Puck Rakers - Headlines

The Blue Jackets will be without two-thirds of their No. 1 line on Saturday when they play the St. Louis Blues.

Right winger Rick Nash will miss his third straight game with a lower body injury, while left winger Kristian Huselius will sit because of an upper body ailment. Huselius returned Thursday after a two-game absence, but apparently aggravated the injury.

Here's what the lines looked like in practice today:

F1: R.J. Umberger - Derick Brassard - Jake Voracek
F2: Andrew Murray - Antoine Vermette - Derek Dorsett
F3: Chris Clark -- Sammy Pahlsson -- Jared Boll
F4: Nathan Paetsch -- Mike Blunden -- Maksim Mayorov

Side dishes:

-- G Steve Mason will get the start vs. the Blues, despite the fact that G Mathieu Garon has won two straight starts and stopped 64 of 67 shots (.955 save percentage).

-- Blues C Keith Tkachuk, noted Blue Jackets' killer, is unlikely to play for St. Louis on Saturday. He's doubtful with a finger injury.

-- Aaron Portzline
aportzline@dispatch.com
twitter: @aportzline

Blue Jackets radio play-by-play voice George Matthews will be back next season, The Dispatch has learned.

Matthews, who has been with the club since its inception, was given only a one-year contract extension last summer, causing many to wonder if Matthews' days with the Blue Jackets were numbered.

It's unclear how long Matthews' contract was extended -- neither he nor the club would comment -- but he's been notified by the club that he'll be back next season.

The rest of the broadcast team is expected to remain intact. Radio color commentator Bob McElligot and TV broadcasters Jeff Rimer (play-by-play), Bill Davidge (color) and John Michael (in-game reporter) all have contract extending beyond this season.

-- Aaron Portzline
aportzline@dispatch.com
twitter: @aportzline

It was a messy night at the rink. It was also mesmerizing in its own, strange way. The Atlanta Thrashers’ system might be described as . . . as . . . can anyone out there describe it? Go, go, go? As for the Blue Jackets, they were, once again, in a position where they had to nurse a lead deep into the third period.

The Jackets prevailed 2-1 before a crowd of 13,459 in Nationwide Arena. The Jackets were out-shot 17-1 in the third period. How is that for exciting? Jackets goaltender Mathieu Garon made 28 saves, 16 in the third period. He kept a clean sheet until he was beaten on an unlucky carom with 2:21 remaining.

Garon: “The first two periods we held them to something like 10 or 11 shots (actually, it was 12), which made it easier for me. We didn’t want to change our game plan just because Rick (Nash) was out of the lineup. We have a lot of guys battling for a spot in the lineup and some have more responsibility now. The guys are working hard for each and every win.”

The loss was the fourth in a row for the Thrashers, who were holding down eighth place in the East before they began skidding. The Thrashers have scored a total of four goals in their four losses. Prior to this jag, they had 24 goals in six games.

“When it’s not going for you, it’s not going for you,” Atlanta coach John Anderson said. “We’re not getting any breaks right now. We only allowed 21 shots on goal. It’s a difficult loss.”

R.J. Umberger gave the Jackets a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 6:36 of the first period. It was a lucky goal. Umberger, stationed below the right dot, attempted to send a cross-slot pass to the back door – but the puck caromed off the skate of Atlanta defenseman Chris Chelios and shot through the legs of goaltender Johan Hedberg.

Chelios, 48, who spent most of the season with the AHL Chicago Wolves, was recalled Wednesday. In the second period last night, he made a bad pinch that sprung a three-on-two rush and produced the second Jackets’ goal. Derek Dorsett, playing on the top line in Nash’s stead, came down the left wing, dropped a pass into the slot for Kris Russell – who partially fanned – and Kristian Huselius, trailing, followed up with a shot that went off Chelios, off Hedberg and into the back of the net. The goal came at 15:25 of the second period.

On came the Thrashers. The Jackets had to hang on for dear life.

“Three periods like the first – that’s what we have to do,” Jackets coach Claude Noel said. “No disrespect to the players, but that takes time.”

Johnny Oduya – acquired in the massive Ilya Kovalchuk trade with New Jersey last month – scored the Thrashers’ lone goal at 17:39 of the third period. Like Umberger’s goal, Oduya’s was the product of a lucky carom. Oduya tried a partial spin-o-rama, backhand pass into the middle and the puck bounced off the skate of Fedor Tyutin and shot through the legs of Garon.

That made it 2-1. Then, Jan Hejda went to the box on a high-sticking call. Nervy moments. The Jackets survived.

“I’m happy the way we played,” Noel said. “I thought we managed the game OK, not ideal, but I was happy that we controlled the game and did what we needed to do. The biggest thing was I thought that if we checked, we would win.”

Noel’s quote of the night: “We try to play as quick as we can to the net. Out of the work zone, through the speed zone and into the fun zone. Simple.”

--- Dorsett and Jared Boll were given career-high ice time last night. Dorsett played 17-minutes, 30-seconds, while Boll played 15-minutes, 14-seconds.
--- Dorsett said he played on a first line for the first time since the end of the 2007-08 season in minor-league Syracuse when the Crunch were depleted by a rash of call-ups. He contributed a secondary assist on the game-winning goal last night. He has four points in his past six games.
--- Noel benched Max Mayorov in the second period for not paying enough mind to details. He played just five shifts. The coach cited a neutral-zone face in which Mayorov failed to pick up his opposing winger, who burst into the Jackets’ zone.
--- Umberger reached the 20-goal mark for the third time in his first five NHL seasons.
--- Marc Methot has raised his game in recent days. Methot and Jan Hejda had another solid night together. He had a game-high seven hits with three blocked shots.
--- The Jackets are 13-0-2 in their last 15 games against the Southeast Division.
--- Fedor Tyutin recorded his 24th assist. He’s one shy of his career-high he set last season.
--- Jackets scored the first goal for the 11th time in the last 12 games.
--- Mathieu Garon is 7-4-1 in his past 12 decisions.

--Michael Arace
marace@dispatch.com
--Tom Reed
treed@dispatch.com
@tomba19

The Blue Jackets will not have captain Rick Nash in the lineup for a second straight game tonight as they face the Thrashers.

Nash is dealing with a couple lower-body injuries and general manager Scott Howson considers him day to day. Interim coach Claude Noel did not sound optimistic regarding No. 61's availability for Saturday night, either.

As for Kristian Huselius, he will return to the lineup. Huselius will play on a line with Antoine Vermette and Max Mayorov.

Mayorov, 20, will likely be the subject of Friday's lead note in the Dispatch. He is an intriguing prospect because of his size and speed. He has not had a good season statistically in Syracuse -- 11 goals, 12 assists in 61 games -- but he looked fine in his season debut on Tuesday in Anaheim.

To be clear, Mayorov projects as a third-line forward -- in an organization rife with third-line talent -- but I'd like to see what he could do with a few games at this level where the play is more structured.

-- Want a similarity between Ken Hitchcock and Noel? They both see a lot of Marian Hossa in Jake Voracek's game. Noel made the comparison this morning. He thinks Voracek's game will go to another level within two years.

-- Here is your projected lineup

Umberger-Brassard-Voracek
Huselius-Vermette-Mayorov
Clark-Pahlsson-Boll
Blunden-Murray-Dorsett

Russell-Commodore
Methot-Hejda
Tyutin-Stralman

Garon
Mason

-- Chris Chelios, 48, will be in the lineup for the Thrashers tonight. He will be paired with Johnny Oduya. Coach John Anderson has him sitting in the locker room next to Zach Bogosian. Chelios is here for experience and leadership purposes. The Thrashers are one of the season's compelling stories, sitting just three points out of eighth place despite trading away mercurial offensive star Ilya Kovalchuk.

"I was hoping this day would come," said Chelios, the second-oldest player in NHL history behind Gordie Howe. "Atlanta has rewarded me after playing three-quarters of the season in (AHL) Chicago. I hope that I can help them in some capacity.

"I just want to add some depth and play well defensively . . . The bottom line is we have to win right now. It's playoff time now. The pace is going to be stepped up and I have to be ready for it. It will be a big adjustment coming from the pace in the AHL. I have to be ready."

-- Former Jacket Ron Hainsey said the additions of Oduya and Niclas Bergfors -- acquired from New Jersey -- have helped stabilize the club. The Thrashers have lost three straight, but are a respectable 4-4-2 since the Kovalchuk deal.

-- Slava Kozlov, an healthy scratch the past eight games, returns to the lineup for Atlanta. Kozlov had requested a trade, but did not get it.

-- Tom Reed
treed@dispatch.com

The Blue Jackets made it back to Columbus around 6 a.m. this morning after a cross-country, all-night flight from Los Angeles. The rink was pretty quiet -- so I'm told -- but there's some news to pass along.

Here's a wierd item, courtesy of the great Puck-Daddy on Yahoo!.

U.S. Senate candidate Marc Delphine of Oregon says he had no idea one of his staff members lifted the Blue Jackets' primary logo -- the swirling Ohio star wrapped around the state capital star -- for use on the campaign. It's a strange read in a strange season.

Other notes of interest:

-- RW Rick Nash and LW Kristian Huselius, who missed Tuesday's game in Anaheim, are questionable for Thursday's game vs. Atlanta. Nash has a lower body, Huselius has a lower body. If they can skate on Thursday morning, they'll likely dress. Stay tuned.

-- G Mathieu Garon, who was very good against Anaheim, will make a second straight start on Thursday vs. Atlanta.

-- The Thrashers recalled defenseman Chris Chelios from minor-league Chicago today and expect him to play on Thursday vs. Columbus. Chelios is 48 years old. When he made his NHL debut in 1983, 11 of the current Blue Jackets had yet to be born.

-- Ran some interesting numbers today for a story that will appear in Thursday's Dispatch. The Blue Jackets have held the lead or been tied after two periods in 40 of their 67 games this. Yes, it's a fine line in pro sports, but the Blue Jackets inability to hold leads is a big reason they're cruising toward an entry draft pick. Check it out, please.

-- Something to keep in mind on Thursday when the Thrashers skate in Nationwide. The Thrashers traded franchise left winger Ilya Kovalchuk before the Olympic break because they feared losing him for nothing as an unrestricted free agent this summer. The Blue Jackets, had they not signed Rick Nash to the monster contract extension last summer, could well have been in the same boat. Instead, Nash will be here a long, long time by his choice. That's good for Columbus. Something to think about tomorrow if the game stinks.

-- During the chat today, a question was posed regarding majority owner John P. McConnell and his attendance at games. I honestly don't know when he's there or not -- he tends to keep a low profile -- a Blue Jackets PR staffer has let me know that McConnell is at every home game unless he's out of town for travel. When the Blue Jackets are on the road, he has the NHL Center Ice Package to watch games. "He is as active when it comes to attending and watching games as any owner," the staffer said. Just thought I'd pass that along.

-- Oh, here's a link to said chat.

-- Aaron Portzline
aportzline@dispatch.com
twitter: @aportzline

Team USA coach Ron Wilson, who also coaches the Toronto Maple Leafs, will appear with Claude Noel and Jeff Rimer tonight on the Coach's Show on 97.1 The Fan. The broadcast runs from 6-7 p.m.

People forget that Wilson also coached Team USA to one of its greatest triumphs that few saw. Until this recent Olympics, the 1996 World Cup was the most riveting tournament I've ever witnessed. (Yes, I'm American and bias, deal with it.) You think Ryan Miller was great? Mike Richter was every bit as wonderful in '96.

-- Tom Reed
treed@dispatch.com

ANAHEIM: Derick Brassard and Fedor Tyutin sat on stationary bikes pedaling away outside the Blue Jackets locker room in Honda Center.

Brassard was laughing at the fact Tyutin had earned a Gordie Howe hat trick with a goal, an assist (two, actually) and a fight in the Jackets’ 5-2 win over the Ducks. Brassard could joke around as he wasn’t the one absorbing upper cuts from hulking Ryan Getzlaf.

But after taking a much nastier beating at the hands of Los Angeles on Monday, Tyutin and the Jackets stood up for themselves. A night after losing 6-0 to the Kings, the Jackets showed some resiliency and character.

They got goals from Derek Dorsett, Jake Voracek, Tyutin, Antoine Vermette and Brassard to snap a five-game losing streak. Tyutin, Voracek and Vermette each contributed three points. Goaltender Mathieu Garon, meanwhile, made 36 saves and was good in the third period as the Ducks outshot the Jackets 17-4.

The Jackets built a 3-0 lead before the Ducks rallied in the third period to cut the deficit to one goal. This time, the team that specializes in third-period collapses hung on. Vermette was awarded the Hardest Working Player of the Game hard hat.

Lots of smiles as the Jackets found a way to win without captain Rick Nash (lower body) and Kristian Huselius (hand). They also lost Derek MacKenzie to a knee injury following the first period. MacKenzie could miss up to a month, interim coach Claude Noel said.

Notes, side dishes

-- Dorsett set the tone early. He left a first-period goal celebration already in progress to trade punches with Anaheim’s Matt Beleskey who had been jawing with Brassard. Dorsett would rather stick up for a teammate than savor his fourth goal of the season. In the long run, you win with players like Dorsett.
“When you have a guy like that to stick up for you, it feels really good,” Brassard said. “You want to play and battle for the guy and we really battled for each other tonight.”

--Tyutin embodied the team’s bounce-back mentality. He had a goal and two assists, a night after finishing a minus-3.

-- Special teams played an important role. The power play converted 3-of-6 chances, while the Jackets converted all seven kills. Noel said the key to the power play was shooting the puck and not passing up opportunities.

-- It was nice to see Voracek think shot before pass. He wired a wrist shot just under the crossbar for the 2-0 power-play goal. Voracek helped create the power play with a stretch pass that sprung Dorsett on a breakaway.

-- Max Mayorov was decent in his season debut. “I thought he used his speed and skill well,” Noel said. “He wasn’t nervous. He looked composed.”

-- Derek MacKenzie is expected to miss up to a month with a knee injury.

-- Garon made key saves on Bobby Ryan and Dan Sexton to keep his team in it. Who knows how the Jackets would have responded had the Ducks scored first?

-- The Jackets scored the first goal for the 10th time in the last 11 games.

-- Here’s my favorite line of the trip: A healthy Aaron Portzline picks up coverage later today.

-- Tom Reed
-- treed@dispatch.com

ANAHEIM, Calif: Blue Jackets goaltender Mathieu Garon spent last night stopping pucks. His teammates, meanwhile, were busy saving face.

Garon and the Jackets rebounded from a dreadful game in Los Angeles to earn a 5-2 win over the Anaheim
Ducks in Honda Center. The victory helped ease the sting from a trying three-game trip that included a 6-0 loss to the Kings on Monday.

“This was big for us after a game like (Monday) night,” defenseman Fedor Tyutin said. “We looked at ourselves in the mirror and didn’t feel too good about ourselves and the team play. Today, I thought we were much better.”

The short-handed Jackets got goals from Derek Dorsett, Jake Voracek, Tyutin, Antoine Vermette and Derick Brassard to snap a five-game losing streak. Tyutin, Voracek and Vermette all enjoyed three-point nights.

Garon, meanwhile, made 36 saves, including 17 in the third period as the Ducks scored twice to draw within a goal.

But this game was less about creating highlights and more about atoning for lowlights. The Jackets managed just 11 shots in their loss to the Kings and they weren’t much better against San Jose, falling 2-1, on Saturday.

There just wasn’t a lot of pushback when adversity confronted them.
“(Monday) was a joke a little bit,” Brassard said. “That’s what is great about hockey. You can play 24 hours later and make up for it.”

Playing without Rick Nash (lower-body injury) and Kristian Huselius (wrist) the Jackets excelled on special teams. They were 3-of-6 on the power play and killed all seven penalties.

They also stood up to the rugged Ducks. Dorsett set the tone early.

He left a first-period goal celebration already in progress to trade punches with Anaheim’s Matt Beleskey who had been jawing with Brassard.

Dorsett’s fourth goal of the season could be savored on the plane ride home. His teammate’s welfare took precedent.

“When you have a guy like that to stick up for you, it feels really good,” Brassard said of Dorsett. “You want to play and battle for the guy and we really battled for each other tonight.”

Forward Chris Clark and Tyutin, who rarely drop the gloves, tangled with Mike Brown and Ryan Getzlaf. Tyutin swallowed about four nasty upper cuts late in the second period with the Jackets leading 3-0, but he was back for more in the third.

Schoolyard fights attract larger crowds than this game between two of the league’s biggest underachievers. The announced attendance was 13,700 in the half-empty arena.

The Jackets kept the building quiet until Lubomir Visnovsky ended Garon’s shutout bit at 9:11 of the third period. Getzlaf added to the intrigue with 5:04 remaining, roofing a shot over Garon’s shoulder to make it 3-2.

No advantage has proven rally-proof for the Jackets, who have lost a league-high 10 games when leading after two periods.

“When the game got heated up in the third I wondered how we would respond to things,” interim coach Claude Noel said. “I thought we handled it well.”

Vermette ended the suspense with a power-play goal in the final two minutes and Brassard added another one.

It was a virtual California goal rush for a club that entered play last night goalless in the previous 99 minutes. Dorsett’s goal midway through the first period on the rebound ended the drought, dating to the second period in San Jose.

Garon, starting for the first time since Feb. 14, was sharp throughout. He said playing two-plus periods in place of Steve Mason on Monday helped prepare him.

Perhaps no Jacket had a better bounce-back game than Tyutin, a minus-3 in Los Angeles.

He set up Voracek’s power-play goal at 8:14 of the second. Five minutes later, Tyutin followed his own shot like a basketball player to chase goaltender Jonas Hiller from the game.

The Jackets played the final two periods without Derek MacKenzie because of a knee injury.

-- Tom Reed
treed@dispatch.com

Join Dispatch hockey writer Aaron Portzline today at noon Eastern for an online chat about the Blue Jackets. You're invited to take part in the Q&A about the CBJ at dispatch.com/cbjchat.

-- Rob the moderator

ANAHEIM: The Blue Jackets regrouped this morning after a 6-0 loss to Los Angeles, arguably their worst loss of the season. There are so many candidates in that field it resembles the Iowa primary season.

Was it:

The 9-1 loss against Detroit? The 7-3 loss to Vancouver? The 7-4 loss to the Rangers in which they allowed seven unanswered goals? Or, the 5-1 loss in Colorado, the final game of the Ken Hitchcock era, in which the Jackets showed zero emotion?

I'd put last night right there at or near the top of the list. There was no push back at all. None. The Kings had more goals (6) than the Jackets had shots (5) through two periods.

I spent some time talking to Rick Nash and R.J. Umberger this morning about what lies ahead for the final month. We'll have a story on that for Wednesday's Dispatch. The season is virtually over with 16 games to play. For some fans, the only intrigue remaining is to see how far the Jackets will drop in the standings, thus improving their draft prospects.

As for the news of the day, neither Nash (lower body) nor Kristian Huselius (hand) will play. Nash says he is day to day. At least one of the two recalls, Derek MacKenzie and Max Mayorov, will play. For flying cross country, the should at least get the chance to suit up.

Mathieu Garon will make the start in goal. The team held an optional so I'm not sure where the lines stand.

-- As reported last night, the Kings would need to win the Stanley Cup to receive their seventh-round compensation in the Freddy Modin deal. At the end of the day, the move was mostly about dumping salary -- about $800,000 for the remainder of the season.

-- Still checking into the particulars of the Milan Jurcina deal. I know the sixth-round conditional pick was based on games played. Jurcina was expected to miss a month with a sports hernia. It's thought Jurcina would not have to play many playoff games for the Jackets to receive the pick. But Jurcinia was not the only defenseman added at the deadline. They picked up Joe Corvo, as well. In other words. Jurcina is not guaranteed time when he heals.

-- You have questions and Aaron Portzline has answers. The Jackets chat returns on Wednesday. Welcome back, Porty

-- Tom Reed
treed@dispatch.com

ANAHEIM: The Blue Jackets have recalled Derek MacKenzie and Max Mayorov from minor-league Syracuse. The Jackets have sustained injuries to Rick Nash and Kristian Huselius.

-- Tom Reed
treed@dispatch.com

LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles goaltender Jonathan Quick played last night because the score sheet says he did.

That's about the only evidence I have documenting his participation in the Kings' 6-0 romp over the Blue Jackets. Quick was credited with 11 saves. He could have become the first goaltender to play without a mask since Andy Brown in 1974 and not suffered a scratch.

Blue Jackets alternate captain R.J. Umberger summed up the game perfectly when asked if it was a tough night.

“That was more than tough, it was embarrassing,” he said. “We didn’t play smart. If we get beat, we get beat. But we were our own worst enemies out there.”

The Jackets were brutal. They offered no push back, showed no resilience. Steve Mason allowed four goals on 12 shots. He wasn't good, but Saturday night he had to be great in San Jose to spare teammates from a similar fate

They have one goal and 33 shots in the past two games. They started the night without Kristian Huselius (hand) and finished it without Rick Nash (lower body). That doesn't excuse the effort, however. They were outshot 35-11. The franchise record for fewest shots is 10 on April 1, 2003 in a 4-0 loss in Philadelphia.

Several players apologized to the fans through the media after the game. How will the patrons respond? The Nationwide Arena ticket office could be a lonely place this offseason unless the franchise does something to energize them. The fans are beaten down right now and who could blame them?

Notes, other chewables

-- As mentioned on a previous blog, Nash said he's been suffering from a couple nagging injuries since the March 2 game against Vancouver. He's not expected to play tonight.

-- The Jackets are now only one point clear of the 28th-place New York Islanders. The mounting losses are getting the Jackets closer to top-3 draft pick -- if that qualifies as good news.

-- The Jackets took six of the first seven penalties of the game and surrendered three power-play goals. It's like the third period in San Jose never ended.

-- Noel should think of splitting up the pairing of Fedor Tyutin and Anton Stralman. Both had rough nights. On the game's first goal, Tyutin gambled in trying to intercept a pass inside the Kings' zone. When he didn't get the puck, Wayne Simmonds was racing toward the Jackets goal. Granted, Mason should have stopped the shot, but Tyutin has to be careful when his partner already was pinching on the play.

-- Mathieu Garon will start tonight against Anaheim -- as heard on live television as Noel told his netminder during a post-game interview.

-- It will be interesting to see how Mason bounces back from this performance. He has been much improved in recent weeks. Does it shatter his confidence or roll right off his back?

-- Fredrik Modin burned his former team for a goal and an assist.

-- Check back later today for news from morning skate

-- Tom Reed
treed@dispatch.com
Twitter: @Tomba19

LOS ANGELES, Calif.: At least the Blue Jackets didn’t keep their fans up all night this time only to blow another third-period lead.

No, the outcome was delivered so quickly, so decisively, writers for Jay Leno could have penciled in Blue Jacket gags in time for his monologue. There was rich material to be mined from this odious performance.

The Los Angeles Kings scored four times in the first 16 minutes last night on the way to a 6-0 victory in Staples Center.

“That was more than tough, it was embarrassing,” forward R.J. Umberger said. “We didn’t play smart. If we get beat, we get beat. But we were our own worst enemies out there.”

Goaltender Steve Mason’s recent run of fine play ended as he allowed the first four goals, his glove hand failing him badly. Two days after playing brilliantly in a 2-1 loss at San Jose, he was shaky from the outset and pulled in favor of Mathieu Garon.

His teammates, who offered precious little support on Saturday, were no better on a night captain Rick Nash was lost to an unspecified first-period injury.

The Jackets made ill-advised pinches on defense, lost board battles, gave the Kings acres of open ice and continued a parade to the penalty box. They were outshot 26-5 through two periods and 35-11 overall, avoiding the franchise record for fewest shot by one.
If that weren’t bad enough, they watched former Jacket Fredrik Modin – dealt to the Kings last week for a seventh-round conditional pick – add a goal and an assist.

Before the game, Modin actually said it was a tough decision to waive his no-trade clause with a straight face.

“You can’t lose hope,” interim coach Claude Noel said. “If people want to judge us on that game . . . We gave up four goals in the first . . . I still like our group, I still like our team.
“I thought we played as well as we could play. (The Kings) are a good team. You lose Nash and (Kristian) Huselius and you are depleted. It is what it is.”

The Jackets began the game without their third-leading scorer, Huselius, because of a hand injury. Nash, the top scorer, did not return for the second period because of what the team called a lower-body injury. Nash confirmed to the Dispatch he has been nursing a couple nagging injuries since the March 2 game against Vancouver.

He’s not expected to play tonight in Anaheim.

For the Jackets, it was a dreadful performance in a season rife with them. It was the season’s second-worst loss behind the 9-1 spanking at the hands of Detroit on Nov. 11.

The Kings had six different goal scorers and Alexander Frolov contributed a goal and three assists.

“It was very bad and I would say sorry to the fans from all of us,” defenseman Fedor Tyutin said. “It was totally unacceptable.”

The Noel era, which began with three straight wins, has endured five consecutive losses. Since replacing Ken Hitchcock on Feb. 3, Noel had benefited from Mason’s strong goaltending.

Not last night.

Mason was beaten four times on 12 shots. He didn’t look comfortable on any of the goals, but the low point came as Michal Handzus made it 3-0 at 14:38. Mason waved at an innocent shot from several feet to the left of the crease. He missed the puck and Handzus popped in the rebound. It was the first of three power-play goals for the Kings.

“He just didn’t have it,” Noel said. “You wanted to give him a chance to get it going, but it just wasn’t going to be. It was one of those nights.”

The Kings scored twice on a double-minor to Nash for high sticking. The Jackets, following a trend from the third period on Saturday, took six of the game’s first seven penalties. Forward Mike Blunden was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for a check from behind on Rich Clune.

Tyutin was among many Jackets who had a forgettable night. He finished a minus-3 and was caught out of position several times in the first period, leading to two goals and a penalty.

“We have to be better, more resilient than that,” defenseman Jan Hejda said. “We got behind and we didn’t even shoot the puck. We kept passing up chances to shoot.”

-- Tom Reed
treed@dispatch.com

Blue Jackets captain Rick Nash suffered a first-period injury and did not return for the remainder of the game. The club is calling it a lower-body injury.

Nash said he's dealing with a couple injuries he sustained in the March 2 game against Vancouver. They are related to his play in the Olympics, he added.

The captain has not been practicing in recent days. Nash said he probably would not play tonight against the Ducks.

-- Tom Reed
treed@dispatch.com

LOS ANGELES: The Blue Jackets will not receive the conditional seventh-round pick the got for Fredrik Modin unless the Los Angeles Kings win the Stanley Cup, the Dispatch has learned.

Jackets general manager Scott Howson, contacted at the general managers meeting, would say only the condition was based on "significant playoff success."

Modin was traded to Los Angeles last week at the trade deadline. Regardless of whether they get the pick, the transaction saves the franchise money for the rest of the season.

-- Tom Reed
treed@dispatch.com
Twitter: @Tomba19

Former Blue Jacket left wing Fredrik Modin met with Columbus reporters prior to tonight's game. Modin was dealt to Los Angeles for a conditional seventh-round pick last Wednesday. The condition is based on how the Kings perform from now until season's end. The details of those conditions are not known.

Modin, who scored his first goal as a King in the last game, is living out of a hotel while his family remains in Columbus. He spoke about the decision to waive his no-trade clause and the leadership abilities of Rick Nash. Here is a portion of the interview:

Q: Were you happy or sad to be traded?

A: "I'd say it was mixed emotions to leave a place where you have been for a long time and have a lot of friends. My family is still there. But I think it worked out well for both parties . . . Right now, I'm just focused on doing the right thing here."

Q: Nice coming to a playoff contender?

A: "They are right in the playoff race here and it's nice to come here. I'm trying to find my place and fit in."

Q: Your playoff experience obviously was one of the reasons the Kings acquired you, but do you have to keep a low profile at first and get acclimated?

A: "That's the way to go. This team has their veteran players who have that experience as well . . . Coming in, you can't be barking left and right, you have to feel your way into things. If there is anything where I can help out, if that scenario is there, then I'm there."

Q: Was it a difficult decision when Jackets GM Scott Howson asked you to waive your no-trade clause?

A: "I thought about it for awhile. When that question comes up there is a reason. I think very highly of Scott. He's a great guy and a great GM. I think it was time to try something new. It has been a tough few years with the injuries and that was a big part of it . . . It was a tough decision, but I think it turned out well for both of us."

Q: Do you have any fresh perspective on why this season turned out the way it did for the Blue Jackets?

A: "It has been a tough year and I have been on the sidelines for most of it. It's not what I was hoping for and I'm sure the team felt the same. For myself, it's too bad I wasn't able to help out and play my type of game and be there every night with the guys."

Q: Rick Nash said you helped him when he first became captain. What do you think of his leadership abilities?

A: "He's a tremendous player and he leads that team on and off the ice. He is young, but he's very mature in his thinking regarding the hockey business. That will take you a long way. It's a tough job being a young guy coming in as a captain. You have the whole franchise basically on your shoulders. He's a down-to-earth guy and very humble in many situations. He will have no trouble dealing with it. I know he's been criticized for not being a loud guy, but in my eyes that just gives me more respect for him.

"He's not doing something that is not him. He speaks when he needs to and the guys listen to him when he does speak up. I don't think you can ask for more. He's going to pick up things each and every day that fit into his frame of leadership. He's not going to have any type of problems with any type of leadership. He looks at himself in the mirror after every game and if he's not there, he makes sure he's there the next time. I'm very impressed with him."

-- Tom Reed
treed@dispatch.com
Twitter: @Tomba19

LOS ANGELES: Blue Jackets left wing Kristian Huselius is not expected play tonight due to a hand injury

The lines are expected to look like this:

Murray-Vermette-Nash
Umberger-Brassard-Voracek
Paetsch-Pahlsson-Dorsett
Clark-Blunden-Boll

-- Hope you read the Dispatch power rankings today written by Aaron Portzline. Porty is feeling much better and is expected back on the beat Wednesday. That's the best news I've written about in weeks.

-- Tom Reed
treed@dispatch.com

LOS ANGELES: The Blue Jackets will unveil a new first-line left winger tonight against the Kings. It's Andrew Murray. The same Andrew Murray who was scratched seven times in a nine-game stretch from Dec. 21 to Jan. 8.

Such is life for a team playing out the string in early March. What's worse is the fact interim coach Claude Noel seems justified when saying Murray has been the Jackets best forward the past two games, a pair of losses.

Murray is riding a two-game goal streak . . . the first of his career. Good for him. A sad commentary for others. He will play on the left side of Antoine Vermette and Rick Nash. The Jackets captain didn't skate again this morning -- the only Jacket not to practice -- leading to speculation he's playing through an injuryt. Nash didn't register a shot in the last game.

-- Kristian Huselius (hand) is a game-time decision.

-- Huselius' condition might spare Anton Stralman from his first healthy scratch. Stralman is pointless in the past four games. His inability to win a one-on-one puck battle led to Vancouver's overtime winner on March 2. He also struggled against the Sharks. Assistant coach Gord Murphy had a post-practice chat with Stralman and Noel said the Swede needed to raise his intensity level.

-- It appears as though San Jose's Dany Heatley is not letting go of the Jan Hejda comments from Feb. 10. Hejda and Marc Methot did nice work at even strength against the Heatley-Thonton-Setoguchi line on Saturday night. But Heatley did score on the power play with Hejda the closest Jacket in vicinity. Here are Heatley's comments to the San Jose Mercury-News:

“Back door,” said Heatley in describing the play. “His D-man probably has to pick me up there. Hejda maybe had to pick me up.”

-- Noel will make a decision on his starting goaltender for Tuesday's game in Anaheim later tonight.

-- While doing his pre-game radio spot with George Matthews, Noel rated the Jackets performance against San Jose as a 3.5 on a scale of 5. His team was outshot 44-22 and took five third-period penalties. At the end of the segment, Noel asked Matthews, "How you like them apples?" It might be the first time I've seen Matthews speechless.

-- Here are your projected morning lines:

Murray-Vermette-Nash
Umberger-Brassard-Voracek
Clark-Pahlsson-Dorsett
Paetsch-Blunden-Boll

Russell-Commodore
Hejda-Methot
Tyutin-Stralman

-- Went to dinner last night in a sports bar/grille near the hotel. There were probably 20 TVs in the joint. One was tuned to the Ducks game, another to a college basketball game and 18 to the Oscars. The patrons clapped their approval as each award was given. Different world out here, folks. The only good news is that The Dude walked away with Best Actor honors.

That trophy should really tie the room together.

-- Tom Reed
treed@dispatch.com

Dispatch columnist Michael Arace weighs in on fan resentment regarding the decision to trade left wing Raffi Torres.

-- Tom Reed
treed@dispatch.com

LOS ANGELES: Most hockey players suffer hand injuries throwing a punch or absorbing a slash. Derick Brassard's story in a little different.

Brassard, who returns to the lineup Monday night against the Kings, suffered a burn to his left hand before developing an infection, he said.

Between the second and third periods of the Feb. 14 game against Chicago, Brassard was working to repair his stick on a table inside the locker room. It's a quite common occurrence. Players will use torches and hot glues, sometimes donning surgical masks so not to inhale the chemicals.

Brassard had removed the stick's glue-covered nob and placed it on the table. When the table was accidentally bumped, the knob fell. Brassard reached for it out of instinct.Yowza. He burned his hand badly enough he couldn't play the third period. It was reported as an upper-body injury.

The wound appeared healed during the Olympic break and Brassard returned to practice. But two days before the March 2 game against Vancouver, he said, an infection developed. The hand was eventually numbed, but Brassard could not grip the stick.

It wasn't until yesterday he felt well enough to play.

-- Tom Reed
treed@dispatch.com