Steve Mason | 
It was the younger Mason (Steve) that got his first taste of NHL playoffs last night.
The frontrunner for the Calder trophy looked about as good as you would expect from a rookie in his first playoff game. Having to face the defending Stanley Cup champions didn’t make it easy.
Mason stopped all 14 shots he faced in the first period last night. He looked like the goalie that carried his team to the playoffs. Unfortunately, the Blue Jackets needed a Herculean effort from their 20-year-old backstopper something they would not get.
Blue Jackets captain Rick Nash isn’t concerned with having a rookie in net against one of the deadliest teams in the NHL.
“All year he’s played and he’s handled himself like a veteran, Nash said. “Even though he is a rookie, it doesn’t seem like he is. He stole us games all season. And for us to be successful in the playoffs, we’re going to need him to be at his best, as well as the other 22 guys on the ice. Everyone will have to be at their best to beat a power house like Detroit.”
Head coach Ken Hitchcock is most impressed with Mason’s ability to keep the Blue Jackets in games long enough to make a come back.
“I think that’s something that he doesn’t get enough credit for,” Hitchcock said. “He’s held us in there when we’re down a goal and getting outplayed a bit on the road. [We’re] still learning how to win on the road. He holds it together, and we’re able to bounce back later in the game. I think that is a feather in his cap. He has that ability to keep it together even though we’re down 3-2, or 2-1.”
Nash admits that being lazy playing for Hitchcock will cause your playing time cut, but if you do get caught out of position having Mason in net is a strong insurance policy.
“With Mason, he is the back bone of the team,” explains Nash. “He doesn’t let us cheat. But if we’re on the wrong side of the puck, he bails us out from time to time.”
The Jackets are down a game. However don’t be quick to count them out. Keep in mind this is the same team that thumped the Red Wings 8-2 in Detroit on March 7.
In the playoffs anything can happen.
Game two goes tomorrow night at 6:00 p.m. in Detroit
Topics: Calder Trophy, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, First Round, Ken Hitchcock, Rick Nash, Stanley Cup Playoffs, Steve Mason
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