Blue Jackets 3 Flames 2
CALGARY — In just over 24 hours, the Columbus Blue Jackets have turned their season around. Or so they hope.
Antoine Vermette scored once and added two assists Friday to lead the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Flames.
Coming on the heels of a 4-2 win Thursday night in Edmonton, Columbus earns consecutive victories for the first time since a three-game winning streak in mid-November.
“We’re starting to look like last year’s team. The last two games, that third goal in Edmonton has changed everything for us,” said Columbus coach Ken Hitchcock.
The struggling Blue Jackets came to Alberta winless in its last 13 games on the road. The back-to-back victories still leaves Columbus 10 points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
“If you look at the big picture and see how many wins and points you have to get to get in, it could be overwhelming. We just have to take it day by day,” said Vermette.
Hitchcock realizes there’s a long road ahead of them but he’s remaining confident.
“You never know, other teams have come from far back,” Hitchcock said. “If we can keep playing well and get this thing to .500 then we have the big home schedule in February, March, and April, we can still do some damage.”
Torres and Jan Hejda also scored for Columbus (17-20-9).
Mark Giordano and Rene Bourque scored for Calgary (25-14-5), which blew an opportunity to move into sole possession of first place in the Northwest Division. The Flames remain tied with the Vancouver Canucks, who they’ll meet Saturday night at GM Place.
Leading 2-1 to open the third period, Columbus opened up a two-goal lead at 5:22 when Vermette finished off a pretty three-way passing play with Jakub Voracek and Raffi Torres.
Calgary got back to within one when Adam Pardy set up Bourque’s 15th goal at 11:59, but Blue Jackets goaltender Mathieu Garon shut the Flames out the rest of the way to finish the night with 20 saves.
Flames head coach Brent Sutter voiced his frustration with the mistakes his veteran team continues to make.
“You look at the third goal, it’s a 3-on-2 in the third period of a 2-1 hockey game. That should never happen, never. It should never god damn well happen,” Sutter said. “A 1-1 hockey game and we don’t get pucks out of our zone because we play soft. It’s a recurring thing here and it really bothers me.”
After reeling off five wins in a row, the Flames have lost their last two showing the same signs of inconsistency that has dogged them all year.
“That’s the thing that really pisses me off to be quite honest,” said Sutter. “This team shouldn’t be this way but this is the way we’ve been. You win two, win three, lose two, you keep getting the same line ’well it’s not good enough’. Well if it’s not good enough, then respond.”
Columbus took a 2-1 lead at 11:03 of the second period when Calgary forward Eric Nystrom collided with referee Ian Walsh along the side boards and lost the puck. Vermette sent a pass back to the blue-line where Hejda’s one-timer found the low corner on Curtis McElhinney.
Vermette’s prettiest set-up of the night didn’t result in a goal. Late in the first period on a 2-on-1 rush while shorthanded, Vermette spun at the blue-line sending a backhand pass through his legs that fooled the Flames defenceman and sprung Nash in alone.
However, Nash -- who earlier in the season scored the only short-handed goal Calgary has surrendered -- was thwarted by McElhinney on his deke attempt.
“It was a great pass. (Vermette) has that awareness on the ice,” said Nash. “He can always find you, whether it’s through legs, around sticks, over sticks, he’s got that ability in his game.”
Nash has gone eight games without a goal but he doesn’t seem too concerned now that his team has strung together a couple wins.
“We went through a stretch of 25 games where we were awful,” said Nash. “It’s nice to finally start winning and for the guys to be upbeat and see smiles on those faces.”
Calgary’s offence continues to struggle -- they haven’t scored more than three goals just once in the past 18 games.
“The whole night, we didn’t take enough shots, didn’t create enough shots or enough chances,” said Iginla.
Columbus took a 1-0 lead when Vermette fended off Flames defenceman Robyn Regehr and set up Torres in the slot who scored his 12th of the year.
Calgary tied it 1-1 at 15:47 of the first when Giordano completed a neatly executed give and go lifting a backhand past Garon as he cut across the top of the goal crease.
With Miikka Kiprusoff coming off back-to-back starts Tuesday and Wednesday, McElhinney got the start recording 19 stops.
Notes: Torres was playing in his 400th NHL game. . . With Lundmark’s arrival, LW Curtis Glencross moved to a line with Olli Jokinen and Bourque. LW Nigel Dawes, formerly in that spot, skated with C Brandon Prust and RW David Moss. Dawes is without a goal in his last 10 games. . . McElhinney has made six starts this season, matching the number he made last year. . . Looking back to the start of the season, Calgary scored four or more goals in eight of its first 10 games.