Columbus Jumps Out Fast in Central

Sure, it's the early going, but the Central Division is no joke, with the still-tough Red Wings and two teams pegged for big things in St. Louis and Chicago.

More than two weeks in, Columbus has held its own, showing some very good things, like a near impervious penalty-kill unit, and at the other end of the spectrum, a wobbly power play.

"The team's come along quick," Blue Jackets captain Rick Nash said after a recent morning practice session. "We're getting contributions from the young guys, and we have such a young team, we're going to depend on them a lot to produce. So far, they've been great."

"It's nice to get off to a good start, put our best foot forward," goalie Steve Mason said. "We feel good, we have a lot of confidence and we worked hard this offseason to pick up where we left off."

Columbus would like nothing better than to build on last year's first-ever playoff appearance, which energized the area.

"We'd like to get back there," Nash said, "and make some noise."

Are the Blue Jackets still under the radar, though, after their initial playoff run and their fast start?

"You have to win in the playoffs, then everyone takes you a little more seriously. Until then, everyone's got a 'Yeah, but ...' going. We've got to fight that, because we didn't win in the playoffs."
-- Ken Hitchcock on gaining respect across the NHL"I hope so," Nash said. "We like it that way. It's nice to bring an element of surprise to teams. It's perfect. We're used to being the underdog."

Being in a smaller media market, the Blue Jackets don't draw much national attention, and Mason said that being outside the spotlight suits the team. "We can sneak up on people," he said.

Mason, though, won't be able to sneak up on anyone after being named the Calder Trophy winner as the league's top rookie last season. His emergence made the Blue Jackets a force to be reckoned with.

"He's unbelievable, and so calm," Nash said. "Steve's been our best player since he came up last December. And that's what we need -- teams that win championships have goalies who are the backbone of the team."

The Blue Jackets inked defenseman Rusty Klesla to a four-year, $12 million extension at the start of the month, which Nash and Mason applauded.

"It's huge," Mason said. "He's a big part of the team and he'll be here for years to come."

Head coach Ken Hitchcock can see a lot of places his team can improve, saying, "We can play a lot better. ... We need a lot of work."

This time of year, Hitchcock said, defense tends to lag behind offense because when the regular season starts, the level of play picks up and the games speed up.

"We're like a lot of teams, trying to get a lot of fingers out there plugging holes in the defense," Hitchcock said.

Another trip to the postseason this year won't get the Blue Jackets much notice, according to Hitchcock. The team won't increase its profile until it manages to win a playoff series.

"You have to win in the playoffs, then everyone takes you a little more seriously," he said. "Until then, everyone's got a 'Yeah, but...' going. We've got to fight that, because we didn't win in the playoffs.

"To be a legitimate team, we also have to have a lot better record in our division, and our division is the most competitive division I've ever been a part of."