Jackets pass test against Pens
By Dave Seaman, Columbus Wired

If competition is a barometer to how improved the Columbus Blue Jackets are, then they passed a big test Thursday night in Nationwide Arena.

The Jackets defeated the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2 with a mix of youth and veterans in the line-up.

Veterans Rick Nash, R.J. Umberger, Jake Voracek and goaltender Steve Mason played for Columbus (3-2-1), while young guys such as Mike Blunden, Derek MacKenzie, Grant Clitsome and John Moore also saw playing time.

The Pens (1-3-1) brought most of its top players including Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Stall, goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and Sidney Crosby, who left after three shifts with a groin injury.

“It’s a measuring mark this time of the year,” Umberger said. “They are not playing their best hockey yet, but it gives you a chance to see where you are at. They have phenomenal players—Malkin, Crosby—that are really exciting to watch and hard to play against. It’s a treat to have them come in to our building.”


 

The Nash-to-Derek Brassard connection worked both ways as each assisted on each other’s goal. Voracek had a goal and an assist as well. Blunden and MacKenzie also scored. Mason stopped 26 of 28 shots.

The Jackets continue to have to rely on “depth players” with several veterans nursing groin pulls, hip flexors and the flu. Rusty Klesla, Marc Methot, Fedor Tyutin and Raffi Torres are all expected to play in one of the final two preseason games this weekend.

“The downside (of playing younger players) is that you really don’t know what your team is,” Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock said. “The upside is that you are giving your depth players and unbelievable opportunity. It was a hard game today and I thought we did a really good job. We’ve played three solid games in a row.”

Blunden gave Columbus an early lead when he beat Fleury 62 seconds into the game. Malkin tied the game with a rebound five minutes later.

Brassard broke the tie by jamming in a rebound off a Nash shot at 12:30 of the second. Two minutes later, Brassard fed Nash on the power play to give the Jackets a 3-1 lead.

Former Ohio State defenseman Nate Guenin beat Mason top shelf off a centering pass from Jay McKee late in the second to bring the Pens to within 3-2.

“I don’t think we played as well as we could have,” Guenin said. “It was pretty physical out there, especially a the end with all the fights. I think guys are trying to impress to make the club and step up and stick up for their teammates.”

MacKenzie beat Fleury midway through the third with a host of players in the crease and the puck sitting to the left of the crease. Voracek iced the game with a shorthanded goal with less than three minutes remaining.

Things got ugly after that as three different fights broke out involving the Jackets Mathiue Roy, Doug Lynch and David Lifftin and the Pens Mike Rupp, McKee and Derky Engelland.

“It’s the players who are trying to make the team that are fighting,” Hitchcock said. “It’s the players who are trying to make an image, show they care and are tough enough to play in the league. It’s also about sending a message, too. I think we answered the bell.”

Columbus outshot Pittsburgh 32-28 and went one-for-six on the power play. The Pens were zero-for-six.

“I wasn’t real impressed with how invested we were in the game,” Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma said. “I thought our minds and execution level could have been much better, and as a result, we got into a game where we were not playing our game, weren’t playing with our pace and weren’t getting into the offensive zone a lot.”

The Jackets end the preseason with a game in Boston Saturday and home against Nashville Sunday at 5 p.m.
 

dave.seaman@columbuswired.tv