'Mase'

Although I love watching the rookies get their first NHL goals, I would be remiss not to mention the latest jackets rookie Steve Mason, their goalie. He played his first ever NHL game the other night vs. the Oilers and earned his first NHL victory.

The interesting thing about Steve Mason is that he had only played 3 professional games prior to getting his start vs. the Edmonton Oilers. Not only that, he has just spent the last 4 months rehabbing his newly repaired knee and had all of 2 full practices before playing his first pro games in Syracuse! Last night, he got his second straight start vs. arguably the best team in the east, the Montreal Canadiens.

Steve Mason and the jackets rallied from a 2-1 deficit scoring 2 goals in less than 40 seconds only to give up the tying goal with 40 seconds left. After an overtime where the jackets mostly controlled the play but couldn't get the win, we went to a shootout. The jackets have already lost one shootout, not only not scoring a single goal, but allowing two goals on two shots. Needless to say I was looking for my oxygen tank once again.

The shooters for the jackets were newly acquired Kristian Huselius, Derrick Brassard and Rick Nash. For the Canadiens: Alex Tanguay, Andrei Kostitsyn and Alexei Kovalev. How about facing those shooters in your first ever NHL shootout? Oh man, what a feat!

Huselius scored on his shot. Tanguay missed the net, then came the rookie Brassard. One move after another and at a snails pace Brassard moved in. I thought: "oh, he ran out of room"...no sooner did I finish that thought and the crowd went wild. A goal. All we needed now was a save from "Mase" and victory is ours.

Mason stood tall and cooly stopped the shot and the crowd went nutz.

After the game I was in Hitch's office and saw Mason giving his father the tour. What a whirlwind for Steve and his family. I was so proud of him and couldn't stop smiling. Congratulations to Mason and welcome to the Blue Jackets!!