Blackhawks Run Season Record To 5-0-0 Vs. Uninspired Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets interim coach Todd Richards was embarrassed. Right winger Derek Dorsett was frustrated. Defenseman James Wisniewski burned hot as he limped from the dressing room to the trainer's table.

If enough of the rest of the Blue Jackets were as emotionally invested as those three, the Jackets wouldn't have so many games like the one they lost yesterday.
The Chicago Blackhawks got off to a sloppy, sluggish start but still cruised to a 6-1 win before 18,663 at Nationwide Arena. The crowd included a large group of Blackhawks fans.

"The crowd was into it," Blue Jackets center Derek MacKenzie said. "They were right there, right from the start. And we started OK, but after that, we lost it and we couldn't get it back. And that's too bad.

"You hate to have nights like this, and we've had too many of them."

The Blue Jackets, who fell to 0-5-0 against the Blackhawks this season, allowed the final six goals of the game.

After the lead grew to 6-1 at 5:32 of the third period, Richards called a timeout.

"(The Blackhawks) wanted it more than us at that point," Richards said. "We weren't playing. We were going through the motions.

"I was embarrassed, embarrassed at the way we were playing. I got a response, but it can't come down to me calling a timeout to try and get a reaction. It has to come from them. It has to come from within."

The Blue Jackets took a 1-0 lead at 5:13 of the first period when former Jackets defenseman Sami Lepisto appeared to forget which sweater he was wearing.
Lepisto feathered a perfect pass to Blue Jackets center Derick Brassard, who skated toward the slot and beat goaltender Corey Crawford with a slap shot over his left pad.

And that was the Blue Jackets' offensive output for the day, despite the fact that the Blackhawks were sloppy with the puck in their own end, especially early in the game.

The lead was gone at 12:27 of the first after Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews skated around Jackets center Jeff Carter and beat goaltender Steve Mason from close range.

The Blackhawks' Viktor Stahlberg made it 2-1 at 16:48 on a bang-bang feed in front of the net from Bryan Bickell. Stahlberg has 16 goals this season, eight of them against the Blue Jackets and four of those game-winners.

"We started out OK," Mason said. "But we couldn't sustain it."

Mason was pulled after the lead grew to 4-1 on Patrick Kane's goal at 15:30 of the second. It wasn't the worst goal Mason has allowed - he seemed unready for it, falling on his backside when it whizzed past him - but Richards wasn't happy.

"It was the goal," Richards said, explaining the hook. "It was the fourth goal. It was kind of leading up to that point.

"His game wasn't where it was the last three games. We have to play against (the New York Rangers tonight). All of those thoughts led to the move."

In came rookie Allen York, who has been through a wringer this season.

York has been moved from team to team within the organization 12 times and played in only 19 games all season. Remarkably, York hadn't played since Jan.?11, when he entered in Mason's stead.

Welcome to the nightmare, son.