Dallas tops Jackets 5-3

By Dave Seaman, Columbus Wired

The Columbus Blue Jackets had every opportunity to get a rare win over the Dallas Stars Wednesday night in Nationwide Arena.

The Stars, who had won eight straight against the Blue Jackets, played without star goalie Marty Turco between the pipes. Dallas gave Columbus seven power play chances in the first period and the home team came up empty with the man advantage.

In the end, a three-goal four-minute span at the start of the third period gave the Stars a 5-3 win over the Blue Jackets, who have lost four straight.

“We didn’t come out strong,” Jackets left winger Rick Nash said. “When you have a 3-2 lead going into the third period, you have to come up stronger than that.”

The Jackets also lost former captain Luke Richardson late in the second period when he was hit in the jay with the puck. He was transported to a local hospital and team officials said that he had a fractured jaw and could miss up to two months.

“He’s a great penalty killer and we lose a good player if he is out long,” Jackets coach Gerard Gallant said. “It was an ugly incident, him getting hit in the face. It’s a part of the game and hopefully Luke will be okay.”

Nash scored his third goal in as many games since returning to the ice from a knee injury that kept him out of the lineup for nearly two months. Jarolsav Balastik and Mike Rupp also scored for Columbus, who was 0-for-8 on the power play.

Stu Barnes scored twice in just over three minutes in the third period, while Philippe Boucher scored in each of the first and third periods. Mike Modano added a power play goal for the Stars, who have won eight of 10 games. Jason Arnott had three assists for Dallas.

The Jackets were coming off a 4-3 shootout loss in Detroit in which they played catch up and looked to regain momentum with the start of a four-game home stand.

“We come back here thinking you have a pretty good thing going,” Gallant said. “We played great at a tough place (Tuesday) in Detroit. We were feeling pretty good after the first period with seven power plays and a 1-0 lead. Then it was 3-2 and we weren’t playing great in the second period, but we were playing okay. Then they come out and score three in the first five minutes of the third period. It takes a lot out of your team.”

Balastik gave the Jackets an early lead as the team was coming off the power play. He took a cross-crease pass from Jan Hrdina and slapped the puck past Stars goaltender Johan Hedberg from just inside the right faceoff circle.

The game went back and forth in the second period. The Stars evened the score at 4:44 when Boucher beat Columbus goalie Pascal Leclaire up top with a wrist shot from the left point. Nash got his first goal at Nationwide this season when he took the puck from behind the goal, skated to between the rings, and fired a shot through the legs of Hedberg.

Modano tied the game at two with a slap shot from just inside the blue line, but the Jackets regained the lead with a second effort from Rupp, who tapped in a Trevor Letowski rebound with 20 seconds left in the second.

Boucher tied the game 53 second into the third and Barnes score the go-ahead goal 44 seconds later. He added the insurance goal at 4:52. It was the ultimate meltdown for the Jackets, who fall to 5-2-0 after leading after two periods.

“We just came out flat,” Leclaire said. “We gave up a bad one right off the bat and that gave them some momentum.”

After outshooting Dallas 12-2 in the first period, Columbus was outshot 33-14 in the final 40 minutes. Leclaire stopped 30 shots, while Hedberg stopped 23 of 26 shots.

Columbus remains home for a game with Nashville Friday night. The team also hosts Chicago Monday and Anaheim Wednesday before heading on a five-game road trip and a span of seven out of eight on the road to start the new year.

FOOTE, NASH NAMED TO TEAM CANADA

Jackets captain Adam Foote and 2003-04 Richard Trophy winner Nash were named to 2006 Canadian Olympic team Wednesday.

It will be the third appearance for Foote in the Olympics and the first for Nash.

“As you get older, you appreciate it more,” Foote said. “If you look at the talent they had to evaluate, ti’s a real honor. I didn’t think it was as big as winning the Stanley Cup, but it is.”

Added Nash, “it’s great news. It’s one of my goals to play in the Olympics and it’s a great feeling.”