Jackets Best Blackhawks, 4-3, In Battle For 4th (and 14th) Place
By Steve Sirk

To an outsider, the scheduled game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Chicago Blackhawks probably seemed like a meaningless contest between disinterested cellar-dwellers. “Craphawks vs. Blew Jackets” is what they’d put on the marquee.

Although it may not have looked the part, the game actually had some compelling subplots:

- Ever since last year’s wildly entertaining StripclubGate, starring a bouncer-battered Theoren Fleury, the Blue Jackets and Blackhawks have not exactly been on the best of terms.

- A chance to climb out of last place in both the division and conference was at stake. Yes, that’s two basements for the price of one! When two clubs are out of the playoff picture, one shouldn’t overlook the intensity of a “last-place unification” bout.

- Rick Nash is sorta good. The youngest All-Star since Toronto’s Wendel Clark in 1986 is always worth watching.

- Last, but certainly not least, Chicago drubbed the Blue Jackets 7-0 just two nights earlier. The revenge factor loomed large, which always adds entertainment value. (“The last game left a sour taste in our mouths,” said Tyler Wright.)

Jumble all that together with a sellout crowd and it was an entertaining night. The Jackets dominated early and held on for a 4-3 victory, getting two more goals from Nash, in addition to two-point nights from Wright and Manny Malhotra. The Jackets were also the beneficiaries of franchise record-tying 13 power plays, which this time proved more blessing than curse.

In direct contrast to their Windy City whuppin’, the Jackets set the tone early. Although the first period ended scoreless, the Jackets dominated play, outshooting the Hawks 14-3. More importantly, the team was following coach Gerard Gallant’s order crash the net. On four separate occasions, scrums ensued after Jackets took multiple whacks at rebounds in front of goalie Craig Anderson’s net.

Misfortune eventually found the Jackets, as it often seems to do. Early in the second period, with the Jackets on the power play, Nikolai Zherdev had his pocket picked by Brett McLean on the half-boards. McLean shoved a pass forward to Steve Sullivan, who buried his breakaway high to the glove side of Jackets goaltender Marc Denis at 3:55.

Just like that, nearly 24 minutes of dominating hockey had gone for naught.

But fortune is fickle, and the puck bounced Columbus’ way barely a minute later on the same power play. Nash charged into the zone and left the puck for Rostislav Klesla, who smacked a shot toward goal. Klesla’s shot was saved by Anderson, but the rebound trampolined off Nash’s torso and into the net. Game tied.

“It was just a fluke,” said Nash. “Rusty took a good shot and I was going to the net. The rebound just bounced off my chest and went in.”

Manny Malhotra continued his hot week by sweeping in a rebound at 10:10 to give the Jackets a 2-1 lead. Jaroslav Spacek sent a shot toward goal from the right boards, and the rebound sat tantalizing for both Malhotra and Wright. It was Malhotra who got his stick to it.

As Malhotra celebrated, Chicago’s Steve Sullivan congratulated him with a crosscheck. Keeping in mind that the referees had been tweeting like stuttering canaries, this was not the wisest course of action to take.

“I took a huge unsportsmanlike conduct penalty,” said Sullivan. “We’ve got to learn to play a little more disciplined.”

The lapse in judgment would prove costly as Nash deposited goal #30 into the net on the ensuing power play. Zherdev found Nash inexplicably wide open in the slot, of all places. Nash had time to collect the puck and pick his spot, which happened to be the roof of the net.

“That was a Zherdev pass, so you never know where on when he’ll find you,” said Nash. “But yeah, it was a mixed up play. Normally I wouldn’t be that open, but it was a great pass by Zherdev.”

In the third period, the hunt for Nash’s first career hat-trick began in earnest. Early in the period, Nash narrowly missed on two different redirections on the power play. It was not to be.

The Jackets built a 4-1 lead at 4:09 of the third when Tyler Wright jammed home a rebound of a Darryl Sydor shot. Anderson made the save, but couldn’t locate the puck underneath him. Wright took two chops at the puck before knocking it through Anderson and into the net. If at first you don’t succeed, whack and whack again.

Remembering their 7-0 thrashing two nights earlier, the Jackets were ready for more. “I wanted to win this game 20-1 if we had the chance,” said Wright. “I wouldn’t have pulled back one bit.”

Unfortunately, it didn’t play out that way. “That’s what probably happened,” said Gallant. “We wanted to make it five or six to one and we got caught and gave up come chances. They got a little bit of life at the end and it was frustrating, no doubt.”

In the end, the Blackhawks made it interesting, scoring at 10:08 on a Tuomo Ruutu tap-in and a sixth-attacker goal at 19: 19, courtesy of a 40-foot wrister from Sullivan. But it was too little too late. Vengeance, plus 4th & 14th place, belonged to Columbus.

“(The CBJ players) wanted to win tonight,” said Gallant. “They got beat 7-0 by this Chicago team on Thursday. It shouldn’t have been a contest, but we let them back in it. But they guys were embarrassed the other night and they wanted to win the hockey game, so they went out and won it.”


Sirk’s Three Stars

1. Rick Nash (CBJ): So good, yet so humble. For example, take this explanation for his 50-goal pace as the all-star break approaches: “I don’t know what to say. It’s just being in the right spot at the right time.” Nash has apparently loitered his way to the league goal scoring lead.

2. Manny Malhotra (CBJ): Followed coach’s orders and scored the goal that gave the Jackets the lead for good. “Before the game, Turk (Gallant) really stressed that our goals were going to come from in front of the net….dirty goals…rebound goals. We’re not the type of team that’s going to make tic-tac-toe passes for top of the circle one-timer goals. We’re a hard-nosed team, so we’re trying to stress getting those rebounds in front.” So Manny went out and got himself a dirty, filthy, rotten rebound goal. Also added an assist.

3. Tyler Wright (CBJ): On his Hats For Heroes Night, raising money for pediatric cancer research and with “his kids” in the building, Wright notched a goal and an assist. “It’s always great to contribute offensively, but tonight was special. It was such a big night for Hats For Heroes and for the kids. I couldn’t have written a better ending.”