I usually don't bother with things like this, but I found it pretty comical. Rarely do I stray from team colours when buying Blue Jackets clothing or memorabilia, however, I plan to attend the game tonight, and thought it would be a good thing to get some green gear to support the home town team rather than just wearing one of my many college St Patrick's Day green shirts.
On Tuesday, I found the blueline store to lack much in quality. A couple of t-shirts, one or two sweatshirts, and a pretty weak looking hat (which I believe retailed at over 25 dollars). Needless to say I was disappointed, and jumped on NHL.com out of curiosity to see what I could pick up for the game.
Three items. one t-shirt, and two sweatshirts. No hats. No mugs. No stickers. Three items, and nothing designed for the ladies either. Compare that with Pittsburgh and Washington's 28 items, Philadelphia and Chicago's 27 items, Detroit's 26 items, Boston's 25 items, etc etc.
Now, I get that Columbus is a smaller market, but really, three items? I'm not even going to invest my time in LOOKING at three items, let alone hoping something actually suits my taste.
Happy St. Patrick's Day to anyone and everyone. Here's hoping the green beer flows, and the stands are crowded with something other than red/white.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Recap From the Seats: Boston vs. Columbus
I always seem to watch the games differently when I am attending the game, rather than watching it on television. Usually, I like to be elevated in the Arena on a corner, which makes it easier to watch the team systems develop on the break out as well as getting a good visual of their defensive style. While it is a great deal of fun sitting rinkside, getting that elevated view really helps to judge the quality of the product on ice.
For the first 20-30 minutes of the game, you'd never know Boston was atop the Eastern Conference. Furthermore, if it were the case that you knew that, you'd never believe Columbus was nearing the Western basement. stymy neutral zone play and excellent passing through the neutral zone forced the play into the Boston zone for the better part of the first half of the game. The one small (and fairly obvious) flaw with Columbus' press was their inability to get pucks to the net, an issue causing them major difficulties during their most recent road trip, which saw them struggle to close out games.
It seemed like their confidence was shattered, however, when the puck caromed off Krejci and passed a horribly screened Mason to knot the game at one apiece. I made a mental note of the player allowing Krejci to cross Mason's sightline and position himself perfectly (Tyutin) and moved on.
From that point, the neutral zone seemed to tighten up. Quick passes turned into cautious carries and turnovers. Fancy passes missed the mark, and dumps lead to possession changes. It was as though the team forgot how to be successful in the facet of the game that showed dominance in the first period and a half. Fast forward to the goal, which was somewhat fortunate with three Boston defenders skating into the crease instead of covering the slot, and suddenly luck was back on their side. It wasn't until a couple of really poor powerplays that Boston really threatened.
I think everyone is well aware of Columbus' powerplay struggles. Teams suffocate their players, forcing mediocre passes to open players who fight with settling the puck down only long enough to be pressured by a different defender. Passes to the point found the neutral zone, and a number of Fedor Tyutin passes and shots lead to extremely weak turnovers, and in two specific cases, had the appearance as though he was actually passing to Boston players. I will make a point to expand on the powerplay in another post, but it was on the latter of two fairly awful powerplays that Tyutin failed to get the puck deep on the left side, and caused a two on two the other way. The Boston player (Peverley) took the puck outside Tyutin on a drag move, completely fooling Tyutin and damn near making him fall - the move was alright, but nothing Tyutin should not have been able to retain position on - and then walked in on Mason completely unscathed, beating him while crossing into the middle of the ice.
Plays like those absolutely shatter teams. I am not going to put the blame solely on Tyutin, but he nothing short of handed the goal to Boston on a silver platter. Queue the Mason naysayers behind me in the stands, who apparently missed the play develop into the goal. Maybe they were playing Angry Birds to kill the time.
I do not want to bad mouth Nasher about his goal scoring drought, nor do I want to bad mouth Dorse or Vermette for having glorious attempts on net only to shoot it directly into the stomach of a sprawling Rask, but Columbus simply did not close out the game when they could have. Chances were abundant, yet success remained at a minimum. Brassard took a flopping pass from Nash and almost swatted in his own semi-fan shot with very little time remaining, and I think it was at that point I realized the game just was not going to end well. I will save the Mason shootout hate for another cranky blogger (he was 1 for 2) but suffice to say, none of Nash, Tyutin, or Upshall really challenged Rask.
I left the game with one clear issue in mind. Columbus sorely needs a top tier defenseman. There are simply too many supporting players on the blueline, and zero players who really truly belong in a number one role at the moment. I will make a point to expand on that later as well, but in the meantime, I hope this recap serves a purpose. It is starting to get really hard for me to watch the better team lose, but there are such fine lines between being the better team, and finding ways to win. I simply wonder if Columbus will be able to connect the dots without a fairly major roster overhaul.
Carry the Flag!
For the first 20-30 minutes of the game, you'd never know Boston was atop the Eastern Conference. Furthermore, if it were the case that you knew that, you'd never believe Columbus was nearing the Western basement. stymy neutral zone play and excellent passing through the neutral zone forced the play into the Boston zone for the better part of the first half of the game. The one small (and fairly obvious) flaw with Columbus' press was their inability to get pucks to the net, an issue causing them major difficulties during their most recent road trip, which saw them struggle to close out games.
It seemed like their confidence was shattered, however, when the puck caromed off Krejci and passed a horribly screened Mason to knot the game at one apiece. I made a mental note of the player allowing Krejci to cross Mason's sightline and position himself perfectly (Tyutin) and moved on.
From that point, the neutral zone seemed to tighten up. Quick passes turned into cautious carries and turnovers. Fancy passes missed the mark, and dumps lead to possession changes. It was as though the team forgot how to be successful in the facet of the game that showed dominance in the first period and a half. Fast forward to the goal, which was somewhat fortunate with three Boston defenders skating into the crease instead of covering the slot, and suddenly luck was back on their side. It wasn't until a couple of really poor powerplays that Boston really threatened.
I think everyone is well aware of Columbus' powerplay struggles. Teams suffocate their players, forcing mediocre passes to open players who fight with settling the puck down only long enough to be pressured by a different defender. Passes to the point found the neutral zone, and a number of Fedor Tyutin passes and shots lead to extremely weak turnovers, and in two specific cases, had the appearance as though he was actually passing to Boston players. I will make a point to expand on the powerplay in another post, but it was on the latter of two fairly awful powerplays that Tyutin failed to get the puck deep on the left side, and caused a two on two the other way. The Boston player (Peverley) took the puck outside Tyutin on a drag move, completely fooling Tyutin and damn near making him fall - the move was alright, but nothing Tyutin should not have been able to retain position on - and then walked in on Mason completely unscathed, beating him while crossing into the middle of the ice.
Plays like those absolutely shatter teams. I am not going to put the blame solely on Tyutin, but he nothing short of handed the goal to Boston on a silver platter. Queue the Mason naysayers behind me in the stands, who apparently missed the play develop into the goal. Maybe they were playing Angry Birds to kill the time.
I do not want to bad mouth Nasher about his goal scoring drought, nor do I want to bad mouth Dorse or Vermette for having glorious attempts on net only to shoot it directly into the stomach of a sprawling Rask, but Columbus simply did not close out the game when they could have. Chances were abundant, yet success remained at a minimum. Brassard took a flopping pass from Nash and almost swatted in his own semi-fan shot with very little time remaining, and I think it was at that point I realized the game just was not going to end well. I will save the Mason shootout hate for another cranky blogger (he was 1 for 2) but suffice to say, none of Nash, Tyutin, or Upshall really challenged Rask.
I left the game with one clear issue in mind. Columbus sorely needs a top tier defenseman. There are simply too many supporting players on the blueline, and zero players who really truly belong in a number one role at the moment. I will make a point to expand on that later as well, but in the meantime, I hope this recap serves a purpose. It is starting to get really hard for me to watch the better team lose, but there are such fine lines between being the better team, and finding ways to win. I simply wonder if Columbus will be able to connect the dots without a fairly major roster overhaul.
Carry the Flag!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Wrapping Up A Losing Streak
For fear of becoming one of the many nay-sayers and ridiculously negative bloggers that plague the hockey world, I took a bit of a hiatus while the team struggled to get a win. I took some solace when the team struggled around Garon only a night or two after the majority of the Columbus fanbase strung the noose around Mason's efforts, watching the same style of goals (also four) get scored on him. It is never a nice thing to enjoy a team loss, but it certainly verified my assumptions that the lack of success in the current team state can be attributed to a number of things, not just the goaltending.
It gave me the opportunity to really gage the variables in which a successful team thrives on. I spent a number of hours watching successful teams like Detroit, Boston, Los Angeles, and Vancouver play this weekend, and the trends were fairly common. Positive fan support, strong team play, depth throughout the roster, reliable defense, reliable goaltending, and probably what I would deem to be one of the more obvious traits in these teams, was confidence.
It has been a couple of very rocky months for Columbus, and I think confidence plays a big role. When actively challenging their opponents, they rarely found a game they could not play at the same level of their opposition, nor have they truly ever been outclassed. Sure, teams can offer a more substantial defense, a more physical game, a better possession game, or tote one of the league's best goaltenders, but rarely did I find an occasion during Columbus' strong early season or mid-season play where they found themselves outmatched by a 'clearly' better team.
I do not think the blinders were present. It would take a fool to say that Columbus is home to one of the best anything in the league, but the character in the room could be classified as one of the best in the league. Players like Lepisto and Upshall are not obligated or paid to update Twitter, yet both seemed to make a point of complimenting the overall attitude and welcomeness of the Columbus dressing room. What escapes me is why that does not translate onto the ice. What blows me away, is how this team does not show up to every game with a general need to represent their teammates, the City of Columbus, and the fans of Columbus to their fullest extent.
I also cannot for the life of me understand why people have not had more of an issue with the lack of killer instinct on the ice. Certain games, like the St Louis roll over and die or the Calgary domination only to lose make me numb to their plight. I watched them severely outplay Nashville, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary in every area of the ice except for in front of their own net, and in front of the opposition's net. The two areas of the ice where the games are won got little to no support, and shots were easily turned aside by the teams they played, with little concern for rebound competition. Good teams win because they are better, and great teams simply find ways to win regardless of the on ice production every game.
I apologize for the rant-ish feel of this post, but it might be a personal stepping stone for me while I continue to blog out the year amid team frustrations. I put a lot of stock in the team that I thought they could be, and I even saw it a couple times this year, but when push comes to shove (and I am fairly confident that shove may be more and more likely the longer this mediocrity continues), this team needs to find a way to win, and if not win, find a way to show up every game.
I will be at the Boston and Detroit games this week. Two very tall tasks, but tasks which I expect strong efforts out of the home club. I will still carry the flag, but the level of beer that will make it tolerable to end this year may increase ever more.
It gave me the opportunity to really gage the variables in which a successful team thrives on. I spent a number of hours watching successful teams like Detroit, Boston, Los Angeles, and Vancouver play this weekend, and the trends were fairly common. Positive fan support, strong team play, depth throughout the roster, reliable defense, reliable goaltending, and probably what I would deem to be one of the more obvious traits in these teams, was confidence.
It has been a couple of very rocky months for Columbus, and I think confidence plays a big role. When actively challenging their opponents, they rarely found a game they could not play at the same level of their opposition, nor have they truly ever been outclassed. Sure, teams can offer a more substantial defense, a more physical game, a better possession game, or tote one of the league's best goaltenders, but rarely did I find an occasion during Columbus' strong early season or mid-season play where they found themselves outmatched by a 'clearly' better team.
I do not think the blinders were present. It would take a fool to say that Columbus is home to one of the best anything in the league, but the character in the room could be classified as one of the best in the league. Players like Lepisto and Upshall are not obligated or paid to update Twitter, yet both seemed to make a point of complimenting the overall attitude and welcomeness of the Columbus dressing room. What escapes me is why that does not translate onto the ice. What blows me away, is how this team does not show up to every game with a general need to represent their teammates, the City of Columbus, and the fans of Columbus to their fullest extent.
I also cannot for the life of me understand why people have not had more of an issue with the lack of killer instinct on the ice. Certain games, like the St Louis roll over and die or the Calgary domination only to lose make me numb to their plight. I watched them severely outplay Nashville, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary in every area of the ice except for in front of their own net, and in front of the opposition's net. The two areas of the ice where the games are won got little to no support, and shots were easily turned aside by the teams they played, with little concern for rebound competition. Good teams win because they are better, and great teams simply find ways to win regardless of the on ice production every game.
I apologize for the rant-ish feel of this post, but it might be a personal stepping stone for me while I continue to blog out the year amid team frustrations. I put a lot of stock in the team that I thought they could be, and I even saw it a couple times this year, but when push comes to shove (and I am fairly confident that shove may be more and more likely the longer this mediocrity continues), this team needs to find a way to win, and if not win, find a way to show up every game.
I will be at the Boston and Detroit games this week. Two very tall tasks, but tasks which I expect strong efforts out of the home club. I will still carry the flag, but the level of beer that will make it tolerable to end this year may increase ever more.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Expectations - Part Two: The Goaltender
In somewhat of an unintentional series, the recent twitter bashing of Steve Mason (per usual) during his recent struggles in Edmonton and Calgary opened the door for me to reflect on not only the team, but key pieces of a franchise that will likely be a major part of the team for the foreseeable future.
In this installment, I would like to weigh in on some of the complaints (indirectly) and some of the goals scored on Steve Mason during his game against Calgary. Based on some of the comments from a number of Columbus fans, again on twitter, as well as a sports writer or two, I think Mason deserves the air to be cleared on goals scored to really see where the fault lies. It would seem at this juncture that most Columbus fans are extremely content with Mason when he is doing everything he can, saving nearly all the shots fired at him in a game, only to quickly turn on him when the team loses. In fact, it makes me wonder what Vezina/All-star/Future HoF goaltender would be able to play in Columbus without the constant ire of a fanbase demanding something beyond perfection.
In any case, here is my take of the goals scored on Mason during the Calgary game:
Goal 1: Jokinen, from the slot, receives a pass from behind the net and beats Mason clean. Here is an image I have put together to reference the goal;
As you can see, Jokinen, a well known scorer in the NHL is given an excellent pass in the slot, otherwise known as a very high percentage scoring area, with absolutely zero obstruction from a Columbus forward or defender, and scores the goal on Mason, who is ready for the shot but is beaten. Let's take a second look at the Columbus players prior to the pass being made;
Notice anything interesting? I count three players behind the net, with Nash in front not paying attention to who is in the slot. I can understand blaming goalies for allowing weak goals, but this is an issue that has and was plaguing this team in mid December, something that no team should allow.
On to the second goal, scored by Jerome Iginla. At quick glance, you see the puck hit Mason in the shoulder and jump high in the air, falling behind him with some luck and fluttering into the net. But let's take another look. What isn't directly noted, is the fact that Rivet lazily stuck his stick out to contest the shot, and the puck deflected off original course, causing it to deflect off Mason's shoulder rather than somewhere in his mid-section. Certainly a goal you hate to see scored, but can you really fault a goaltender for squaring up to the shooter and having the puck deflected off your own teammate?
Let's move to the third goal. The puck is played at the net by a Calgary player, which hits Mason in the left pad. Unsure of where the puck went, he quickly looks the other way only to have a second Calgary player clean up the rebound for the goal. No doubt something Mason could have avoided (I personally chalked that one up to a bit of shattered confidence considering the second goal) but let's take a look and see where the rest of his team is;
Notice the penalty kill they are on? Notice no one taking the Calgary player completely alone in front of the net? Seems a bit fishy to me. In fact, I was blown away that the only comments being made at this time by the Blue Jackets twitter-verse were negative ones towards Mason.
The fourth goal was an excellent tip to the corner of the net, on a point shot labeled for Mason's five hole. He reacts by squeezing his pads together to make sure the puck does not go through, and unfortunately opens the corner for the deflection. Methot was the defender who had been dealing with the player in front of the net, but had just taken a shot to the body and was in some distress from it. I cannot honestly speak to whether Mason's style caused that goal, but I can say those are the goals that good teams score.
Now, these goals are all fairly standard. You have a scorer left alone in the slot, two deflections, and a rebound goal. Certainly goals I would prefer to be saved, but at what level does the expectation for a save become too lofty for a goaltender? Mason is not going to be in the Hall of Fame, as far as I am concerned. I really do not think anyone in the Blue Jackets front office picked him in the third round of a draft thinking he was going to be the greatest goalie to ever play the game, and it really makes me wonder why the fan base sees him so differently.
It is time to get the expectations of Mason back to a reasonable standard. He will make the saves that are there to be made, when his team stands tall in front of him. Not unlike December, he showed a distinct inability to make the incredible saves when his confidence is shattered and his team fails to cover assignments, and that is simply something the team needs to get better with. It is time to share the blame between goalie and coverage. The Jokinen goal would not have happened if he was covered in the slot. The Iginla goal would not have happened if Rivet didn't tip it. It seems that a common trend comes to light here when we measure up what the fans deem to be solely the fault of a goaltender. It is time to get just a little bit realistic.
Carry the Flag!
In this installment, I would like to weigh in on some of the complaints (indirectly) and some of the goals scored on Steve Mason during his game against Calgary. Based on some of the comments from a number of Columbus fans, again on twitter, as well as a sports writer or two, I think Mason deserves the air to be cleared on goals scored to really see where the fault lies. It would seem at this juncture that most Columbus fans are extremely content with Mason when he is doing everything he can, saving nearly all the shots fired at him in a game, only to quickly turn on him when the team loses. In fact, it makes me wonder what Vezina/All-star/Future HoF goaltender would be able to play in Columbus without the constant ire of a fanbase demanding something beyond perfection.
In any case, here is my take of the goals scored on Mason during the Calgary game:
Goal 1: Jokinen, from the slot, receives a pass from behind the net and beats Mason clean. Here is an image I have put together to reference the goal;
As you can see, Jokinen, a well known scorer in the NHL is given an excellent pass in the slot, otherwise known as a very high percentage scoring area, with absolutely zero obstruction from a Columbus forward or defender, and scores the goal on Mason, who is ready for the shot but is beaten. Let's take a second look at the Columbus players prior to the pass being made;
Notice anything interesting? I count three players behind the net, with Nash in front not paying attention to who is in the slot. I can understand blaming goalies for allowing weak goals, but this is an issue that has and was plaguing this team in mid December, something that no team should allow.
On to the second goal, scored by Jerome Iginla. At quick glance, you see the puck hit Mason in the shoulder and jump high in the air, falling behind him with some luck and fluttering into the net. But let's take another look. What isn't directly noted, is the fact that Rivet lazily stuck his stick out to contest the shot, and the puck deflected off original course, causing it to deflect off Mason's shoulder rather than somewhere in his mid-section. Certainly a goal you hate to see scored, but can you really fault a goaltender for squaring up to the shooter and having the puck deflected off your own teammate?
Let's move to the third goal. The puck is played at the net by a Calgary player, which hits Mason in the left pad. Unsure of where the puck went, he quickly looks the other way only to have a second Calgary player clean up the rebound for the goal. No doubt something Mason could have avoided (I personally chalked that one up to a bit of shattered confidence considering the second goal) but let's take a look and see where the rest of his team is;
Notice the penalty kill they are on? Notice no one taking the Calgary player completely alone in front of the net? Seems a bit fishy to me. In fact, I was blown away that the only comments being made at this time by the Blue Jackets twitter-verse were negative ones towards Mason.
The fourth goal was an excellent tip to the corner of the net, on a point shot labeled for Mason's five hole. He reacts by squeezing his pads together to make sure the puck does not go through, and unfortunately opens the corner for the deflection. Methot was the defender who had been dealing with the player in front of the net, but had just taken a shot to the body and was in some distress from it. I cannot honestly speak to whether Mason's style caused that goal, but I can say those are the goals that good teams score.
Now, these goals are all fairly standard. You have a scorer left alone in the slot, two deflections, and a rebound goal. Certainly goals I would prefer to be saved, but at what level does the expectation for a save become too lofty for a goaltender? Mason is not going to be in the Hall of Fame, as far as I am concerned. I really do not think anyone in the Blue Jackets front office picked him in the third round of a draft thinking he was going to be the greatest goalie to ever play the game, and it really makes me wonder why the fan base sees him so differently.
It is time to get the expectations of Mason back to a reasonable standard. He will make the saves that are there to be made, when his team stands tall in front of him. Not unlike December, he showed a distinct inability to make the incredible saves when his confidence is shattered and his team fails to cover assignments, and that is simply something the team needs to get better with. It is time to share the blame between goalie and coverage. The Jokinen goal would not have happened if he was covered in the slot. The Iginla goal would not have happened if Rivet didn't tip it. It seems that a common trend comes to light here when we measure up what the fans deem to be solely the fault of a goaltender. It is time to get just a little bit realistic.
Carry the Flag!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Expectations - Part One: The Team
Speaking negatively about your favourite team is a very delicate thing. People have often come to these absurdly hateful conclusions that their team is without talent, without heart, and without fortune at great frequency during the course of a season (pending their teams record of course). I suppose it is a matter of relevance, but I am sure anyone reading this has at one time or another had the feeling as though their teams world is caving in around them.
Generally, these feelings come during one of the more painful losing streaks a team sees over the course of the regular season. Most fans have the presence of mind to allow certain 'flaws' by their favourite players and teams to go unnoticed while the team is winning. Others, those who seek utter perfection, cannot seem to find the good even in a season that finds their team in a very strong seed come playoff time. I like to think I am stuck right in the middle. There are times where I will shout with joy when the Blue Jackets play to their potential, beating teams with what appears to be relative ease, but I am no stranger to dissatisfaction.
I do not hold grudges. In fact, for the players that I do not care for on the team (based solely on their on ice efforts), I strongly support and celebrate any visible signs of improvement, whether it is Huselius leaning over and putting some aggression into his skating, or Stralman bodying up an opposing player and forcing the play back the other way. While I can openly critique the negatives of these players, I am the first one to give them credit where credit is due.
Unfortunately, my expectations for the Blue Jackets are well above their play of present. Notably beginning in their loss to Nashville, they have been noticeably rattled and short of what I believe to be the necessary competitive edge that it takes to compete in this league. I can agree and support that calls are not going their way. The disallowed goal in the Nashville game being the chapter beginning, all the way to the disastrous number of very marginal calls against them (and not against Edmonton) during their game last night. But winning hockey games does not rise and fall with the inabilities of the referees.
The first five minutes last night were painful. Columbus was doing everything right in their defensive zone and the neutral zone. They were bodying up and playing solid positional hockey, but the quality stopped there. In the offensive zone, their possession was marginal and their shots were mediocre. To argue that they really forced Dubnyk to make strong saves at all last night would be a bit of a mockery toward their talent level. Perimeter shots (if you really want to call them shots) were easily turned aside, with little to no pressure in front of the net. Plays along the boards showed no real sign of structure or support from the secondary players awaiting the puck. It was as if Columbus thought time on attack was going to win them the game.
The powerplay is worse now than it was last year. I cannot tell you how many times I counted forced passes through the middle of the ice, which were either sloppy and not easily receivable, or soft and intercepted before they reached their intended target. Edmonton, very clearly one of the worst teams in the league, had their way with Columbus.
This post will not offer solutions. It was a matter of expressing my personal disdain at their lack of success over the last three games, and I do not believe they have anyone to blame but themselves. All three games were very easily winnable if they had of done the right things, but they failed both themselves and those watching them, hoping for them. Six points. I suspect they will not be looking for any sympathy, but they flat out deserve to be watching the playoffs from their homes at this point. This see-saw of effort that has pained the Columbus franchise for years now could be the main thing forcing fans to re-think their allegiances towards the team next year, and again, I do not blame them.
All I can hope for is they get their heads out of the sand. They have the opportunity and the team to become something special. I will continue to watch their games without emotion until they show me they want to win, and when they do, I will go back to 'whooping and hollering' every time they do something great. Until then, all I can do is expect more. My expectations will not diminish or decrease just because they are choosing to play weaker hockey than they are fully capable of.
I will provide a follow up to this post this weekend, regarding Rick Nash and his 'streakyness' on the ice. I do not suspect many will agree with me, but I think it is time to chat about what causes him to score in streaks, and what causes him to do whatever the hell it is that he has been doing over the last 3-4 games.
Carry the Flag!
Generally, these feelings come during one of the more painful losing streaks a team sees over the course of the regular season. Most fans have the presence of mind to allow certain 'flaws' by their favourite players and teams to go unnoticed while the team is winning. Others, those who seek utter perfection, cannot seem to find the good even in a season that finds their team in a very strong seed come playoff time. I like to think I am stuck right in the middle. There are times where I will shout with joy when the Blue Jackets play to their potential, beating teams with what appears to be relative ease, but I am no stranger to dissatisfaction.
I do not hold grudges. In fact, for the players that I do not care for on the team (based solely on their on ice efforts), I strongly support and celebrate any visible signs of improvement, whether it is Huselius leaning over and putting some aggression into his skating, or Stralman bodying up an opposing player and forcing the play back the other way. While I can openly critique the negatives of these players, I am the first one to give them credit where credit is due.
Unfortunately, my expectations for the Blue Jackets are well above their play of present. Notably beginning in their loss to Nashville, they have been noticeably rattled and short of what I believe to be the necessary competitive edge that it takes to compete in this league. I can agree and support that calls are not going their way. The disallowed goal in the Nashville game being the chapter beginning, all the way to the disastrous number of very marginal calls against them (and not against Edmonton) during their game last night. But winning hockey games does not rise and fall with the inabilities of the referees.
The first five minutes last night were painful. Columbus was doing everything right in their defensive zone and the neutral zone. They were bodying up and playing solid positional hockey, but the quality stopped there. In the offensive zone, their possession was marginal and their shots were mediocre. To argue that they really forced Dubnyk to make strong saves at all last night would be a bit of a mockery toward their talent level. Perimeter shots (if you really want to call them shots) were easily turned aside, with little to no pressure in front of the net. Plays along the boards showed no real sign of structure or support from the secondary players awaiting the puck. It was as if Columbus thought time on attack was going to win them the game.
The powerplay is worse now than it was last year. I cannot tell you how many times I counted forced passes through the middle of the ice, which were either sloppy and not easily receivable, or soft and intercepted before they reached their intended target. Edmonton, very clearly one of the worst teams in the league, had their way with Columbus.
This post will not offer solutions. It was a matter of expressing my personal disdain at their lack of success over the last three games, and I do not believe they have anyone to blame but themselves. All three games were very easily winnable if they had of done the right things, but they failed both themselves and those watching them, hoping for them. Six points. I suspect they will not be looking for any sympathy, but they flat out deserve to be watching the playoffs from their homes at this point. This see-saw of effort that has pained the Columbus franchise for years now could be the main thing forcing fans to re-think their allegiances towards the team next year, and again, I do not blame them.
All I can hope for is they get their heads out of the sand. They have the opportunity and the team to become something special. I will continue to watch their games without emotion until they show me they want to win, and when they do, I will go back to 'whooping and hollering' every time they do something great. Until then, all I can do is expect more. My expectations will not diminish or decrease just because they are choosing to play weaker hockey than they are fully capable of.
I will provide a follow up to this post this weekend, regarding Rick Nash and his 'streakyness' on the ice. I do not suspect many will agree with me, but I think it is time to chat about what causes him to score in streaks, and what causes him to do whatever the hell it is that he has been doing over the last 3-4 games.
Carry the Flag!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Some Negative Trends Take a Quiet Toll
I am not a big fan of game recaps, but I think it is important to reflect on common trends following a team. If teams are winning close games, it is usually reflective of a handful of things done correctly, and subsequently, losses can usually be attributed to one or two things that simply are not clicking.
I would like to point out, is that Columbus has been flat out outworking teams. Their character has been expanding each game, including what I believe to be a substantial outworking of Vancouver last night. For a team that most seem to pretend is not getting better, they are slowly turning heads again the way they did a couple years ago when they made their first legitimate playoff chase.
With that said, here are some of the glaring issues I believe are keeping the Blue Jackets out of the win column, and may cause them to really struggle down the stretch;
First, they seem to be openly timid against teams who are notably better than they are, at least in the standings. Take last night for example, they seemed to play with urgency, but rarely with the swagger that gives them the edge they need to win. I do think they played well to an extent, but I think they need to find the edge a bit more rather than being so timid with the play. What does give me some confidence is that it does show up at times. After the Upshall goal, the swagger was there in full force, although it lasted only until about mid-way through the third period.
Second, the shots being taken by the Jackets are rarely high percentage, high quality shots. I support the concept of 'getting the puck on net' but it has to be followed up by players crashing. If the Jackets want to find easy ways to beat goaltenders, they will need to learn to start taking advantage of the scramble after the initial shot. In the Vancouver game, they outshot and outplayed the Canucks for most of the 65 minutes of playing time, however, when you go to the highlights, most are of Vancouver shots.
Finally, if the Jackets want to win games, they are going to have to learn to finish their high percentage opportunities. I can understand that the goalie has just as good of a chance of making the save as the player does of putting the puck past him, but there were at least four or five breakaways/odd man rushes that lead to clear, extremely high quality opportunities to score that did not lead to a goal. Notably, RJ Umberger has been struggling really hard with this lately, including the shootout attempt last night that he seemed beat on before he even crossed the blueline. I can understand a lot of the fanbase giving Voracek some grief for his struggles to 'bury the biscuit' but it should be noted that he is not the only one struggling. Other notable gaffs were Dorsett's breakaway shot directly into the chest logo, Calvert's semi breakaway which lead to a fairly textbook pad save by Luongo, Umberger's breakaway that saw him fall trying to shovel the puck through a Luongo pad that was waiting for him.... The opportunities are there for whenever these boys want to start taking advantage of them. Good teams outplay their opponents, but great teams find ways to win.
For all the negatives, I would like to draw on a very big positive for the Jackets. They have been unconscious on the penalty kill. I believe the stat line was killing 22 of the last 23 penalties through the end of the game last night. For a team fighting for the playoffs, that is a major contributor to success. While I do not expect them to continue that kind of pace, they are quickly generated one of the more effective penalty kills in the league, now sitting at 19th overall with an 81.3%.
Also, the play of Scottie Upshall was very refreshing. I personally look forward to seeing what all he can bring to the lineup as he learns the system, and frankly, seeing Pahlsson's name so often in a positive way is something I have been hoping for since he came to the team. If Upshall can bring out the best in Pahlsson, we could be looking at the outline of a very deep Columbus team when Brassard returns.
Carry the Flag!
I would like to point out, is that Columbus has been flat out outworking teams. Their character has been expanding each game, including what I believe to be a substantial outworking of Vancouver last night. For a team that most seem to pretend is not getting better, they are slowly turning heads again the way they did a couple years ago when they made their first legitimate playoff chase.
With that said, here are some of the glaring issues I believe are keeping the Blue Jackets out of the win column, and may cause them to really struggle down the stretch;
First, they seem to be openly timid against teams who are notably better than they are, at least in the standings. Take last night for example, they seemed to play with urgency, but rarely with the swagger that gives them the edge they need to win. I do think they played well to an extent, but I think they need to find the edge a bit more rather than being so timid with the play. What does give me some confidence is that it does show up at times. After the Upshall goal, the swagger was there in full force, although it lasted only until about mid-way through the third period.
Second, the shots being taken by the Jackets are rarely high percentage, high quality shots. I support the concept of 'getting the puck on net' but it has to be followed up by players crashing. If the Jackets want to find easy ways to beat goaltenders, they will need to learn to start taking advantage of the scramble after the initial shot. In the Vancouver game, they outshot and outplayed the Canucks for most of the 65 minutes of playing time, however, when you go to the highlights, most are of Vancouver shots.
Finally, if the Jackets want to win games, they are going to have to learn to finish their high percentage opportunities. I can understand that the goalie has just as good of a chance of making the save as the player does of putting the puck past him, but there were at least four or five breakaways/odd man rushes that lead to clear, extremely high quality opportunities to score that did not lead to a goal. Notably, RJ Umberger has been struggling really hard with this lately, including the shootout attempt last night that he seemed beat on before he even crossed the blueline. I can understand a lot of the fanbase giving Voracek some grief for his struggles to 'bury the biscuit' but it should be noted that he is not the only one struggling. Other notable gaffs were Dorsett's breakaway shot directly into the chest logo, Calvert's semi breakaway which lead to a fairly textbook pad save by Luongo, Umberger's breakaway that saw him fall trying to shovel the puck through a Luongo pad that was waiting for him.... The opportunities are there for whenever these boys want to start taking advantage of them. Good teams outplay their opponents, but great teams find ways to win.
For all the negatives, I would like to draw on a very big positive for the Jackets. They have been unconscious on the penalty kill. I believe the stat line was killing 22 of the last 23 penalties through the end of the game last night. For a team fighting for the playoffs, that is a major contributor to success. While I do not expect them to continue that kind of pace, they are quickly generated one of the more effective penalty kills in the league, now sitting at 19th overall with an 81.3%.
Also, the play of Scottie Upshall was very refreshing. I personally look forward to seeing what all he can bring to the lineup as he learns the system, and frankly, seeing Pahlsson's name so often in a positive way is something I have been hoping for since he came to the team. If Upshall can bring out the best in Pahlsson, we could be looking at the outline of a very deep Columbus team when Brassard returns.
Carry the Flag!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
CBJ Playoff Push - 2/28 Update
After a stretch of a few nights where outcomes simply were not doing any favours for the Blue Jackets, Monday night finally showed some promise. As the race continues to simmer in the Western Conference, Columbus still remains four points out of a playoff spot with a game or two in hand on most of the teams involved in the race.
Tonight will mark an extremely large challenge for the club. Playing the Western Conference leading Vancouver Canucks IN Vancouver will be an extremely important game for both the team mentality, and a test for what could very well be a first round opponent for the Jackets this year. Inserting Rivet as the 6th defensemen with Stralman down should be a nice shakeup for the defense, as I assume the newly acquired Lepisto and Upshall will not dress with the team until the Edmonton game Thursday.
In any case, here are the updated standings:
Results from Monday, 2/28:
Chicago defeats Minnesota 4-2: In another game where 0 points would have been the favourable award, this was the kind of game where simply not going to overtime would be a benefit for Columbus. In any case, an odd-man break leading to the 4-2 cushion short handed with just over a minute remaining gave Chicago the win, and a boost into a tie for 5th at 74 points.
Detroit defeats Los Angeles 7-4: In a very awkwardly one sided game (7-1 at one point), Detroit took full advantage of the Kings somewhat mediocre defensive effort, and poured on the offense. At 84 points, it benefits Columbus for Detroit to steal points from Western foes, as they could very well be out of reach at this point. In any case, LA remains at 74 points, tied for 5th.
Games that matter - 3/1:
Calgary at St Louis
Dallas at Phoenix
Nashville at Edmonton
Columbus at Vancouver
Colorado at San Jose
I'ts a night of underdogs, and I for one will be glued to the TV. Carry the Flag!
Tonight will mark an extremely large challenge for the club. Playing the Western Conference leading Vancouver Canucks IN Vancouver will be an extremely important game for both the team mentality, and a test for what could very well be a first round opponent for the Jackets this year. Inserting Rivet as the 6th defensemen with Stralman down should be a nice shakeup for the defense, as I assume the newly acquired Lepisto and Upshall will not dress with the team until the Edmonton game Thursday.
In any case, here are the updated standings:
Results from Monday, 2/28:
Chicago defeats Minnesota 4-2: In another game where 0 points would have been the favourable award, this was the kind of game where simply not going to overtime would be a benefit for Columbus. In any case, an odd-man break leading to the 4-2 cushion short handed with just over a minute remaining gave Chicago the win, and a boost into a tie for 5th at 74 points.
Detroit defeats Los Angeles 7-4: In a very awkwardly one sided game (7-1 at one point), Detroit took full advantage of the Kings somewhat mediocre defensive effort, and poured on the offense. At 84 points, it benefits Columbus for Detroit to steal points from Western foes, as they could very well be out of reach at this point. In any case, LA remains at 74 points, tied for 5th.
Games that matter - 3/1:
Calgary at St Louis
Dallas at Phoenix
Nashville at Edmonton
Columbus at Vancouver
Colorado at San Jose
I'ts a night of underdogs, and I for one will be glued to the TV. Carry the Flag!
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