The Blue Jackets trailed 1-0 midway through the third period tonight against the Phoenix Coyotes, and Nationwide Arena was as quiet as The Schott.

A crowd of 13,363 was full of nervous energy hoping for the best but expecting the worst from these Blue Jackets, who have won all of two games in the past month.

"They were just like us on the bench," Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock said. "They were thinking `Oh, boy, what's going to happen next.'

"I saw a lot of guys sitting down (in the stands), guzzling. It was good for beer sales today."

The Blue Jackets aren't out of their funk yet. They suffered a 2-1 shootout loss to the Coyotes, extending their slide to 2-8-5 since Nov. 19.

Coyotes center Robert Lang scored the game-winner in the third round of the shootout, beating Blue Jackets goaltender Mathieu Garon with a snapper to the glove side.

But for the second straight game the Blue Jackets carried the play in the second and third periods, and for the first time in a long time, fans in Nationwide had an energetic, competent club for which to cheer. They stood for most of the third period as the Blue Jackets rallied.

Was it the big shirtless fella dancing during a stoppage in play with 13:22 to play that sparked the rally? Or Rick Nash's power play goal 90 seconds later that tied the score?

"I think it was both," Nash joked. "Fans love that guy.

"It was great to see the fans on their feet again. It would have been nice if we could have won the shootout and sent them home happy. We've been through tougher times than this with the Blue Jackets, and our fans have always stuck by our sides. We really need them right now."

Nash's goal his 18th of the season was the sort of fluky, lucky bounce that has eluded the Blue Jackets ever since they started their slide.

Defenseman Fedor Tyutin whiffted on a one-time so badly that, instead of just missing the net, it skidded across the ice to Tyutin's right a perfect pass to Nash, set up on the halfwall.

"When I got to the bench," Tyutin said, "guys were saying `nice pass.'"

Nash let loose a shot that beat Phoenix goaltender Jason LaBarbera to the near post, ticking off his glove before finding the back of the net.

It was 1-1 with 11:41 remaining.

"You can definitely use the breaks," Nash said. "It's a lucky play. Those haven't been going in lately.

"At the start of the season, we were getting all the breaks. It feels like it's starting to turn that way again."

Nash was the only Blue Jacket to score in the shootout. Kristian Huselius and Fedor Tyutin were stopped by LaBarbera.

The Blue Jackets have lost by 2-1 scores in their last two games, including in Minnesota on Tuesday. They aren't scoring nearly enough to win, but on the other end of the ice their own zone they appear to have stopped the bleeding.

"We've played almost identical to the way we did when we were having success," Hitchcock said. "We're starting to play the game the right way. A lot of guys are starting to play much better hockey.

"We have to take more steps to get back where we want to be, but there are some positive signs."

aportzline@dispatch.com