Mathieu Olivier’s Decisions Are Becoming a Problem for the Blue Jackets
Olivier’s major penalty against Florida capped a run of costly choices, putting his judgment and his value to Columbus under the spotlight.
Mathieu Olivier has become too important to the Columbus Blue Jackets to keep spending his energy on decisions that put the team in a hole. His five-minute major and game misconduct against Florida were the latest example, and the third time in five games that his choices have carried a real cost.
The incident came as Columbus trailed 3-1 after surrendering three straight goals to Brady Tkachuk. Olivier had just battled Florida defenseman Uvis Balinskis along the boards. After Balinskis shoved him and added a shoulder check away from the play, Olivier followed him toward the middle of the ice and struck him between the legs with his stick.
Balinskis went down and headed toward the tunnel, drawing the major penalty. He returned without missing a shift. Olivier was ejected, and the Blue Jackets lost a player who could have helped them respond to a difficult game. There was no large windup, but the act was dangerous and well beyond an ordinary hockey play. The officials’ decision to assess a major and remove him from the game was understandable.
Florida got the reaction it wanted
Balinskis’s contact after the board battle was late and away from the puck. It was enough to provoke Olivier, though, and Olivier’s response went much further. That’s the part Columbus should be focused on: Florida’s defenseman managed to draw a reaction that hurt the Blue Jackets more than it hurt the Panthers.
Olivier may have wanted to change the feel of a game that was slipping away. But a dangerous retaliatory slash wasn’t a useful spark. It cost Columbus a regular forward at a point when the team needed bodies on the ice and momentum in its favor. At the time of the source report, the league had announced no further discipline.
The Florida sequence stands out, but it fits a pattern that began on opening night against Buffalo. With Columbus leading 3-2 and already facing a penalty kill, Olivier pushed the puck into Buffalo’s empty net, apparently trying to provoke the Sabres into taking a penalty. Buffalo reacted, and Olivier ended up with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Columbus then had to kill a full two minutes of five-on-three hockey.
The Blue Jackets escaped that situation with a win. The reaction may even have energized them, which made the risk look worthwhile in hindsight. But the outcome doesn’t make the decision sound. Giving an opponent a chance to draw Columbus into another penalty is a poor trade when the team is already shorthanded.
Timing matters as much as toughness
Olivier’s next costly choice came Saturday, with the Blue Jackets holding a 2-0 road lead. He opened the second period by fighting Ross Johnston. The fight may have reinforced Olivier’s reputation as a tough player, but Columbus lost control of the game afterward as St. Louis took over.
There’s a time for Olivier to answer a challenge or protect a teammate. A two-goal lead on the road, at the start of a period, is a moment to stay disciplined and make the opponent do the chasing. The opening-night episode against Buffalo had already shown the danger of letting an opponent dictate the terms. Olivier had an opportunity to keep playing and let Columbus build its lead instead.
Together, the three incidents point to a problem that goes beyond one penalty. Olivier is trying to bring emotion and physicality, qualities the Blue Jackets need. Yet those tools only help when his judgment serves the team’s situation. A fight while protecting a teammate can have a purpose; taking a needless penalty or making a dangerous play can leave Columbus trying to repair damage.
Columbus needs more than an enforcer
That’s why Olivier’s value makes the Florida incident more frustrating. He isn’t just a tough presence in the lineup. The source describes him as a vital part of the Blue Jackets’ best line, one that can drive play against strong opponents, contribute secondary scoring and handle defensive assignments. His presence also gives Columbus a player who can stand up for teammates when the moment calls for it.
If Olivier is unavailable, the club loses more than its protector. His linemates lose a piece of a unit that has been effective at both ends of the rink. The Blue Jackets may want his intensity, but they also need the forward who helps that line do its work shift after shift.
Olivier apologized to his teammates after the game, a necessary response from a player wearing a letter. The next step has to show up in his decisions. He can still bring force, defend teammates and lift a flat bench; he needs to choose the moments carefully and keep his play within the game.
For Columbus, the lesson is plain: Olivier’s role has grown, and his responsibility has grown with it. The Blue Jackets need the energy he brings. They need it directed toward winning the next shift, not giving the opposition an opening.
