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The Columbus Blue Jackets lost last night to the Chicago Blackhawks by a final score of 4-3 in the shootout. The game was actually very well played for the most part. Playing the second half of two back to back games, I was afraid that the Blue Jackets would slip into playing the way that they had when they were on their most recent road trip, where they would play two fairly good periods of hockey and then just come apart at the seams in the last period. However, the Jackets played full very well and with a good level of energy for the most part. There were a few slip-ups, such as taking unnecessary penalties, but for the most part, the boys played a hard-fought game.

The game was not decided by the end of sixty minutes, nor after five minutes of overtime, so, for the seventh time this season, the Blue Jackets entered a shootout. Most shootouts are over within the three rounds given to start the shootout; however, tonight's shootout took eleven rounds to determine a winner. For reference, The longest shootout on record in the NHL was fifteen rounds long. One Blackhawk and one Blue Jacket scored in the alotted three rounds. After the first three rounds, no scoring was done at all until Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook scoring the winning goal in the eleventh round. Blackhawk head coach Joel Quenneville earned his 500th win of his coaching career when Seabrook beat Mason and ended the game.

Blue Jackets defenseman Kris Russell has played stellar in the last two games he has played. In the back to back games he played Monday and Tuesday, Russell has scored two goals and two assists for four points, and has been a +4. The Blue Jackets have been playing with seven defensemen, and either Russell or Marc Methot would be a healthy scratch for every game. However, Monday night defenseman Rostislav Klesla tore his groin and stomach muscles, and he will be sidelined anywhere from four to six week. While it is awful that Klesla is injured, Russell seems to be taking advantage of the situation and is contributing to the team beautifully. The play we have seen from Russell is the type of play that we should be seeing from him all of the time. Russell was an offensive defenseman when he played in the Western Hockey League, scoring 32 goals and 37 assists for 69 points in 59 games his last year playing for the Medicine Hat Tigers. If he could keep up this type of offensive prowess, he certainly wouldn't be a rotated healthy scratch anymore.

A couple of other quick notes from around the league:
-Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin was suspended for two games for a knee-on-knee hit on Tim Gleason. Ovechkin is day-to-day, and more than likely will return to the ice after his knee is no longer injured. Since Ovechkin is not on injured reserve from the hit, his suspension will play out, even though he more than likely would not have played those games anyway.
-Monday night, Keith Ballard swung his stick like as baseball bat and hit his own goaltender, Tomas Voukon, in the head. Here's a link to a video of it in case you missed it. Ballard isn't being punished by his team or the league. I think he should have to be penalized, personally. If he had done that to a player on another team, I would really hope that it would have been punished. That action is not excusable to me. Before your next bout of 'roid rage, Keith, try to make sure you don't injure one of your teammates, kthanks.
-Anaheim Ducks tough guy and philanthropist George Parros has launched his own clothing line called 'Stache Gear, featuring shirts and hats for men and women. The logo features a moustache, which Parros is noted for wearing. The clothing line will benefit two separate charities: the Childhood Leukemia Foundation and Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids. In addition to this charitable effort, Parros grows his hair out until it is long enough to cut and donate to Locks of Love, an organization that makes wigs from donated hair for children who have lost their hair due to a medical condition.
-In tonight's contest between the Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens, Leafs goaltender Jonas Gustavsson left the game in the first period due to an elevated heart rate and was taken to the hospital. Gustavsson had minor heart surgery over the summer for the very same condition. Hopefully he is okay and well soon.

Tags: alex ovechkin, chicago blackhawks, columbus blue jackets, george parros, joel quenneville, jonas gustavsson, keith ballard, kris russell, marc methot, medicine hat tigers, rostislav klesla, tim gleason, tomas voukon