"Signs are appearing that the five weeks of misery endured by the Blue Jackets — the puck seemed square, the coach looked peaked, the rest of the NHL watched in horror — has begun to fade into a forgettable memory.

A 4-1 win last night over the Calgary Flames before 11,629 in Nationwide Arena displayed an array of sights that has been missing until recent days.

Jeff Carter's wrist shot. Antoine Vermette as an offensive contributor. Four lines, rolling. A responsible back-check. And, of course, solid goaltending.

Say hello to the 2011-12 Blue Jackets, arriving quite a bit more than fashionably late to the party.

"We know there's a whole lot of work to be done still, given the way that we started the season," captain Rick Nash said. "But these last few games, I think, are a good example of how we can play, and I'm sure we still have room to get better.""