Nash’s goal in OT gives Jackets win over Stars
By Dave Seaman, Columbus Wired
Photos by Tom Theodore

After coasting through the first 45 minutes of the game Thursday, the Columbus Blue Jackets rallied to defeat the Dallas Stars 2-1 in overtime.

Rick Nash scored the game-winner 64 seconds into overtime with a wrist shot from the center of the slot that beat Stars goaltender Mike Smith on the high glove side. Geoff Platt, who corralled a Nash miss in the corner and got the puck back to the Jackets’ All-Star, set up the goal.

“Platt made a great play down low and luckily enough the defenseman stayed out, which game me a lot more room in the middle,” Nash said. “I was wide open, with an extra step on the defenseman, and was able to lift the puck past the goalie’s glove.”

The win also gave the Jackets the season-series with the Stars, winning three of four meetings – a franchise first. The win also snapped a four-game losing streak.

Fredrik Norrena was stellar in net, stopping 19 of 20 shots he faced to become the first goaltender in Columbus franchise history to finish with an above-.500 record. He is now 24-22-3 with one game remaining.

His play has been the influence of the stellar defensive efforts the team has put up in the second half of the season. The Jackets defense held Dallas to no goals in five power play opportunities on Thursday night.

“When you have a goaltender that is consistent, there is a winning record with it and you get the same performance,” he said. “When the other players know the performance they are going to get (from Norrena) is going to be the same, it breeds confidence defensively. You’re seeing a better defensive team play because we have confidence in the goaltender.”

Manny Malhotra also scored for the Jackets, while Stu Barnes scored the Stars’ lone tally.

The opening stanza had no energy for either team, with the Stars outshooting the Jackets 8-5.

Dallas jumped out to a 1-0 lead at 6:50 of the first when Barnes hit a snap shot on a rebound from the low right circle. The initial shot came from Nils Hagman, which Norrena stopped, but Barnes was there for the easy rebound.

After that, the Jackets picked up the defense and outshot the Stars 23-12 in the final 41-plus minutes of the game.

“We didn’t work hard enough,” Stars coach Dave Tippett said. “We need to work harder with the puck. We have to check. If we are going to be soft on our one-on-one skills, we are not going to be successful.”

Columbus evened the score with just less than seven minutes left in the game. Jason Chimera battled along the boards and passed the puck to Malhotra, who hit a one-timer from the top of the right circle past the stick side of Smith.

The goal and the season series win over the Stars was especially sweet for Malhotra, who the Jackets claimed off waivers from Dallas in 2003.

“When ever you know someone else on the other team, there is that pride factor that goes into the game a little bit,” Malhotra said. “It was a really good team win and everyone stuck to the game plan. We hung in there and sometimes it takes a little more that 60 minutes.”

The Jackets ended up outshooting the Stars 28-20. Smith had 26 saves for Dallas, who ends the season with home games with Anaheim Friday and Chicago Sunday.

The Jackets host Anaheim at 7 p.m. Saturday in the season finale.