The Jackets ended up taking one of the three games on their California road trip, winning 5-2 over the Ducks. The Jackets stormed out to a 3-0 lead, and held on as the Ducks clawed back to make it 3-2. The Jackets scored two quick ones at the end of the third. It was an entertaining game at times, with lots of physical play. Almost every shot in-close resulted in a scrum, and in some cases the gloves were dropped.
Derek Dorsett was his prototypical self last night, he scored the game’s first goal, and while he was celebrating he noticed teammate Derick Brassard getting harrassed by the Duck’s Matt Beleskey. He promptly skated over and started to put the beats on Beleskey. Two-thirds of a Gordie Howe hat trick on one play!
The goal scorers last night were Dorsett, Fedor Tyutin, Jakub Voracek, Antoine Vermette and Derick Brassard. Tyuts finished with a goal and two assists. Jake had one and one. Brass scored the final goal of the game, on a one timer set up by Vermette.
Mathieu Garon played stellar in net last night, especially in the first and third periods. He had several highlight reel saves in the first, and shut the door after the Ducks put up a pair of goals. There wasn’t much he could do on the first goal, and slapper from a wide-open Lubomir Visnovsky. The second goal illustrates why as a defenseman you never go back to pick up a dropped stick. Marc Methot did just that, he was pinning Ryan Getzlaf along the boards behind the net, and when he dropped his stick he skated over and picked it up allowing Getzlaf to skate freely to the front of the net, going top cheese with a wrister. Had Methot just continued to play the body rather than worry about his stick, maybe the play would have never developed.
Quick Hits:
– Oregon’s candidate for the Senate-Marc Delphine- has an interesting campaign logo. Look familiar?
– The Jackets played without Kristian Huselius and Rick Nash last night.
– Derek MacKenzie was called up yesterday, along with Maksim Mayorov, but left the game with a knee injury. He may miss the rest of the season.
– Andrew Murray continues to look good out there. He may not have scored, but he’s using his speed and size. He reminds me of Nash, except with no hands.
– Mike Blunden scored his first NHL point last night, an assist on Dors’ goal.
– The Jackets went 3 for 6 on the powerplay, and the PK was at 100%, killing all seven Ducks powerplays.
Mancrush: my continuous mancrush on my boy Jake Voracek was given a boost last night, he scored a nice goal going top dog from the side of the net.
Doghouse: I have to go with Methot, for his brainfart on the Getlzaf goal.