The first period of the game tonight between the St. Louis Blues and Columbus Blue Jackets was an interesting one, though not necessarily an interesting one from the Blues’ perspective.
Some rough and tumbleness, especially between B.J. Crombeen and Derrek Dorsett after Dorsett hooked Andy McDonald, is to be expected. After all, these two teams might be at opposite ends of the standings, but they don’t care for each other. Soccer games and accompanying fights notwithstanding, they’re in the same division, and they always play hard fought competitive games.
Maybe some of that competitiveness could have done Chris Stewart a bit of good. Some urgency in his forehand/backhand flip into an open net would have meant it going into the net, instead of James Wisniewski swatting it away on the line.
Wisniewski was a thorn in the Blues’ side all period long. David Backes’ short handed goal after Barret Jackman was called for tripping should have been a momentum booster, but instead Wisniewski decided to score with one tenth of a second left to end the period tied 1-1.
The Blues doubled the Jackets up on shots 12-6, but were unable to exploit Steve Mason’s apparent phobia of the first period. Luckily there’re still two periods left that he’s terrified of.