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Kristian Huselius scores the game-winner over the Calagry Flames (Photo by Dave Gainer/The Hockey Writers)
By Rick Gethin
Don’t look now, but the Columbus Blue Jackets are at the top of the Central Division. The boys in Union Blue are off to their best start in franchise history after downing the Calgary Flames 2-1 in Nationwide Arena Tuesday night. No one knew which Flames team would show up after squandering a 5 goal lead the night before to the Chicago Blackhawks. Would they face a bound and determined team wanting to avenge the loss to the ‘Hawks; or would a battered and tired team take the ice?
“We got stronger and stronger as the game went on”, coach Ken Hitchcock said. “I thought we, to a man, we competed at a very high level today.” The Blue Jackets looked a little sluggish in the 1st period, making somewhat lazy passes and not getting up on the forecheck. Calgary came out with gusto which faded as the game went on; but not before taking the lead in the 1st.
Photo by Dave Gainer/The Hockey Writers
New Blue Jacket Anton Stralman got Columbus on the board in the 2nd period with a power play goal. He’s another piece to the puzzle that is the Blue Jackets. A right-handed shot that GM Scott Howson got for a 3rd round pick from Calgary; he adds much to the arsenal that Columbus has. “You can’t dismiss the fact that we have a player like Stralman back there (on the power play) who adds alot to our team”, said Hitchcock. “He’s a big add for us right now because other teams have that element in place and we have not had that. We haven’t had the right shot and we haven’t had a guy who can snap it from the top, off the right side on 5 on 4’s for a long time. He brings that element that we need on our power play.” His one-timer was on display as he scored his first goal of the season and first point as a Blue Jacket.
The players that stood out tonight were the guys you don’t hear about much, yet play a “weighty” game. Raffi Torres was making Flames skaters kiss the glass on numerous occasions. Derek Dorsett gave a good account of himself on the checking line with Samuel Pahlsson and Jason Chimera. “Chimmers” legs were churning up and down the ice like a train. Jared Boll skated with the reckless abandon that he showed in his rookie year. He doesn’t chase guys all over the ice as much as zero in on them and introduce them to the boards. He also had a fight in the 1st with Brandon Prust that he decidely won. “He’s back playing the way he did as a first year player“, Ken Hitchcock said of Boll. “We stopped coaching him and just turned him loose now. I think we were guilty of maybe trying to make him something that he wasn’t. There was too much hesitation in his game. Now, we just want him turned loose. He looks alot better in practice and the games now.”
Jared Boll and Brandon Prust drop the gloves (Photo by Dave Gainer/The Hockey Writers)
Jake Voracek might not have have gotten on the scoreboard, but he made sure the Flames knew he was there all night long. The extra 20 pounds he put on over the summer came in handy as he showed Calgary a good time along the boards with copious amounts of hard checking. At times, he looked like a mini Raffi Torres with the way he used his body to battle for the puck. “I was on the ice more often than the last couple of games and I felt pretty good”, Voracek said. “It’s a very good start for us (4-1) and we have to keep going. We can be on top of the Division all year if we play physical like today. Sometimes, 2 goals is enough to win the game” He also spoke to chemistry the team has built upon starting with last season. “Almost everybody out here is from last year. We have more experience this year.”
I still stand by my statement of the Blue Jackets finishing 2nd in the Central Division and a solid 4-6 seed in the Western Conference. After going 3-1 in their first four games (all home openers), they came back to the friendly confines of Nationwide Arena and skated with a confidence that was lacking in seasons past. They have bought into “Hockey by Hitch” and it’s working. If they keep on this pace, there’s no telling how far they can go.
Rick Gethin is the Associate Editor of The Hockey Writers and also the Columbus Blue Jackets correspondent.
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Nice to see the Jackets getting off to a strong start. Howson is a smart guy and in tandem with Hitchcock, there’s no doubt Columbus has the leadership team in place to build a team that will contend year in and year out. Good to hear Torres is doing well with Columbus. When he’s in the mood to hit, he’s a tough guy to play against. Brule is looking good for the Oilers as well this year, so that trade is starting to looking more and more like a win for both teams.