One win does not signal the end of the Blue Jackets' woes. One shutout doesn't mean that goaltender Steve Mason has snapped out of his sophomore slump.

But for one night -- even against a sinking club such as the Florida Panthers -- the Blue Jackets reassured themselves and a nervous fan base that they can win a hockey game with smothering defense.

A 3-0 win last night in Nationwide Arena marked one of the few times that the Blue Jackets of 2009-10 looked like the Blue Jackets of 2008-09.

"It was a tight hockey game," Mason said. "We did some really good things throughout the whole course of the game. Our forwards had a little extra jump out there, and our defensemen played great. They made my job a lot easier."

The Blue Jackets, who had lost three straight and eight of their past nine games, got 32 saves from Mason -- his first shutout of the season -- and goals from Jason Chimera, Derick Brassard and Sammy Pahlsson.

"There was a different feeling in the room before the game tonight," Brassard said. "I don't know if it was the days off since our last game, like maybe we needed to take a break and practice and regroup a little bit.

"But there was a lot of energy, and we went out and played a really solid game. We needed a game like this."

The Blue Jackets have been on the "wrong side of a fine line" the past two weeks, coach Ken Hitchcock has insisted. During the 1-5-3 slump, they led in seven games.

Against a Panthers club that has lost nine of its past 10 games, the Blue Jackets were the better club at pivotal moments.

With 1:39 left in the first period, Chimera jumped on a neutral-zone turnover and carried it wide of three Panthers while the rest of his linemates went off for a line change.

Chimera followed his shot to the net and jabbed his stick at a rebound left by Florida goaltender Tomas Vokoun to make it 1-0.

"My dad always told me to go to the net after a shot," Chimera said. "Finally, his advice paid off."

The Panthers had a prime chance to tie the score, or take the lead, late in the third period, when they had 23 seconds with a 5-on-3 power play after Kristian Huselius (delay of game, 10:07) and Andrew Murray (hooking, 11:54) went to the penalty box.

But Florida had only one shot and never threatened to score.

But the Blue Jackets got a big shift after the Murray penalty expired.

Brassard, pulled from the top six after going 14 games without a goal, finished a give-and-go with Raffi Torres by scoring off Vokoun's shoulder from a tight angle.

It was 2-0 with 5:50 to play the first breathing room the Blue Jackets have enjoyed in weeks.

With 1:28 to play, Pahlsson had his second goal of the season and, in his words, "the weirdest goal of my career."

Pahlsson lost the center-ice face-off to Florida's Kamil Kreps, who swatted the puck sharply behind him -- all the way into the Panthers net. Pahlsson got credit because he was the closest Blue Jackets player.

"I don't think it ever touched my stick," Pahlsson said. "Really, I don't. It felt good for us to finally get some breaks."

aportzline@dispatch.com