By now Columbus head coach Todd Richards has got to be tired of preaching the same message every day and not seeing that message carried out on the ice. In just about every interview I’ve seen with Richards he talks about getting a full 60 minute effort from his charges. The Jackets will play well for a period and then revert back to a team playing on its heels, losing one-on-one puck battles and chasing the play in their own zone. That’s the same script that played out Thursday night when the Flames came to town and downed the Jackets 4 – 3 in OT at Nationwide Arena.

Columbus played well in period one, outshooting the Flames 12 – 8, forechecking hard and dominating puck possession. After allowing the first goal of the game, the first career NHL tally by Roman Cervenka, the Jackets rebounded quickly netting the tying marker just 0:25 later. Vinny Prospal won a board battle and chipped the puck up the LW boards to Matt Calvert. Calvert rushed in on the wing and beat Flames goalie Leland Irving high to the glove side.

The Jackets took the lead later in the period on a PP goal by Mark Letestu capping of some excellent puck movement on the man-advantage effort. With two Jackets stationed near the front of the cage and drawing the attention of the Calgary PK unit, Jack Johnson got the puck to Derick Brassard at the right circle. Brassard threaded a pass between three Flames to Letestu who one-timed the puck past Irving.

Unfortunately Columbus couldn’t sustain the momentum as the Flames took control of the play in period two. From there on out the Jackets stopped winning one-on-one battles for the puck, started getting careless with the puck in their own zone all while failing to play solid coverage in the defensive zone. Mikael Backlund scored the tying goal in the second period on a play that demonstrated exactly what the Jackets weren’t doing.

TJ Brodie was allowed to creep in from the point and took a shot that Artem Anisimov had a chance to block. But instead of going all out and sacrificing his body Anisimov gave a half-hearted effort and the shot snuck through to Bobrovsky. Bob made the first stop but he kicked the rebound out to the high slot where Backlund was waiting. Derek Dorsett had lost track of Backlund leaving him wide open to convert the rebound into the tying goal.

The Flames struck again in the third period on the PP with Lee Stempniak unleashing a hard wrist-shot from the RW that beat Bob high to the glove side. As good a shot as it was it was a shot Bobrovsky should have stopped.

Again showing no quit, the Jackets found a way to get the tying goal shortly after falling behind and again it was Letestu right in the middle of the action. Letestu challenged Bouwmeester at the right point and knocked him off the puck springing himself and Vinny Prospal on a two-on-one. Letestu took the puck to the middle and dropped a pass back to Prospal who fired a shot over Irving’s glove.

Despite the Flames having the better of the play in two of the three regulation periods, the Jackets still had a shot to win the game in OT. Fedor Tyutin had two chances but misfired on the second and the Flames were away on a two-on-one the other way. Alex Tanguay would convert the feed from Jarome Iginla and the Flames would walk away with the extra point in the standings.

Here’s what else I saw from the game:

The 3rd Line – When Ryan Johansen was demoted, Coach Richards elevated Letestu to the third line with Prospal and Calvert. He cited the chemistry Prospal and Letestu exhibited last season as justification. The trio combined for all three Jackets goals and five points total and was the Jackets best, most consistent line all night. They may be called the “3rd line” but if they continue to be the team’s best it won’t be long before they are playing 1st line minutes.

Umberger – As promised I’ve been keeping a close eye on the veteran forward. He played a very good 1st period winning puck battles and working hard. Like a majority of the team he wasn’t as good in periods two or three but his hard work in the OT almost resulted in a win but Tyutin missed the net on a good chance created in part by Umberger’s work behind the cage. He’s still looking for his first goal but if he can play more like he did in period one it won’t be long before his name appears on the score sheet.

The Elusive Two-Goal Lead - The Jackets have enjoyed a lead of at least two goals in just one game this year; their 4 – 2 win over Detroit. They say the two-goal lead is the most dangerous lead in hockey as the team in front tends to let up and before you know it it’s a one-goal game again. However at this point I’d bet Columbus would love to be in that spot. After working hard to get the lead being rewarded for their effort with another goal to pad their advantage would have to be a boost to their confidence if nothing else.

Guys That Have to Step Up – Good efforts won’t always cut it. There are guys in this lineup that are being paid to produce and they aren’t doing it. Brandon Dubinsky, Umberger and Nick Foligno were all expected to help score goals and that trio has combined for just one in 10 games this year. That won’t cut it. Dubinsky and Umberger each make more than $4MM per season and that comes with the expectation of providing offense. Those guys need to start getting pucks into the net.

Goaltending – The Jackets have a thin margin of error when it comes to winning games. They don’t have enough skill to thrive with even average goaltending. The fact is that for Columbus to win hockey games they are going to get strong play from their goaltenders more often than not. So far neither Bobrovsky nor Steve Mason has grabbed the job by the horns.

What’s Next:

Then Jackets play host to the young and talented Edmonton Oilers this evening. The Oilers are 4 – 4 – 3 on the season and sit two points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Scoring Leaders:
Sam Gagner – 11 points
Taylor Hall – 10 points
Jordan Eberle – 8 points
Nail Yakupov – 8 points

With an enviable collection of young and talented forwards on the roster, including the last three #1 overall draft selections, it’s strange to see one of the club’s longest tenured players leading the team in scoring. Gagner is off to a nice start undoubtedly buoyed by the presence of a ton of skill throughout the lineup.

In Goal:
Devan Dubnyk – 4 – 3 – 3, 2.60 GAA, 0.923 Save %
Nikolai Khabibulin – 0 – 1 – 0, 2.08 GAA, 0.933 Save %

Player to Watch: Nail Yakupov

The Oilers have a nice mix of young forwards who bring different qualities to the lineup. Taylor Hall is a big, physical player who can score. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is a talented playmaking Center. Yet it’s Yakupov who is the most dynamic and has the type of skill that can bring even impartial fans out of their seats.

Jackets Lineup:

Richards shuffled things up both up front and on the blue line. Here’s the lineup per Rob Mixer.

Calvert – Dubinsky – Foligno
Prospal – Anisimov – Letestu
Umberger – Brassard – Letestu
Gillies – Mackenzie – Boll

Tyutin – Nikitin
Johnson – Wisniewski
Holden – Erixon

Bobrovsky is back in the net.

It’s nice to see Wisniewski back in the lineup after suffering the concussion against Detroit. I’m a little surprised Richards split up the Calvert-Letestu-Prospal line after they played so well together against Calgary. I’m also surprised Goloubef out. I thought he played fairly well the other night but Holden and Erixon have played a lot together in Springfield so perhaps Richards wanted that chemistry in the lineup.

The Jackets will have their hands full containing all of the Oilers offensive weapons. They will also need Bobrovsky to be sharp in goal. Let's hope we see a high energy effort from the Jackets and a much-needed victory on home ice.

Trivia Time:

Who was the first Blue Jacket to score at least 30 goals in a season?

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