We came back around. We really had lots of chances. Maybe we could have had more than five. But we did play strong.

We got scored against on the few chances we gave up. We only got scored against because maybe we were too aggressive. That same aggressiveness won us the game. We dominated the third period, gave up one shot, and we didn't look back.

We had five or six good chances to score.

Unfortunately, I didn't take my chances in the first two sets. In the first set I was maybe a little too passive and in the second I played more aggressively and took more risks.

They didn't throw me on one of the top lines, but they didn't keep me out as a healthy scratch, either. I think Dave King and Doug were using me well, and I think it was good development for me. I couldn't think of a better team to come to for a young guy than Columbus. You aren't just going to jump in and be a star player at 18. It's tough to be a star in the NHL. I just fit in and played my role on the third line, and just kind of hit and chipped in with a goal here or there when I could.

[A Calder Trophy finalist last season, Nash hopes that his new bulk will enable him to muscle in goals around the net and do anything else to help turn around a team that limped to a Western Conference-worst 69 points. Columbus lost its top point-scorer when former captain Ray Whitney signed with Detroit, but his exit opened a spot for Nash on the second line. He will skate alongside speedy center Todd Marchant, who had career highs in goals (20) and assists (40) with Edmonton last year.] It's an honor to play with him, ... I grew up watching him and pretending I was him.