Quest For The Cup 09-10

[d-5]

+/COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -The plan for Chicago was to use the final 10 games starting with Columbus to find a groove heading into the playoffs.

Well, they're going to have to reset that to nine games.

Antoine Vermette had two goals and an assist, and the Blue Jackets scored four second-period goals to hand the Blackhawks their worst loss of the season, 8-3 on Thursday night.

Even though Chicago missed a chance to clinch a playoff berth on their own, the good news was that they secured a spot when Calgary lost to the New York Islanders.

"Across the board, from the first shift to the end of the game," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said of the meltdown. "There's nothing to be excited about. Discount it and throw it in the garbage can."

On this night, Chicago didn't look like the team with 99 points, eager to fine-tune their play and anoint their playoff netminder. Starter Cristobal Huet was pulled in the second for Antti Niemi with the score 5-1 and put back in to start the third.

"I don't think anybody played good tonight," Quenneville added. "(Huet) had a tough night. It can happen, but it was contagious tonight."

Jackub Voracek scored on a penalty shot and added two assists, and Kristian Huselius also scored twice, while Mike Commodore, Andrew Murray, and rookie Mike Blunden also found the net for the Blue Jackets, 14th in the West.

Samuel Pahlsson had two assists and Steve Mason made 38 saves.

The eights goals for the Blue Jackets set a mark for most scored at home and tied the franchise record for most in a game.

"It wasn't an outcome we anticipated," Columbus interim coach Claude Noel said. "They are a very good team, and we certainly have a lot of respect for them. Their goaltending struggled a bit tonight and that showed in the result of the game."

The Blackhawks have allowed 21 goals in their last six games and are 5-5-2 since the Olympic break.

Kris Versteeg, Tomas Kopecky and Adam Burish scored for Chicago.

The Blue Jackets enjoyed a 2-0 lead after the first and skated off after the second with a commanding 6-1 advantage.

Commodore scored his first goal in 75 games, banking a shot from a sharp-angle deep in the corner along the goal line off Huet at the 32 second mark.

"I'm just glad it went in," the defenseman Commodore said. "It was a nice way to start the game."

Just past the midpoint, Huselius converted into an open net on a tic-tac-toe passing combination with Rick Nash and Vermette near the Chicago goal.

The Blackhawks looked as if they would get back into the game on Versteeg's early second period tally, his 17th, a floating wrist shot.

But the Blue Jackets responded with the next four to close out the period.

"I thought the second period set the tone for the game," Huselius said. "We played really well and keep the momentum up going into the third."

Voracek was then awarded a penalty shot when Niklas Hjalmarsson took him down on a breakaway at 11:02.

He beat Huet with a backhand shot for his 14th of the season and the sixth penalty shot goal in franchise history.

"I didn't do the backhand move for awhile so I just tried it," the second-year right winger said. "I was a litle bit lucky because it went under his arm."

NOTES: Columbus would have been officially eliminated from playoff contention with a loss. ... The Blue Jackets announced they have parted ways with the Syracuse Crunch, their minor league affiliate of 10 seasons and have signed a one-year contract with the Springfield Falcons, also of the AHL. ... The teams will close out their season series on Saturday in Chicago. ... Blackhawks C Dave Bolland was a late scratch due to an illness.

[Black Panther]

The Pens flush the flyers 4-1 at the Igloo this afternoon.This was the final reg season game for the flyers at the Mellon Arena.

[mister b]

Pens 4 Filthy Flyers 1

Crosby with 3 asst.

LETS GO PENS!!!

[Black Panther]

Pens 4 Filthy Flyers 1

Crosby with 3 asst.

LETS GO PENS!!!

You just beat me too it..lol

[mister b]

Karma, posting at the same time.

Hey, Black Panther, it's a great day to be a Mountaineer!!!

[mister b]

Pens 4 Filthy Flyers 1

Crosby with 3 asst.

LETS GO PENS!!!

You just beat me too it..lol

Actually, your post was first.

[Black Panther]

Karma, posting at the same time.

Hey, Black Panther, it's a great day to be a Mountaineer!!!

Whatever... Are you quoting Bill Stewart there? lol

[mister b]

Karma, posting at the same time.

Hey, Black Panther, it's a great day to be a Mountaineer!!!

Whatever... Are you quoting Bill Stewart there? lol

Actually, it is from our radio announcer, Tony Corready. Kind of corny really.

[Black Panther]

Tony is a good announcer,I just haven't heard him use that phrase yet.

[Black Panther]

The Pens rake and burn the Leafs in a 5-4 shootout win at the Mellon Arena Sunday evening.

[d-5]

Playing host to the Boston Bruins in the regular season finale on March 29, 1969, the Montreal Canadiens had a chance to kill two birds with one stone.

Boasting a 45-18-11 record good for 101 points, coach Claude Ruel’s team needed only one more win and an additional point to break a pair of NHL records.

By the time the opening period came to a close, it was clear that the NHL record book would need to be reviewed and updated as the Habs jumped out to a 3-0 lead. The Bruins fought back and were trailing by a single goal, 4-3, as the teams headed to the dressing rooms for the second time. Bobby Rousseau scored to put the game out of reach, beating Boston netminder Gerry Cheevers with a little more than five minutes remaining.
Out of the history books
The Canadiens picked up their 46th victory of the season, surpassing the record set by the 1955-56 Habs. The two points they earned as a result gave them 103 for the year, relegating the Detroit Red Wings’ 101-point campaign in 1950-51 to second-best.

[mister b]

The Pens rake and burn the Leafs in a 5-4 shootout win at the Mellon Arena Sunday evening.

Moonlighting as Mike Lange's understudy?

[Black Panther]

The Pens get struck down by the Bolts tonight at the Mellon Arena.The final score was 2-0.In short,this was one miserable effort to say the least.

[mister b]

The Pens get struck down by the Bolts tonight at the Mellon Arena.The final score was 2-0.In short,this was one miserable effort to say the least.

I agree.

Lets get the bad games out of the way. Playoffs start April 14th.

LETS GO PENS!!!

[d-5]

The Habs have fell back to the eight and final spot

[Black Panther]

The Pens thwart the Thrashers 4-3 in OT at the Igloo this afternoon.

[d-5]

Habs 3 - Buffalo - 0

[Black Panther]

That win by the Habs helps the Pens too!

[d-5]

Habs have 3 games left should win at least two (on Paper)

[d-5]

Is there some basketball game tonight or Monday