The Columbus Blue Jackets started the post Rick Nash era against a familiar foe in an unfriendly arena. Columbus went into Nashville winning just one of its prior 20 games in Bridgestone Arena.
Columbus was able to skate past its stigma in Nashville, overcome a pair of one-goal deficits and win in a shootout 3-2 over the Predators Saturday evening.
Columbus’ shootout-winner came from forward Derick Brassard in the sixth round.
Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky had 32 saves on two goals against. His counterpart for Nashville Pekka Rinne stopped 26-of-28 Blue Jackets shots.
Two players making their Columbus debut scored the Blue Jackets’ only two regulation goals.
Columbus got off to a slow start but allowing a goal just 39 seconds into the game, but really found their legs late in the first and carried that momentum through the second and third periods.
Nashville’s Martin Erat’s slap shot opened scoring 39 second into the first as he beat Bobrovsky. Columbus’ first goal of the season came on a power play late in the first period. Defender Fedor Tyutin’s slap shot was deflected by newcomer Nick Foligno who beat Rinne.
But Nashville managed to regain the one-goal lead with a power-play goal at 17:55 of the first as Ryan Ellis flipped a backhander through the five hole of Bobrovsky.
Columbus knotted the game at two 12:05 through the second as Artem Anisimov flipped a backhander over the glove of Rinne on an odd-man rush.
Columbus played well disciplined hockey despite the physical nature of the contest. The Blue Jackets only gave up two minor penalties in Saturday’s game.
The fourth-line of Jared Boll, Matt Calvert, and Derek Dorsett were quite aggressive against a scrappy Nashville squad. Both Boll and Dorsett got into scraps with the Predators as they frustrated the home squad following clean hits.
The Blue Jackets will host a hungry Detroit Red Wings squad Monday for the Nationwide Arena home opener. Detroit lost its season opener at St. Louis 6-0 against the Blues.
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