Jackets Win Shootout Over Penguins

March 13, 2009 by J. Justin Boggs

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 The Columbus Blue Jackets were 12 minutes away from their third consecutive win over an elite NHL team. However, the Blue Jackets needed five extra minutes plus a couple shots with the clock stopped in a 4-3 shootout win over the Pittsburgh Penguins Thursday night.
 
 
Columbus had a 3-0 lead going into the final 12 minutes of the game, however the Penguins scored three goals in a span of 3:25 to tie the game and send the game into overtime. In the third period and overtime frame, Columbus was outshot 22-4.
 
 

“It was a win that felt like a relief,” Blue Jackets head coach Ken Hitchcock said. “Once we caught on to what (Pittsburgh) was doing, we made an adjustment.”
 
Kristian Huselius scored the shootout’s only goal in the third round on a shot that trickled through Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury’s five hole. Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason stopped all three of Pittsburgh’s attempts, including stoning star players Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby.
 
“It doesn’t matter who the shooters are you, still have to make the save,” Mason said. “It doesn’t make it any more special that it was Crosby and Malkin. Those were two big saves and I had to make them.”
 
Going into the third, the Blue Jackets were the dominate team. After a slow start where Pittsburgh got shots through to the net in the first few minutes, the Blue Jackets countered well. During a brief Penguins power play, Rick Nash drew a high-sticking penalty from Pittsburgh’s Chris Kunitz to negate the power play. On the ensuing four-on-four, Huselius scored his 19th goal of the season to open scoring.
 
 Columbus took a 2-0 lead with 3:01 remaining in the second when newly acquired forward Antoine Vermette had a well placed pass to Jason Williams as he one-timed a shot past Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. Vermette got scored his first goal as a member of the Blue Jackets 1:03 into the third with a very hard slapper past Fleury’s glove.
 
Then the flood gates opened. Pittsburgh got goals from defenseman Sergei Gonchar, and from forwards Pascal Dupuis and Maxime Talbot to tie the game during the third period. Gonchar’s goal was on a slapper from the blue line on the power play.
 
 “We got too comfortable in the third,” Huselius said. “They have a lot of firepower up front.”
 
 “We went backwards with the puck,” Hitchcock said. “We were a little tight and they started coming at us at waves.”
 
Michael Peca nearly knocked Pittsburgh out with 10 seconds left in regulation as his shot went off Fleury and trickled through the goal crease to go just an inch wide of the net. Pittsburgh nearly won the game in overtime as Kunitz’s shot from the left faceoff circle rung off the far post.
 
Mason Perseveres
 
In the second round of the shootout , 21-year-old superstar forward Crosby stared down 20-year-old Mason, one of the league’s best goaltenders. Crosby skated in towards the goal, tried to deke Mason out of position with no luck. Crosby was running out of room and had to fire off something with his stick. The very loud crowd immediately became so silent; you could hear a pin drop. As the puck was headed towards Mason’s five hole, the goalie used his stick to knock away Crosby’s shot. Crosby skated away disgusted by the play by an even younger phenom.
 
Mason went into Thursday’s game with a question mark as to whether he was going to play. Mason said after the game he had to take it easy before lacing up the skates and pads and also visited the doctor. Mason has played 16 games in a row and has not had a game off in over a month.  He continues to be one of the best players between the pipes and is looking more and more likely he will be the league’s top rookie at the end of the season.
 
Vermette becoming a stud
 
With his goal and assist against the Penguins, Vermette has now notched at least one point in his three games since joining the Blue Jackets. Coincidentally, the Blue Jackets have won all three of their games since the center joined the team.  Vermette has been a force at center ice and has allowed linemate R.J. Umberger to move to the wing. Williams is also on the line with Umberger and Vermette and the three have become quite a force in their three games together.
 
“They’re playing well,” Vermette said of his linemates. “They read the game pretty good and they play well which is a good quality.”
 
 “I just think he is competing – competing hard,” Hitchcock said of Vermette. “Smart player. Really competing at a high level. He is helping us a lot.”
 
Pens fans help break record
 
Nationwide Arena held its largest hockey crowd ever with 19,167 people filling up the seats and aisles of the arena.  The Blue Jackets have been attracting large crowds in the last month. Tuesday’s 2-0 win over the Boston Bruins featured a very loud crowd that had hardly any Boston fans. Several thousand Penguins fans made the three hour trek from the Steel City to Nationwide Arena, shutting out thousands of Blue Jackets fans wanting to see the game. The Pens fans were loud, and nearly drowned out Leo Welch’s rendition of the Star Spangled Banner with a “Let’s go Pens “chant.  
 
“The building wasn’t loud enough because we had folks in the wrong color sweaters,” Hitchcock said. “There was too many of them. The building was louder last game because we had all Blue Jackets fans. Somebody let in those other people today and it screwed up the volume level a little bit.”
 
The Blue Jackets protected home ice and are now 22-10-2 at home this season.
 
Postgame notes
 
Blue Jackets defenseman Marc Methot left the game in the second period with a possible concussion. Hitchcock said Methot will make the trip to Chicago for Friday’s game. Hitchcock was honored before the game for his 500th win which took place last month. Pat Burns who coached four different teams during his coaching career and won 501 games was on hand to salute Hitchcock. Mason set a franchise record with his 28th win this season.  Columbus remains in sixth place with 76 points and four points ahead of Edmonton and Dallas who are tied for seventh.