Jackets pound Hawks 7-1 in pre-season game
By Dave Seaman, Columbus Wired

A big preseason victory proved to be costly as the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 7-1 in Nationwide Arena Monday night.

With a four-goal lead, new Jacket Raffi Torres fought Hawks’ Ben Eager and went down hard on his right shoulder, separating it and putting him out six weeks.

“It was very costly, very disappointing,” Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock said. “When you play against a line-up like what they brought today, something bad happens. Others will have to step up over the next six weeks.”

The injury puts a damper on a solid victory over a Blackhawks team that resembled a junior varsity team. Stars like Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Brian Campbell didn’t make the trip from the Windy City much like Jackets veterans have not played a road exhibition game yet.

Rick Nash scored two goals and Kristian Huselius, Fedor Tyutin and Rusty Klesla each had a goal and two assists to lead the Blue Jackets. Christian Backman added a goal and an assist and Torres scored before getting injured. Pascal Leclaire looked to be in mid-season form, stopping 22 of 23 shots he faced.

The Blue Jackets’ power play was effective, going three-for-six, including a goal with a two-man advantage. It took the veterans almost 14 minutes to get warmed up, not getting a shot on goal until the 6:12 mark of the first period. Once the team found its shot, the floodgates opened.

“Everything was clicking after the first period,” Nash said. “The power play looked good; the penalty kill was solid; Pazzy had a good game. Everything just seemed to go right.”

Backman gave the Jackets a 1-0 lead 7:28 into the second period off an assist from Huselius. The two played keep away until Backman fired off a slap shot from the slot with the team on a two-man advantage.

Less than a minute later Nash scored on the power play with a snap shot from the left face-off circle.

Torres then scored after Michael Peca won a draw 23 seconds later to put Columbus up 3-0. It was the first action for both this preseason and for Torres, his last for a while. Peca, however, said he felt great to be back on the ice.

“I put in enough work over the summer and before camp that a few days wasn’t going to set me back,” Peca said. “For me, it was getting my lungs functioning properly after a bout with (the flu).”

At 10:47, Backman paid back Huselius, who scored on a rush giving the Jackets four goals in a span of three minuets, 30 seconds.

“It’s a short training camp and you want to get going pretty quick,” Huselius said. “It’s nice to play some games, get comfortable and see how the guys play. Things are good so far and I think they will only get better.”

Nash scored his second goal of the game at 3:26 of the third period off a feed from Tyutin.

Tyutin then put a wrister past Chicago goaltender Crisobal Huet off a pass from Klesla at 8:11.

Petri Kontiola scored a power play goal for Chicago at 10:03 to end Leclaire’s shutout.

Finally, Klesla tapped in a rebound off a Tyutin slap shot on the power play at 16:26. Combined, the Jackets defenseman combined for two goals and seven assists.

“Our top four defenseman are tough to play against,” Hitchcock said. “They are big and strong and they are competitive. People are starting to find that out now.”

Columbus hosts Buffalo Thursday at 7 p.m. and Minnesota on Friday at 7 p.m.