Seeing Red

Blackhawks 6, Blue Jackets 1

            During the first intermission of Saturday’s Central Division matchup, maintenance workers inside Nationwide Arena fixed the goal light on the west end of the rink. The Blackhawks reaped the benefits.

            In front of a sellout crowd colored with Chicago’s red sweaters, the visitors rolled to a 6-1 victory against Columbus.

            “What started out as a very promising game, the way that we were playing, ended up as a disappointment,” coach Todd Richards said. “We weren’t playing, we were going through the motions.”

            Scoring opened at 5:13 of the opening frame when Derick Brassard intercepted a faulty clearing attempt from former Blue Jacket Sami Lepisto and hammered a blistering slap shot past Corey Crawford.

            The goal silenced the Blackhawks' noisy supporters, but a crafty play from Jonathan Toews at 12:27 of the first period reenergized the crowd. With one hand on his stick, Toews swept from right to left in on the goal and jammed a quick shot five-hole to make it 1-1.

            “It was a big goal for them,” R.J. Umberger said. “That changed the game for their team and we have to find ways to do that ourselves”

             Nearly five minutes later, Victor Stalberg scored off a centering pass from Bryan Bickell to give Chicago the 2-1 advantage. The goal marked Stalberg’s 8^th of the season against the Blue Jackets and 16^th overall.

             Midway through the second period, the physical play that had been absent in the first 20 minutes manifested itself.  

             Following the first scrap of the afternoon, the Blackhawks notched a pair goals in less than two minutes. Both marks came from Chicago’s notoriously dangerous first line of Patrick Sharp, Patrick Kane, and Jonathan Toews.

            “When you get up against guys like that you have to contain and try not to let them get the opportunities they got,” Ryan Russell said. “Its unfortunate we gave them the time that that they got.”

            After surrendering his fourth goal of the game, Steve Mason was replaced by Allen York.

             Despite the changes between the pipes, Columbus’ fortune did not improve in the third period. Over a span of 49 seconds, the Blue Jackets allowed two more goals, giving the Blackhawks a five-goal advantage.

            Columbus forward Derek Dorsett owned the home team’s lone highlight of the frame. Eleven seconds after Chicago made it 6-1, Dorsett traded haymakers with John Scott for the second fight of the afternoon.

            On his way to the penalty box, the Blue Jackets’ enraged winger kicked his stick up the ice. The action earned him a 10-minute misconduct in addition to the 10-minute penalty for instigating.

            “I think that last goal pushed me over the edge,” Derek Dorsett said. “I just snapped. It’s getting frustrating.”

           

Jackets Edge Blues

Blue Jackets 2, Blues 1

Just when a fan thought they had claimed the night’s sweetest moment, the Blue Jackets upstaged their supporter with a little help from the officials. On Valentines Day in Nationwide Arena, chocolate covered projectiles took a backseat to a nail-biting finish.

After dropping its past two games to the Blues, Columbus rolled to a 2-1 victory against its Central Division rival.

The game started slowly, but a fight and a power play opportunity late in the first period broke the monotony.

At 15:09 of the opening frame, Derek Dorsett and B.J. Crombeen, who have exchanged unkind words in the past, dropped the gloves. Two minutes later, a St. Louis penalty sparked a pair of goals.

Columbus, which has the league’s worst penalty kill, allowed the game’s first goal when David Backes capitalized on a shorthanded breakaway at 18:51 of the period.

Shortly after the Blues’ tally, the Blue Jackets tied it up at 1-1. With two seconds left in the frame, Jeff Carter won a key offensive zone faceoff that enabled James Wisniewski to power a last second shot through the wickets of Jaroslav Halak. It was a fitting goal for a team robbed by the game-clock two weeks ago in Los Angeles.

In the second period, Columbus stormed back in the shot column, but neither team could break the tie. By the end of 40 minutes, both teams had 17 shots.

When the Blue Jackets skated out after the second intermission, the real fun began. Columbus’ intensity increased and as a result the home team broke through early.

Nearly five minutes into the third period, Dorsett, sent cheers through the stands as his 10^th goal of the season made it 2-1.

The Blue Jackets’ 2-1 lead did not go untested however, as Steve Mason played in a heavily populated goal crease for the remainder of the game. St. Louis swarmed at every opportunity, trying for more of a “hard-working” tally than a finesse play.

With 1.8 seconds left in regulation, a pileup in front of Columbus’ net embodied the Blues’ efforts to that point. Close, but no cigar. Battling a host of white jerseys, Mason was not able to save St. Louis last shot, but video replay deemed the puck had been illegally shoved into the back of the net.

As the referee announced the call to Nationwide Arena, fans rejoiced as the decision meant the Blue Jackets grabbed two points against their rival. And on a night where delicious treats were hurled down to ice level, Columbus walked away with the simple taste of relief.

#Embarassing for Jackets

Ducks 5, Blue Jackets 3

When “tweet-up” night in Nationwide Arena drew to a close, nobody needed 140 characters to summarize the Blue Jackets performance. One word would suffice. Disappointing.

After squandering an early lead, Columbus eventually dropped a 5-3 decision to the Ducks in an ugly fashion.

Anaheim took the lead 46 seconds into the game when Corey Perry put a wrist shot past Steve Mason to make it 1-0. Then, at 16:15 of the first period, Perry struck again to give his team a 2-0 advantage.

Trailing by two, the Blue Jackets were able to strike back before the first intermission, but Fedor Tyutin’s fourth goal of the season did not spark any momentum.

In the second frame, the Ducks continued their dominance with the help of their special teams unit. Anaheim converted on two of three power play opportunities in the second period to gain a commanding 5-1 lead.

Perry, who tallied twice in the opening period, completed his hat trick at 12:38 of the second frame. It was the winger’s second tri-fecta against Columbus this season.

The Blue Jackets attempted to comeback from the four-goal deficit, but only registered two goals before time expired. Antoine Vermette and Aaron Johnson held the game’s final scores.

Steve Mason, logging his second-consecutive start, made 30 saves in the losing effort. 

Escaped the Wild

Blue Jackets 3, Wild 1

Not a week had passed since the Blue Jackets’ last victory against the Wild, though substantial changes to Columbus’ lineup put the team in an unfavorable position. Plagued with injuries to Marc Methot and Jared Boll, the Blue Jackets powered through the setbacks to notch a 3-1 victory in Minnesota.

            Welcoming back two players to the roster, Columbus tried its best to blend lines and create favorable matchups. Ryan Johansen, who had been a healthy scratch in recent games, found time with Jeff Carter. On the blue line, James Wisniewski wasted no time hoping back on the power play unit.

            Minnesota started the scoring at 14:28 of the first period when Devin Setoguchi recorded his fourteenth goal of the season. However, the 1-0 lead did not hold for long as R.J. Umberger tied it up in the final minute of the frame.

            Both goals came amidst a heavily offensive period in which the teams combined for 25 shots, but the Wild had the slight advantage.

            In the second period, Umberger tallied another goal in the final minute of the period to give the Blue Jackets a 2-1 lead. Rick Nash and James Wisniewski were credited with assists on the power play goal.

            Nash registered two assists on the night, giving him five points in four games.

            The Wild’s potent offense continued to dictate play into the waning moments of the game, but Steve Mason prevailed in the crease for Columbus. Mason, earning his first victory in seven starts, made 34 saves in the contest.

            The Blue Jackets relied on their goaltender for the majority of the third period as they were outshot 15-2 in the final 20 minutes.

            Wisniewski, who returned after missing 17 games with a broken ankle, iced the game with an empty netter at 19:21 of the third period.  

            Columbus looks ahead a week inside Nationwide Arena as they kick off a three game home stand Sunday evening against the Anaheim Ducks. 

Stars Burst 'Jackets

Stars 4, Blue Jackets 2

Hungry for a victory, the Stars were not fazed by Columbus’ recent success. They couldn’t afford to be. Battling to qualify for the postseason, Dallas improved its position in the Western Conference standings with a 4-2 victory against the Blue Jackets.

Columbus’ fate was determined early in the night when it surrendered a pair of first period goals. At 1:35 of the opening frame, Jamie Benn snapped a wrist shot to the back of the net to make it 1-0. Nearly three minutes later, the Stars added another goal to take the 2-0 advantage before intermission.

In the second period, the Blue Jackets allowed another early mark. One minute into the frame, Dallas forward Stephane Robidas scored his fourth goal of the season.

Midway through the period, Columbus started to chip away at the Stars’ 3-0 lead. Dallas, which had not been penalized in the first period, took three trips to the sin bin over a span of four minutes, allowing the Blue Jackets to re-enter the game.

Vinny Prospal and Rick Nash both scored on the power play to make it 3-2 after 40 minutes of play. Derick Brassard and Fedor Tyutin had assists on both goals.

Looking to complete the comeback, Columbus maintained its pressure on the Stars in the third period. Consequently, the Blue Jackets put on an exciting finale for fans in Nationwide Arena, but the energy in the building was not enough to rattle Dallas’ goalie Kari Lehtonen.

Lehtonen, who recorded his 20^th win of the season, made 26 saves in the contest.

Jamie Benn iced the game with an empty netter in the game’s final second, making him the fourth Star to register two points in the game. 

Brassard Answers

On December 1^st, Derick Brassard’s agent, Allan Walsh, blasted the Columbus Blue Jackets’ management and specifically former coach Scott Arniel for making his client the “scape goat” and “fall guy” for the teams’ misfortunes. Five days later when the Blue Jackets traveled to Montreal, Brassard was benched for the eighth time.

This time, the scratch hurt even more. The Hull, Quebec native was born nearby. It was essentially a homecoming for the 24-year old, but nobody asked him to dance.

During the first part of the season, Brassard, who was expected to have a breakout year, was caught in a catch 22. He wasn’t getting playing time because he was stuck in a slump and he was slumping because he was away from the ice.

Occasionally, the center would pick up a game, but the lack of consistency made it hard for Brassard establish himself.

When Scott Arniel was relieved of his duties behind the bench on January 9^th, Brassard moved back into the Blue Jackets locker room on a more permanent basis. Now, after getting the chance to string together consecutive games, the 24-year-old center is meeting expectations. 

In the past five games, Brassard has two goals and two assists. On February 3^rd, the center notched the first multi-goal game of his career against the Anaheim Ducks.

Despite being scratched eight times this season, Brassard is tied for sixth among team leaders with 19 points (9 goals and 10 assists). As a result of his offensive production, he is finding more time on the team’s top units. In the month of January, no. 16 registered 27 shots.

Though even with an innate ability for finding the back of the net, the Canadian has not reserved his 6-1 frame entirely for making plays. Perhaps more than anyone, Brassard has fully embraced Columbus’ willingness to bang bodies.

In the past ten games, the forward has recorded 22 hits. Then, against San Jose, Brassard squared off with Dan Boyle in an effort to make it known that he did not enjoy the liberties being taken against his team.

            More than anything the fight was an expression of leadership, an attribute Brassard has proved to posses. But don’t expect him to lobby for a captain's position anytime soon, he’s just happy that come game day, he’s wearing a sweater instead of a suit.

           
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Happy Reunion

Blue Jackets 3, Wild 1

Upon being traded to the Blue Jackets, Colton Gillies was not rude when asked of his relations with Minnesota Wild. The young center merely specified he had circled the date of Columbus’ next meeting with his former squad.

On Tuesday night, neither Gillies nor the rest of the Blue Jackets had forgotten the magnitude of the game as Columbus surged past the Wild 3-1.

For the majority of the opening period, the Blue Jackets possessed the puck in their offensive zone, passed around to set up a shot, then scrambled for any loose rebounds.

 Scoring opened at 8:59 of the first period when the Blue Jackets’ potent offense finally snuck a shot past Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom. David Savard, whose blast from the point found its way through a cluster of players, picked up his first NHL goal with the tally.

On the ensuing faceoff, Minnesota, looking to stifle Columbus’ momentum, tried to coax Jared Boll into a fight. Despite the already prevalent physical nature of the game, the gloves stayed on.

As expected, the Wild settled down after a few more minutes and eventually started to play on the other end of the ice. Despite registering only seven shots in the first period, Minnesota tied the game at 1-1 before the teams retreated to the locker room.

            In the second frame, the Blue Jackets regained the lead on the power play. The goal was another product of great puck movement. After evaluating his options, Rick Nash found Antoine Vermette cutting across the slot for the 2-1 lead.

            Minnesota outshot Columbus in the second period, 13-9, but Curtis Sanford was perfect.

            Coming out for the third period, the Blue Jackets needed an insurance goal to protect their one-goal advantage. Five minutes into the final frame, Columbus’ Jeff Carter scored on a rebound to give the home team some extra security. Gillies, who had been active the entire night, picked up an assist on the goal.

            The Wild put on a late-game push with time dwindling, but the Blue Jackets battled to the final horn, recording their second back-to-back victory of the season.

            It was a special win for Gillies, whose gritty style of play didn’t earn him any new friends from the North Star State. Behind the bench, an equally enthusiastic Todd Richards watched his team celebrate its victory against the squad he formerly coached. It was a good night in Columbus.

           

           
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