After switching up lines to try confusing San Jose, and then losing with those new lines, coach Ken Hitchcock was in a bit of a bind. He could try his original lines, and hope that they created some chemistry. He could keep these new lines, and hope they will actually work well. Or, he could come up with whole new lines, and hope that it pays off. Hitchcock chose Option No. 3 and, well, it did pay off.
Game Recap
Columbus' game against Phoenix in Jobing.com Arena was their third tough road game in a row. In all the games, the Blue Jackets were the opponents during the home opener, and all the teams wanted to show off to their fans. Phoenix especially needed to show off, as the team has recently declared bankruptcy. They actually needed to offer lower bowl tickets for $25 (compare that to my $75 CBJ tickets) in order to sell the arena out. After coming off a demoralizing loss, and entering a hostile arena, Columbus should have been intimidated – they were not.
Instead, the Blue Jackets were the ones doing the intimidating, while the Coyotes were on the run the whole game. With their new lines, and their young core healthy, the Jackets were able to control the puck, and pick their shots carefully. Plus, with veteran Mathieu Garon guarding the pipes, the offense was able to concentrate on scoring. That concentration paid off when, in the first, Captain Rick Nash (2) lit the lamp with a beautiful back-door tap-in off a pass from Kristian Huselius and Derick Brassard.
In the second, Phoenix found their footing, and started to get their game on. No matter how many times they shot, however, they were unable to get the puck past Garon. Time after time, the Coyotes shot it at the Columbus net, and every-time, Garon was there flashing his pads. Though it looked like Phoenix was dominating the game, it was only because the Jackets were often a man down. Killing four power plays, including a 5-on-3, the Jackets were unable to generate any offense, but their defense was amazing.
Just like the second period, the Jackets' defense was easily handling the Coyotes' offense. Killing off even more power plays, the Jackets were strong and showing their power. Garon was still blocking everything in net, and the young core were doing their best to get the puck in the net. Though the crowd was still in full force, the Coyotes were not able to do anything, and they started to slip. When they finally pulled goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, and R.J. Umberger (2) sent the puck into the empty net, clearly Columbus had the game.
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