Columbus snaps losing streak with 2-1 victory over Calgary


Fredrik Modin and David Vyborny scored goals 47 seconds apart in the third period as the Columbus Blue Jackets erased a 1-0 deficit against the Calgary Flames, ending their 3-game losing streak.

The victory was a bit of redemption as Columbus had lost 6-2 to the Flames last week in Calgary.

Matthew Lombardi scored his 16th goal of the season in the loss which was the first time in nine games in which the Flames had not registered a point. The Flames were 22-0-1 when leading through two periods.

In something that Jackets fans have been hearing from their coach the past three losses, Calgary head coach Jim Playfair said, “Our top players didn’t play well at all.”

Then the Jackets took advantage of Rick Nash’s physical style of play, which he showed all sixty minutes of the game. At 9:55 of the third period, Nash chipped the puck in and beat two Calgary players to the puck behind the net. Vyborny was the recipient of the loose puck and chipped off of Jamie McLennan’s shoulder.

Less than a minute later, Sergai Fedorov found Fredrik Modin in front of the net to put the Jackets up 2-1. Modin swatted at the puck like a baseball player, registering his 13th goal of the season.

“We didn’t have any dips like we have in past games,” said Modin.

“We just battled through and bounced back. It shows the mental strength of our team,” said Jackets goaltender Fredrik Norrena, who had 24 saves in his 14th win of the season.

The win snapped a three game losing streak for Columbus. The day before, Hitchcock held a meeting with seven players, whom he would not name, to get things back on track and with the intensity they have shown with recent victories over Buffalo, Detroit and Vancouver.

“We looked like the team we were and we can use this as a building block” said Jackets head coach Ken Hitchcock. “Everybody in the locker room felt good about themselves and third period was perfect example of the way we played in this building when we needed to win hockey games.”

Columbus continues its six game homestand with a nationally televised game Sunday against Chicago.

Photos by Tom Theodore