Sharks Eat Jackets...Whole

Sharks 6, Blue Jackets 0

After enjoying a few days off for All-Star Weekend, the Blue Jackets were handed an unpleasant “welcome back,” courtesy of the San Jose Sharks. In its second shutout loss of the year, Columbus stumbled its way to a 6-0 defeat.

            The difference between the teams was as clear as day. San Jose, 3-17-2 at home against the Blue Jackets, started early and stayed late. Steve Mason and his defensive corps never showed up.

Scoring opened at 7:53 of the first period when Patrick Marleau found a loose puck in front of Mason and stuffed it away for the 1-0 lead. Two minutes later, Sharks veteran Joe Thornton capitalized on a turnover in Columbus’ defensive zone to make it 2-0.

The flood of goals continued deep into the night as San Jose picked up a pair of marks in each of the next two periods. Three Sharks had multi-point nights.

Despite squandering an obscene amount of goals, coach Todd Richards did not make a change between the pipes. Mason finished with 33 saves.

            With the gap widening, the Blue Jackets repeatedly tried to change the dynamic of the game with a physical presence. Even as the game slipped further out of reach, Columbus kept agitating and banging bodies.    

San Jose, no stranger to the tough brand of hockey, picked up its game with a few thunderous checks of its own. The product of the teams’ displeasure was a wild third period. Four of the game’s five fights broke out in the final frame. Three players picked up 10-minute misconducts over a span of two minutes.

As the season continues it is becoming more and more evident that the Blue Jackets’ heavy hitting mentality is part of the team’s style, rather than a product of impulse.

Columbus will carry its bruises into Los Angeles, where the team will take on the Kings Wednesday night.