Jackets on a roll
By Justin Boggs, Photos by Rylee Cavins and Tom Theodore

For the first time ever, the Columbus Blue Jackets find themselves with a better record than a certain team who calls their home Ohio Stadium after a 4-1 Saturday night victory over the Los Angeles Kings.

The Blue Jackets notched four unanswered goals in rout to their third home win in as many games. They used solid special teams and timely goaltending in the victory. Columbus’ Steve Mason stopped all but one of the Kings’ 28 shots. Los Angeles goalie Jonathan Quick had three goals against on 23 shots faced. 

“Tonight, we needed (Mason),” Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock said. “He had to come up big. He came up big early in the first. He came up really big in the third when we really needed him. To me, I think our defense is a little bit unsung right now.”

Columbus found many different ways to score. After falling behind 1-0 midway through the first on a Dustin Brown goal, Columbus answered with an even strength goal from Jason Chimera who slapped one in from the left faceoff circle in the final minute of the first.
 

“We were down, we struggled at times, but we got some momentum,” Chimera said.

Columbus forward Raffi Torres found the five hole of Quick at 17:02 of the second for the eventual game-winner during a power play that was well executed with Columbus’ second unit. Columbus went 2-6 on the power play.

The penalty kill unit was successful killing off all five Kings power plays. Rick Nash notched his third goal of the season during a Kings power play 3:30 into the third on a nice individual effort to get past the Los Angeles defense.

“For us, No. 1 has to be our goalies, they have to be our best penalty killers,” Nash said, “and they have been. “

“We made some significant changes in killing penalties,” Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock said. “That’s been the most consistent, solid part of our game. We’ve tried to incorporate six forwards and be more comfortable doing that, rather than just using the four. We’re trying to have harder, more competitive reads in the PK, and so far, it’s working.”

“He is one of the best players in the league,” Quick said. “He has tremendous hands. They do a great job on the penalty kill. I think they had a couple of tow-on-ones on the penalty kill. With a player like Nash, when gets an opportunity like that, he is going to capitalize more times than not.”

The Blue Jackets have only allowed one goal in each of their last two games. Tonight’s defensive performance was solid despite the team missing their top two defensemen, Mike Commodore and Jan Hejda, due to injuries. Mathieu Roy was called up from Syracuse to replace Hejda.

 “I think Mathieu Roy did a good job stepping in tonight,” Torres said. “He locked a lot of minutes and played hard.”

Important in their performance was Kris Russell who signed a three-year contract extension before the game. Russell not only added an assist on the Torres goal, but also shot out a puck destined for the back of the net after Mason left his stick side exposed late in the first period.

“We’re just playing simple, effective defense,” Russell said. “We’re making strong plays. We’re making quick passes from our sticks to the forwards. When you get the puck up there, they can do some things with it.”

Columbus added their second power play goal to make it a 4-1 game with 1:11 remaining Jakub Voracek fired the puck into the vacated net.

The Jackets now head out again for another four game west coast road trip before returning home to face Phoenix.