The Columbus Blue Jackets are getting better every day, and people are starting to take notice.
BLUE JACKETS 7, BLACKHAWKS 4
On Tuesday, Fredrik Norrena started his third game of the season in Chicago and faced a talented Blackhawks team. The Jackets got on the board early and often, taking a 2-0 lead not even three minutes into the
game. Rick Nash and Jiri Novotny scored the first period goals to get the Jackets going.
It was taxing for the Blue Jackets to contain both Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews all night, but Columbus answered every punch thrown by the duo. Kane scored at 15:21 of the first off a costly turnover inside the Jackets blueline, cutting the lead to 2-1.
Early in the second, Columbus continued on the scoring binge they began in the first. Jiri Novotny scored his second of the game and third overall at 4:34 on a goal-mouth pass from Gilbert Brule, and the lead was back to two goals.
The second period took a dangerous turn as the Jackets got lazy in their own zone, giving the 'Hawks too many opportunities to get back in the game- and they did just that. Toews scored on a weak wrister from the right circle at 6:47, somehow squeezing it through Norrena's pads. Kane scored with just under two minutes remaining in the second on a scrum in the crease, and all of a sudden, the game was tied.
Former Jacket Kevyn Adams flipped the puck over the glass on the very next play, putting the Jackets on the powerplay late in the period, and they capitalized. Following another mess in front of the net, the puck carromed to Sergei Fedorov, and he quickly gave the Jackets the lead again with 22 seconds remaining.
From there, the Jackets never looked back, and added goals from Nash, Nikolai Zherdev and an empty-net goal from Ole-Kristian Tollefsen, winning 7-4.
BLUE JACKETS 3, BLUES 0
Head coach Ken Hitchcock stated earlier in the week that the Central division games were not only four-point games, but games that the Jackets could assert themselves among the conference's best teams.
Pascal Leclaire returned to the net Thursday night, and backstopped the Blue Jackets to another shutout, 3-0 over the upstart St. Louis Blues.
If it weren't for a ridiculous highlight-reel goal by Rick Nash, which saw
him play the puck off the end wall and put his stick between his legs and go top-shelf on Hannu Toivonen, the talk would've been mostly about Leclaire. He was again sharp, making 36 saves and turning aside numerous scoring chances for his fourth win of the season.
"It's not that important to me (the shutout)," Leclaire said. "The important thing is getting the win. I would have been as happy if we won 5-4."
Jared Boll, the spark plug who has become an instant rock star among Jackets fans, scored his second goal of the season to get Columbus going at 13:30 of the second period.
For once, a Central division game didn't end up in a parade to the penalty box. Columbus and St. Louis each enjoyed only two power plays on the night, the Jackets scoring the long man-advantage goal.
After two shot attempts from the point by Ron Hainsey, his third found the end boards and ricocheted to Nash, who was handcuffed by the carrom. His only play (for those who thought he had any at all) was to put his stick between his legs and lift the puck. The result was a world-class goal that many of us won't forget. Oh, and it gave the Jackets a 2-0 lead through two periods.
"It was just a perfect situation," said Nash, whose goal was his eighth on the season. "I had to find a way to get the puck up into the net as fast as I could. That was the easiest way to do it.
"You do it a lot during practice but not during the game. I practice it for a while but you never think you'll actually use it in a game."
The Blues looked ragged in the third, and the Jackets kept the foot on the pedal until the final whistle. Jiri Novotny scored an empty-net goal that never went in to put Columbus up 3-0 at 17:38.
Nash won the puck off the faceoff in the Jackets zone, and passed it to a breaking Novotny. He was hooked from behind by Eric Brewer, and the goal was awarded by virtue of St. Louis pulling their goaltender.
BLUE JACKETS 2, SHARKS 1
If Blue Jackets fans have wondered what playoff hockey feels like, they got a good taste Saturday night in Nationwide.
Parma's prodigal son Dan Fritsche scored his first goal of the year, and Sergei Fedorov added the game-winner on the power play and the Jackets beat a deflated Sharks team 2-1 Saturday afternoon.
Pascal Leclaire defied the odds and won his fifth game of the year, albeit not by shutout.
The game was extremely physical on both ends of the ice, and nearly every whistle produced fisticuffs or a heated exchange of words.
Joe Thornton opened the scoring at 7:12 of the first, the beneficiary of a poor clearing attempt by Ole-Kristian Tollefsen. He looked for linemate Jo
nathan Cheechoo across the goal mouth, but the centering pass deflected off the stick of Columbus captain Adam Foote and behind Leclaire.
The speed line of Columbus (Chimera, Malhotra and Fritsche), criticized and the butt of coach Ken Hitchcock's joke following Thursday's game, finally converted on a scoring opportunity. Fritsche stole the puck inside the Sharks zone and started a give-and-go with Manny Malhotra. Fritsche's wrist shot beat Evgeni Nabokov high to the glove side to tie the game at 8:29.
Following chippy play from both teams throughout the second period, including a pair of high-sticks (one undetected on Columbus winger David Vyborny) that drew blood, the Jackets earned a power play when Nikolai Zherdev took a stick from Doug Murray, resulting in a four-minute power play.
Sergei Fedorov stepped into a quick wrister from 45 feet that beat Nabokov high-glove for the second time, and gave the Jackets a lead they wouldn't relinquish at 18:38.
"We are a difficult team to play against in the middle of the ice," said Fedorov. "And I think we didn't make any turnovers in the neutral zone."
Rick Nash's goal-scoring binge ended against the Sharks, but the encouraging sign was the contribution from his teammates that led to the victory.
The Jackets finished off a hectic stretch, playing six games in eleven days, going 4-1-1.
"The thing that is impressive for us is it was our sixth game in 11 days," said Ken Hitchcock, who has the Blue Jackets off to a franchise-record start in his first full season as head coach. "We are learning to play with the lead by not sitting back, instead going after it."
The win over San Jose gives Columbus 6 wins and 13 points in its first 10 games, by far the best start in franchise history.
Pascal Leclaire is expected to make his eighth start of the year when the Jackets travel to Los Angeles Wednesday night.
-Rob Mixer
rm234405@ohio.edu
On Tuesday, Fredrik Norrena started his third game of the season in Chicago and faced a talented Blackhawks team. The Jackets got on the board early and often, taking a 2-0 lead not even three minutes into the
game. Rick Nash and Jiri Novotny scored the first period goals to get the Jackets going.It was taxing for the Blue Jackets to contain both Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews all night, but Columbus answered every punch thrown by the duo. Kane scored at 15:21 of the first off a costly turnover inside the Jackets blueline, cutting the lead to 2-1.
Early in the second, Columbus continued on the scoring binge they began in the first. Jiri Novotny scored his second of the game and third overall at 4:34 on a goal-mouth pass from Gilbert Brule, and the lead was back to two goals.
The second period took a dangerous turn as the Jackets got lazy in their own zone, giving the 'Hawks too many opportunities to get back in the game- and they did just that. Toews scored on a weak wrister from the right circle at 6:47, somehow squeezing it through Norrena's pads. Kane scored with just under two minutes remaining in the second on a scrum in the crease, and all of a sudden, the game was tied.
Former Jacket Kevyn Adams flipped the puck over the glass on the very next play, putting the Jackets on the powerplay late in the period, and they capitalized. Following another mess in front of the net, the puck carromed to Sergei Fedorov, and he quickly gave the Jackets the lead again with 22 seconds remaining.
From there, the Jackets never looked back, and added goals from Nash, Nikolai Zherdev and an empty-net goal from Ole-Kristian Tollefsen, winning 7-4.
BLUE JACKETS 3, BLUES 0
Head coach Ken Hitchcock stated earlier in the week that the Central division games were not only four-point games, but games that the Jackets could assert themselves among the conference's best teams.
Pascal Leclaire returned to the net Thursday night, and backstopped the Blue Jackets to another shutout, 3-0 over the upstart St. Louis Blues.
If it weren't for a ridiculous highlight-reel goal by Rick Nash, which saw
him play the puck off the end wall and put his stick between his legs and go top-shelf on Hannu Toivonen, the talk would've been mostly about Leclaire. He was again sharp, making 36 saves and turning aside numerous scoring chances for his fourth win of the season."It's not that important to me (the shutout)," Leclaire said. "The important thing is getting the win. I would have been as happy if we won 5-4."
Jared Boll, the spark plug who has become an instant rock star among Jackets fans, scored his second goal of the season to get Columbus going at 13:30 of the second period.
For once, a Central division game didn't end up in a parade to the penalty box. Columbus and St. Louis each enjoyed only two power plays on the night, the Jackets scoring the long man-advantage goal.
After two shot attempts from the point by Ron Hainsey, his third found the end boards and ricocheted to Nash, who was handcuffed by the carrom. His only play (for those who thought he had any at all) was to put his stick between his legs and lift the puck. The result was a world-class goal that many of us won't forget. Oh, and it gave the Jackets a 2-0 lead through two periods.
"It was just a perfect situation," said Nash, whose goal was his eighth on the season. "I had to find a way to get the puck up into the net as fast as I could. That was the easiest way to do it.
"You do it a lot during practice but not during the game. I practice it for a while but you never think you'll actually use it in a game."
The Blues looked ragged in the third, and the Jackets kept the foot on the pedal until the final whistle. Jiri Novotny scored an empty-net goal that never went in to put Columbus up 3-0 at 17:38.
Nash won the puck off the faceoff in the Jackets zone, and passed it to a breaking Novotny. He was hooked from behind by Eric Brewer, and the goal was awarded by virtue of St. Louis pulling their goaltender.
BLUE JACKETS 2, SHARKS 1
If Blue Jackets fans have wondered what playoff hockey feels like, they got a good taste Saturday night in Nationwide.
Parma's prodigal son Dan Fritsche scored his first goal of the year, and Sergei Fedorov added the game-winner on the power play and the Jackets beat a deflated Sharks team 2-1 Saturday afternoon.
Pascal Leclaire defied the odds and won his fifth game of the year, albeit not by shutout.
The game was extremely physical on both ends of the ice, and nearly every whistle produced fisticuffs or a heated exchange of words.
Joe Thornton opened the scoring at 7:12 of the first, the beneficiary of a poor clearing attempt by Ole-Kristian Tollefsen. He looked for linemate Jo
nathan Cheechoo across the goal mouth, but the centering pass deflected off the stick of Columbus captain Adam Foote and behind Leclaire.The speed line of Columbus (Chimera, Malhotra and Fritsche), criticized and the butt of coach Ken Hitchcock's joke following Thursday's game, finally converted on a scoring opportunity. Fritsche stole the puck inside the Sharks zone and started a give-and-go with Manny Malhotra. Fritsche's wrist shot beat Evgeni Nabokov high to the glove side to tie the game at 8:29.
Following chippy play from both teams throughout the second period, including a pair of high-sticks (one undetected on Columbus winger David Vyborny) that drew blood, the Jackets earned a power play when Nikolai Zherdev took a stick from Doug Murray, resulting in a four-minute power play.
Sergei Fedorov stepped into a quick wrister from 45 feet that beat Nabokov high-glove for the second time, and gave the Jackets a lead they wouldn't relinquish at 18:38.
"We are a difficult team to play against in the middle of the ice," said Fedorov. "And I think we didn't make any turnovers in the neutral zone."
Rick Nash's goal-scoring binge ended against the Sharks, but the encouraging sign was the contribution from his teammates that led to the victory.
The Jackets finished off a hectic stretch, playing six games in eleven days, going 4-1-1.
"The thing that is impressive for us is it was our sixth game in 11 days," said Ken Hitchcock, who has the Blue Jackets off to a franchise-record start in his first full season as head coach. "We are learning to play with the lead by not sitting back, instead going after it."
The win over San Jose gives Columbus 6 wins and 13 points in its first 10 games, by far the best start in franchise history.
Pascal Leclaire is expected to make his eighth start of the year when the Jackets travel to Los Angeles Wednesday night.
-Rob Mixer
rm234405@ohio.edu
