After being beat worse than Jim Mora-coached-teams in the playoffs, the Columbus Blue Jackets returned to their winning ways with two shootout victories over Western Conference foes.
This is the Midweek Report.
Last Three:
Detroit:
The Blue Jackets entered last Wednesday’s game against Detroit on a five game point streak, but left the game embarrassed.
Not only did the Jackets fail to redeem themselves against the team that sent them packing in just four games in the first round of the 2009 playoffs, they failed to show up.
The 9-1 loss was one of the largest defeats in Columbus history, and Detroit’s nine goals set a record for most goals scored against the Blue Jackets in Nationwide Arena.
Goaltender Steve Mason was pulled during the first period after giving up three quick goals, then put back in to start the second.
In all, Mason allowed a total of eight goals on the night.
The game, which was the 1,000th coached in Ken Hitchcock’s NHL career, was also the first time Columbus faced Detroit while being ahead of them in the Central Division standings.
Anaheim:
After struggling mightily against Detroit, Columbus got off to another slow start against Anaheim.
Midway through the first period, Columbus was being outshot 10-2 and had allowed the first goal of the game to Bobby Ryan.
Rick Nash’s 13th goal tied the score at one.
After a scoreless third period and overtime, the teams entered the shootout where Columbus goaltender Mathieu Garon has excelled.
After a goal by Kristian Huselius, Rick Nash gave Columbus the win with this goal on one leg.
Garon made 32 of 34 saves for the win.
Edmonton:
Columbus goaltender Mathieu Garon improved to 18-4 in shootouts with the shootout win over Edmonton on Monday night.
After a scoreless first, the teams each tallied goals in the second and third periods to reach the 2-2 tie at the end of regulation.
In the shootout, Columbus’ Fedor Tyutin put one past Nikolai Khabibulin to give the Blue Jackets the lead. It was his first shootout attempt since clinching the win for Columbus over Chicago last season in the game that earned the team its first ever Stanley Cup Playoff birth.
After Edmonton’s Ales Hemsky forced a fourth shooter by tying the shootout total at one, Columbus’ Jakub Voracek scored the winning goal for the Jackets.
To secure the victory, Columbus goaltender Mathieu Garon denied former Columbus first-round pick Gilbert Brule.
The Youth:
The Blue Jackets have announced that they have loaned winger Nikita Filatov to CSKA Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League for the remainder of the 2009-2010 season.
Filatov has appeared in 13 games this season, and scored 2 goals.
Filatov was Columbus’ first-round pick, sixth overall, at the 2008 entry draft.
Last season he tallied four goals in eight games, including a hat-trick against Minnesota on Jan. 10.
Power Play:
Columbus went 0-2 verses Detroit, 1-4 against Anaheim, and 2-4 against Edmonton.
This brings the season total to 17 for 73, or 23.3 percent, good enough for seventh best in the NHL.
The power play continues to be a big area of improvement for the Blue Jackets, after ranking last in the category nearly all of last season.
The Kill:
The Blue Jackets killed off 2 of 4 against Detroit, all 5 verses Anaheim, and 3 of 5 against Edmonton.
This brings the season total to 68 for 87, or 78.2 percent, a far cry from when the Jackets led the league in this category after killing nearly 30 straight penalties earlier this year.
Central Race:
Columbus currently sits two points back of division-leader Chicago, with 24 points.
With one less game played than Columbus and Chicago, Detroit is close behind with 23 points.
Nashville and St. Louis have 21 and 16 points respectively.
Injury Report:
Columbus winger Raffi Torres took a puck to the face in last Wednesday night’s game against Detroit and, according to the Columbus Blue Jackets Official Website,
has been place on injured reserve and is expected to miss at least one week.
Up Next:
The Blue Jackets begin a five-game road trip Thursday at Dallas. The trip will take them to Nashville, New York, Montreal, and Ottawa before returning home to face Jerome Iginla and the Calgary Flames on Nov. 28.
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