Jacket veterans spark 3-1 win over Anaheim
Columbus on a three came winning streak.

by Dave Weissman, Columbus Wired

David Vyborny and Tyler Wright, two veterans on what has become a very young Jackets team, led the way to a 3-1 win over last year’s Western Conference Champion, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. The young Russian Connection, Nikolai Zherdev and Alexander Svitov made significant contributions as each player recorded two points in the victory. The win extended Columbus’ winning streak to 3 games after a dismal eight game losing streak.

“It’s nice to win three in a row, after going through eight games of losing,” said head coach Gerard Gallant.

Vyborny’s 21st goal of the season was a prime example of teamwork and determination. Defenseman Anders Eriksson gained control of the biscuit at center ice and dumped it into the Ducks zone. Andrew Cassells beat two defenders to the puck and flipped it out into an open area in front of the slot where Vyborny was attacking. Vebs grabbed the puck and did a little right-to-left dipsy doodle, leaving Ruslan Salei in his skates, and putting the forehand past goaltender Martin Gerber to give Columbus the early 1-0 lead.

Anaheim, out shot in the first period by Columbus 9-11 and on the second of a back to back after a 3-2 loss to Nashville a night earlier, came roaring back in the second period with 20 shots on goal, including a power play goal by Petr Sykora at 16:14.

Prior to that, Wright would put the Jackets ahead 2-0 on a nifty play by the 19-year old rookie sensation Nikolai Zherdev. While being harassed by three Duck defenders on the half wall, he somehow found a way to weave and slip the puck past them and to a wide-open Wright, who was not going to miss the top shelf and add his 8th goal of the year.

Goaltender Fred Brathwaite, who has struggled in many of his appearances this year, put on a show stopping 19 in the second period and 43 in the game for his 4th victory of the season and make a case regarding continuing with the Blue Jackets after this season.

“I haven’t played as well as I thought I could have and right now I’m getting a chance to prove to these guys that I am a capable goaltender in the league and I want to stick around here,” he said. “I think we have a lot of promise with this team and hopefully I can show them that I want to be back here and help them get to the playoffs.”

The Jackets defense played a crucial role not only in the Jackets zone, but also on the offensive end, accounting for 11 of the 29 shots Columbus took. What appeared to be a goal by Luke Richardson was waived off due to the referee calling goaltender interference on Wright.

“I think he (the referee) made the right call. The goalie was out of the crease, but Tyler sort of bumped him, accidentally bumped him,” Gallant said. “The goalie was as much as fault as Tyler.”

The Russian connection would once again have their names called with less than a minute remaining in the third period. Svitov, lying on his belly, found a way to scoot the puck to his fellow countryman,  who was in front of the net. It was the 11th goal for Zherdev who let the Jackets with 5 shots on goal and capped the 3-1 win and send the full house of 18,136 home happy and smiling.

“Like I said a month and a half ago, our goal was to play hard every night and get as many wins as we can,” said Gallant. “Nothing has changed from that.”