Derick Brassard on St. Louis, scoring and the cannon

            Derick Brassard had two goals and an assist Tuesday; Martin St. Louis, his newest wing, has had no goals and just three points since he was traded to the Rangers on March 5.

            But Brassard expects things to turn around for the former Tampa All-Star.

           “It’s been three or four games we’ve played together,” said Brassard, the former Blue Jacket. “He’s really dynamic, he’s really quick, it’s something that me and Zuke have to adjust (to). I thought Tuesday he scored his first goal and everybody was pretty excited (but the puck deflected off Ottawa defenseman Marc Methot, not St. Louis, so the scoring was changed). I think when the first goal’s going to happen for him, it’s going to drop a lot of lot pressure off his shoulders. He’s demanding a lot from himself about the way he wants to play…The guys really like him in the room, he’s a great veteran.”

        Brassard said he enjoys playing at Nationwide Arena, where he had heard the boom of the cannon firing after Jackets goals from 2007-08 to midway through 34 games of the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, when he was traded to the Rangers.

       “The first time I came here with my friends, they really thought something happened,” he said of the cannon, which startles many visitors, including yours truly. “This building is really fun to play in, especially when it’s sold out, like it probably will be tomorrow.”

               Brassard, who has 15 goals and 24 helpers, hopes his breakout on Tuesday sets a tone.

             “I thought before the (Olympic) break, I was really playing good hockey with my linemates, and when I got back, I scored in back to back games, but before Tuesday, I think it was seven games (actually eight) without points, and I felt like I was playing the same way, but it was just not going in. On Tuesday, it felt like everything was going in. It was a great feeling; we had trouble scoring goals before…It was good for our confidence. It’s going to be a tough race all the way to the end.”