's back.
