Jackets continue to grow, defeating St. Louis 3-0
By Dave Seaman, Columbus Wired
Photos by Dave Weissman, Columbus Wired

The Columbus Blue Jackets keep picking up points and earning respect along the way.

Pascal Leclaire recorded his NHL-best fifth shutout and the Jackets extended its points streak to six games in a 3-0 win over the St. Louis Blues in front of 13,254 at Nationwide Arena Sunday night.

Leclaire has matched Marc Denis’ shutout mark set during the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons. He had 21 saves and continued to be humbled by the attention he’s receiving.

“It’s a good time when the team is winning,” Leclaire said. “I’m playing well, but I don’t get too high or too low. We are all aware that we’re only eight or nine games into the season and we have not done anything yet. It’s a good start, but we have the ability to do better.”

Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock said that the team needed Leclaire’s performance, especially in the second period where the Blues outshot the Jackets 15-4.

“We got ourselves in penalty trouble in the second and he made some big saves tonight, especially in the five-on-three,” Hitchcock said. “The last two shutouts he’s had to earn. We needed him big time in the second and he came through.”

Manny Malhotra had a goal and an assist, while Rick Nash and Jason Chimera each added a goal.

Adam Foote, who had two assists, took a stick to the lip in the second period, but was stitched up on the bench and returned a few shifts later. He was second, only to Ron Hainsey, in total time on the ice (21:42).

“With the way the game has changed in the last year and-a-half, you have to play a battling game if you are going to get points,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who you play, it’s going to be a battle.”

The game was the first of eight straight against Central Division foes. In the next seven, the Jackets will play each team in the division once at home and once on the road. After a pre-Thanksgiving game with Florida, the Red Wings visit for a second time in a week.

“We treat the division games as a playoff,” Hitchcock said. “We prepare like it’s a playoff game. We understand the importance (the points) because they are so critical.”

Malhotra got the Jackets on the board first at 15:41 with a wrist shot from the slot that went top shelf. The Jackets were skating with a delayed penalty and Foote fed Malhotra on an odd-man rush.

The Jackets got outshot 15-4 in the second period and burned off 53 seconds of a Blues’ two-man advantage. Despite the lopsided shots on goal in the period, Columbus managed to get a goal late.

Nikolai Zherdev set up the goal by carrying the puck into the zone, dragging around a defender and sending a nifty pass to Nash, who was just left of the slot. Nash took the puck, got it under control and hit a snap shot at the far post at 18:09.

“I’ve always said (Zherdev) is a very underrated player from the red-line back,” Hitchcock said. “For a top-skill player, defensively he’s so good and he’s never out of position. His reads and sticks in the lanes are incredible and his zest to score is coming back.”

Chimera made added a tally midway through the third period with a slap shot from the left point that went five-hole on Blue’s goaltender Hannu Toivonen.

Ironically, two of Leclaire’s shutouts have come against the Blues. Columbus blanked St. Louis 3-0 on Oct. 25.

“I don't really have to say much about that, do I?” Blues coach Andy Murray said. “There’s been enough written. He’s shut us out twice in a row, so he’s obviously played pretty well against us.”

The Jackets outshot the Blues 25-21 and did not convert on four power play attempts. St. Louis was 0-4 with the man-advantage. Toivonen ended the game with 22 saves.

Columbus starts a three-game road trip Wednesday in Chicago. After stops in Detroit and Nashville, the team returns home to host the Predators on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m.