Game Recap :: Columbus vs. Nashville 1/19

On a snowy Thursday night in January, I was ready to forgive the small crowd at Nationwide.  I had an opportunity to make the 1.5 hour drive and backed out on account of the weather, but 17,233 other folks braved the storm and the team record in order to watch them play.  "Gotta See it Live" in full effect apparently, and if you're one of those who did attend, I commend you.  17k for a weekday game of the 30th place team (by seven points) is darn near unheard of.  The legitimacy of Columbus as a hockey market continues to grow.

Unfortunately the team didn't do the crowd any favours on the scoreboard, but they did manage to make a game of it, including a third period that saw them outshoot the Predators by a big margin (shots were 18-8).  Full marks to Rinne who played a tremendous game of hockey, but more on that later.  I did not like what I saw in the second period, as the Jackets were outshot and played a completely different game from the first.  Fortunately for those watching, it was short lived, and they found life again for the final frame, but it seems like the same old story for Columbus, where they simply can't put together a full sixty minute effort.

It was a shame to see all of those rebounds find their way back into Rinne.  Once again I will say his capacity to keep pucks out of the net was extremely high last night, but there were a couple of occasions where a raised puck or a puck shot in a better direction would have easily beat him.  In fact, Nash had two specifically exciting opportunities, but the reactionary decision was to hammer them on net low and hard, and unfortunately they were stopped.

If I Were Scott Howson, I'd Be Asking One Question

Since the termination of Scott Arniel a lot of speculation has gone on regarding the job security of Scott Howson, what trades and re-signing he (or his replacement) should make, and the direction of the team in general moving forward. While I'm here to provide some more speculation and opinion, this post actually spawns from conversations with other Blue Jackets fans following the disappointing loss to the Washington Capitals on New Years Eve. One of the first steps of the Jackets new direction was hiring a coach who fit the direction and style of play that the roster necessitates. I had been leaning towards keeping Arniel for the remainder of the season, mostly because there is not an obvious replacement candidate and teams are unlikely to be willing to part with an assistant coach or AHL coach this time of year. However, this move was not the crux of the new direction. The primary problem I see when analyzing the Blue Jackets roster is players playing above their heads.

Breaking Down the Penalty Kill

The Blue Jackets currently rank 30th in the NHL on the penalty kill, with a paltry 71.4% being killed without a goal. While that rate wouldn't be the worst all time (that dishonor belongs to the 1979-90 Kings at 67.7%), it would put the current Blue Jackets squad among the ten worst penalty killing teams since the NHL began keeping track of the stat in 1963. Despite the current run of eight straight killed penalties over the last two games, the Blue Jackets could make some small adjustments that would help improve the unit. To figure out these adjustments, lets go to the tape!

Recap :: Columbus vs. Anaheim 10/30

It's such an awkward thing as a fan trying to sound even remotely logical through times like this.  Saturday around 10 PM I was a number of adult beverages into a pretty mediocre effort against Chicago dissecting the team, potential firings, potential signings, potential trades... Anything that could have built some semblance of success into a year gone wrong.

Yet just like that, the fans are treated to an all around effort this evening, leading to the second win of the season.  Admittedly I avoided the drive, citing sobriety and time as two things I was not willing to waste on another loss, and I am happy to report that I not only ate my words, but felt legitimately guilty about not making the trip.  It revitalized me as a fan, and hopefully was a turning point for a number of reasons.

To the game, the first player I would like to acknowledge is Steve Mason.  Absolutely phenomenal saves lead him to his second win of the year, and only gave up a goal to Bobby Ryan alone breaking in, getting absolutely sniped on the far post.  He made a number of stellar saves, none more tremendous than a double pad/kick save on Corey Perry.  I have read over and over again that Mason is not worthy of a starting position and that he owes the team a stolen game here and there.  Well, for those crooning over such an effort, they got it tonight.  Admittedly the Jackets managed three goals (Chilllaaaaaaay!) but it was Mason's stellar saves that kept the lead in tact.

Team Finally Worked Hard for Full 60 Minutes..

...in practice.

According to those who were actually able to attend (the public was not permitted), the Blue Jackets players were finally forced to work hard for a full sixty minute stretch, with coach Scott Arniel pushing the pace utilizing skating drills and compete drills.  This was the result of a truly mediocre performance in Dallas on Saturday night, one that Arniel had no excuses for, and for the first time I can remember, sent the team under the bus to answer for their own shortcomings.

I like it.  I am satisfied that Arniel thinks strongly enough of the team to push them hard after a loss like that, and I can only hope that the players finally get it into their heads that this team can and should be competing somewhere above the middle of the pack in the Western Conference.  There are a few talking points though, as I feel like some things need to be pointed out before we as a fanbase move forward and support this team.

First, I don't like that the practice wasn't open to the public.  Die hard fans are the ones that take time out of their day to attend Blue Jackets practices, and they are (or at least should be) cornerstones of the franchise when it comes to ticket sales, jersey sales, etc.  I think they have earned the right to watch this team get worked into the ground, after being subjected to five straight games of sub 60 minute efforts.  I have heard plenty of complaints from people suggesting they aren't taking the time to come out and watch the Jackets until they've proven they can compete, and I certainly don't blame them.  Frankly, I feel like practices of this nature should be placed on display to show at least from a coaching level, this type of play will not be tolerated regardless of what part of the season it is in.

Second, while I am not entirely convinced that the team has found themselves, I think they have recognized that it really cannot get much worse.  I grew up playing hockey, and while my level of competitiveness comes nowhere near being relevant here, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that losing doesn't get easier in any scenario.  Being embarrassed by an 0-4-1 record is both demoralizing and mind numbing, but it also makes it easier and easier to see that the compete level just isn't where it needs to be.  I think it's safe to say this team (on paper) is more competitive than most Blue Jackets teams put together over the years, and I think most of the guys on the team are aware of it.  (I've got more on this, in a later point)

Third, Scott Arniel is a very interesting character.  I have heard and read from more than one person who has experienced him outside the post-game interviews that he can be VERY intense, but from everything I've read today (shout out to Portzline over at the Dispatch), he wasn't shouting during the practice as much as he was letting the whistle do the talking.  This came as a surprise to me as I have known a lot of really intense coaches, most of whom blow a gasket when players don't meet expectations, replacing the whistle with a red face and a hoarse shriek for an entire practice.  I really like this mentality.  Skate hard during the game, or skate hard in the morning.  I've always been a big "push hard until you're tired, then get off" type player, so watching my favourite team take shifts off is a very hard pill to swallow and I take a lot of joy out of hearing the results of Sunday's practice.

Fourth, I think the guys who have been around the organization were thinking the wins would come with relative ease.  Not to suggest that they didn't put the time in this summer or that they are packing it in game after game, but too many of the guys I was expecting to rely on this year have been mediocre at best.  Not exclusive to these players, but Vermette, Umberger, Tyutin, and Nash are the four I've had my eye on the longest.  Sure, Nash has been on the scoresheet, but he's also been invisible.  For a line noted as "scary" by the Dallas coach, you would think every time they stepped on the ice there would be a scoring chance or two.  While I think Nash holds himself accountable in some respects, I expect him to be more dynamic on the ice, making plays, creating scoring opportunities, and doing things that aren't worth trying to explain later.  For Vermette and Umberger, I don't see a viable excuse.  They are a combined -5 with only 1 assist (Umberger's pass to Giroux on Saturday) on the year. They do combine for 17 shots on goal, but I don't remember too many of them being truly threatening to the opposing netminders.  Regardless of how they do it, they need to figure out how they can return to form and generate some secondary scoring for the Jackets, who have still yet to register more than two goals in any one game.  I am going to bet right now that the first +2 goal game the Jackets are in, will be their first victory of the season.

Obviously the defense is an absolute mess of issues and holes right now, which probably won't be resolved by a return of James Wisniewski. With that said, the defense is another area of the Blue Jackets game that I think can improve exponentially.  In the post-game on Saturday, Arniel noted that they allowed three cross crease goals, something that usually only occurs once every fifteen games or so.  That to me might have been the biggest statement of the night.  Take away three absolutely textbook coverage errors and the Jackets win that game (arguably) 2-1.  If you want a more in depth review (along with videos) of the defensive breakdowns against Dallas, check out this post from Sunday.  It breaks down each goal specifically.

I am only scratching the surface here, but I really wanted to get some of these thoughts out there before potentially going a bit deeper this week.  Hopefully the Jackets right the ship on Tuesday and I can discuss things on a more positive level, but at this point the only major plus I can take from 0-4-1 is that the Jackets have yet to be blown out of a game.

Carry the Flag.

Recapping: Detroit @ Columbus

I had a lot of fun throwing some at the game opinions of the Boston game, and with sitting only about ten rows from the ice during the Detroit game, I feel like I had a great opportunity to take in the game in a completely different perspective.  I apologize if some of the opinions are a bit broken and piecemeal, but I hope you enjoy;

- I want to take a quick second to really appreciate some of the staff who work the games.  I attended with my father and a co-worker of his, with his eight year old son experiencing his first NHL game.  We sat down just as warmups were ending, and did not have time to get the eight year old over to the entrance in an attempt to get a high five or a puck.  My dad opted to go and speak to one of the attendants to see if there was a practice puck laying around for the kid to have, and a short time later, they gave him not only a practice puck, but also an official game puck.  To say that is just fantastic barely does it justice.  For a team that badly needs to set some roots in both young and old fans, I can only imagine how much that meant to this kid.

- Ethan Moreau is a big dude.  While his on ice play does not match the play that he made a name for himself earlier in his career, I was truly surprised at his stature.

- Fedor Tyutin is starting to give me cold sweats.  Each time he touched the puck, I questioned his decision making abilities.  His timing appeared a bit sluggish, and his inability to take shots on the powerplay was exhausting.  Not only that, for at least the second straight game, his powerplay passing was so suspect, that I think the Wings players simply waited for him to turn over the puck.  How he still gets powerplay time escapes me.

- The just under 40 shots by the Jackets failed to impress me.  What blew my mind the most was the decision to not take the shot in the middle of the ice, yet make the pass to the outside for a weak'ish' shot at a bad angle, often blowing the puck past the net and sending Detroit on their own rush.  Columbus really needs to work on getting their shots from closer to the center of the ice, rather than way on the outside.

- Mason was shaky for a better part of the game.  While he settled down after the first goal was scored, he never seemed to pull in the puck.  Certainly getting in the way is an important criteria of being a goaltender, but rebounds were plentiful for the Columbus number one.  It has started to make me wonder if he will be able to get over his confidence issues in Columbus, based on how the fanbase and media react to his losses (note, that is not an absolute statement.  Just an opinion that I have, that he is always the first to blame for a goal, unlike when Garon lets some in).

- To any Detroit fans who read this, don't come into Nationwide with a dead sea creature and expect to not get tripped while running down the aisle.  I can't believe that people think it is appropriate to do something like that in an away building, and it certainly mocks the home crowd for being welcoming to away team fans.  I'll be the first one to stand up and cheer if someone manages to stop one of these idiots before the make it into throwing distance.

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!

Questions to the NHL Need Answers

It is often easy as a fan to get the feeling as though the referees and the league is out to get your favourite team. Admittedly, I have tried to avoid getting behind this logic regarding the Blue Jackets, even though there have been many games where after watching, I can not help but think that the league officials and on ice officials simply do not offer the Blue Jackets the same level of respect as their opponents.

Unfortunately, two circumstances in the Sunday game against Nashville bring out rather glaring examples of this. Rather than spend a few paragraphs spouting hateful banter against the league, I will try to reasonably discuss the logic of each decision, and consider both sides of the fence.

First, the no goal call on MacKenzie, who appeared to shovel an Umberger rebound past Rinne for a 1-0 Columbus lead. I fully expect video via youtube eventually, and will update at that time, but for now, let me simply describe it. MacKenzie poked the puck with his stick, which disappeared beyond Rinne's pad (going into the net, obviously, as that would be the only place it could go). A Nashville defender slammed his stick toward the puck shortly after, pressing Rinne's pad all the way into the net. At that time, the puck was not visible on any of the replay angles, including one angle which showed the entirety of goal line, without an inch of black puck visible.

Secondary to all of this, the referee responsible for waving off the goal was against the boards along the goal line, likely over twenty feet away from the play, and on the opposite side of the net. As replay very clearly indicated, he began moving the whistle to his mouth well after the Nashville defender shoved Rinne's pad into the net. With that explained, the first question I would like answered, would be how the ref could conclusively claim at that time that he saw and believed no goal was scored? His decision to call a 'no goal' was reinforced by the war room in Toronto, claiming insufficient visible evidence to call a good goal. Had the referee been in proper position to view the puck crossing the line, or in other words had he made the opposite call, the goal would have stood.

The last concern I have with the no goal call, and one I would love to have answered by the league, is if there is no visible evidence of the puck either on the line or even near the line, especially with clear video evidence of the entire line unobstructed, how could it not be logical to assume that the puck was clearly in the net, especially with visible evidence some seconds later showing a Nashville player pulling the puck back across the line? Nothing in their logic adds to a fair and logical decision.

Here is the 'before' freeze frame, where you can clearly see the puck sitting in front of the post;

Here is the after.  Weird, no puck!

Now, on to my second question. How is it possible that Shea Weber, after being hit by Umberger and getting cut, spending some time on the ice, was able to continue playing the game? Here is the ruling I found in the NHL Rulebook provided by NHL.com

8.3 Blood – A player who is bleeding or who has visible blood on his equipment or body shall be ruled off the ice at the next stoppage of play. Such player shall not be permitted to return to play until the bleeding has been stopped and the cut or abrasion covered (if necessary). It is required that any affected equipment and/or uniform be properly decontaminated or exchanged.

Based on this rule, as Weber had clearly sustained a facial cut which was bleeding consistently, he should have been sent off the ice prior to play resuming with 5.5 seconds left of the clock. Weber was clearly infuriated by the decision to not call a penalty on RJ Umberger leading to his cut, and began to take his frustration out on any Blue Jacket player coming near him, including two rather vicious cross checks on Fedor Tyutin as time expired. Tyutin, bothered by the aggression, stood up to defend himself, at which time Weber threw a very clear suckerpunch, knocking Tyutin back down to the ice.

This dangerous misconduct could have easily been avoided had the referees followed the rule clearly stated above, forcing Weber off the ice for repair. I would hope that the league makes a point of holding the referees responsible for what should have been a textbook decision, and furthermore, make an example of Weber for clearly going beyond the rules to take revenge against the opposing team.

It is a shame that we as fans are forced to lose enjoyment of the game to tolerate these kinds of mistakes by both on and off ice officials. I will not be the person to comment on here about the penalties that were missed (which went both ways) as the game is fast, and those mistakes are much easier to make, but the two concerns I have outlined above are simply not excusable.

Carry the Flag!

Possible Trade Looming: Thoughts

A quick note;  This blog does not suggest to know anything more than what you can easily find on twitter. The speculation is and will be left to the bloggers who feel like being full of bull, and the beat writers who actually do hear things.

With that said, here are some of my thoughts on players named as possible trade bait for the Columbus Blue Jackets, likely trying to acquire a top line center or quality defensemen;

Derick Brassard: A likely candidate solely based on his functionality as a budding center in the league, but struggling to find his full capacity as a top line center in Columbus.  I personally attribute this to a learning curve where he will find his shot, but it seems few have the patience to let him do so.  Then again, when he's lined up with Nash, and Nash gets his one track eyesight, there is no real need for Brassard.  Nasher can do that with Dorsett and Boll as his linemates.

Kris Russell:  To me, this is just not likely at all.  Russell is one of the few current Blue Jackets players who can functionally run Scott Arniel's system.  He is also a player who will benefit by having a more useful linemate, and one he can have confidence in making the rush without worrying directly about coughing up the puck.  He needs to be able to go back to the 'nothing to lose' mentality that both he and Mason seemed to share during their playoff run.

Rick Nash:  As much as I would be satisfied with him staying, I really don't see how Nash can benefit this team with his current mentality.  He is notably lazy on the ice, and there have been times where his inability to make the right passes have really truly cost this team.  As a leader on this team, it would seem that his 'lead by example' mentality either needs to be replaced by becoming a vocal leader, or he needs to step his game up in a big way.  For a team full of so many young players, he is a terrible example to lead by.

Jake Voracek/RJ Umberger:  I figure I'll couple these two because of how similar I view them as players.  These are two guys who I feel take the game more seriously than others, and wear their hearts on their sleeves. Trading one of these character guys would impact me more than trading Nash.  If you allow Jake to continue his development in Columbus, I am reasonably confident he will become a top line forward, if he isn't already.  What he needs, is a third linemate along with Brassard to get as creative as those two are, and then let them spend the next three months building direct chemistry with one another. This is something that can easily be resolved in house.

Players I would like to see off the Jackets:

Mike Commodore:  Not that he's not already on the way out, but I will be very happy to see him go.  He made me look silly after bad mouthing him directly following his contract, but followed that year quickly with laughably poor performances in the last two years.

Kristian Huselius:  I am tired of Huselius making a career out of everyone else's hard work, especially one who seems to have a ridiculously hard time hitting the net.  In fact, I can't remember the last time he actually created his own goal, or a goal for a teammate.  They either need to get him and his contract off the team, or drop him to the second/third line for good and force him to become a useful team player again.

Tyutin/Stralman/Hejda: Or at least one of these three.  Assuming we're going to have a decent shake up within the next couple days involving the blueline, I would hope that one of these players will be moved.  None have really been all that effective this year, and all of them are fully expendable.

What do you think?

Klesla Injured.. Line Changes Upcoming

Rusty Klesla has sustained a substantial injury to his groin, which will take him out of the lineup for upwards of four to six weeks. Coming on multiple injury proned seasons, this is the last thing the fans and Rusty wanted to deal with. Making matters worse, he has been far and away one of Columbus' best defenders during this year.

The Jackets have recalled Roy from Syracuse, and the line jugglging will likely continue into Thursday. My personal preference for pairings are the following;

Hejda - Commodore
Tyutin - Russell
Stralman - Methot/Roy

That being said, one can not ignore that Russell being on the same line as Commodore brought the best out of Mike last night, playing in one of his better games of the season and producing a +4 rating. This could play dividends with the coach, leaving him and option such as;

Hejda - Tyutin
Russell - Commodore
Stralman - Methot/Roy

While this does not provide the Jackets with a clear shutdown pairing, it balances the offensive defensemen with the defensive first defensemen, and maintains the Commodore/Russell line in tact. In any case, if the pairings deviate from what I have listed, I will be shocked if we see any sort of success defensively.

Carry the Flag!

2009/2010 Columbus Defense

Columbus defensively may be the biggest question this year. With a decent showing last year, and young players like Methot and Russell showing their capacity to function at the NHL level, Columbus certainly has the cornerstone of what could be a very strong defensive core.

Obviously the biggest off-season effort was put into the Rick Nash signing, but I do believe finding a puck moving defensemen was second on their list all the way. While Rusty Klesla has shown signs of being a great player, his inability to stay healthy has cost the Blue Jackets much needed depth on the blueline. If they hope to acquire a quality defender, it is no doubt they will try and package Rusty with a forward (hopefully one of Chimera or Modin). Here are my preferred lines heading into the pre-season;

1 - Commodore – Hejda
2 - Russell – Tyutin
3 - Methot – Klesla

While I do think these combinations show a great deal of depth in their current state, I think it will be necessary for a couple of these guys to step it up and really force their play into the first pairing. I do not think any one of these players deserve the top spot more than another, although I do think their style of play may become a factor.

Commodore and Hejda became the ‘go-to’ pairing for Hitchcock last year. Both were able to prove their critics (including me) wrong and play a strong defensive game. They will have to up their game if they want to avoid losing their spot to one of the young guys still working on developing into their career style and ability.

Russell and Tyutin are a pairing we have seen before. Russell has a tremendous ability to carry the puck into the offensive zone, and draw pinching forward away from Tyutin. This will allow hopefully for a lot of open point shots from Fedor. While I think both can achieve top line status, I think the most opportunity lies with Russell and the level he can achieve this year.

Finally, we consider Methot and Klesla. Both seem to continuously have something to prove to the coaching staff. There will be no free rife for Methot, although with the release of Backman, it will give him the opportunity to truly own an NHL position. In Klesla’s case, everything rides on his summer development and how he can avoid injuries this year.

As I had previously mentioned, a lot of room for modification to the defensive lines may really force these six palyers to amp up their game. One thing I will personally anticipate is that these lines will look completely different after the first month of the season.

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!

TB Game Recap

There was a lot to be impressed about with tonight's game in Tampa Bay.  There was also a lot that I need to discuss to negate all the good, so bear with me, because I am seriously displeased.

First, the good....

The Jackets badly outshot the Lightning, and dominated most of the game.  Their offensive presence was strong, and their passing seemed to be good when the correct players were on the ice.  It was evident that their attention to Hitch after two periods of play was high, as I am assuming he told them to take more shots, and they absolutely came out firing in the third period, getting almost 10 shots in the first 4 minutes.

Unfortunately, that is all the good I can muster.

Now, the bad....

First off, let's get right to the thick of it.  Coaching.  I have a few examples, so again bear with me, as Hitchcock is clearly a fan favorite in Columbus.  He is simply putting the wrong players on the ice at the wrong time.  Huselius had an absolutely horrific game, failing on pass after pass, and putting very little effort into his game, and yet he found himself out on both the powerplay, AND the overtime.  Same goes for Tyutin, who spent the entire overtime on the ice, which spanned around three minutes.  That is simply not strong coaching.

Secondly, I have a bone to pick with one of our 'best' players.  Huselius was considered a highly sought after scorer when we picked him up, and he has done nothing but let me down this year.  He is playing with easily one of the most dynamic players in the league, and yet somehow he has been lackluster and lazy on the ice.  His turnover ratio is getting more than absurd, and his attitude on the ice makes it seem like he is simply going through the motions.

Bottom line here, is that games are not one by individuals, they are won by an entire team working as a cohesive unit.  Bombing on the powerplay, and watching top players cough up the puck time and time again without any sort of repercussion can only work against the production of this unit.  I would like to see some accountability by line one after tonight.  I want to see Hitch call them out and call himself out by suggesting that no one really brought their appropriate game tonight.  Sure, they dominated for most of the game, but does that really benefit the result?  No, it absolutely does not.

Their next game is at home on Thursday against a big team.  I am ready to see a rejuvenated team, and I hope you are as well fans!

Carry the Flag.

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!

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!