Game Recap
Any person who is a Blue Jackets fan will remember Tuesday night's game for a long, long time; it was the first home playoff game ever at Nationwide Arena. All fans got flags, programs, and little calendars to celebrate the event. Nationwide was buzzing, as cheering, jeering, and random songs about Michigan pierced the air. Columbus needed the fan support to get going, as that 6th man was probably what the Jackets would need to start lighting the lamp and making a comeback in the series.Lo and behold, the fans made sure to give it their all during the first period. The booing was proper, the jeering was good, and the Jackets had the home-ice advantage. That said, however, all of the jeering in the world could not have stopped Detroit's Tomas Holmstrom, when, in the first minute of the game, he scored on goaltender Steve Mason. Unlike normal games, this did not deflate the crowd base or limit the intensity of the cheering; nay, the early goal gave Jackets fans something to root for, and they got louder. Using this intensity, the Jackets played a good first period, as they checked well, hit well, and had more shots than Detroit. All the chances in the world mean nothing if you can not convert, which Columbus couldn't. Detroit's Daniel Cleary had no issue converting, which he did in the 19th minute as he ended the period with a goal.After the start of the second period, the crowd seemed to die down a little; they were disappointed and not drunk yet. That said, however, the Jackets were not letting down any. They hit just as hard, played just as well, and kept the puck in the offensive zone. In fact, the only person playing as well as a Jacket was Chris Osgood, the goalie for Detroit, who made sure that the Jackets had no chance of scoring. In the 14th minute, Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg got a pass from Cleary and sunk it in behind Mason on one of the few offensive chances that Detroit had. This took the fans out of the game, and left Columbus playing in a silent arena.The start of the third period brought around no changes, as there was no input from the crowd except for the two drunk guys sitting behind me (note to self, bring ear plugs next time). With no real 6th player, the Blue Jackets fell into a slump, and were playing extremely poorly. They started turning the puck over often, passing badly, and not taking shots when they should have. In other words, the Jackets were playing cautiously, which is something you can not do against the Red Wings. There was a brief glimmer of hope, late in the game when, on a power play, R.J. Umberger got a pass from Rick Nash and sunk it in behind Osgood. This was his second goal of the playoffs as well as Columbus' second goal ever in the playoffs. It was for nothing, however, as Detroit's Zetterberg scored on an empty net late in the game. Yet again, Columbus had failed to come out and play well against Detroit.The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
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