Stop It Right Here: The Anatomy of a Goal

In the Blue Jackets victory over the Hurricanes last night, R.J. Umberger scored his first hat trick in three years, Derick Brassard was fantastic, and Jack Johnson contributed two assists, including the 100th of his career. However, I would like to take a look at the lone goal allowed by Steve Mason during his 39 save game. Before I get into the breakdown, let's take a look:


This goal was a typical hockey goal. That may sound reductive, but most goals are not the result of one great play by the offensive player or one terrible miscue by a defensive player. Instead, they come from one breakdown leading to another, then to another, with the cascade of mistakes leading to a goal. In my estimation, this goal includes eight miscues by seven different players. Let's review them in reverse order:

What the Blue Jackets Should Do With Their Forwards

After last nights loss to the Buffalo Sabres, the Blue Jackets forwards are clearly in need of some reshuffling. Coach Scott Arniel mixed up his lines throughout the game, essentially benching rookies Ryan Johansen and Maksim Mayorov, as well veteran Derek Mackenzie for part of the 2nd period and nearly the entire 3rd. This meant rolling three lines, one of which was Cody Bass - Sami Pahlsson - Derek Dorsett. Pahlsson and Dorsett have a role with the Blue Jackets, but it's not to play significant minutes while trailing late in games. Furthermore, it pushed career AHLer Alexandre Giroux into significant top six minutes. For the Jackets to run off any kind of winning streak, AHL caliber players like Giroux and Bass (not to mention defenseman Aaron Johnson) cannot be playing significant minutes late in games against good teams like Buffalo. Something needs to change. Fortunately, Arniel has a number of linemate decisions to make over the next few days, weeks and months. Ryan Johansen will hit his 9th game very soon, Jeff Carter should return sometime in the near future, Jared Boll will be healthy sometime after that, and Kristian Huselius will be back sometime around New Years. How should Arniel and GM Scott Howson handle these decisions? Lets look at them one at a time.

Sestito Deal Benefits Franchise First

In the dying moments of crunch time, news came over twitter from a number of sources stating that fan favourite Tom Sestito had been dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers for former Blue Jacket Greg Moore, and last year 3rd round pick Michael Chaput.  Not unsurprising, mass histeria struck half of the Blue Jacket twitter fanbase as the idea of losing a guy who showed solid promise sunk in.

Personally, the deal confused me initially.  Greg Moore was a Blue Jacket only a year ago.  His numbers are fairly standard, and in all aspects, his play is dwarfed by the potential ability of Sestito.  That said, after doing some digging into Chaput, it became fairly clear what Howson was after.

At 6'2, 195 pounds, the 18 year old center has amassed 55 points for the second straight season with Lewiston of the QMJHL.  The analysis at Hockey's future has this to say about him;

 ...the ability to contribute at both ends of the ice. Though not overly physical and needing additional strength, Chaput showed a knack for sneaking through traffic and finding open ice. A solid skater, the pivot took the majority of Lewiston's face-offs over the year and finished with 51 percent success rating.

Certainly characteristics that look good coming into a bigger, better league.  It is a difficult thing to teach players to find the seam in traffic, and if he works hard, two-way players are always of great value.  Couple those with the dire need for a franchise number one center, and suddenly this trade begins to make sense.

While I can respect the appreciation for Sestito, who has a solid twitter following, along with being a bright spot in a rather dreary month of Columbus hockey, the bar has officially begun to rise in terms of quality play.  With Boll and Dorsett on NHL contracts, the redundancy of Sestito begins to show clear.  Couple that with the addition of Upshall, and suddenly players like Murray and MacKenzie will be fighting tooth and nail to retain relevance with the big club.  Yes, suddenly, a Sestito call-up looks extremely unlikely.

So while I respect the appreciation and favouritsim shown to Sestito, I will respectfully take the road less travelled.  I did enjoy having him on the depth chart, but I believe this move solidifies the necessary potential moving forward that will make this team stronger.  Once again, Howson makes a move that I fully support, and his reasons were clear in the post deadline press conference.  He wanted Chaput last year during the draft, and he finally was able to get him in a deal that did not cost the Jackets in an area they were not already strong in.

Carry the Flag!

Matt Calvert

There is no question in my mind that Matt Calvert is a major bright spot on the Columbus roster of late, and could easily be considered the top prospect that has brought the most upside to the main club this year.  In fact, I would be hard pressed to believe anyone who claimed that the 127th pick in the 2008 draft would make such a substantial difference with the big club next year, let alone this year.  His hattrick last night upped his goal total to nine this year, in the twenty games he has spent with the big club.

As much as I am personally excited to see his success, I have focused on a couple different aspects of how his play has made a difference on the team dynamic, and I wanted to share them.

First, this makes Nikita Filatov 100% expendable.  At the beginning of the year, I had a tremendous amount of confidence in the potential star power Fily is capable of bringing to the Columbus top six.  I can admit being both wrong, and was completely devastated when it became clear that he had a great deal of developing to do before he would become a viable top six forward.  What makes him expendable, is the current Jackets lineup.  With the addition of Calvert to the top six, the Jackets first two lines look like some form of the following:

Nash - Brassard - Voracek

Umberger - Vermette - Calvert

IR: Huselius

Not only does this allow Arniel to force Juice down to the third line, it gives him room to bring in a legit top six player if someone is taking advantage of their position with lazy or foolish play.  This lineup of course would be my ideal option once Brassard returns from injury, which should be somewhere within the next two weeks.

Second, it makes Huselius expendable.  I have long badgered his lazy play, and I feel like Calvert is about as non-Huselius as a player can get.  The kid flat out hustles, taking great advantage of every opportunity he is given, and forcing the issue when the opposition has the puck.  While his size would lead you to believe he would be more of a finesse player, his 5'9 frame actually ends up giving the presence of a 6'3 player the way he throws his body around on the ice.  Essentially, this roster swap changes the 'patience' of Juice to the frenetic, exciting play of Calvert, a player who was noticeably on the shoulders of the entire fanbase Friday night against Phoenix.

As it stands, Calvert has 9 goals in 20 games.  He also has 5 goals in his last 3 games, and 6 goals in his last 4.  These numbers are not familiar to fourth round picks who are brought up to the main club as a rookie over halfway into the season.  It leads me to my final comment about his rise with the Jackets, and it relates to the quality drafting done by the Jackets over the last few seasons.  Notably, on their current roster, they have (of those they have drafted) Methot (168th - 2003), Calvert (127th - 2008), Clitsome (271st - 2004), Dorsett (189th - 2006), Boll (101st - 2005), Murray (242nd - 2001).  Obviously excluded are the players drafted in the top 100 who are finding great success (Nash, Brassard, Russell, Mason, Voracek) on the roster and most of whom are signed to fairly reasonable extensions with the club.

2009/2010 Columbus Offense

One of the Blue Jackets main concerns over the years has been not only their lack of secondary scoring, but basically their lack of anyone scoring outside of the mighty Rick Nash. Over the off-season, the Blue Jackets welcomed Sammy Pahlsson to the mix, said their goodbyes to guys like Malhotra and Williams, and re-signed one of their budding young centermen, Derick Brassard. Also, considered to be this years ‘new face brightspot’, Nikita Filatov, fresh off a summer of weight gaining and conditioning will look to penetrate the roster in a big way.

Here are my preferred lines;

1 – Rick Nash – Derick Brassard – Kristian Huselius
2 – Jakub Voracek – Antoine Vermette – Nikita Filatov
3 – RJ Umberger – Sammy Pahlsson – Raffi Torres
4 – Jared Boll – Derek Dorsett – Chimera/Modin

Let me start with line one. Nash and Huselius are somewhat of a staple on the first line, especially this early in the season. Adding Brassard, which is what the coaching staff was toying with before his injury seems like the logical decision to make. He is good for a point per game and sees the ice well. That really translates into the perfect compliment for guys like Nash and Juice.

Moving on to the second line, I think it is important to explain the third line in conjunction, as the style of play from the two lines will be substantially different. Generally speaking, successful playoff teams can play a grit line against the opposing teams top line to stymie their offensive opportunities and wear them down with physical play. Last year, Columbus’ best line in the playoffs was Dorsett – Umberger – Torres because of their relentless forecheck. While I do not think Dorsett is deserving of a third line role, I think Pahlsson is exactly the replacement the Jackets needed. They can use their tenacity and high paced forecheck against some of the better lines in the NHL, not allowing them the time and space needed to make big plays. Because the third line is designed for power, I believe the second line should be built on playmaking. Both Vermette and Voracek seem to really pursue the pass before the shot. Bringing in a guy like Filatov is a perfect way to compliment two play makers. He has the ability to find the seam and get into the right positions, which will open the opportunity for big passes and even bigger goals.

Now to the fourth line. A lot of Jackets fans probably do not agree with my snubbing of Modin and Chimera, but I assure you, it is well warranted. Chimera playing well last year was a direst result of his linemates in Brassard and Voracek. Rather than placing him on a scoring line, why not throw him on an energy fourth line with Dorsett and Boll, and really let them pour on speed and punishment? In regards to Modin, I really think he is as relevant to the Jackets roster as Malhotra was. There are entirely too many confident and ready young players to sacrifice a roster spot for an aging, injury prone winger.

Collectively speaking, the quality of these lines may be mildly sacrificed by what I believe their main goal is, but at the same time, it may be the perfect way to distribute the talent and really play a 60 minute game.

Carry the Flag!

They Did It.

Well, they did it.

Can you believe it?

I am still pinching myself.
I cried three times. And then Rick Nash came on and talked about Mr. Mac and I cried again. And then I thought about Ryan Salmons holding on for a playoff game in Nationwide Arena and I cried again.

And I was sober!

The first period was a disaster. A complete and utter disaster. I have to be honest with you. Prior to the game I said to Brian, “I bet we lose. And I bet we lose on Friday. And I bet it all comes down to Saturday night. Because that is how my luck works.” Because for better or worse, let’s be honest folks, don’t we all always think that how our favorite team plays revolves around our own personal luck, clothes, mojo, hat, routine, or some other voodoo? I had my bunny ears on because the bunny ears are 2-1 (and 2 is better than none!). Brian changed into his JHM hat before the 3rd period and he swears that is what changed the game. I was wistfully wishing that Boll get into fight, and lo and behold, he did. Not only did he get into a fight, but we scored two goals right after that and I am fairly certain that fight changed the entire tone of the game.

And we were tied and regulation ended and the play-off spot is clinched and I can finally start saying that word.
Playoff playoff playoff playoff playoff!!!

And then the shoot-out.

OMG.

Tyutin? Talk about changing up a routine. Well, okay.

So, for once I decided to change my routine of NOT watching us shoot. See, I can watch us defend but I can’t watch us shoot. Makes no sense I know, but that is the way it is. I make my way through a shoot out by turning away from the screen and watching the reactions of others.

But not this time. I glued my eyes to the set and struggled to watch Tyutin all the way up to the net and watched that glorious shot and that wonderful top-shelfer sling into the net and the horn sounded and we not only clinched our playoff spot, we earned it, boyz!

It’s been the best season ever.

Thank you already.

Carry the Flag!

Crunch Time! (Not the Syracuse Flavor)

With every good home stand, there looms a road trip.  The Jackets have travelled to the other side of the continent to play three teams that have just as much to lose as they do.  Games against Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver (respectively) will really show the Jackets faithful where this team stands in the 'likely to' or 'likely NOT to' fight for a strong playoff spot.

They will be spirited games, and the last thing you will want to do is miss them.  While Edmonton has had their way with Leclaire this season, they are young and streaky, and can easily be beaten if the true Jackets team shows up.  Calgary is not unbeatable, and the Jackets proved that earlier this season with a big win at Calgary.  Vancouver has strong scorers, but have been known to throw in the towel early in games that seem out of reach.

These are the keys to the road trip for me:

1 - Strong goaltending.. I did not think I would have to write this at any point this year after Mason took to the net, but he needs to be competitive.  During the game against Anaheim, he looked beaten down and confused, saving only 9 of the 14 shots he faced.  They are likely to face at least two teams who will put around thirty shots on net, and he will need to stop close to all of them if they want to win games.

2 - Powerplay.. The only thing more demoralizing than a weak goal scored on a team, is not capitalizing on powerplay opportunities.  They need to stay competitive on each powerplay, keep the pressure deep, and bury their chances.  Playoff teams score on the powerplay, and the Jackets should be no exception, especially considering some of the fire power they have.

3 - Focus..  At times during the last couple games, the players looked unfocused and unprepared for certain rushes.  At least three of the goals scored in the Anaheim game could have been avoided if the trailing forward or defenseman had taken his man, and that mistake can not continue to happen.

4 - Competitive Edge..  There are players on this team that can flat out score goals, or make goals happen.  If the playoffs are meant to be, they need to be doing that naturally for the rest of the season.  If they chose to take nights off, well, I do not even want to say it.  Also, the players on the other end of the spectrum need to step it up.  Bubble players like Murrray, Novotny, Boll, and now Gratton need to step up and make big things happen.  Secondary scoring in the National Hockey League is a must.

So keep your chin up, and let's hope for the best on this road trip!  Carry the Flag!

Derek Dorsett vs. A Punching Bag

There were not very many big highlights in last nights game that favored the Blue Jackets, but one thing that certainly did was the fighting.  Jared Boll fought both Moen and Parros, arguably winning both tilts, and Derek Dorsett fought Brendan Mikkelson.

The fight I want to talk about was Dorsett's, only days after getting beaten heavily by BJ Crombeen of the St Louis Blues.  He absolutely dominated this fight, and for a time, shifted the momentum of the entire game with the huge bombs he threw.   Here is a video:

As is very clear, he absolutely controls this fight, throwing 22 punches and landing 16.  Mikkelson threw 1 punch in total.  Now, the reason why I want to focus on this fight, is because Dorsett did his job last night.  He was a terror on the ice, throwing big hits and clearly, big bombs.  He is a great addition to the Jackets, and if they can make the playoffs, he will be one of the biggest factors because of his physicality.

So next time you catch a Jackets game, cheer big for our boy Dorse the Horse.  He will play his heart out every game if you get behind him as a fan!

Carry the Flag!

Adversity Mounts.. Nash on the IR

Concerns are once again running amok in Columbus with captain and leading scorer Rick Nash moving to the IR.  According to the Dispatch, his injury was not healing the way they anticipated, and I am left wondering whether they are simply not willing to create a bigger injury, or whether they are downplaying his leg injury to ease the minds of fans..

At any rate, MacKenzie has been recalled from the Crunch, which actually is not the worst thing.  He had tremendous hustle in training camp and in the pre-season, consistently being one of the names I would write down in regards to grit and effort on the ice.  While his time in Columbus has been minimum, he has appeared in 23 games for Syracuse, amassing 8 goals and 10 assists.  He should be the perfect fit on the third or fourth line playing with Boller and Dorsett.

This move also makes one question what it will take for Howson to pull the trigger on a trade, be it big name or mediocre name.  Blunden was clearly a minimal trade and really did not suit the needs of the Jackets, considering he has been in the AHL all season, and he is known for his injury woes.  Cory Murphy was waived by the Panthers today, who is a puck moving defensemen with a salary under one million.  Could it be possible that Howson makes a move for him to replace a guy like Russell, who has a great deal of trade value considering what he has brought to the Jackets over the last month or so?

I personally hope Russell stays around, as he is easily the most visible defensemen on the Jackets squad in terms of puck movement, and I think his removal would be a clear loss for them when it came to game time.

But stay positive and Carry the Flag.  The guys are playing well, and as a unit.  Here is hoping they can hang on until some of the major names can return from what Anna likes to call their "visit from the injury ninja."

WHY Carry the Flag?

First, let me introduce myself: I am a girl (still not comfortable saying woman...even at almost 40...yikes!) who loves hockey. Specifically, the Columbus Blue Jackets! I came to this affection recently. Prior to now, I have enjoyed watching college football, and pro baseball. Mostly I am attracted to sports because of tradition and history, and because of how the players are off the field (or...ice). In recent years, football (coughs*MichaelVick*coughs) and baseball (coughs*steroids*coughs) began to lose their appeal. About 3 years ago, my husband (fellow blog contributor Brian) and I attended a couple hockey games. And slowly an addiction grew!

One of the really great things about living so close to downtown Columbus, and being a Jackets fan, is being able to interact with the players fairly often. We have attended a couple autograph sessions and the guys are so nice and patient. But more recently I caught a press release on the home page that the players were going to be ringing Salvation Army bells on three different downtown corners to raise money during the week of Christmas. So, with much encouragement from a fellow fan Tony, Brian and I scurried downtown and parked directly across from Nationwide Arena and set out, caps and camera in hand!

First up was Mike Commodore and Jakub Voracek on the corner of Nationwide Blvd and Front St . Commie was very interactive and outgoing, Jake was shy and awkward. Unfortunately we didn't get any photos but we did get our hats signed. We then made our way to the Palace Theater where Jared Boll and Kris Russell. These two happen to be my favorite players so you know I was extremely excited!! I babbled for a good 5 minutes with lil' Shake about how changing his number made him look bigger, and Boll agreed with me, meanwhile they both signed the hats, and Brian took pics. Again - the guys were great!! Lastly, we headed around the corner to the Riffe Building on High St. where Marc Methot and Derick Brassard were ringing. This time the Jackets' PR guy with the players offered to take our pic so both Brian and I got to be in it together.

So what is my point here? Columbus, we have a professional sports team in our midst of top-notch, talented, well-mannered, educated, respectful, kind, and dedicated athletes. They are playing their hearts out for us. The management team for the Blue Jackets is trying to find creative ways to get the guys out in public by thinking outside the autograph session box. This bell-ringing session is one of those ways. Brian and I easily had 5-10 minutes apiece with each pair of players all to ourselves! Where else does this happen? Can you imagine taking a kid who admires one of these guys to an event like this? Hockey players are the kind of athletes who represent something great that is missing in most other sports, in my opinion. And hockey is accessible. And professional hockey is happening right here, right now, in our town.

Another example of outside the box thinking is the recent and on-going Pepsi 4-pack promotion. Go to any Giant Eagle, buy Pepsi cases of pop, and at the register use your Giant Eagle shopper card. When you have paid a voucher will print out like a coupon. You simply take the voucher to the ticket booth at Nationwide Arena for 4 tickets to any Blue Jackets game, through March 3rd. Really! I am not making this up!! Basically you can get 4 tickets for $5 apiece!! There are always a list of great promotions here.

So you have no excuses Columbus!!!
Our team is carrying the flag for us.....now it's your turn!

Carry the Flag!!

Columbus aka Syracuse Prevails!

So many different things could be taken out of tonight's MASSIVE victory in Washington. While I sat on the edge of my couch rooting like crazy for the Jackets, I had mixed emotions, as it was a game I came into thinking there would be an inevitable loss. But let's break down why it was a win.

First and the most obvious foremost, Steve Mason. This kid, this boy, this 'youngster', this SUPERSTAR, was fantastic tonight. A shutout of the year for him, and while he received a few favorable cross-bars with the game winding down, he was absolutely stunning in net, saving 45 shots, and continuing his shutout streak of the Washington Capitals to 2 straight games. Not only will this boost the ever living heck out of his already fantastic numbers on the year, it will drive a stake into the brains of every Tom, Joe, and DICK who did not add him to the All-Star roster.

Next, I want to concentrate on the... wait for it... POWERPLAY! They actually had one tonight! That is right folks, the league's worst powerplay scored two goals on its' six chances, which works out to be 30%. For those of you who do not scour the NHL standings hourly, that is good enough for first place among teams in the NHL (if only for a night) when playing guys who are not typically even found on the second powerplay unit when all are healthy.

Third, I want to talk about shots. Yes, the Jackets were almost doubled in shots, but it did not seem like it. They chose their spots, respected the other teams talent, and found a way to create opportunities with what they had. None of the goals were crazy dekes or fancy spin-o-ramas, they were gritty, powerful statement goals from guys who do not often find the back of the net in Tyutin and Boll.

And speaking of Boll, after getting clocked in the face by Brashear with a cheapshot, he was fantastic in bouncing right back and scoring on the ensuing powerplay. Talk about a slap in the face for Brashear, who had to watch this from the penalty box in what most would consider 'prime comeback time' in the third period.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, tonight was all about a team playing a game they knew they could play, against a team they knew were better on paper, but they never gave up, and Steve Mason is still a monster.

Carry the Flag!