Filatov goal leads Jackets to shootout win
By Dave Seaman, Columbus Wired

As the preseason continues for the Columbus Blue Jackets, the team evaluation period has begun for coach Ken Hitchcock.

The Jackets, with several depth players battling for a roster spot, defeated the Boston Bruins 6-5 in a shootout Tuesday in Nationwide Arena.

“It was a 6-5 game, but it didn’t feel like a 6-5 game because we did a lot of things really well,” Hitchcock said. “We didn’t give up very many scoring chances, but the one’s we did, ended up in our net. I thought we played pretty well. We put a lot of pressure on their defenseman.”

Nikita Filatov scored the game-winner in the shootout and Mathieu Garon stoned Dany Sabourin and Mark Recchi to clinch the team’s second straight win. For Filatov, it’s a daily struggle as he is one of the fringe guys who may or may not make the team come opening night Oct. 3
 

“I’m not even thinking about (making the team),” Filatov, who had two assists, said. “I know my first two games were not so good—I played just okay trying to improve my defensive game. This game was much better for me.”

Jake Voracek led the Jackets (2-2-1) with a goal and two assists. Matt Calvert and Chris Russell each had a goal and an assist. Antoine Vermette and Derek MacKenzie also added goals.

Columbus did not play with its top line of Kristian Huselius, Derek Brassard and Rick Nash. Only Russell and Jan Hejda were the regular defenseman in the lineup.

Boston (3-1-1) played with nine of its 12 forwards, but not Vezina Trophy winner Tim Thomas or Norris Trophy winner Zdeno Chara.

Andrew Ference, Chuck Kobasew, Shawn Thronton, Johnny Boychuk and Marc Savard all scored for Boston.

“It was pretty sloppy I think all around,” Savard said. “We kept trying to tie it and we kept doing that. At least we got a point, which still means something to us. You take the positives, we battle back, but it was a pretty sloppy game for us.”

The Jackets played with the lead throughout, but Boston battled to tie it five different times.

Vermette put Columbus on the board first off a beautiful centering pass from Filatov, but Ference answered on the power play just over four minutes later.

Calvert scored his first goal off a feed from Derek Dorsett, which was answered by Kobasew three minutes later with a short-handed goal.

The second period Hitchcock called the team’s best period of the preseason. The Jackets outshot the Bruins 13-8, but could not hold them off. Voracek scored a power play goal 1:35 into the second and Thornton answered it late in the period.

“Jake was really good from the red line in,” Hitchcock said. “He was really good at penetrating, creating scoring opportunities and going into scoring areas. He had not done that until tonight and we talked to him about that (type of play) the last day or two. He’s got to start getting off the perimeter and get into the inside position, and he did that very well tonight.”

Russell broke the tie on the power play 1:41 into the third period, but Boychuk responded. MacKenzie scored less than a minute later and Savard tied it midway through the period.

Garon played the full 65 minutes and gave up five goals on 26 shots. He thrived in the shootout, allowing a goal to Blake Wheeler before shutting down the final two shooters.

“I didn’t feel really good tonight, I didn’t play by best game,” Garon said. “It was just a weird game on both sides. It seemed like every scoring chance was going in. It was hard to get the key save to make a difference.”

Columbus outshot Boston 35-26 and connected on two-of-five power plays. Bruin goaltender Dany Sabourin had 30 saves in the loss.

After a day off, the Jackets host the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins Thursday at 7 p.m. Hitchcock said the emphasis of the last three preseason games will be getting players healthy and getting those injured up to speed before the regular season begins.

 

dave.seaman@columbuswired.tv