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03.29.2009 3:05 pm

Hard hit by St. Louis Blues rookie T.J. Oshie fired up Columbus Blue Jackets

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The boards and glass might still be rattling today at Scottrade Center, where T.J. Oshie produced his second Youtube clip this week.

Oshie’s hit on Columbus captain Rick Nash came with 15:25 left in regulation. The Blue Jackets say the hit fired them up. They hadn’t scored a third-period goal against the Blues this season, in three previous meetings, but after the hit they scored two goals in a 93-second span, tying the score 3-3.

“Anytime one of your top players or captain gets hit, it seems to boost everyone else up,” Nash told the Columbus Dispatch after the game. “It lit our fire and it lit my fire. I’m kind of glad hit happened.”

It was Nash who scored the Blue Jackets’ third goal, his ninth against the Blues in 24 career games.

Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock, who praised the Blues earlier in the day for their style of play, took exception to Oshie’s hit.

“The hit was a wake-up call for everybody,” Hitchcock said. “The guy ran 150 feet at him. It should have been a charging call.”

Columbus’ Kris Russell went after Oshie after the hit.

“He’s a young guy and I’m a young guy,” Russell said. “I didn’t like what he did.”

Should be another physical matchup today. The Blues will have the same lineup today, meaning Cam Janssen will be a healthy scratch.

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The Blues had lost four shootouts in a row before winning Saturday night’s shootout by a 2-1 advantage. After the game, Blues coach Andy Murray said his message to the team would have been the same, win or lose in a shootout.

“The message was, we’re not competing against Nashville, we’re not competing against Anaheim, we’re not competing against Minnesota . . . the other teams around us in the standings,” he said. “We’re battling for our own points. And if we’d gotten one point tonight, that’s one point, and we just keep battling through.”

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Current Western Conference standings, with today’s games:

6. Columbus (86 points) . . . vs. Blues, at 4 p.m.

7. Nashville (82) . . . at Detroit, 4 p.m.

8. Edmonton (81) . . . vs. Minnesota, 5 p.m.

9. BLUES (81) . . . at Columbus, 4 p.m.

10. Anaheim (80) . . . vs. Colorado, 4 p.m.

11. Minnesota (78) . . . at Edmonton, 5 p.m.

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The Blues arrived in Columbus around 2:55 a.m. Eastern time. They obviously did not practice this morning. There was a team meeting at the hotel, and the players arrived at the rink around 2:30 local time.

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Since being called up 12 games ago, Blues backup goalie Ben Bishop has played in only one. But Bishop says he’s soaking up the experience he’s getting with the club.

“It doesn’t get much better than this,” Bishop said. “I’m getting 1,000 shots at practice with these guys and I get to work with (Blues assistant coach Rick Wamsley) everyday. It’s a great learning tool, and I feel like I’m getting better everyday.”

I asked Bishop if it was tough on him not getting into game action.

“Yeah, it’s a little tough,” he said. “But I’m pretending like it’s a training camp. When I play a game, pretend like it’s my first one . . . it doesn’t bother me as much as you think it would, looking at it from a different perspective. Again, in a game, you’re getting 30 shots . . . I’m getting 1,000 shots in practice. It’s a big difference.”

A St. Louisan wearing a Blues’ uniform, Bishop said he’s thrilled to be involved in a playoff hunt.

“It’s real cool being able to play in front of a team you grew up watching,” he said. “I’ve been in those stands probably a hundred times. It’s nice to be on the bench, but once the game comes along, you don’t really think about that. You’ve got to treat it as a job. In the summer, I’m sure I’ll have some time to reflect on it. But right now, I’m just worried about trying to get into the playoffs.”

JR

6 comments

Comments are closed.

JR, you know Nash is going to say the hit “woke him up, and his team up” I don’t buy it. Blues made some bad mistakes, and didn’t convert by putting the game away when they had the chance. Kudos to Columbus, but I still think Nash and co. are sticking to that story, rather then admitting he got hit cleanly and underestimated a rookie by not preparing himself. Either way the Blues pick up 2 more points, and need to focus on 2 more today.

— BrettB
3:23 pm March 29th, 2009

Any idea who is in goal tonight? Bishop or Mason?

— ojm
3:49 pm March 29th, 2009

The hit that Oshie laid on Nash was definitely not a charge. Ken should take a look at the replay. Oshie clearly spotted Nash by himself in the corner and immediately turned up his speed as soon as Columbus passed back to Nash. Why can’t a good coach recognize a good player with good vision getting back into position to make a play after getting out of the box?

— Ty
3:53 pm March 29th, 2009

I’m going to be a little off-color and crude here: WTF is Hitchcock complaining about? Nash had just passed the puck, so he was totally fair game. What a freaking bunch of cry babies! I like Nash’s attitude - it got him pumped up! Kris Russell going after Oshie is just some young guy trying to earn the respect of his teammates. He must have been pretty desperate for respect and attention, because if he thinks Oshie’s hit was anything other than a good, clean, hard, non-threatening butt-planting, he is smoking crack.

The hit didn’t make anyone cringe. Nash was not vulnerable. Oshie did nothing dirty.

Hockey guys, along with football players are some tough SOBs, but this time, Hitchcock and his boys are blowing things out of proportion and whining.

— Luckybaer
3:56 pm March 29th, 2009

BrettB and Luckybaer,

I am a Jackets fan, and I agree with you guys. You can see Oshie stop skating and read the play and then skate towards Nash when he was passed the puck. He took three strides towards Nash then delivered the hit. I believe a charging call can only be levied on a player who has taken more than three strides. The fact that Oshie had momentum before his three-stride hit on Nash doesn’t matter… I think Hitch was just pi$$ed at the game in general, chalk his charging comment up to emotion.

Anyways, The Blues played as a team and played tough, so you guys deserved the 3 points in the last two games.

— _Joe_
10:24 am March 30th, 2009

The Blues received 4 points in the past 2 games.

— Tom
2:48 pm March 30th, 2009