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First-period flurry helps Blue Jackets keep Red Wings down

Feb 16, 2008 - 5:20 AM By Chuck Klonke PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

DETROIT (Ticker) -- Striking first continues to be the recipe for success for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Columbus scored three first-period goals Friday and coasted to a 5-1 victory over the slumping Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena.

Fredrik Modin scored two goals and All-Star Rick Nash added a tally and two assists for the Blue Jackets, who improved to 20-3-5 when scoring first.

"We were fired up right off the start," Modin said. "I thought we executed well. Getting a couple goals really helps your confidence. We know we can play good hockey, but to be a good team in this league, you have to do it on a consistent basis."

The loss was the fifth straight - including one in overtime - for Detroit, while Columbus won for only the second time in nine games. The losing streak is the longest for the Red Wings since they dropped five in a row from November 17-25, 2006.

"We got skated into the ground in the first period," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "We have to play better and with a lot more energy. We were at our worst tonight, for sure. We didn't have any opportunity to win this game from the start. The only guys who are going to turn this around are the ones in this dressing room."

The Blue Jackets also bounced back from a 7-2 loss to Chicago on Wednesday. In that game, the Blackhawks led, 4-0, after the first period.

"We play our worst game of the year and then follow it up with our best game of the year," Columbus coach Ken Hitchcock said. "We're not going to go away easy. You can gain a lot of confidence by playing a game like this.

"We've worked our way back into the mix, two points out (of a playoff spot) with a couple of teams sitting there. The players realize we've put in a lot of effort getting here. We don't want to just flit it away."

Columbus jumped on Detroit early and often as the Red Wings surrendered three first-period goals for the second straight game.

Nash opened the scoring at 7:29, when he lifted a rebound over All-Star goaltender Chris Osgood's left shoulder during a power play. It was Nash's 30th goal of the season.

Modin, who was playing only his 13th game of the campaign due to back and hamstring injuries, made it 2-0 at 13:05 with his second goal in as many games and fourth of the season. Modin skated around defenseman Andreas Lilja and broke in alone on Osgood before tallying.

Nash believes Modin's return could be a big lift for Columbus.

"It's a huge gap when (Modin) is out of the lineup," Nash said.

After Nikolai Zherdev made it 3-0 at 14:59 of the first, Modin scored the only goal of the middle period when he deflected captain Adam Foote's shot past Osgood at 11:18.

Babcock then replaced Osgood with Jimmy Howard, who recently was called up from Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League due to a hip injury suffered by six-time Vezina Trophy winner Dominik Hasek in an overtime loss in Toronto on February 9.

It was the second straight game in which Howard replaced Osgood, who was pulled from Wednesday's contest in Nashville after giving up three goals in the first period of a 4-2 loss.

"The last couple of nights, we haven't given Osgood much help," Babcock said. "I didn't pull him after three goals because I did that the other night. He didn't have a chance on the fourth - it was a tip - but I made the change just to shake things up."

All-Star Pavel Datsyuk spoiled Pascal Leclaire's shutout bid with a power-play goal 85 seconds into the third period. But defenseman Ron Hainsey answered on the man advantage at 4:59, restoring the Blue Jackets' four-goal bulge.

Columbus' David Vyborny thinks playing Detroit brings out the best in the Blue Jackets.

"I think when we play these guys, we're kind of in fear - not fear, but we know how good they are," Vyborny said. "We always seem to play better against these guys out of the fear of what might happen.

"The first period the other night was as bad as things can get, and then we come out and have a great first period against the best team in the league."

Leclaire finished with 20 saves, while Howard stopped nine shots in relief of Osgood, who yielded four goals on 13 shots.

The 21 shots on goal was a season-low for Detroit, which also suffered its worst defeat of the season.