Ex-Buckeye Dalpe scores twice in loss for Jackets
ST. LOUIS — When Blue Jackets skaters lined up along the blue line for the national anthem on Wednesday night at the Scottrade Center, they had the look of an NHL team with Jack Johnson and Scott Harrington on defense and Matt Calvert and Cam Atkinson on the wings.
Then came the first shift changes, and in many ways it looked like the Columbus team that competed in the prospects tournament in Traverse City, Michigan. The only other Blue Jackets with extensive NHL experience to make the trip were Ryan Murray and Oliver Bjorkstrand.
For the second straight game, coach John Tortorella watched from the press box to get the big picture, and he got an eyeful of 27-year-old right wing Zac Dalpe from Ohio State.
Dalpe scored two goals in the second period, on a rush off a chip pass from Sonny Milano and on a head-on wrist shot from approximately 3 feet above the crease, in the Blue Jackets’ 3-2 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues.
The Blues won with 2:02 remaining in overtime on a powerplay goal by Vladimir Tarasenko.
Dalpe played for the Buckeyes before being selected in the second round of the 2008 draft by Carolina.
“Look, I don’t think I’m not here to score goals, but scoring goals is nice,” he said. “I think it was a reward for my hard work. Besides the goals, I thought I did a lot of good things — killing some penalties, blocking some shots and making some good defensive reads. Tomorrow’s a new day.”
Told that he would create excitement making the Jackets roster, Dalpe said there was a lot more for him to prove.
“I’ve been doing this a long time and I know where I stand and what I have to do, and that is just hard work,” he said. “I have to do something good every day to get noticed.”
Dalpe has played in 128 NHL games with Carolina, Vancouver, Buffalo and Minnesota. His most extensive action was 55 games for the Canucks during the 2013-14 season.
The Blue Jackets claimed him off waivers from the Wild on Feb. 27. He scored eight goals and had six assists in 20 games for Cleveland of the American Hockey League.
“There was a lot going on at that time and we were expecting a baby,” Dalpe said of his son, Brooks. “I was surprised, but in a good way.”
Assistant coach Brad Larsen, who called the shots on the bench, said Dalpe has done all the right things thus far.
“I thought Dalpe had an excellent game,” he said. “There’s another guy in camp who has really impressed up. He came in in great shape and has really pushed himself. Tonight, he showed he has come here to try and win a job. That’s one guy we’re really impressed with early.”
Earlier in the day, the Jackets released six players from tryout contracts: wings Luke Kirwan, Trent Fox and Justin Brazeau and defensemen Stephen Desrocher, Médric Mercier and Nate Billitier.
The team also announced that center Sam Vigneault will be out four to six weeks because of a broken finger.