Columbus climbs over Chicago in the standings with 4-2 win.
By Dave Seaman, Columbus Wired

Two teams going in opposite directions since their last meeting a week ago saw their fortunes change Wednesday night in Nationwide Arena. The Columbus Blue Jackets four-game winless streak began in Chicago last week and ended with a 4-2 win over the same Blackhawks in front of 13,622. Chicago had won its last three.

Sergei Fedorov, Jason Chimera and Rick Nash each had a goal and an assist to lead the Jackets. Dan Fritsche also scored for Columbus, while Pascal Leclaire had 16 saves.

The game ended with fans fighting in the lower bowl near the Blue Jackets bench at the same time Rick Nash was engaged with James Vandermeer in an “old school hockey” brawl.

“It’s part of hockey,” Nash said. “Those things happen in the heat of battle.” It should be noted that you can count the number of fights Nash has been in on one hand.

“I know Chicago, and they try to intimidate you,” Fedorov said. “Usually NHL teams like to start a fight in the third period because they were losing badly. It sets up the stage for the next game, whenever it is.”

That next match-up isn’t until Feb. 13 at Nationwide.

The Jackets competed hard throughout the game, even when allowing the Blackhawks to score the first goal. There was a significant difference from Monday against Nashville, where the team played with no energy and lost 4-1. Hitchcock said that some teams can play at 70 to 80 percent, but Columbus is not.

The team also got back to checking, playing hard and dominating puck control.

“The first 10-12 games, we were playing and competing as a team and we were winning games,” Nash said. “We veered off that a little bit the last couple of games, but tonight we came back. It was a big win.”

Columbus did a stellar job of keeping Chicago rookies Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews in check, not allowing either a good shot on net. The two played on a line with Tuomo Ruutu and were matched up with the Jackets top line of Nash, Fedorov and David Vyborny.

“We came off a big win (over Detroit) at home and this is not the way we wanted to start the road trip.” Chicago head coach Denis Savard said.

“Ruutu doesn’t get enough credit,” Foote said. “He takes that line to the next level, where he’ll go on and win the battles which opens up space for (Kane and Toews). They are dangerous.”

Duncan Keith hit a slap shot from the middle of the crease to give Chicago a 1-0 lead at 12:24.

Nash tied the game when he jammed the puck between the post and the extended right pad of Blackhawks’ goaltender Patrick Lalime at 14:14.

Fedorov gave the Jackets a 2-1 lead a minute into the second period with a deflected puck off a slap shot from the blue line by Adam Foote that went five-hole. Foot took the puck off a nifty pass from Nash in the crease.

“I knew I had it,” Fedorov said. “You can tell by the goalies reaction. I wasn’t sure if it went in or not, but then the crowd started roaring so I knew it was a goal and I was happy.”

Fritsche then went top shelf on the stick side off a feed from Jason Chimera midway through the second to give Columbus a 3-1 lead.

Chimera put the icing on the cake with a slap shot from the right face-off dot that went over the glove of Lalime at 9:49 of the third.

“I saw the top shelf open,” Chimera said. “You just bury your head and try to shoot as hard as you can for it and it went in.”

Nash almost had his second of the night a minute later, but the goal was waved off because Fedorov was in the crease.

Dustin Byfuglien scored a fluky goal—a slap shot that bounced in the goal off Leclaire’s glove—closed the gap to 4-2 at 17:29.

Lalime had 17 saves for Chicago, who was outshot 21-18.

The Jackets play in St. Louis Friday, then return home to host Detroit on Sunday at 5 p.m.