Through the first four games of this young season, the Columbus Blue Jackets have competed with great energy in each of the periods they’ve played. That streak came to an end with the opening frame of their 3-0 home loss to the Minnesota Wild Saturday at Nationwide Arena.

“It was just our effort,” said defenseman Zach Werenski, “I don’t think we started on time. If it wasn’t for (goaltender Daniil Tarasov), it would have been a lot worse in the first period. We have to have a better effort.”

Head coach Dean Evason also felt that the play of Tarasov was instrumental in keeping the Blue Jackets in the game early. “If we’re not ready to play, it’s on me, it’s on the coaches, it’s on the players. There was one guy ready to go and that was our goaltender and if he wasn’t ready to go, it should’ve been probably 6-0 after the first period. He was outstanding.”

Instead of 6-0, the Wild led 1-0 at the end of the first period on Marco Rossi’s goal. The first-line center carried the puck from the right circle into the slot where there were no defenders and buried a short range wrister. The period ended with Minnesota leading the Blue Jackets 14-4 in shots on goal. Indeed, it could have been worse.

Neither team scored in the second period and the Blue Jackets got back to almost even in shots taken. Early in the third period, the Wild had a 5-on-3 opportunity after two quick penalties committed by Columbus. Just seconds into the two-man advantage, Kirill Kaprizov showed his goal-scoring abilities, drillling one past Tarasov from the right goal line on a tough angle.

Minnesota stretched the lead when Mats Zuccarello took a pass from Kaprisov and rushed the net with little opposition to make it 3-0. The Blue Jackets did get on the board with under two minutes to play when, with an extra attacker, Yegor Chinakhov snapped the puck past Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson for his third goal of the season.

Columbus is back in action Tuesday, when the Toronto Maple Leafs come to Nationwide Arena. The action will get underway at 7:30 p.m.

EXTRAS:
– There is no word yet on the extent of the upper body injury to forward Kent Johnson, which he suffered early in the game against Buffalo Thursday.
– The Blue Jackets played with an “11-7” lineup Saturday. There were 11 forwards rather than the usual 12, and seven defensemen instead of six.
– On the all-important concessions front, Whit’s Frozen Custard, the Granville, Ohio-based company, is now the Official Frozen Custard of the Blue Jackets, making Nationwide Arena the 38th location in Ohio where the frozen treats are sold.

Trivia Question:
The Blue Jackets and Wild both began play in 2000. Who scored the first goal for each team?
Answer: 
Bruce Gardiner scored the first goal for the Blue Jackets on Oct. 7, 2000 against the Chicago BlackHawks at Nationwide Arena.
Rookie Marion Gaborik scored the first goal for the Minnesota Wild on Oct. 6, 2000 at Anaheim.