Good to be
home.
Jackets return home
after two road losses and overpower the Islanders 4-1
By Dave Weissman, Columbus Wired
(1/25/02)
“It’s nice to get home,” said Blue Jackets president, GM and
interim coach Doug MacLean. “Great first fifteen minutes…we played
super.”
“We’re not thinking,” said Islander head coach Peter Laviolette.
“There’s no excuse.”
Those statements pretty much say it all.
The Columbus Blue Jackets took advantage of a little home cooking,
the fight in their bellies from getting trounced by the Avalanche
in Denver on Thursday and the fatigue the Islanders showed playing
the second of a back to back after winning 3-1 in Philadelphia.
Columbus scored two power play goals in the first period and one
in the third-period to lead the way to a 4-1 victory over the New
York Islanders. New York, which has never beaten the Jackets, has
been on a roll posting a 10-3-0-2 record in its last 15 games,
including the victory in Philadelphia.
The Jackets came out inspired and with a bit of an edge after
getting out manned, muscled and scored in the 5-0 defeat at the
hands of the Colorado Avalanche, whom Columbus has never beaten in
10 tries.
“Guys were energetic, still upset from the (loss) in Colorado,”
said Jackets captain Ray Whitney. “We came out with a little bit
of an edge to our game.”
They came out firing on all cylinders as Andrew Cassels lit the
lamp less on a powerplay goal less than three minutes into the
contest to stake an early 1-0 lead. Cassels, known more for
setting up Geoff Sanderson, scored when Ray Whitney received a
pass from David Vyborney down the far wall and hit an open Cassels.
Islander goaltender Garth Snow had no chance to swing over and
Cassels was left with an open net.
Columbus moved ahead 2-0 moments later as Lasse Pirjeta smoked a
one-timer from Grant Marshall past Snow to give the Jackets a 2-0
lead.
“Power play was sharp and got it going for us,” said MacLean.
“Undisciplined penalties by us and a complete failure by our
penalty killers, who are usually pretty reliable,” said Laviolette.
“We’re not thinking. It cost us two goals and ultimately cost us
the game.”
Marc Denis was suburb, only giving up one goal late in the second
period. The Islanders threw 12 shots and two scrums in front of
him during the period. Columbus would put up two goal line
stances.
“Typical Islanders hockey,” said Denis. “They throw a lot of pucks
and bodies at the goal.”
Denis lost his stick both times, but the defense was able to get
the puck out of their zone and allow Denis to reclaim his wood.
On the Islander’s twenty-first shot of the game, Arron Asham threw
a shot towards the goal as he came down the left side of the ice.
It careened off the side of the net and he was able to grab the
rebound and stuff it under Denis’ glove, making the score 2-1.
But, that was as close as they would get.
In the third period, the Jackets would cash in on another power
play to put close the game. Cassels dumped the puck into the
offensive corner. Mike Sillinger took the puck, backhanding and
banking the puck off the wall to Whitney at the blue line. Whitney
steadied the puck and made a directional shot towards the goal
just as Sillinger was crossing the crease. Sillinger lowered his
stick and drag tipped the puck past Snow for a 3-1 lead.
Tyler Wright would add an empty-netter, his third of the season,
at the end of the third period to make the final score 4-1.
“We didn’t really play good the other night against Colorado. It
was important to kill that negative momentum,” said Whitney.
