Victories just part of what Jackets lack
Unhappy with players? efforts, Agnew puts team through grueling practice
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Aaron Portzline
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
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Blue Jackets interim coach Gary Agnew stepped before his players yesterday with a challenge.
Yes, these are strange and difficult times in the Blue Jackets? dressing room, Agnew acknowledged, with one coach fired (Gerard Gallant), an interim coach in charge and another coach soon to be announced, perhaps today or Thursday. But Agnew?s point was clear: The Blue Jackets need to persevere. "A fine man once said: The ultimate measure of the man is not where he stands in times of comfort and convenience but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy," Agnew said. "So that?s the kind of questions we?re facing here. When times are tough, where do you stand? Who are you? What does your character say about you? "
The Blue Jackets are in the throes of challenge and controversy, having lost six games in a row after a 3-1 loss to the Nashville Predators on Monday.
At 5-13-1, the Jackets will have the worst record in the NHL when they play host to the St. Louis Blues tonight in Nationwide Arena.
The dressing room of late has been equal parts confusion, frustration and, of course, speculation.
"It?s a mental thing right now for this locker room," captain Adam Foote said. "It?s not fun. Nobody enjoys it. But it is what it is. You can?t be distracted by what?s going on and lose energy. Maybe that has happened to some guys in here, but we can?t use it as an excuse."
Agnew was miffed by the Blue Jackets? unwillingness Monday to compete with the Predators.
To be kind, the Jackets lost most of the fights for the puck and were beaten to most of the loose pucks. They avoided their sixth shutout this season when left winger Jason Chimera scored with 15 seconds left.
The Blue Jackets, who have had a reputation for being soft through the years, did nothing to dispel that notion Monday.
That?s why Agnew held a hard practice yesterday. It wasn?t a marathon or a series of gassers. The Blue Jackets do play tonight. But the 50-minute session was extremely physical, probably more than a lot of the players preferred.
"Coaches always say they want players to work hard and compete hard," Agnew said. "Well, sometimes you need to show players what it means to compete hard.
"You get knocked down, you get back up. You don?t win the battle the first time, then you try to win it the second time. That was today?s message: what it means to compete and battle for pucks."
It is hoped by many within the organization that the Blue Jackets will consider Agnew?s practice as a prep course for what the players can expect when a new coach is hired.
The two leading candidates ? former Philadelphia Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock, who interviewed Sunday, and former Los Angeles Kings coach Andy Murray, who interviewed yesterday ? are regarded as demanding coaches.
They practice their teams hard and demand a relentless, physical style of hockey. A lackadaisical performance is never followed by an off day, and their teams have never been called soft.
"I think everybody has been through coaches who are hard to play for, who demand a lot of their players," left winger Jason Chimera said. "I think that?s good. If you?re an NHL player, you should demand a lot of our ourselves.
"Nobody?s really worried about who?s coming in here to coach. If he?s good for the team, it?ll be good for us, no matter what he?s like." [email protected]
Blue Jackets sign Hitchcock to 3-year contract as coach
By Michael Arace
The Columbus Dispatch
Wednesday, November 22, 2006 6:52 PM
</IMG>Associated PressKen Hitchcock, coach of the Philadelphia Flyers until last month, is the new coach of the Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets cut short their search for a coach today and hired Ken Hitchcock. The news was announced before the Jackets met the St. Louis Blues in Nationwide Arena tonight.
?I just felt very comfortable after seeing all aspects of management and the organization,? Hitchcock told The Dispatch. ?When you have hockey people like that in the front office, and you're sitting around talking the game like we did, that just felt really good. ... I'm just really looking forward to working and living in Columbus.?
Hitchcock has agreed to a three-year contract. Although terms were not announced, it's likely he will receive approximately $1.2 million annually, which was the value of his last contract.
The Blue Jackets now have one of the league's elite coaches in their employ.
Hitchcock has a 408-249-100 record in eight-plus seasons with the Dallas Stars and the Philadelphia Flyers. His playoff record is 66-51. He won a Stanley Cup with the Stars in 1999 and a year later lost in the Cup final.
?It's a great move by that (Blue Jackets) organization,? said Keith Primeau, who captained Hitchcock's Flyers teams.
?It's a real sign to the fan base that the intention here is to win,? Primeau said. ?He's a world-class coach. To me this a such a great fit for the Columbus franchise.?
Hitchcock is expected be in town Thursday to run practice and will debut behind the bench Friday night, when the Blue Jackets meet the Flyers in the Wachovia Center. What a way to start. Hitchcock coached the Flyers until last month, when he was fired on the heels of general manager Bob Clarke's resignation. At the time, the Flyers were 1-6-1.
?(Friday) is a day I'll have to get through,? Hitchcock said. ?I just have to get through it. I didn't wanted like that -- I would have preferred coaching (last night). I talked to Mr. (Ed) Snider (the Flyers owner) and asked him how he felt about me coaching there and he said, 'If I was Columbus, I'd want you to do it.' I wanted to avoid it becoming a circus.?
Hitchcock has coached eight full seasons and, each of those seasons, his teams have won at least 40 games and amassed 100-plus points.
The Blue Jackets have the worst record in the league and have scored the fewest goals. Coach Gerard Gallant was fired 10 days ago, and assistant Gary Agnew was handed the reins on an interim basis. The Jackets were 0-4 under Agnew heading into tonight's game.
Since the season began in early October, consternation among fans has grown. Earlier this week, some folks in the cheap seats were chanting, ?We want Hitchcock.?
Hitchcock spent last night watching the Blue Jackets on television and pre-scouting the Flyers at his home in southern New Jersey.
?Everything's about daily improvement,? he said. ?You don't build champions overnight, but there are core values that have to be in place. When you have good potential leaders in the locker room, I think you can grow and mature quickly. I see that there with Columbus. I think we can draw the team into real good play in a short period of time."
Jackets fans cheer Hitchcock
New coach says Columbus has players and commitment to get better quickly
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Michael Arace
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
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</IMG> New Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock has a 408-249-100 NHL record.
The Blue Jackets? search for a new coach ended yesterday when Ken Hitchcock, among the league?s elite bench bosses, agreed to a three-year contract.
The search took 10 days. Hitchcock was one of two candidates interviewed, and the decision was announced last night to cheers from fans in Nationwide Arena before the Blue Jackets-St. Louis Blues game.
Although terms were not announced, Hitchcock?s contract is thought to be worth $1.2 million annually, which is what he was earning as coach of the Philadelphia Flyers before he was fired last month. His first game behind the bench will be Friday in Philadelphia.
"I wanted this job," Hitchcock said last night. "There are a lot of good hockey people there, and I felt a real commitment from the organization to go the distance."
Hitchcock spent 10 hours Sunday talking with President and General Manager Doug MacLean and his staff, and the ownership group led by John H. McConnell and his son, John P. McConnell.
The Blue Jackets started poorly this season and fired Gerard Gallant on Nov. 13. They were 0-4 under interim coach Gary Agnew heading into last night?s game. They had the worst record (5-13-1) in the league yesterday despite a payroll of more than $40 million and a bevy of stars.
"I didn?t care where the team was in the standings. I knew it could play better," Hitchcock said. "There?s leadership there, potential for strong leadership. I know (Jackets players) Adam Foote, Sergei Fedorov, Rick Nash ? there?s a real core group there that can provide direction. I felt like we would have a chance to get better quickly. I wanted to be in on the ground floor and be part of the rise."
Hitchcock, known as a demanding coach, has a difficult task ahead of him. The Blue Jackets did not post a winning record in their first five seasons. Over that span, they accrued fewer points than any of the other 29 teams.
Consternation among the Blue Jackets? fan base, considered among the staunchest in the league, has grown. Attendance is down. At a game earlier this week, people in the cheap seats were chanting, "We want Hitchcock." Internet message boards have demanded a housecleaning of the entire front office.
"I?m thrilled and excited," MacLean told the Nationwide Arena crowd via the big screen. "I think we got one of the great coaches in the game. I?m excited about working with him. I can?t wait to see him (today). I can?t wait to get started and get this club where it needs to be."
MacLean added, "Our fans deserve to be ticked off, and now, hopefully, this is a turning point."
The Blue Jackets also interviewed former Los Angeles Kings coach Andy Murray.
Hitchcock has a 408-249-100 record in eight-plus seasons with the Dallas Stars and the Flyers. In each full season he coached, his teams won at least 40 games and amassed 100-plus points, the mark of excellence for an NHL campaign.
His playoff record is 66-51. He won a Stanley Cup with the Stars in 1999 and, a year later, lost in the Cup final.
He led the Flyers to the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2003 and the conference finals in 2004.
"It?s a great move" by the Blue Jackets organization, said Keith Primeau, who captained Hitchcock?s Flyers teams. "It?s a real sign to the fan base that the intention there is to win. He?s a world-class coach. To me this is such a great fit for the Columbus franchise."
Hitchcock will run practice this morning and will make his debut behind the Blue Jackets? bench Friday night when the Jackets play the Flyers in the Wachovia Center. It will be a tough situation for the new coach. The Flyers fired Hitchcock on the heels of General Manager Bob Clarke?s resignation. At the time, the Flyers were 1-6-1.
"(Friday) is a day I?ll have to get through," Hitchcock said. "I just have to get through it. I didn?t want it like that. I would have preferred coaching (last night). I talked to (Flyers owner Ed) Snider and asked him how he felt about me coaching there, and he said, ?If I was Columbus, I?d want you to do it.? I wanted to avoid it becoming a circus."
Hitchcock spent last night at his home in southern New Jersey, watching the Blue Jackets on television and scouting the Flyers.
"I?m getting out first thing in the morning," he said. "I want to dig in with the players at practice (today). Get right to work."
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COMMENTARY
Hitchcock?s job is to revive team and, in turn, fan base
Thursday, November 23, 2006
BOB HUNTER
</IMG> Ken Hitchcock has a reputation as a no-nonsense coach.
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Forty-five minutes before game time last night, the atmosphere outside Nationwide Arena was surreal. There was no traffic. No excitement. No music. Few people.
From my spot in a parking garage directly across the street from the main entrance, I walked down seven flights of steps without seeing a soul. There were probably a dozen people waiting to cross the street at the traffic light. As they crossed, about a halfdozen scalpers greeted them, not good odds for either the scalpers or the team?s ticket department.
Did people stay home to cook the night before Thanksgiving? Maybe. But when I mentioned this to one of the ushers, he shook his head.
"We always did pretty well on this night," he said.
Most of the people who eventually showed up ? the crowd was announced as 15,279 ? arrived just before the opening faceoff, as if they were still trying to decide whether to use those $70 tickets or use them to light the candles for Thanksgiving dinner.
If there ever was proof that the Blue Jackets needed a credibility transplant, this was it.
Welcome to Columbus, Ken Hitchcock. You arrived just in the nick of time.
"I don?t care where they are in the standings," Hitchcock said last night by telephone. "Coaching hockey is what I do, and I love it. I love building teams. The things I like the most more than anything is building teams."
This should be welcome news to fans who are tired of what they are seeing. So should this refreshing, naked truth:
"There is no quick fix," Hitchcock said.
He was talking about the team, not the franchise, but the two are interrelated. With a sixth consecutive losing team, the Blue Jackets definitely have arrived at a crossroads. Hitchcock is probably the closest thing to "a quick fix" that they could have hired.
The fact that he didn?t wait for a more attractive job ? and there would have been other jobs ? says a lot about Hitchcock. It also says something about this Blue Jackets franchise.
"I think there are probably three words," Hitchcock said. "The first word is potential. There is a lot of potential with a lot of players there. I also think a critical part in our sport is a leader inside the locker room. I know there are really good people in that locker room with rings on their fingers, and they know how they lead. I have to get connected with those guys immediately. The third thing I see is a passion in the city, and I think we could really turn it on if we do a good job."
The passion is still there, but you have to dig to find it. A lot of people are mad. The enthusiasm has waned, in part because promises of success have never been kept. Whether this is because of coaching, management or players is immaterial at this point; this team needed a move like this one to excite fans again.
With all due respect to Andy Murray, the other guy the Blue Jackets interviewed, Hitchcock was the best available coach. He has a reputation for toughness, which even some of the Columbus players would admit that this team needs.
"The teams that win in the National Hockey League have the same qualities," Hitchcock said. "Every player checks. On every successful team, the forwards work for the defensemen and everybody works for the goalies. Those are common traits on all successful teams. In our league, the more you check, the harder you check, the more successful you are."
Success, while relative, should be closer for the Blue Jackets today that it has ever been.
Bob Hunter is a sports columnist for The Dispatch.
[email protected]
Jackets put trust in Hitchcock
New coach sees opportunity in NHL?s ?hidden jewel?
Friday, November 24, 2006
Michael Arace
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
</IMG> New coach Ken Hitchcock, right, sits with Jackets GM Doug MacLean during his introductory news conference.
In a big room with two lecterns on the event level in Nationwide Arena yesterday, Blue Jackets majority owner John H. McConnell steered his electric wheelchair to the front of a group of members of the media. Although it was a holiday, this noontime news conference was a relatively big draw for people with microphones, minicams and notebooks.
As McConnell looked over his audience, a smile crept between his white goatee and mustache. His blue eyes twinkled. He was a presence, even from a seated position. "I?d like to get up, but I can?t," he said. He laughed. Then he said, "I?d like to introduce Ken Hitchcock, the guy we hope is going to save us." Pause. The line resonated. Hitchcock stepped to the dais with team president and general manager Doug MacLean on his right flank. The new coach ? the fourth in the team?s history, not counting interim Gary Agnew?s 10-day stint ? didn?t need to clear his throat before he delivered his opening remarks.
"The word in the NHL community on the city of Columbus is it?s the hidden jewel of the National Hockey League," Hitchcock said. "I have the feeling we can have success here. This is a terrific city, franchise, area. The hockey growth here is tremendous. I?ve never been in a situation like this. I also have a good idea where we can get this thing to end, and that?s the goal."
Hitchcock is a Civil War buff and, if one wished to warp an analogy, the hope is he will be like Ulysses S. Grant following in the wake of McClellan, Burnside, Hooker and Meade.
"I cannot spare this man ? he fights," President Lincoln said of Grant.
"I like his record ? he?s never had a loser," McConnell said of Hitchcock.
Hitchcock has a loser now. The Blue Jackets are the doormat of the league at 5-13-2. They have lost seven in a row and 14 of their past 17. They?ve scored fewer goals ? 43 in 20 games ? than any other team. They cost coach Gerard Gallant his job; he was fired Nov. 13.
After interviewing Hitchcock on Sunday and former Los Angeles Kings coach Andy Murray on Tuesday, the owners and managers put their heads together and chose the former. Hitchcock has a 408-249-100 record in eight-plus seasons with the Dallas Stars and the Philadelphia Flyers. His playoff record is 66-51. He won a Stanley Cup with the Stars in 1999 and lost in the Cup Finals a year later.
"He?s known to be tough on players, but he really isn?t," McConnell said. "He?s fair with them. There is a difference."
Hitchcock, 54, made a name for himself coaching in the Western Hockey League from 1984 to 1990, where his Kamloops Blazers won nearly 70 percent of their games. He spent three seasons with the Stars? top minor-league affiliate before he took over in Dallas midway through the 1995-96 season. He cites a number of former Montreal Canadiens in the Stars? front office, notably then-GM Bob Gainey, as the shapers of his philosophy and style.
A few highlights:
? "We?ve got to do things the right way so we can build some confidence, so we don?t think that we?re one mistake away from falling apart. Winning in the NHL is being able to move on quickly, from period to period, game to game, day to day, you?ve got to move on quickly. It?s about what you do next."
? "I?m demanding not on the aspect of hard work, but on smart hard work. I?m stubborn that way."
? "The spirit is in place. That?s the reason I?m here. I saw that spirit in this team despite some pretty tough losses and tough situations. ... (The players) are crying for a structure, and we?re going to try to give it to them."
? "I?ve been reading the papers and everyone talks about me as a big defensive coach. The players who played for me in junior and in (the old IHL) will tell you that offense was all I knew. I learned in Dallas ... that everyone has to be a two-way player. It?s non-negotiable. ... That?s my system."
Hitchcock ran his first Blue Jackets practice yesterday. It was an interesting sight. His reputation might lead one to believe that he?s biting off a head at every turn, but that?s not his way. He?s crisp and clear in his directions. He?s not averse to a do-over. He is commanding but not hysterical.
The players were visibly nervous. There was no banter. There was rapt attention, and a hint of trepidation.
Today, Hitchcock will make his Blue Jackets debut in his most recent former haunt, the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. It?s going to be a zoo, he admitted. He?ll be happy when the day is over. Then he?ll move on quickly. His home debut is Saturday night, when the Minnesota Wild visits Nationwide Arena. He admits he knows little to nothing about the Wild.
But he?s about to learn.
"This is as comfortable I?ve felt in a place in a long time," Hitchcock said. "I saw some things organizationally, and in the players, that I really, really liked. I saw things when I watched the games on tape. I saw things that, when you?re building a team, you?d want to dig in and be a part of."
And, by the way, he promised the Nashville Predators: "I know that coach (Barry Trotz), and we?ll make it a little tougher for them now. We?re going to be a lot harder to play against, starting (today)."
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FLYERS 3 BLUE JACKETS 2
Jackets don?t seem lost during loss
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Aaron Portzline
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
</IMG> The Flyers? Kyle Calder, left, reacts as the winning goal by center Mike Richards gets past Blue Jackets goalie Pascal Leclaire.
PHILADELPHIA ? They lost. For a fragile team and an infuriated fan base, that fact can?t be glossed over.
But the Blue Jackets? 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers didn?t feel like a step in the same wrong direction, but rather a turn toward a new one.
The Jackets left the Wachovia Center in lock-step with new coach Ken Hitchcock, strutting with a newfound confidence despite losing their eighth straight.
"I know we weren?t able to get the two points," defenseman Adam Foote said. "But we took some steps tonight, and it feels good to take those steps very quickly.
"We know we can prove so much more after a game like this. The calmness. The good game plan, and the fact that we stuck to it. We outplayed them. That?s the best I?ve seen our team play this season as a whole unit. Good things are coming."
The Blue Jackets, who play host to the Minnesota Wild tonight in Nationwide Arena, outshot the Flyers 41-22 and lulled a crowd of 19,301 mostly to sleep with a sound style of game perfect for the road.
The Flyers took a 3-2 lead at 2:02 of the third period on a goal by Mike Richards, a quicksnap one-timer that found its way between goaltender Pascal Leclaire?s pads as he moved to cover the near post.
"I think I?m good enough to make that save," Leclaire said.
The Blue Jackets, who came back from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits, spent the final 17:58 trying to score the equalizer.
Jason Chimera and Rick Nash scored goals for the Blue Jackets, and defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen had his first NHL point, an assist on Chimera?s goal.
But most everybody contributed. Left winger Fredrik Modin had 10 shots on goal and could have scored a hat trick with some help. Ditto center Sergei Fedorov, who had nine shots on goal.
The Jackets outhit the Flyers 19-11, with three each by Tollefsen and center Alexander Svitov.
Hitchcock, facing the club that fired him barely a month ago, was able to smile.
"This team, they?ve been all over the map (this season)," Hitchcock said. "They?ve played hard, for the most part, but tonight we started to play hard and smart.
"This was as physical a game as you?re ever going to get in the National Hockey League. Both teams had lots at stake. They pounded on each other and the refs let us play. It really was a heck of a hockey game."
In the dressing room, heads were held high as the bags were packed to fly home. Voices were audible. No mumbling and grumbling and staring at the floor.
"It doesn?t feel like we lost a game," Chimera said. "We realize how good we can be. It?s a long time coming."
The Flyers took a 1-0 lead at 9:59 of the first period on Peter Forsberg?s power-play goal. No shock there: The Blue Jackets have given up the first goal in 10 straight games. But they didn?t come unglued this time.
Chimera pulled the Blue Jackets to 1-1 at 12:31 of the second period, popping home a rebound off the backhand side of his stick.
The Blue Jackets pulled to a 2-2 tie with 18.9 seconds left in the second period, an off-balance, odd-angle shot off a rebound.
That?s two tying goals. The Blue Jackets couldn?t quite get a third, although Brule?s longrange slap shot with 11 minutes to go hit a post.
"We believed we were going to get that last goal," Tollefsen said.
Hitchcock might have believed, too.
"We have to take baby steps here," Hitchcock said. "If we continue to take the same steps we took tonight, that?ll be terrific."
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COMMENTARY
It?s possible to sense the change, even after one game under Hitchcock
Saturday, November 25, 2006
BOB HUNTER
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PHILADELPHIA ? Ken Hitchcock was nearly swallowed up by the media contingent outside the Columbus locker room, which isn?t easy. The new Blue Jackets coach is a big guy.
Still, within seconds 40 or so reporters swarmed over him like ants on a dropped piece of bread at the company picnic.
"It?s not Columbus," he said.
A few of the camera jockeys laughed, but Hitchcock didn?t mean that as an insult.
"To me, it?s a hockey place," he said. "It feels a lot like Canada, and that?s important to me. I can just go there and coach and enjoy it."
Hitchcock enjoyed this, not losing his Columbus coaching debut 3-2 to the Philadelphia Flyers team that fired him after a 1-6-1 start a little more than a month ago, but coaching a team he sees a lot of "spirit" in. He seemed almost giddy afterward about the Jackets? chances of becoming a good team.
"Do we have a long ways to go?" he said. "Yeah, but there?s a spirit to fight, and you saw it again tonight. This team competes. My job is to get it to compete the right way, and to make the steps we did today was terrific."
Jackets fans are used to hearing about imaginary steps the team has taken. This time, there was tangible evidence to back up Hitchcock?s words. There was a noticeable jump in the Jackets? step against the Flyers. There were not only harder checks, but more of them. In the second period, Columbus set a club record with 19 shots on goal.
Strange but true: No Blue Jackets coach has ever known so little about his players and gotten so much out of them; Hitchcock probably knew more about the team he was coaching against than the one he was coaching. He admitted he kept slipping behind the players at practice Thursday so he could match the numbers on the backs of their helmets with their faces.
"I?ve prided myself for years in being able to keep with all 10 guys and what the other team?s doing, but I couldn?t do that today," he said. "I couldn?t keep up. I was just trying to get guys on the ice. I lost a guy on the bench for four minutes in the third period; I forgot about him. In a game or two, things like that won?t happen."
This has been a whirlwind week for Hitchcock. He got the job Wednesday, conducted his first practice Thanksgiving Day ? "I had turkey, but it was in a club sandwich" ? and was back in Philly yesterday for a game that had "a little more debris around it" than he would have liked.
Though he was understandably nervous about it, he said he was almost oblivious to the fans after the team started.
"There was one guy cheering me and one guy barking," he said. "The one guy barking, I heard him four years ago. He doesn?t like me."
It?s hard to understand why. Until the slow start this season, Hitchcock won with the Flyers; his teams had three successive 100-point seasons. He admits the expectations are different in Columbus ? Philadelphia wanted no less than a Stanley Cup ? but he was encouraged enough about the losing effort to talk about the "race" as if it isn?t over.
"We need the points," he said. "If we?re going to crawl back in this race, we need points."
If it seems to be odd to talking about any kind of "race" with a 5-14-2 hockey club, a little optimism would seem to fit the circumstances.
"We?ve got a big challenge to build on this tomorrow," Hitchcock said. "But holy smokes, to take where we were two days ago and play like this ? we?ve got a pretty good hockey club.
"Our positioning was sound, we really got stronger as the game went on. All we?ve done is have an optional practice and one video session, and to pick up the way they did today, especially from a positional standpoint, was really impressive."
Impressive? Honestly, it?s not as outrageous as it sounds.
To take a page from a former Ohio State president who once called a football tie against Michigan "one of the greatest wins ever," this might have been the greatest loss in Blue Jackets history.
Bob Hunter is a sports columnist for The Dispatch.
[email protected]
Skid comes to an end
Jackets put together solid effort in taming Wild
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Michael Arace
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
- Order your copy of Unstoppable: Buckeyes 2006, an Ohio State football season-in-review book from The Dispatch.
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- 2006 Ohio State football highlights DVD Relive the Buckeyes' perfect regular season! Pre-ordering now available.
ADAM CAIRNS DISPATCH The Blue Jackets gather to celebrate a goal by Fredrik Modin, right, in the first period.
The Blue Jackets? Fredrik Modin lets fly with a shot past Wild defenseman Nick Schultz in the first period.
Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock made his home debut last night and left a smallish crowd thinking: Where has this been? Did he get here in time? What team is this?
There was an announced crowd of 15,493 in Nationwide Arena. They stayed to the end and they left a standing ovation ringing in the ears of the home team. It was a better show than USC-Notre Dame.
"I?m happy we provided some decent hockey so they could cheer for us," center Sergei Fedorov said.
The Blue Jackets snapped an eightgame losing streak, one of the longest in franchise history, with a 5-3 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Goaltender Fredrik Norrena, a 32-year-old rookie, earned his first NHL victory. Finally, he got some offensive support.
Fedorov had two goals and two assists. Anson Carter had a goal and two assists. Nikolai Zherdev had a goal and an assist. That?s the top line, folks. Fredrik Modin pitched in with a goal as the Jackets beat a team with a winning record for the first time this season.
"We have a real good team," Hitchcock said. "We are starting to gain some confidence. I am pleasantly surprised with how quickly the players bought into it. There are good pieces here to be a really good hockey club."
Pascal Dupuis, Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Stephane Veilleux had goals for the Wild, which has lost four of its past five. The Wild entered the game tied for first place in the Northwest Division. The Blue Jackets are last in the Central.
Hitchock sent his new charges out with an idea of wearing down the pesky Wild, and that is what happened.
"It was an easy night to play," Fedorov said. "We got a lot of turnovers from them in the neutral zone and it gave us a chance to attack and get them on their heels. We were moving forward on every shift and we wore them down. It sounds simple. But that?s what we did."
The Blue Jackets had a 2-1 lead at the end of the first period. This was a landmark. This was Game 21, and the last time they had a lead after 20 minutes was Game 11, on Nov. 3. That night, they beat the Calgary Flames in a shootout. Before that, the last time was Game 1, on Oct. 6. That night, they lost 3-2 to Vancouver in overtime.
The Jackets scored the first goal of the game. This was a landmark. It had been 10 games since they?d done that. The last time was the Calgary game.
Their goals were of a similar quality. Carter scored on a quick foray up the slot, off a pass from Fedorov. Modin whipped a quick shot off the wall, through a screen laid by Dan Fritsche. Fedorov scored on a one-timer from a prime area off a deft feed from Zherdev. Carter teed up Zherdev from another prime area.
They had only one funny one. Fedorov?s second goal, on a power play, actually was a centering pass that went off the stick of two Minnesota defenders. But on balance, their goals were lovely productions of a hard, fast and controlled forecheck. They played with the lead, lost it twice and blew the game open with three goals in the third period. It almost seemed inevitable.
"I can?t tell you how many times I went home after a game and banged my head on the wall because we weren?t playing the game right (earlier in the season)," Carter said. "The important thing now is we?re all playing the same way. A funny thing happens when not everyone is doing their own thing. You?re able to play, just play, and try to do what comes naturally."
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