As big as Friday night's victory over Calgary was on the road, Sunday's win at Nationwide Arena against the Ducks was even bigger. The victory elevated the once lowly, bottom feeding Jackets into the eighth spot in the Western Conference. How long has it been since the Jackets held a playoff spot this late in the year?

There's no question Columbus can get it done at home as their 11-4-5 record would attest but with eight of their final 12 scheduled on the road, the Jackets will need some big efforts away from Nationwide if they want to fulfill their goal of qualifying for the postseason. That's why last night's win, their second in a row, helps. Now they've got some momentum as they hit the road and have a chance to get on another roll.

It was also nice to see Columbus get back to their style of playing stifling defense. The Jackets severely limited scoring chances both for and against through the first two periods and entered the final frame up 1 - 0.

The Jackets held Anaheim to just 12 shots on goal and just a few quality scoring chances in periods one and two. Columbus did a great job of winning loose puck battles ensuring the Ducks didn't get to any juicy rebounds that Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky left. Fact was, Columbus was playing like they wanted the game more than Anaheim; at least until the third period started.

Anaheim woke up in a big way in the third period outshooting Columbus 17 - 1 and netting the tying goal. They barely failed to convert several other chances and Bobrovsky needed to be sharp just to get the Jackets into OT. The disparity in skill level between the two clubs was evident in the third once Anaheim ratcheted up their level of intensity to match that of Columbus'.

Credit to Columbus though for not being satisfied with earning the one point by surviving that third period. I half expected Anaheim to keep tilting the ice in their favor in OT and to ultimately find a way to get the game-winner by Bob but it was Columbus who found a way to skate away with the extra point.

Derick Brassard got Columbus on the board by converting a smart pass from Mark Letestu into a goal. Letestu, seeing Brassard stationed near the left post, banked a pass off the end boards right onto Brassard's stick. Brassard chipped the puck over Anaheim goalie Jonas Hiller to open up the scoring. It was Brasard's 7th of the season and second in two games.

Emerson Etem, who was in beast mode for much of the game landing vicious hit after vicious hit on the forecheck, drew Anaheim even in the final period. Etem's play earned him an in-game promotion to the third line and he potted a real goal-scorers goal showing off the skill he has to go with the energy and physicality. The Ducks look to have a real nice piece in Etem.

Mark Letestu netted the game-winner with just 1:00 left in OT. The Jackets did a good job of moving the puck with each player on the ice skating to open areas of the ice in the offensive zone. Finally, Letestu slid over to the left faceoff circle and received a pass from Nikita Nikitin that the Columbus winger shot past Hiller.

The Jackets almost didn't need OT as they twice came close to getting pucks past Hiller but a those bounces went Anaheim's way and Columbus was kept off the board. Early in the contest a shot hit the back of Hiller then the crossbar before slipping harmlessly out but it caused the crew at Nationwide to light the goal lamp and to fire off the cannon although nearly all of the players kept playing as if nothing happened.

Later in the third Nikitin floated a shot that seemed to fool Hiller but it to drew iron before falling flat on the ice in the crease where Hiller could cover it up.

This performance is one they need to duplicate when playing on the road. Anaheim boasts tons more skill than Columbus but the Jackets played a gritty defensive style and limited the Ducks for two periods. Great goaltending and some luck helped the Jackets survive the third before Letestu stole the second point in OT. That's the model Columbus will need to follow more often than not to win games and with so much of their remaining schedule left to be played on the road this is the blueprint I expect to see a lot of from the Blue Jackets.

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