Blue Jackets 4, Predators 0
(box) – Highlights
CBJ: 30-23-6, 66 pts
What better way to kick off a huge stretch of games than to welcome in your arch-nemesis? So it was that the Nashville Predators invaded Nationwide Arena. Gone are the games the Jackets can look for positives in a loss; essentially every game from here on out feels like a must-win.
One thing we all knew is that it would be a physical, tight-checking game, as it always seems to be with these two squads. In that respect, they did not disappoint. But, in terms of the “must win” aspect of the game, when the third period and winning time rolled around, the Jackets announced that they got the message loud and clear.
The first period was largely uneventful, as both teams traded checks (29 total hits in the period), and penalty kills. The CBJ got the first six shots of the game, and finished the period with a 13-6 advantage on the shot clock. They had a few solid chances, and were bailed out by Steve Mason, who made a beautiful left-to-right sliding save on a Jordin Tootoo shot with about five minutes to go in the period. The Jackets also went into the dressing room dominating in the faceoff circle through the first period, with a 71% to 29% edge (12-for-17).
The second period went much the same way as the first. Both netminders continued to stand on their heads, each making some stellar saves. The highlight came on a Jackets Power Play late in the period when RJ Umberger snuck into the zone on a break-away on Rinne. He deked, but Rinne was up to the task, taking away Umberger’s shot with the right pad at the 13:30 mark of the period. Give the Predators credit: as they always seem to do, they came out with a bit more vigor in the second, and took it to the Jackets on the shot clock, grabbing 11 shots to the Jackets’ four, and it was all even at 0-0 and 17-17 on the shot board. The physical play also continued, as the period ended with the CBJ out-hitting Nashville 24-19.
So, it would come down to the final 20 minutes. It was Rinne and the Predators who would blink first. It wouldn’t take long, and it happened so fast the Predators didn’t know what hit them.
Nashville almost broke the tie early in the period, as a rebound came out to Nick Spaling who had a gorgeous chance that he sent wide of Mason and the goal. Almost immediately after that, Rick Nash made the Predators pay with a tremendous individual effort off of the right wing, taking the puck through traffic and beating Rinne to the far side. The Nationwide Arena crowd awoke, and just 1:11 into the period Columbus had the lead. “It was kind of a lucky play,” the ever-demure Nash said. “I think if you look at the replay their team actually put it in. I just brought it to the net.”
“It was nice to get that goal right off the bat [in the third period]. [Nashville] had a chance right at the start, and the period could have went either way after that.”
But, it didn’t.
From there, it was a fluky bounce that really tipped the scales. On the Power Play, the puck rimmed behind the goal, hopped over two sticks, off the back of the netting, and onto the stick of Matt Calvert. The problem for Nashville? One of those sticks was that of Rinne, who had left the crease to play the puck. With no one to cover the crease, Calvert corralled the puck and deposited it into the net at the 4:29 mark to make it 2-0, and to put the screws to Nashville. “It was … a pretty fortunate bounce on our part,” Calvert said. “If you work hard, you get those bounces, and we did a real good job as a team tonight. We stuck to it, and we worked for our bounces.”
Calvert continues to impress, especially as he’s been pressed into more and more duty on scoring lines and in scoring situations. With both Derick Brassard and Kristian Huselius dinged up right now, Calvert is getting a golden opportunity to showcase his skills, and to serve notice that he may not be going anywhere anytime soon. “It’s real fun, especially when you’re in a playoff race and you have a chance to contribute,” Calvert said, when asked about how it feels to see his coach’s confidence in him continue to grow with each game. “Even when I was on the fourth line, it was just as good. You gotta earn your time, and it’s fun to help out the team. It’s been a good ride so far, but we’ve got a long way to go.”
“[Calvert’s] been great,” Nash said. “He’s getting a big chance to step up right now with some injuries, and he’s taking full advantage of it. He’s a player that plays with a lot of energy, and he’s got great hands around the net.”
Five minutes later, it was Antoine Vermette’s turn to get onto the score sheet, as he crashed the net and redirected a gorgeous left wing feed from Kris Russell to make it 3-0 and start driving nails into the Predators’ coffin. “I called for it,” Vermette said. “If you look at the replay, I think I tapped my stick. I thought I had a little room, and I got lost a little bit. I took a step away from the goalie to give myself a better shooting angle, and it was a good play by [Russell].”
Within the span of 8:39, the Jackets scored three goals and took complete control of the game. For the remaining 10-plus minutes, the Jackets just wore the Predators down, culminating with Jared Boll throwing hands with uber-goon Jordin Tootoo after the latter unleashed a cross-check. The fight was arguably a draw, but the intensity was something to behold.
On the ensuing Jackets’ Power Play, just to add a little salt to the wound, the Jackets unleashed a beautiful tic-tac-toe goal from Jakub Voracek to Antoine Vermette to Rick Nash, who roofed it past Rinne to deliver the final margin at the 19:09 mark. For Nash, it was goals 28 and 29 on the year, and it gives him six goals, five assists, and a +8 mark over the past seven games. Nash is upping his game at the right time of the year. “This is what we play for: for these games to mean this much,” Nash said. “The job isn’t done yet.”
For the Jackets’ PP unit, though both goals were fluky in that one was off a weird bounce and the other was in the last minute when there wasn’t anything to play for, it was two more goals, making them now six for their last 19 (31.6%) on the man advantage. Likewise, the PK has been awesome of late, killing off 31 of their last 33 penalties. If they can keep building in those two areas of the game, combined with their overall effort and results, they can make a legitimate playoff push.
Steve Mason was solid, and his team didn’t force him to be spectacular, limiting the Predators to just three shots in the final period. For the game, Mason stopped all 20 shots he faced. Over his last seven starts, he is 6-1-0 with a 1.58 goals against average, a 94.9% save percentage, and two shutouts. “I think everything’s coming around at the right time [for me],” Mason said. “It is [about] feeling comfortable, [and] it’s getting the confidence to go with it. [Tonight] you saw it in the third period: we took the game over and that’s what we’re going to [continue to] need to do.”
“This time of year, you need good goaltending,” Arniel said. “Goaltending is a gigantic part of your success going into the playoffs.”
The Jackets now are 7-1-1 in their past nine games, and 10-3-3 in their last 16 games. They have played their way back into the discussion, only two points out with games in hand. “You have to love this time of year,” Arniel said. “The intensity around the league, you’re watching everybody and everybody is on pins and needles, jockeying for spots. It’s what the players live to play for. This is as close to playoff hockey as you are going to see [in the regular season].”
Columbus gets one last deep breath of time off before they come back on Friday, again at Nationwide Arena. The Phoenix Coyotes come calling. The Jackets then head out on a five-game road trip, beginning on Sunday in Nashville. The NHL Trading Deadline is Monday. No plans on Friday? Grab some tickets for the CBJ and Coyotes!
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Photo Credit: Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images