48 Hours later, The Blue Jackets Are Back on Track

Columbus Blue Jacket Rick Nash scored the game-winner in a shootout (Photo by Dave Gainer/The Hockey Writers)

By Rick Gethin

     “The level of determination was ten times better than it was against Detroit” ~ Columbus head coach Ken Hitchcock

     What a difference forty-eight hours can make in the mind-set of a hockey club. The locker room went from extremely quiet and heads hanging in disgust to raucous, upbeat music and smiles on all the faces. The boys in Union Blue battled back to the form that wins them games. In other words, they got back to playing “Hitch Hockey”.

     The Anaheim Ducks were handed their 2nd loss in a row on this road trip, falling to Columbus 3-2 in a shootout. This Columbus club is the one that fans expect to show-up and compete. Said Ken Hitchcock, “We checked alot harder and were more competitive on the boards.” After being “schooled” on Wednesday night, the Blue Jackets played a harder, more physical game against the Ducks. The checking was there along with crisp, tape-to-tape passes.

Kristian "Juice" Huselius turned in a much better performance against the Ducks (Photo by Dave Gainer/The Hockey Writers)

      The blue Jackets competed up and down the ice with all four lines playing their game. With Pahlsson and Commodore out of the line-up, other players had to step up. Antoine Vermette, who had ample scoring chances, played arguably his best game of the season. “He was outstanding tonight,” Ken Hitchcock said.

     Kristian Huselius, in his first game back from a shoulder strain, showed signs of the skill that he has to offer; scoring in regulation and potting one in the shootout. “He gives you speed, skill and patience with the puck,” said Hitchcock.

     With Mathieu Garon in goal, he made some stellar saves that kept the fans on the edge of their seats and stymied Anaheim. He extended his shootout winning record to 17-4 after shutting down both Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. It has to give the fans the “warm fuzzies” to have a solid back-up goaltender that can win you games; and the Blue Jackets have that in Garon. As the coach said after the game, “He played very well.”

     Ken Hitchcock seemed to be relieved that the team came out swinging, and not “hungover” from the loss on Wednesday. “What we’re happiest about is the fact that we rebounded right away,” Hictchcock said. “That doesn’t happen very often.” They showed that they can learn from that kind of a loss and play a hard brand of checking hockey. They took their time before making passes, to make sure that the puck ended up where they wanted it to end up. Some might call this a basic form of hockey, but it the kind of game the boys in Union Blue know how to play. When they play it well, it’s a sight to behold. This is what wins them games; hard work and lots of heart.

     Rick Nash summed this game up perfectly. “It was a huge win,” he said. “We really needed the two points tonight and we needed a good showing for our fans. We were embarassed last game; it was important to get this one.” This game was everything that Wednesdays’ game was not. The fans saw a determined, but more relaxed team take to the ice and come away with two points. The win keeps Columbus in 2nd place in the Central Division and, more importantly, one point ahead of the Detroit Red Wings. It’s a long season that has only just begun. So buckle your seatbelts Blue Jackets faithful or the rollercoaster might just get you.

Posted by Rick Gethin on Nov 14 2009. Filed under Central, Columbus Blue Jackets, Western Conference. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.