Jackets Shut Out Rangers 5-0
Home Opener an exciting one to start season

By Noel Giles Kennedy, Columbus Wired Contributing Columnist

After the season opened in Atlanta with a loss Thursday, the Jackets came home Saturday night with a 5-0 thumping of the famed New York Rangers. The home opener filled Nationwide Arena with 18, 136 stick thumping fans to delight the victory.  It was a battle between David and Goliath, star filled N.Y. and Little Ole Columbus, $80 million vs. $20 million.

The first Blue Jackets goal was a costly one though, 3:04 in the 1st period. Trevor Letowski scored with assists from Duvie Westscott and Darryl Sydor.

Trevor was injured with a severed finger, due to an imitation by Boris Mironov trying to show how New York beef gets cut. Unfortunately, he smashed and cut Trevor’s pinky. He will be out for 4-6 weeks. “It was a vicious slash by Bo,” Jackets head coach Doug MacLean said, “It was ridiculous. That’s a devastating loss for us and it really ticked me off.”

The Madison Square Bullies might lose, but go down fighting and bullying and fighting.

The fact that 31 penalties accumulated were in the dismay of the Rangers’ anger management programs not working. Team ownership needs to get a refund on that. Eric Lindros earned a trifecta of wrongdoing. 3 penalties, hooking, slashing, and high sticking. Total of six minutes in the box. If Eric ever retires, maybe he can get a part in the next Jason/Freddie flick.

However, this did not hold off our heroes, the Blue Jackets. A few minutes later in the 1st, David Vyborny smacked one in with Klesla and Knutsen on the roundup. This was on the first power play of the season.

 “(From) the very first (period) they were all over us, “Rangers goaltender Jussi Makkanen said. They were plagued by roughhousing the Jackets, outside the regular intense nature of hockey. “We were frustrated.” he said.

A hooking incident in 12:50 of the 1st crossed Eric Lindros and Darryl Sydor. From the floor and the press boxes above, it appeared it was a mere fall for Darryl. But, that is the only questionable call towards the Jackets, all things considered…not a bad night to be at Nationwide.

The Jackets and Nationwide Arena earned the 2nd place rack in ESPN’s SportsNation best arena experience last year. It really retained this grand home opener. The opening numbers included a civil war figure skating, a personal message from majority owner John McConnell, and ending with fire and smoke welcoming the players upon introduction.

Through the game between play shown a tribute to the goal horn buzzer operator, a Burrito blimp, the resident Dew Jackets shooting shirts, and a mischievous digital Stinger painting a Jackets jersey on Ranger coach Glen Sather upon the scoreboard screen to glee and delight for the sold out crowd.

The Jackets did not score the remainder of the 1st, fighting off the brutal force of New York. In fact, 10:32 into the 1st; our favorite enforcer and puck handler Jody Shelley, locked horns with Dale Purinton. Always remember a left wing and a defenseman never should mix. Especially if you shake not stir with Mr. Shelley. He would not back down, as he introduced Purinton’s face to the Nationwide ice.

“Jody played hard and fierce," said Geoff Sanderson.

When asked about if teams like New York, Washington, or Vancouver would think twice about coming into Nationwide Arena, he answered in an honest manner. “That’s what you hope,” Jody said, “You want make a building people (the opposing team) hate to come into.”

Shelley earned his first-ever game puck at the end of the evening.

Sanderson has been dealing with the constant pains of being a hockey player, “I felt terrible coming back on the ice,” he said. 

The 2nd period saw two more goals by Columbus and a plenty of penalties earned by both teams.

Lasse Pirjeta notched his first goal of the season at 10:17 of the 2nd, with good old Espen Knutsen on the assist.

Rick Nash, along with Cassels and David Vyborny, scored Columbus’ second power play goal of the season at 13:02.

The goal looked like a cross between Slip n’ Slide tm and Surfing USA. Vyborny dove and passed to Cassels, Cassels in similar fashion delivered the puck to Nash; Nash performed a backhander over Jussy’s shoulder into the net. GOOOAAALLL! Needless to say Nationwide’s masses roared!

“The first half was good. We were out there and the fan morale was up,” Nash said.  “I was praying it would come up on my stick,” he said on his first goal of the season. 

Why so many power plays?

With the combo of the Rangers penalties and the team coming together to work the power plays, it’s a good thing. Andrew Cassels commented, “The power play gives us a whole other opition.”

Columbus took full option on that, leading 4-0 at the end of the 2nd.

The last period wasn’t pretty, but the job was done. No Jackets earned their way into the penalty box. However, 4 Rangers including Lindros earned their right to sit down for 2 minutes.

The last goal at 3:03 in the 3rd had a great team effort. Sydor was assisted by Cassells and Jaroslev Spacek. Through the assists, frustration got the better of New York. An attempt to gain control of the puck had Darryl rebound his own shot away from the Rangers’ sticks.

Yet, again scoring a power play goal. Spacek proven to be a great support player throughout the game.

With the roughing up, puck handling practice, and Ranger box time, the game ended in a 5-0 victory for Ohio’s hockey team, the Blue Jackets.

MacLean was very impressed by the performance of his boys, as good as he saw played in three years. “I like the way we come out,” he said. “I like the way the little things we did, winning the battles.”