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Like most Ohio sports fans, I’m accustomed to defeat. As a Blue Jackets fan I’m better than average about detecting the thinnest sliver of a silver lining. But after last night’s game in Detroit, I gotta say…. DAH-YNG! We might just make the playoffs for real!
For so many years, we’ve sent the boys to the Joe only to watch them get roughed up and humiliated. Hell, the Wings would come down here and leave with the Jackets’ lunch money. Sometimes the Wings wouldn’t even wake up until the third period, they were that confident of a win.
I’m not saying I expect every future game to live up to last nights. But an 8-2 victory over a relatively healthy defending Stanley Cup champion — in their own barn — was sweet.
Among the highlights last night were:
- most goals by the Jackets ever in a game, and widest margin of victory (how often have we been on the other side of that kind of score?)
- a goal from Rafi Torres, who I don’t think was even supposed to play
- 2 goals from RJ Umberger
- 3 goals in three minutes
- a hat trick from the Cap’n, Nash’s third against the Red Wings — and all unassisted. (The radio guys weren’t sure that had happened in the NHL before.)
Nash was typically modest after the game: “We would have been happy with a 3-1 or 1-0 win, but it was good to have an offensive explosion and we were due to have it. It was a must win after the Nashville loss and the guys showed up.”
What was equally rich was watching the stunned reaction of the Detroit fans. Which made the presence of some really loud Jackets fans who made the trek to Detroit even more noticeable. For years, the Nationwide has been packed with red-clad yahoos when the wings come to town — revenge is sweet!
And I love reading the Detroit paper’s take on the game:
From mlive.com:
The Detroit Red Wings dismissed last week’s debacle in Nashville as one of those complete collapses they might experience once every few years. But when it happens twice in eight days, alarms go off. And the Red Wings were alarmed by their second defensive meltdown in four games Saturday night, as they lost 8-2 to the Columbus Blue Jackets at Joe Louis Arena.
Henrik Zetterberg said he didn’t blame fans for booing the team as it left the ice. The Red Wings hardly resembled a team that entered the game tied for the NHL lead in points with San Jose.
All in all, I’m a happy little Jackets fans today!
The last time there was an unassisted hot trick in the NHL was 1948, and it was done by the great Maurice “Rocket” Richard. Good company for Nash to be in.
Regardless of the outcome, it’s really nice to be playing meaningful games at this time of the year.
That was great to see. As a resent transplant from Indiana, I was always a Wings fan, but switched to the ‘home team’ since this is home now and I have to say, this is very exciting.
It was still just one win, though … after we’d lost 4 of 6, I believe. Granted, if we play like that every night, we won’t lose the rest of the season, but that’s unlikely. We also have only 72 points … and there are three teams with 70 (and that point tally straddles “the bar,” because that covers positions 7-9 in the conference standings).
Not out of this yet!
Blue Jackets: For Nash, a season to remember
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 3:12 AM
BY AARON PORTZLINE
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
It’s supposed to hit 65 degrees today in Columbus, and the Blue Jackets have a crucial game tonight against the Boston Bruins in Nationwide Arena.
Spring and hockey. It’s an intoxicating combination that central Ohio is only now — eight seasons after joining the NHL — getting to experience.
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It’s Jackets time in Columbus
Posted March 10, 2009
By Scott Peacock, Media Relations Manager
After Saturday night’s historic win over Detroit, the Columbus Blue Jackets have inched closer to securing a playoff spot for the first time in franchise history.
But why wait for the playoffs? The remaining home games on the schedule are playoff-like in atmosphere and importance – teams in the Western Conference playoff race are only separated by a few points and every game counts.
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Blue Jackets have beaten the top teams in each conference, in consecutive games, by a combined score of 10-2.
Anyone think that would happen in November raise your hand.
Mine is down, too.
It’s beginning to look like there will be extra hockey in April, and a lot of hardware for Steve Mason.
amazing game last night. also, just saw this shout out to the North Market (and “underrated” Columbus) on a Bruins blog;
http://www.boston.com/sports/hockey/bruins/extras/bruins_blog/2009/03/columbus_dining.html
Bozak Considering Blue Jackets
University of Denver center Tyler Bozak, perhaps the most sought-after college free agent this spring, is “definitely considering” signing with the Blue Jackets as soon as his season with the Pioneers is finished, an NHL source confirmed to The Dispatch this afternoon.
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