Blue Jackets center Derick Brassard doesn't fight very often or very well. Thankfully he didn't get hurt this time.
Near the end of a fight-filled game with San Jose on Tuesday, Brassard dropped the gloves with Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle and was badly pummeled by the veteran. Brassard ended up on his knees, absorbing blow after blow from Boyle before the linesmen intervened.
Brassard was driven into the boards by Boyle, who then barked at Brassard to get up, believing he had embellished the hit.
Not that Brassard, a small, skilled center in his fourth NHL season, expected to win the fight.
"If anybody thinks I was fighting because I expected to win the fight, no," Brassard told The Columbus Dispatch. "I answer the bell. I was (upset). I was frustrated. It was 6-0 and that's how I responded."
The start of Brassard's career was sidetracked in 2008 when he suffered a separated shoulder at the start of a fight with then-Dallas forward James Neal. He was the NHL's leading rookie scorer at the time of his injury but missed the rest of the season, including the Blue Jackets' only playoff berth.
NOTES, QUOTES
--The Blue Jackets have lost plenty of games in the third period this season, but this one takes the cake. With 0.3 second remaining, Kings defenseman Drew Doughty scored from the slot for a 3-2 victory over the Jackets. One problem: Video replays provided by both clubs show the game clock mysteriously stopping for at least one second with 1.8 seconds remaining. Had it kept running, Doughty's goal would not have counted and the game would have gone to overtime. NHL officials reviewed the goal, but only to determine whether it had crossed the line before the clock had flipped to :00.0.
--With Wednesday's 3-2 loss to Los Angeles, the Blue Jackets dropped to 2-7-1 under interim coach Todd Richards, including a six-game losing streak (0-5-1).
QUOTE TO NOTE: "Yes, I saw the replay. I'm really disappointed for the players." -- Blue Jackets interim coach Todd Richards, on the controversial clock stoppage in the final seconds of his team's loss to the Kings on Wednesday.
ROSTER REPORT
PLAYER NOTES:
--LW Colton Gillies scored early in the third period of Wednesday's 3-2 loss in Los Angeles. It was his first goal of the season, his first goal for the Blue Jackets and his first goal in 43 games.
--D Marc Methot missed a second straight game with the flu. He was quarantined from the rest of the club on Wednesday and sent ahead to the team hotel in Anaheim, where the Jackets play on Friday.
--C Jeff Carter missed his 10th straight game because of a shoulder injury. He could play Friday in Anaheim, the site of the injury on Jan. 8 after he was hit by Ducks defenseman Francois Beauchemin.
MEDICAL WATCH:
--D James Wisniewski (broken ankle) is out until mid-February.
--C Jeff Carter (separated shoulder) is day-to-day.
--RW Mark Letestu (broken hand) is out until late February.
--LW Kristian Huselius (lower body) is out until late February.
--D Radek Martinek (concussion) is out for the season.
--D Nikita Nikitin (left knee) is out indefinitely.
GOALTENDERS:
--Steve Mason
--Curtis Sanford
DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS:
--Fedor Tyutin, Brett Lebda
--Marc Methot, Grant Clitsome
--John Moore, David Savard
FIRST LINE:
--LW Vinny Prospal, C Antoine Vermette, RW Rick Nash
SECOND LINE:
--LW R.J. Umberger, C Derick Brassard, RW Tomas Kubalik
THIRD LINE:
--LW Ryan Russell, C Sammy Pahlsson, RW Derek Dorsett
FOURTH LINE:
--LW Colton Gillies, C Derek MacKenzie, RW Jared Boll
