Despite peppering the white goalie with shots, the blue team could not break the tie before time ran out for the first intermission entertainment. Elsewhere in the arena, one dad was preparing for a hamster ball race with his son. He would later win the race handily. Oh, and Columbus lost.
Why does one recall these meaningless nuggets of information? Because lately anything else in the world has been more memorable than watching a Blue Jackets game.
For three periods, Columbus reverted to the dump-and-chase offense that characterized the team in its opening seasons. Rarely did the Blue Jackets work the puck in the Kings’ zone and come away with more than one shot.
The lack of offense consequently put loads of pressure the defense. Curtis Sanford made 39 saves after taking a brief hiatus from the blue paint. Of the two goals he allowed, the first caught the ire of the Columbus bench.
Four minutes into the third period, Los Angeles forward Dustin Brown backed into Sanford while Davis Drewiske netted an uncontested wrist shot from the point. The referees convened for a conference to discuss goaltender interference, but the call stood.
Side-angles did not reveal the contact, but the camera shot from overhead showed all of Nationwide Arena the injustice. Sanford never had an opportunity to play the puck.
Los Angeles added its second goal later in the period when Brown deflected a heavy slap shot from defenseman Drew Doughty.
Trailing 2-1 in the waning moments of the game, the Blue Jackets tried desperately to find the tying goal, but could not mirror the same late-game heroics that have stung them in recent games.
Jeff Carter had the final quality chance on goal, though his shot glanced off Kings’ goalie Jonathan Quick’s shoulder before ringing iron and eventually sailing out of play.
Columbus’ lone goal came in the second period when Vinny Prospal’s wrister careened off Carter’s upper body into the back of the net.
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