Blue Jackets-Flames: Columbus Makes It Two in a Row

The Columbus Blue Jackets are looking up at the eighth and final seed in the Western Conference Playoffs.  Most experts and fans in Columbus had given up on a postseason berth.  However thanks to a two-game win streak, with a pair of wins from back-up netminder Freddie Norrena and a pair of two-goal performances from Manny Malhotra.  Columbus is still seven points behind the Colorado Avalanche with with nine games to go. 

Last night, the Blue Jackets took on the Calgary Flames in a very heated match, as 60 minutes in fighting and roughing penalties were handed out.  The bad blood stems from an early match this month, when Flames center Daymond Langkow slashed Jackets right winger Jared Boll on the back of the knee.  Coming into the game Boll was smart—he knew he would get into a few tussles, but he also knew how important the two points were. 

In the first period newly-appointed captian Rick Nash opened the scoring by taking a long pass from Ohio Native Dan Fritsche.  Nash broke in one-on-one with a defenseman and fired a shot off Miikka Kiprusoff's glove hand that managed to trickle in. 

The second period was more about letting each team know that the last encounter wasn't forgotten as Jason Chimera and Jared Boll both had minor fights. In the third, center Manny Malhotra found the back of the net twice within a minute and ten seconds, propelling the Jackets to a 3-0 victory. 

However the unsung hero was Norrena, who has been starting for Pascal Leclaire after Leclaire was injured Sunday before the Red Wings game in warm ups.  Norrena quietly stopped 18 shots on his way to his fourth career shutout. 

With strong play down the stretch, the future continues to look brighter.  If the Jackets fail to make the playoffs, fans will be excited to see what happens next year.

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