Thursday, January 22, 2009

A Much Needed Rest

After a difficult road trip, the Blue Jackets are finally going to get a chance to rest their weary legs.  Beaten, battered, and riddled with injury, the boys will get the much deserved break they have sorely needed for weeks, while the all-stars meet in Montreal.

But I will not be settling for thoughtful digression here.  I am quite angry as a Jackets fan waiting for the team to float above the 'red bar' rather than below it, and frankly, I am not sure that my issues can be resolved by any one player or coach (or Injury Ninja).

Steve Mason made his fifteenth consecutive start yesterday, and showed clear signs of wear, comparable to what we saw in the Vancouver and Edmonton game.  You would think that seeing his stats flare above normal would be enough for Hitchcock to give their new (and very capable backup) a chance in at least one of the three games, but in a very non-hitchian way, we were forced to watch and feel sorry for the tired rookie.

Other notables on the trip were things like Modin and Tyutin on the powerplay, struggling to make the right play at the right time, and both forcing unnecessary shots on 5 on 3s that never saw pad or twine.  We saw Dorsett get hit with a stick to the face, in a move that in most cases warrants 5-10 games worth of suspension, but in this case, did not even merit a 5 minute major (and yes, I will be going more in depth later on this).  We saw RJ get hit from behind, and cut, only to come back and score the first two goals of the game, which will go down as one of his best games as a Jacket.

A finally, we saw a player take control when control was what we needed.  Kris Russell played his heart out in a game that needed a player to step up.  His constantly strong defense and great ability to move the puck into the offensive zone were tremendous help in netting four goals on Kipper.

It was a strange trip, and a lesson for the Jackets.  The playoffs are NOT going to be on a silver platter this year.

Carry the Flag!

4 comments:

  1. Last night's game was just ... sad, frustrating, wrong ... I'm so tired of seeing us beat by the officials! Some games, it's almost like there's a conspiracy - don't let CBJ do well! Make up a rule, forget that one ... just don't let them win. Our boys have far more heart than I think I would in many games, particularly ones like last night's.
    I didn't even give a thought last night to Mason being given a chance to rest - guess I still haven't got the new backup goalie set in my mind. Hmmmm... why didn't Hitch use him? Interesting ...
    The playoffs may not be handed to us on a silver platter, but I still have faith we'll be there this year, holding heads up high, knowing every little second of it has been earned with hard work.

    ReplyDelete
  2. There is a conspiracy Nancy!! I am going to start a Facebook group this weekend I swear!!
    They are trying to keep us down OR if we do well it has to be only after insurmountable odds have been overcome!
    grrrr!
    And what happened to the Hitch who wanted to play Pazzy in LA? I am so confused.
    I predicted 3 points for this trip so I am not too upset. But I hope they get some rest and come back fired up!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Well, the fact that Calgary is a very strong team is enough reason for Hitch to go with Mason, so I imagine it would be more the Edmonton game that was better suited for Wade.

    I'm glad to see the officiating is blatant to more than just a coupe fans. Sometimes I wonder how much better of the league would be to simply scrap the new rules, and go back to the basics so the refs can actually do their job properly..

    Thanks for commenting Nancy!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anna, when you get your Facebook group started, let me know ... I'll join!
    As for going back to the basics ... works for me!

    ReplyDelete