The Columbus Blue Jackets show offensive promise behind Matthew Knies and Kent Johnson, but defensive injuries present an early challenge for Rick Bowness.

COLUMBUS –  The Columbus Blue Jackets have already experienced the highs and lows of a new NHL season, but Friday’s victory over Pittsburgh provided an encouraging response to an uneven opening week.

Rick Bowness’ team opened the season with an impressive offensive performance, struggled against Utah and then battled its way past a Metropolitan Division rival.

The biggest challenge now is maintaining consistency while several important defensemen recover from injuries.

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Knies Makes Immediate Impact In Columbus

The Blue Jackets began their season October 1 with a 6-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres.

Newcomer Matthew Knies wasted little time making an impression.

Acquired from Toronto in a trade that sent Kirill Marchenko to the Maple Leafs, Knies delivered two goals and an assist in his Columbus debut.

Charlie Coyle contributed three assists, Zach Werenski collected two, and goaltender Jet Greaves stopped 23 shots.

Adam Fantilli, Cole Sillinger, Sean Monahan and Mathieu Olivier also scored.

Knies’ performance demonstrated the offensive potential of a Columbus roster featuring several new faces.

Utah Exposes Early Problems

The Blue Jackets couldn’t sustain that momentum October 3.

Utah defeated Columbus 4-1 at Nationwide Arena, with Nick Schmaltz scoring twice and Dylan Guenther contributing three points.

The loss highlighted the inconsistency Bowness has been working to eliminate.

After scoring six goals in their opener, Columbus managed just one against the Mammoth.

Jackets Respond Against Pittsburgh

Friday’s matchup with Pittsburgh provided another opportunity to establish momentum.

Columbus earned a 3-2 shootout victory over the Penguins, with Kent Johnson scoring in the shootout and Cam Talbot stopping 20 shots in his Blue Jackets debut.

Damon Severson, returning from shoulder surgery, delivered a goal and an assist.

Mathieu Olivier also scored, while Sillinger contributed two assists.

Pittsburgh received goals from Bryan Rust and Evgeni Malkin, but Columbus prevailed after controlling much of the play and outshooting the Penguins 45-22.

The victory improved the Jackets to 2-1-0.

Defensive Injuries Remain A Concern

Columbus is still dealing with significant personnel issues.

Defenseman Ivan Provorov is sidelined with a lower-body injury, while Dante Fabbro has a broken hand.

Forward Isac Lundestrom is also unavailable because of a lower-body injury.

Severson’s return provides some much-needed help for a defensive group that has been forced to adjust its pairings.

For Bowness, managing those absences while improving the team’s overall defensive structure will remain important.

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Upcoming Columbus Blue Jackets Games

Columbus has no additional games scheduled through October 16. The Blue Jackets return home against the New York Rangers on October 17.

The biggest question: Can the Jackets establish consistent defensive play while their blue line remains shorthanded?