The Blue Jackets’ roster features several players who have spent time in the Eastern Conference prior to this season, and the message was unanimous: when playing the New Jersey Devils, you absolutely have to be patient.
For decades, the Devils have made a living out of out-waiting opponents and coercing them into playing their style of hockey. No matter who’s behind the bench or who’s on the ice, New Jersey is known all too well for playing its structured, systematic brand – and the Blue Jackets fought back Tuesday night with a structured game of their own, winning 4-1.
Both teams were the embodiment of structure in the opening 20 minutes. It was a fully-engaged chess match by both coaches, who matched lines and implored their players to check relentlessly at both ends of the rink. The result was a rather sleepy first period, but things started to open up in the second.
Michael Ryder’s fourth goal of the season and second power play tally opened the scoring at 6:24 of the second period and it was as broken as a play could get; the Jackets appeared to be out of danger but Jaromir Jagr wound up with the puck at the bottom of the circle, and fed Ryder at the dot for a high wrist shot that hit the crossbar and dropped in behind Sergei Bobrovsky.
Just over three minutes later, the Blue Jackets began to take control of the game.
With Jagr in the box for holding, the Jackets’ power play went to work. James Wisniewski – who was, let’s say, very ill this morning and during the game – got the puck through traffic and to Cory Schneider, who made the first save but left the rebound in the blue paint. Dubinsky drove the net and won the battle, slamming the puck into the net at 9:56 and tying the game at 1-1.
Later in the second period, it was Cam Atkinson joining the fray and scoring the game winner on a tremendous individual effort. He knocked down two Devils clearing attempts, kept the play alive at the blue line and walked the puck to the slot, unleashing a sneaky backhander that eluded Schneider on the blocker side. It was a 2-1 lead for Columbus that would not be relinquished, but Wisniewski added an insurance marker at 4:12 of the third and Marian Gaborik iced it with an empty-netter at 19:35.
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