Game 13 Recap: Jackets Blow Sharks Out of the Water

After a frustrating loss to the Oilers the night before in a game where the Jackets were clearly the better team, they took on the San Jose Sharks in the final home game before heading out on an extended West Coast road trip. They gave the fans a very good sendoff.

1st Period

As they did the night before, the Jackets came out with a tenacious forecheck, hemming the Sharks in the zone. Brandon Dubinsky carried the puck behind the San Jose net, before getting the puck out front. Fedor Tyutin got a hold of it, wiring it wide. Matt Calvert dragged the puck towards the front of the net, and Dubinsky was there to tap home his first of the season, and first as a Blue Jacket.

1-0 Columbus: Brandon Dubinsky (1): Matt Calvert (1), Fedor Tyutin (9)

After the ensuing faceoff, the Sharks came back up-ice, and came very close to evening the score, hitting the post. Matt Pelech, looking to give his team a boost, dropped the mitts with Jared Boll. We'll call it a draw.

Less than a minute later, Nick Foligno was called for roughing. After a whistle, Foligno was cross-checked from behind by Ryane Clowe, and Foligno stood up to defend himself. Doing so earned him the minor penalty. Poor call.

Thanks to some strong penalty killing by Derek Dorsett and Dubinsky, the Jackets were able to successfully kill the San Jose man advantage. Though it took him until this game to pot his first goal, Dubinsky has been a huge contributor for the Jackets. He is one of the main reasons the Jackets have a top ten penalty kill this season.

Shortly after the initial kill, the Jackets again went down a man when Tim Erixon was whistled for cross-checking. Dubinsky had a fantastic shorthanded chance in the latter half of the powerplay, streaking in on a breakaway. San Jose starter Thomas Greiss made the initial save, and was able to close the gates on Dubi's rebound attempt.

At the 8:30 mark, the gloves were dropped again, this time Dorsett and Adam Burish exchanged pleasantries. Dorse took Burish to task after the Shark forward finished a hard check on Nikita Nikitin. Decision: Dorse.

Shortly after play resumed following a media timeout, the Sharks rushed up-ice, with the play culminating with Logan Couture crashing into goaltender Steve Mason. Mase was ok.

In the final minutes of the period, the Jackets applied a ton of pressure, with the best chance coming off the stick of, once again, Dubinsky. He was easily the Jackets' best forward in the opening frame.

End of 1st Period, 1-0 Jackets.

2nd Period

The teams traded chances in the opening minutes of the period. The Jackets opened things up with pressure, before the Sharks made their push. Mason stood tall, however.

At 5:01 of the period, the Jackets went to the powerplay when Brent Burns flipped the puck into the stands. The Jackets had their chances, but were unable to solve Greiss.

After five-on-five play resumed, the Sharks came awfully close to knotting things up when Mason turned the puck over off of his stick. He was able to recover and stacked the pads to stop the San Jose shot. You have to think that that goal went in last year. Mason is certainly playing better this season, but his record doesn't reflect that. This night, however, he was very sharp.

Submitted without comment- Matt Calvert is a very important player for the Jackets.

Midway through the period the Jackets returned to the powerplay after Brad Stuart was called for cross-checking. In the final quarter of the penalty R.J. Umberger was in close, and threw the puck at the net. His arms went up in celebration, but no goal call was made. It was looked at by the war room in Toronto, but it was called no goal. There was however, another penalty called when Burish was whistled for hooking.

The Jackets couldn't score while on the two man advantage, but with seconds left in the second penalty, James Wisniewski crept in from the point, received the puck, and wristed it past Greiss.

2-0 Jackets: James Wisniewski (3): Derick Brassard (5), R.J. Umberger (2)

Just thirteen seconds later, the Jackets were back on the attack. The puck made its way to the point, where Cody Goloubef blasted home his first NHL goal. It's funny, I was thinking during the first period that he was looking quite steady out there. Big congrats to Cody on this huge moment.

3-0 Jackets: Cody Goloubef (1): Derek MacKenzie (1), Nick Foligno (3)

The ink was barely dry on the scoresheet before the Sharks were able to get on the board. Patrick Marleau carried the puck up the left wing, and wired one past Steve Mason.

3-1 Jackets: Patrick Marleau (10): Logan Couture (6), Douglas Murray (1)

The Marleau goal gave the Sharks some life, and they were buzzing the Columbus net. At one point Mason was forced to make a huge save off a scramble in front, and the Jackets continued to frustrate the Sharks.

With slightly under three minutes left in the period, Foligno pulled off a wonderful series of stickhandling moves, finishing with a deke on Greiss. Unfortunately he wasn't able to tickle the twine, but it was a "butt-out-of-the-seat" kind of moment. Shame he couldn't score.

End of 2nd Period, 3-1 Jackets.

3rd Period

Just 21 seconds into the final period, the run of defensemen potting goals continued, with Nikitin creeping in from the right point and one-timing a pass past Greiss to regain the three-goal lead.

4-1 Jackets: Nikita Nikitin (1): Matt Calvert (2), Brandon Dubinsky (6)

The Sharks did not let up though, and were able to get a few shots on Mason. One thing continued to occur that troubles me- Mason was bumped and banged all night, with no reaction from the refs. What does this poor guy need to do to get some respect?

At the 4:34 mark of the period Scott Gomez was sent to the box for tripping up Colton Gillies. The first moments of the powerplay looked disjointed for Columbus, but they organized things in time for Foligno to shake a Sharks defender out of his socks, before finding a streaking Vinny Prospal, who wired the puck past Greiss.

5-1 Jackets: Vinny Prospal (4): Nick Foligno (4), Jack Johnson (4)

Just eight seconds later, the Jackets continued the rout. Off the faceoff, Artem Anisimov carried the puck, and fed it to Mark Letestu. From just inside the San Jose blueline, Letestu flicked the puck on net, where it was redirected by Marc-Edouard Vlasic's stick past Greiss.

6-1 Jackets: Mark Letestu (5): Artem Anisimov (2)

The Sharks continued to press, but Mason was a brick wall. At one point, Nikitin had a giveaway near center ice, but he tracked his man back into the defensive zone and made a terrific diving sweep, getting all puck. The Columbus defense as a whole was phenomenal from start to finish.

There was little action down the stretch. With 3:19 left in the game, Calvert was sent to the box as a result of cross checking Stuart. The Sharks were able to pot one, with Joe Pavelski beating Mason.

6-2 Jackets: Joe Pavelski (6): Dan Boyle (6), Joe Thornton (12)

Final Score: 6-2 Jackets

Standard Bearers

• The CBJ as a team were fantastic tonight.
• Special props to Cody Goloubef on his first NHL goal.
• Steve Mason was quite good tonight. Very encouraging.
• Brandon Dubinsky was doing it all tonight.
• The offense from the blueliners was the story.

Bottom of the Barrel

• Nah.

The Jackets head out on a six game roadie, starting Friday in Los Angeles.