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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- David Clarksons debut was supposed to help the Toronto Maple Leafs establish an identity. Instead, he and his teammates were outworked by the Columbus Blue Jackets in a penalty-filled 5-2 loss Friday night at Nationwide Arena. Clarkson took the first of eight minor penalties in a choppy game that left players searching for answers. "We know weve got better, we know we have to do the right things to be an A-team in this league and we didnt do the right things tonight," said forward Dave Bolland, who scored the Leafs second goal and took two penalties. Special teams play was a major reason Toronto entered the game 7-3-0 despite coach Randy Carlyle lamenting his teams lack of an identity early this season. The Leafs only gave up one power-play goal to Columbus, but the parade to the penalty box still hurt them. They spent 11 minutes 32 seconds shorthanded, forcing goaltender Jonathan Bernier to take on a heavy workload and disrupting the flow of the game. Six of the minor penalties were stick infractions, in part the result of what Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards figured was his groups best skating game of the year. "Theyre a good team, they work hard, they had a good forecheck on us," said Bernier, who stopped 31 of the 35 shots he faced. "We had some scoring chances, we just didnt put it in the net." The Blue Jackets got on the board on the power play, as defenceman Ryan Murray scored his first NHL goal just 39 seconds after Clarkson was penalized for hooking Nick Foligno. Marian Gaborik scored in the third not long after Nazem Kadri was released from the box after the second of his three penalties, and Brandon Dubinsky scored the game-winner with Columbus shorthanded later in the period. "The power plays were definitely lopsided, and then we get a break to go four-on-three and we give up a short-handed (goal)," Carlyle said. "Kind of set the table for what happened tonight." It was an uneven performance from the get-go for the Leafs, who were outshot 16-5 in the first period and didnt get on the board until Phil Kessel scored 40 seconds after the first intermission. Penalties piled up after that, and Bernier did his best to keep his team in the game. "Weve got to get a better effort," said Clarkson, who had four shots, two penalty minutes and a minus-1 rating in 15:10 of ice time. "Especially Bernies been playing that well for us, and we kind of hang him out to dry there a little bit." Bernier said the Leafs didnt bring their "effort" against the Blue Jackets, but that wasnt lacking from Clarkson, who missed the first 10 games of the season while serving a suspension for leaving the bench to enter a pre-season fight. Carlyle figured Clarkson looked "rusty" but expected that after so much time away from game action. "Hes going to try, hes going to work," Carlyle said. "The other things as far as the stick-handling and the turnovers and stuff, I think youve got to give the guy some slack. He hasnt played any games this year. Everybody else is about 10 games ahead of him." Clarkson didnt feel rusty but wasnt giving himself any glowing reviews, in part because of the final result. "Any time you lose, you dont feel good," Clarkson said. "I felt like on the forecheck my jump was there, I felt OK. ... (But) its all about winning right now, and it doesnt matter how anyone feels weve got to find a way to win it, weve got to play better than that." After signing a US$36.75-million, seven-year deal with the Leafs in the off-season and taking on the expectations that went with it, Clarkson was anxious to make an impact. Weeks of bag skates prepared him for this moment, but once the puck dropped he tried to forget about all that. "I think Ive played in the league long enough that its not just another game, but when youve been out that long, you want to get out there and get some hits and get on the forecheck and make some plays," he said. "All that stuff, hopefully one down and now well get going." Clarkson wasnt to blame for the Leafs third-period meltdown, which included Gaboriks fifth goal of the season and Dubinskys shorthanded that came on a bad break. In his third straight start, Bernier faulted himself for not making enough saves, but the ex-New York Rangers forward made just about the perfect shot. "Youve got to give the shooter credit sometime," Bernier said. "He put it right under the bar. It was a good shot." Clarkson and his teammates must try to rebound quickly, with Sidney Crosby (18 points in 10 games) and the Pittsburgh Penguins visiting Air Canada Centre on Saturday night. Just like the Penguins after a 4-3 loss to the New York Islanders, the Leafs have little time to dwell on this performance. "Were going to be fine, weve got to bounce back," Clarkson said. "This is the game of hockey, youre not going to win every game. I think we know what weve got to be better in." Follow Stephen Whyno on Twitter at (at)SWhyno NOTES - Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, last years Vezina Trophy winner, stopped 23 of the 25 shots he faced. ... Foligno scored the Blue Jackets fifth goal against Bernier with seven seconds left after Ryan Johansen put the puck into an empty net 20 seconds earlier. ... Kessel left the game briefly late in the second period and went down the tunnel toward the locker-room but returned at the start of the third and finished with 16:20 of ice time. http://www.authenticfalconsteamstore.com/Youth-Rob...te-Jers ey/ . The 27-year-old Scrivens will be joining his third NHL club since signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent in 2010. The move also reunites with him with head coach Dallas Eakins from their time together with the American Hockey Leagues Toronto Marlies. http://www.authenticfalconsteamstore.com/Youth-Pau...te-Jers ey/ .In my heart and mind Im competing for India, luge competitor Shiva Keshavan told The Associated Press in an email interview. Every day Im flooded with messages from Indians all over the world telling me they are supporting me. http://www.authenticfalconsteamstore.com/Youth-Jal...te-Jers ey/ . -- Nathan Pancel scored twice as the Sudbury Wolves defeated the North Bay Battalion 4-2 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. http://www.authenticfalconsteamstore.com/ . Tuesdays surgery at Atlantas Piedmont Hospital was performed by Dr. Xavier Duralde and Hawks team physician Dr. Michael Bernot. http://www.authenticfalconsteamstore.com/Youth-Bro...te-Jers ey/ . Francis told several hundred members of the European Olympic Committees that when sport "is considered only in economic terms and consequently for victory at every cost .Tonight, the Dallas Stars will be raising No. 9 to the rafters in honor of Mike Modano. The festivities begin this afternoon at 4:30 with an arrival event and “Green Carpet” ceremony in true Stars fashion and the ceremony itself begins at 6:00. The Stars have also released a book with limited quantities entitled "Nine: A Salute to Mike Modano" with 1,000 special edition copies personally autographed by Modano that have already sold out. We reached out to several of Modanos colleagues from his playing career to discuss their experiences with him. Bill Guerin, two-time Stanley Cup winner, four-time NHL All-Star and U.S. Olympic Silver Medalist: “Ive known Mike for a long time. We played in the World Juniors when we were 18 and were teammates in three Olympics and two World Cups. It was Mike in the middle, Keith Tkachuk on the left and myself on the right. Mike is the greatest American to ever play the game. He is an amazing hockey player and an even better person. We first met when I was playing in Springfield and he was playing in St. Albert and I couldnt believe the skill level of a player that age could be that high. He was better than everyone else, but so humble. It was amazing that he could be so great and also so grounded. Mike IS the Dallas Stars, so its fitting that they are retiring his number” Craig Button, TSN Scout and former Dallas Stars Director of Scouting (1992-98) and Director of Player Personnel (1998-2000): “Watching Modano raise the Stanley Cup over his head, the exhilaration and the emotion that you could feel was phenomenal. At that time, he was only the fourth first overall pick (since the universal draft began in 1970) to win the Cup with the franchise that had drafted him. Only Guy Lafleur (1971), Denis Potvin (1973) and Mario Lemieux (1984) were those who had donee it to that point.dddddddddddd Ironically Lemieux and Modano faced off in 1991 when it was going to happen for the third time. There is an expectation that when you are selected first overall that you can change the fortunes of a franchise. Mike did that and his moment when he raised the cup I think embodied a lot of satisfaction in being able to do it.” Mark Janko, Dallas Stars Director of Hockey Administration and Director of Public Relations from 2005 to 2008. “The thing that people dont understand is how generous he is with his time with people. Hes been pulled in so many different directions over the years. We asked him to go to hospitals, kids carnivals, so many different things and he always stayed longer than he was required. He would stay for an hour when he was asked to stay for 10 minutes. He was the perfect athlete to sell the game to Dallas. The fans love him and he still lives in Dallas to this day. He wanted to sell the game in Dallas and did whatever he could to do it. People need to know how sensitive he is. He cares so much about others and about winning. He had tears in his eyes during his last game in Dallas, when he won the Stanley Cup and when he retired as a member of the Dallas Stars. He has such a tender heart, but also a warriors spirit. He cared so passionately and deeply about the type of person and teammate that he was. He came back from injuries faster than expected because he worked so hard to do it. He had God-given ability and worked effortlessly to perfect it.” Theres no shortage of great sentiment when it comes to Modano and theres no doubt about whether tears will be shed tonight during this incredible honour. These reflections about Modano are great, but none of them compare to the greatness of his hairdo and babyface on the day of the 1988 NHL Entry Draft. 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