Images of his young team trying to build upon a four-goal lead rather than protect it were maddening enough Friday night. Visions of his franchise goaltender attempting to corral a slap shot with his blocker-side glove -- one that offers scant padding -- might have sent Hitchcock over the edge.

Pascal Leclaire suffered what the team is calling a bruised right thumb after stopping a point shot from Dan Hamhuis in a 5-3 win over the Nashville Predators in Nationwide Arena. Leclaire had lost his stick seconds earlier and used his unprotected hand to make the save before having to leave the game with 5:14 remaining.

Hitchcock knew the extent of the injury but was unaware of how it happened until the next day. His reaction to the replay?

"What the hell are you doing -- that's why you have a blocker," Hitchcock said. "The blocker is to block the shot. My first thought is he must (catch) right-handed in baseball. I couldn't figure out how he got hurt. I couldn't believe it. I thought his hand got jammed or his blocker got caught parallel to the ice."

Leclaire did not accompany the Jackets for last night's game, but Hitchcock expects him to return to practice by Monday. General manager Scott Howson said X-rays revealed no breaks.

Goaltender Fredrik Norrena, who started last night, and backup Dan LaCosta said the decision is one of instinct under pressure.

"I've done it before, but only on a puck around the net," LaCosta said. "I've never tried stopping a slap shot."

Cashing in

The Jackets entered last night's game with the league's fourth-best power play, clicking at 29.4 percent. Although it's early, the special teams' unit looks much improved over the one that finished last season ranked 26th at 14.9 percent.

The Rick Nash and Kristian Huselius combination seems to be generating chemistry on power plays. But Nash said players such as R.J. Umberger and Jason Chimera are doing good work creating traffic in front of the net.

Hitchcock agrees.

"If you are willing to throw the garbage at the net and bounce it around a little bit, that's how you end up scoring goals," Hitchcock said. "All the other stuff is window dressing. You might make a play once a week that looks pretty cute and looks good on the highlight reel, but if you want to score goals you are going to have to whack it around the garbage areas."

Young guns

Center Derick Brassard entered last night's game tied for first with Phoenix's Kyle Turris in rookie scoring with four points. Winger Jake Voracek was tied for second with three points.

"Brassard has the makings of a good two-way center," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "He reminds me a little of a young Daymond Langkow. Voracek looks like a dynamic offensive player who's only going to get better as he becomes stronger."

Slap shots

Defenseman Christian Backman (lower body injury) was scratched, but it's believed to be a short-term absence. Center Manny Malhotra (lower body) could return to the lineup as soon as Tuesday at home against Vancouver.

treed@dispatch.com