Steve Mason posts first shutout of the season as Columbus Blue Jackets blank Nashville Predators
When the Nashville Predators visited the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday 22 November, they never expected to be shooting at a brick wall. Goaltender Steve Mason served as a wall of sorts
in the Jackets’ net and stymied shooter after shooter en route to his first shutout of the season and a 2-0 win over the Preds.
How it happened
The goals were few and far between in this game, but Columbus held the advantage. Defenceman Mike Commodore opened the scoring with his second goal of the season at 8:37 of the first period.
R.J. Umberger and Nikita Filatov both earned assists on the goal, which was the only one scored in the opening frame.
Blue Jackets captain Rick Nash scored his team-leading 14th goal of the season at 14:14 of the second period, using a snap shot to beat Predators goalie Pekka Rinne. The assists went to
Jakub Voracek and Derick Brassard.
The two goals would be all the Jackets needed to win the game, as neither team tallied in the third period. Mason stopped all 27 of the shots he faced to remain perfect in the game, while
Nashville counterpart Rinne stopped 28 of 30 shots to earn the loss.
What they’re saying
Columbus notched another win after a successful three-game road trip through California that saw the team earn three straight wins. Nash was a major part of those wins, as he scored six
goals in a three-game span, earning top honours as the NHL’s First Star of the Week as a result. The Jackets’ captain said that the team’s primary focus was on winning this game, as they had already put the results of the other games behind them.
“I think we had the same mentality as the road games,” Nash told reporters after the game. “We forget about our last game(s). We were just worrying about tonight against Nashville, and
that’s why I think we played so well.”
Blue Jackets head coach Scott Arniel was unsure of how his charges would play at home after a multi-game road trip, but the team answered that question with their strong play.
“I am very impressed with our team coming off that successful road trip,” Arniel said. “I wasn’t sure how we were going to play. We did a good job of limiting their chances. It was a good
start for us out of the gate, and it helped our legs.”
Mason, ever the humble person, attributed the win to the collective effort put forth by his team-mates.
“Obviously, a shutout is a total team effort,” Mason said. “Much like we have had in our past couple of games, the defensemen have been great – a lot of blocked shots – and they are really
making both goaltenders’ jobs easier.”
Both Columbus and Nashville will return to action on Wednesday 24 November. The Blue Jackets will face the New York Islanders, while the Predators will host the St. Louis Blues.
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