Satisfaction.

Blue Jackets 3, Kings 1

Jeff Carter registered 18:39 of ice time in his first encounter with the Blue Jackets since leaving town for Los Angeles. He heard boos for every second of it. When he skated off the ice, fans rejoiced as Columbus won 3-2 against the Kings.

            Wearing Carter’s old number, Jack Johnson’s performance against his former squad was much more impressive. Johnson had one goal, four shots, and led all players in time on ice with 27:20.

            Johnson’s play was inspired throughout the night. He drove to the net with a bulldozer mentality that nearly yielded another goal late in the third period.

            The defenseman’s play was accented by a promotion that allowed fans to change the nameplate on their Carter jersey to J. Johnson during the first intermission. 

            Aside from the fanfare associated with Carter’s return and Johnson’s reunion with the Kings, another storyline stewed the pot. The last time the Blue Jackets played in Los Angeles, they lost as a result of a last-second goal that brought attention to a peculiar stop in the game clock during the closing moments of the game.

            In an attempt to avoid a similar problem, Columbus established an early lead that held for the entire night.

            At 9:14 of the first period, the Blue Jackets opened the scoring when James Wisniewski unleashed a blast from the point that Mark Letestu re-directed to make it 1-0.

            Shortly after the goal, the Kings’ Anze Kopitar tied it up with a shorthanded tally that sneaked past a sliding Steve Mason. Despite surrendering the lead, Columbus continued to feed off the energy in Nationwide Arena.

            Eight seconds before time expired, Johnson scored with a wrist shot from the slot to regain the lead. Derick Brassard and R.J. Umberger were credited with assists.

            At 3:07 of the second period, Letestu scored his second goal of the night and seventh of the season to give the Blue Jackets the 3-1 advantage.

            Los Angeles never responded after undertaking the two-goal deficit.

            The Blue Jackets were backed defensively by a joint effort from Mason and Curtis Sanford. Mason left the game in the second period after sustaining a cut on his left hand.  The goalies combined for 29 saves.

            

Mason Stones Phoenix

Blue Jackets 3, Coyotes 2

Two early goals and a blessing from the hockey gods propelled the Blue Jackets to a 3-2 victory against the Phoenix Coyotes on Tuesday night in Nationwide Arena.

Steve Mason, strong in his 11^th win of the season, made 38 saves. His performance between the pipes repeatedly saved Columbus from squandering its early lead.

It didn’t take long for the Blue Jackets to find the back of the net. Less than one minute into the first period, R.J. Umberger swept in alone on goal and stuffed a quick shot inside the near post for the 1-0 lead.

Shortly after Umberger’s tally, Columbus scored again to make it 2-1. Taking a cross- ice pass from Vinny Prospal, Jack Johnson rifled a wrist shot that whizzed over the right shoulder of goalie Mike Smith.

Following the Blue Jackets’ second goal, Smith yanked from the cage and replaced by Jason LaBarbera.

At 11:57 of the period, Antoine Vermette tallied to cut Columbus’ lead in half. Cruising into the zone on an odd-man rush, the ex-Blue Jacket blasted a one-timer past a sprawled out Mason to make it 2-1.

In the second frame, Derek Mackenzie scored at 3:02 to take the 3-1 lead. The play drew the ire of the Coyotes, who believed the goal was made possible by goalie interference. Derek Dorsett was involved in a three-player pileup inside the goal crease on the play.

When asked of the questionable goal, Mackenzie said the hockey gods must have been on Columbus’ side.

Fired up, Phoenix peppered Mason with shots for the remainder of the period. At one point, the Coyotes had eleven consecutive shots on goal.

Despite turning aside the majority of the Phoenix’s scoring chances, Mason finally allowed blistering slap shot at 16:26 of the period to make it 3-2.

The Blue Jackets were outshot 17-10 in the second period.

In the third period, the momentum shifted back and forth between the teams. On one end of the ice, Mason continuously made game-saving glove saves. In Columbus’ offensive zone, the Blue Jackets cycled the puck with amazing fluidity, but could not capitalize.

After surviving a frantic final two minutes, the Blue Jackets let out a sigh of relief as they recorded their third consecutive victory for the first time this season.

Columbus’ lone setback came in the form of an injury as Nikita Nikitin left the game in the first period after taking a shot to the leg. 

Johansen and Moore Center Columbus’ Rebuild

      

Much to the relief of Ryan Johansen and John Moore, the nameplates that hang above their lockers in Nationwide Arena appear to be staying put until the end of the year.

            During a disheartening losing season, the Blue Jackets’ top rookies have overcome fear of demotion and turned into the silver lining of Columbus’ campaign.

            Johansen, a forward, has 17 points through 51 games this season. He leads the team with three game-winning goals and is sixth in points scored.

            On the blue line, John Moore has seven points, two goals and five assists, through 51 games this season.

            Although their numbers are not as impressive as those of the league’s top rookies, they have proved their ability through past success.

            Drafted fourth overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Johansen’s potential was never doubted in Columbus. In the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, the center registered nine points in seven games for team Canada. His performance earned him a spot on the World Junior All-Star Team.

            Moore, drafted in the first round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, spent last season with the Springfield Falcons. During his tenure with the Blue Jackets’ top affiliate, the defenseman had 24 points through 73 games.

Unlike Johansen, Moore did not make Columbus’ roster out of training camp. Regardless of the snub, over time, they have both developed their roles on the team.  

            Separated by only two years, the rookies have a near identical build that has aided them in their success against the league’s top players.

            Both listed as six feet three inches tall, Johansen is one pound heavier than Moore, weighing in at 203 pounds. Despite the similarity, they use their size in different ways.

            Johansen, who faces the some of the league’s most brutal grinders, is often forced to bully his way to the front of the net or into the corners. Johansen has delivered 53 hits this season.

            On the other end of the ice, Moore has a much less confrontational style of play. The quiet defenseman from Winnetka, IL has used his frame to lie in front of the puck. Moore has 59 blocked shots this season.

            Amidst Columbus’ recent roster moves, both players have benefited greatly. With three centers traded away, (Jeff Carter, Sammy Pahlsson, and Antoine Vermette) there is more opportunity for Johansen to move off the wing into his original position in the middle of the ice.

            Looking further ahead, if Rick Nash is traded over the offseason, Johansen can fill the void of the power forward.

            In Moore’s case, although adding Jack Johnson to the lineup will translate into less ice time for the rookie defenseman, it also means he has a fellow American mentor to help him through his first years in the NHL.

            Johnson, formerly with the Los Angeles Kings, voiced his excitement about joining the organization and helping in the rebuilding process. His role in guiding Moore will be integral to the Blue Jackets’ success in the future.

            In the final home games of the season, the anticipation of the Blue Jackets’ turnaround is buzzing inside Nationwide Arena. However, below the seats in Columbus’ locker room, the two players around which the rebuilding process is centered are simply glad to be in the lineup.

            

'Yotes Silenced

Blue Jackets 5, Coyotes 2

            

Scheduled to face the Coyotes in two consecutive games, the Blue Jackets set the standard on Saturday night as they cruised to a 5-2 victory in Phoenix.

            Outshot 32-26, Columbus relied heavily upon Steve Mason who made 30 saves in the contest.

Scoring opened at 16:21 of the first period when Rick Nash picked up a shorthanded tally for his 23^rd goal of the campaign.

            Nearly five minutes into the second frame, Nash scored again to make it 2-0.

            Trailing by two goals on home ice, the Coyotes’ frustration turned into fisticuffs. At 6:57 of the second period, Colton Gillies and Chris Summers dropped the gloves. The fight shifted the momentum of the game, allowing Phoenix to close the gap.

            With the score tied at 2-2 heading into the third period, Columbus appeared to be losing grip on a game it had been dominating.

            Around the midway point of the final frame, the Blue Jackets’ Nikita Nikitin scored to stop the Coyotes comeback.  Leading 3-2, Columbus grabbed an insurance tally at 13:44 of the period when Derick Brassard notched his 12^th goal of the season.

            Gillies added an empty-netter in the waning moments of the contest to ice the victory. 

Mase-d!

Blue Jackets 2, Avalanche 0

It was only fitting that tallies from a pair of blue-liners carried Columbus to a 2-0-shutout victory against Colorado on Thursday night.

            In the highly defensive effort, the Blue Jackets received scoring contributions from Nikita Nikitin and Fedor Tyutin. On the other end of the ice, Steve Mason shined to secure the win.

            Rebounding from a poor outing against the Avalanche less than one week earlier, Mason stopped 33 shots in his first shutout victory of the season.

            The Blue Jackets scored the opening goal at 12:53 of the first period. On the power play, Vinny Prospal fed a pass to Nikitin who banged a heavy slap shot from the faceoff circle past Semyon Varlamov for the 1-0 lead.

            In the second period, Columbus scored again to make it 2-0. Skating at even strength, Derick Brassard scooped up the puck around center ice, dished the biscuit off to Prospal, then Prospal put a pass on for Tyutin who picked up his fifth goal of the season.

            The goal came seconds after Jack Johnson dropped the gloves for the first time in a Blue Jackets sweater. Johnson, rarely a fighter, won his bout with Gabriel Landeskog in a convincing fashion.

            On the power play late in the third period, Colorado pulled Varlamov for a 6-on-4 man advantage, but Columbus’ penalty kill stifled the comeback attempt.

            The Blue Jackets return to action against Antoine Vermette and the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday.