Realizing that we’re cheating a bit on this one by combining two into one, we couldn’t ignore the achievements of one of Columbus’ new defining players. Fredrik Modin, a first-year Jacket, scored goal No. 200 March 20 in a 5-2 win at home against Chicago. The next time Modin stepped on the Nationwide ice — in a 4-1 win over St. Louis — he scored No. 201, which accounted for his 400th career point. March was, indeed, a milestone month for Modin, and he might record a few more in a Blue Jackets sweater. He tallied 20-22-42 this year and agreed with the organization to a three-year contract extension in February.
9) Vyborny ties and wins game in overtime against L.A.
One of the original Blue Jackets and one of their most reliable players, David Vyborny collected a total of 64 points this year. Three of them – on two goals and an assist – came March 7 in a memorable come-from-behind overtime win at home against the Kings. With the Jackets trailing 2-1, Vyborny scored his first with 5:02 remaining in regulation to knot the score and sent the game to overtime. A shootout seemed inevitable until Vyborny’s skillful wrist shot sailed past the goaltender, sounded the horn and sealed the Columbus victory.
8) Nash hits overtime game-winner to give Jackets season series win over Dallas.
This top moment should be fresh in everyone’s minds. After trailing 1-0 for most of the game April 5 at Nationwide Arena, Columbus got a game-tying goal from Manny Malhotra at 13:03 in the third period and forced overtime on the Stars. It wasn’t long into the overtime until Rick Nash skated from the right flank and ripped off a blistering shot past goaltender Marty Turco for a 2-1 CBJ win. This year, the Blue Jackets mustered a 3-1 record against Dallas, further proof that the Jackets play their best when playing against the better teams.
7) Jackets send transient Buffalo fans home unhappy, beat Sabres 3-2.
The chants of “Let’s go, Buff-a-lo!” resonated through Nationwide Arena, evidence of the traditionally strong road following from Sabres fans. But in the end, it was “Let’s Go Jack-ets!” that triumphed. In a playoff-like environment, the Jackets battled back from a 2-0 deficit by scoring three unanswered goals to defeat the eventual President’s Trophy winning Sabres 3-2, Jan. 26. The win also came in the midst of three straight home wins over standout teams, with the Buffalo win sandwiched between victories over Detroit and Minnesota. Rostislav Klesla tied the game early in the third and Dan Fritsche, who had a career year this season, recorded the gritty, game-winning goal.
6) Leclaire records first career shutout in home win over L.A.
It might have only been October, but the Jackets young goaltender was defining one of the best moments of the year and of his young career. From the initial puck drop, Pascal Leclaire was in the zone. He turned away 38 shots from the Kings in a 2-0 win at Nationwide Arena. Even more impressive, Leclaire withstood eight power plays and led the Jackets to a much-needed win, breaking a four-game losing streak. When Leclaire returns to the Jackets’ lineup next year, they hope that this historic night in October was a sign of things to come.
5) Columbus holds off Red Wings 4-3.
The Red Wings rolled into Nationwide Arena Dec. 18, hoping for a victory over the Blue Jackets. What Detroit got was a highlight reel goal from Rick Nash, who took a great pass from Sergei Fedorov and finished. The Jackets got a shorthanded goal from Jason Chimera and jumped out to a 3-0 lead, then survived a furious third-period comeback from the Red Wings to earn a tough, entertaining win.
4) Jackets steal a shootout win at ‘The Joe’
It’s always nice to leave “Hockeytown” with two points, and Mar. 22, Columbus did just that. Ole-Kristian Tollefsen tied the game late, and Sergei Fedorov scored the game-winner in a shootout against his former team, stirring up boos from every corner of Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena. Fredrik Norrena was nearly perfect, allowing only one puck past his gear, while stopping 35 others. The win marked only the fourth win ever at Detroit for the CBJ and cost the Red Wings a point in their push for playoff seeding. The win was also the third over Detroit in 2006-07, the most for Columbus in a season over the Red Wings.
3) Norrena = nada: Goaltender records back-to-back shutouts in midst of shutout streak
Goaltender Pascal Leclaire had just gone down with a groin injury in December, and Columbus needed someone to step up on a Western road trip. Rookie Fredrik Norrena not only stepped up but also set a franchise record by going 155:28 without surrendering a goal, resulting in back-to-back shutout wins for the CBJ and a new individual club-record for longest shutout streak. It started Dec. 2 at Edmonton’s Rexall Place. Norrena saved all 21 Oilers shots, earning his first career shutout in the NHL as the Jackets dominated, 4-0. He followed up that gem with an even more impressive encore in Denver at the Pepsi Center, a building Columbus had yet to win in. Norrena kept an astounding 42 shots out of the net to earn his second straight shutout. The performances gave momentum to Columbus’ season best five-game win streak.
2) Columbus outlasts Calgary, Malhotra ends 11-round shootout.
It seemed like the shootout that would never end and finally, Manny Malhotra decided he’d had enough.
In the 11th round of a shootout at Nationwide Arena on Nov. 3, where both teams had answers for each other, goaltender Pascal Leclaire denied the Flames’ Chuck Kobasew to give Columbus a chance to win it. With most of the spectators having abandoned the edge of their seats in favor of standing up, Malhotra ignited the crowd by calmly firing the puck past Calgary goaltender Jamie McLennan to end the game.
The Blue Jackets had to regroup just to force overtime. After losing an early 3-1 lead thanks to three straight Calgary goals, forward David Vyborny capped a Columbus power play with a clutch goal at 7:09 in the third period. After that, both teams played to a stalemate until the Jackets’ No. 27 sent everyone home happy.
1) Comeback Jackets! Columbus scores four third-period goals to rally past Anaheim.
The puck didn’t even drop until 10 p.m. EST on Jan. 5th, and admittedly, with the Jackets down three in the third, even devoted fans all over Ohio were clicking off their TVs and calling it a night. All they did was miss the greatest moment of 2006-07.
Columbus earned the first of two wins this year at the Honda Center in Anaheim by rallying from a three-goal, third-period deficit for a stunning 4-3 regulation win. What’s most staggering is that the Jackets didn’t begin the comeback until halfway through the third, scoring all four goals at even strength. Anaheim had dominated the game until this point, getting two goals in the second period and one in the third from star Teemu Selanne.
Defenseman Rostislav Klesla, who posted his best offensive effort of the year, started the rally at 10:02 with his fourth goal of the season, cutting the lead to 3-1. The Czech blueliner wasn’t done, though; he notched the Jackets second goal after a nice setup from center Alexander Svitov, who would end the game with three assists. Suddenly, with a little over three minutes left to play, the Jackets had trimmed the lead to one and had a slim chance to come back and force overtime.
They wasted no time tying things up 33 seconds after the faceoff, after Klesla’s second goal. Fredrik Modin knotted the score at three, much to the chagrin of the Ducks’ faithful. It appeared things were headed for overtime until clutch-performer Manny Malhotra squeaked the puck past Ducks’ goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov at 18:40 to make it 4-3 game in favor of the Columbus.
The good guys from Ohio held on for the last 1:20 to stun the home team and crowd, but not without a huge save by goaltender Fredrik Norrena. With 21 seconds left, Selanne was awarded a penalty shot and Anaheim had a chance to force overtime, but Norrena secured the win by denying the Ducks’ center.
