Blue Jackets-Sharks: Goalie Steve Mason Outstanding for Columbus

Game Three of the Claude Noel interim regime—in French, les trois Noel (the third Noel)—took place Wednesday against the vaunted San Jose Sharks, who have the most lethal No. 1 line in the league in Thorton, Heatley, and Marleau. A total of 15,234 loyal fans braved the brutal winter elements to witness another impressive, solid performance by the Columbus Blue Jackets.  

Columbus continued its winning ways with a thrilling 3-0 victory against arguably the best team in hockey. Once again, the team's energy was outstanding, but most impressive was the play of Steve Mason, who posted his second-consecutive shutout. It could have been his third-consecutive shutout were it not for a flukey goal scored late in the game against the Dallas Stars.

I will summarize what went right, what went wrong, and what could be room for improvement.  

The Good

Steve Mason: Simply put, he was "all world," stopping 40 shots on goal—many of which were spectacular.  

Steve Mason: I'd like to recognize Mason again; that's how great he was, thwarting point-blank scoring chance after scoring chance. Is there a Sophomore of the Month award for the NHL? Because he's certainly stating a case for one for his play in February. If he comes up with great performances against the Vancouver Canucks and the Chicago Blackhawks, he deserves the No. 1 star for the week in the NHL, hands down.  

Jakub Voracek: Jake got off the schnide, scoring his first goal in 26 games by attacking the net and following his shot—another of which crept through Thomas Greiss' wickets for that crucial second goal. His energy and effort were outstanding. He's another Sophomore of the Month candidate. It sure beats the endless sophomore jinx talk that was thrown about up to the last few games for himself, Mason, and Brassard. 

Rick Nash: The captain scored the opening goal, which was set up by a beautiful feed from Kristian Huselius. But it was Nash's ability to crash the net that made the goal special. Crashing the net? Following your own shots? Is this really the same team?

Chris Clark: No, that's not a typo. Clark, while not spectacular, was a force all night on the forecheck, stifling several attempts by the Sharks to get out of their own defensive zone. Otherwise, the shot total might have exceeded 50. But the way Mason played, the Sharks could have shot 20 more at the goal, and he would have stopped them all.   

The Penalty Kill: You hold prolific lines like the Sharks have to 0-for-3 on their power play? 

Claude Noel: For bringing out Brassard and Voracek for the game's opening forward line.  They earned that privilege with their performance against the Sabres—and they were, in turn, rewarded. Wait...young players being afforded a leash, one that actually exceeds elbow length? Am I really covering the Blue Jackets?

Claude Noel: Yep, another repeat kudo. He again followed the plan: Play the kids, spread the minutes, display the trade bait, simplify the game, and lighten the mood to a T. Bravo, Mr. Christmas!  

The Bad

The only negative I can report is that Noel's postgame press conference was far shorter than the 18-minute "deep thoughts" fest last game. Trust me, there's nothing like watching Columbus Blue Jacket brass fidget and squirm at Noel's deep, plodding answers to media questions—five-minute time limit be damned.   

Room for Improvement

The power play struggled. This was a night in which Noel's quip "I thought they were painting out there" during the previous game would have applied. While it didn't factor in the outcome, it far too much resembled last season's power play unit: not enough urgency, not enough spacing, not enough crisp passing, not enough movement. Again, this didn't factor into the outcome, but it has to improve against the likes of the lethal Canucks and Blackhawks.  

Up next, the Blue Jackets host the Canucks, who are in the throes of the road trip from hell: a 14-game death march done to accommodate the Winter Olympics. So, this might be an avenue for the Blue Jackets to continue on to their winning ways.