Blue Jackets fans were timid at best, scared at worst coming in to last night’s locking-of-the-horns with the struggling, yet always threatening Boston Bruins. Regardless of the Jackets’ 8-1-1 record in December, the 4 goal massacre at the hands of the Predators coupled with news of Sergei Bobrovsky’s absence due to stomach flu meant many were expecting another ugly loss. The arena was packed to its gills with screaming fans; a refreshing amount wearing Union Blue; and from the moment the puck dropped to the moment the confetti streamed into the lower bowl, the Jackets were playing their game.
3rd Star: Matt Calvert
Calvert was playing the kind of game that the Jackets dream of him playing last night. Calvert was winning battles and laying hits on everything in bumblebee yellow, including Zdeno Chara of all things. Matt was rewarded for his persistence with a fantastic goal late in the second period, sniping one by Rask’s glove. Calvert has been a bit quiet lately but games like that show how important a little ball of destruction like him can be.
2nd Star: Scott Hartnell
Welcome back, Scotty! Hartnell came back off of IR and had a spectacular night, scoring the Jackets’ two first goals of the game and being a presence in front of the crumbling Boston netminding all game. Those two goals weren’t accidents, either. A bit lucky, sure, but Hartnell knows what he’s doing. I’m glad to have the little turd back.
1st Star: Kevin Connauton
Isn’t this dude a defenseman? Two assists and another fantastic pixel perfect goal from what seemed like a hastily made depth decision. Kevin’s really latching himself in to the fabric of this team and turning into yet another Jarmo special.
Game in One Picture:
Stud: Backup Goaltending
Everything else has gotten love, and I want to point out Curtis for a fantastic job in net against a Boston Bruins team that can put up points. He had a few boo-boos but very few of those 28 shots were gimmies. He kept his team in the game on a night in which he probably didn’t expect to start. A majority of us fans were scared for him but McElhinney stepped up big time.
Dud: Allowing Response
The Blue Jackets broke the scoreless tie with a hard-working, effort filled goal midway through the first period. The building was rocking, people were feeling it, there was a surplus of happy feelings in Nationwide Arena. Almost immediately after the puck dropped, the Bruins swiftly marched down the ice and knotted the game back up at 1. Now, it didn’t happen again, but those kinds of mistakes can really turn an upswing into a freefall, and against a team like the B’s you really don’t want to hand them any more momentum than they can generate themselves.
So, after it’s all said and done, the Jackets put up 6 on one of the Comcast Club and walk out of Nationwide Arena feeling good about themselves again. After the drumming against Nashville, this is exactly what the fans and the team needed to right the ship and get ready for a January spent mostly on the road. The Jackets next game is Wednesday against the Minnesota Wild, and then they’re not home again until January 10th. Make the most of it, boys!
Carry the Flag!
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