I have no interest in trying to substantiate rumours or 'break' any trades, but I would be hibernating under a rock if I wasn't fully aware of the discussions surrounding the potential of a Rick Nash trade as the deadline, and I suppose the 2012/2013 season edge closer. What I did begin to consider, is how the team would be structured after his departure, or more specifically who would become the Blue Jackets next Captain and what reasons would surround that decision.
Currently, they experience a 'quiet leader' in Rick Nash, who has been suggested to be a solid voice in the locker room and says the right things to the media, but tends to lead more by example on the ice. What intrigues me about that is how this year he's appeared to play at well below the 100% dominant level that made him so loved in Columbus. Should it come as a real surprise that the team behind him has been known to rise and fall during games, rarely generating a sixty minute effort from all the players? This won't be an extension of any Nash bashing, but I do believe the two have some correlation. So which player could make a vocal difference both on and off the ice if our Captain agreed to a trade?
Of the current roster players, a case could be made for Prospal, Umberger, Wisniewski, and Dorsett in my opinion. With those players in mind, I am going to make a case for each, and discuss where I believe they should be ranked relative to one another:
Showing posts with label Vinny Prospal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vinny Prospal. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Thoughts on the Vinny Prospal Extension
This morning, the Columbus Blue Jackets announced the signing of Vinny Prospal to a one year extension (at the same 2.5 million cap hit he has this year) with the additional assumption that he would continue to be a part of the organization after his playing career is completed.
Let me first say, that I think Vinny is a tremendous competitor, a strong leader in how the team SHOULD be playing each day, and a great asset to have in the locker room, based on everything I have read this year. I see a great deal of value in his experience and attitude on and off the ice, and I imagine many of these points are the major reason why he received the contract he did.
Assumptions: The knee jerk reaction to this is anger. For a team knee deep in a horrible, embarrassing season, re-signing players is practically begging for similar results the following season (1). For a guy like Prospal, who woud likely garner a 2nd round pick or better at the deadline, re-signing denies the team a decent opportunity to add another prospect to the development pool (2). Additionally, if Prospal and management had discussed the potential for additional years, why not send him away to try and win a cup, and then bring him back in the off-season(3)? It has been done before, and it would allow the team to add a prospect without losing veteran leadership in the future.
I'm going to take those assumptions and break them down a bit. I think it is important to consider what could have or should have been, and I think those questions are the most common of the non "Yay Prospal!!" crowd.
Let me first say, that I think Vinny is a tremendous competitor, a strong leader in how the team SHOULD be playing each day, and a great asset to have in the locker room, based on everything I have read this year. I see a great deal of value in his experience and attitude on and off the ice, and I imagine many of these points are the major reason why he received the contract he did.
Assumptions: The knee jerk reaction to this is anger. For a team knee deep in a horrible, embarrassing season, re-signing players is practically begging for similar results the following season (1). For a guy like Prospal, who woud likely garner a 2nd round pick or better at the deadline, re-signing denies the team a decent opportunity to add another prospect to the development pool (2). Additionally, if Prospal and management had discussed the potential for additional years, why not send him away to try and win a cup, and then bring him back in the off-season(3)? It has been done before, and it would allow the team to add a prospect without losing veteran leadership in the future.
I'm going to take those assumptions and break them down a bit. I think it is important to consider what could have or should have been, and I think those questions are the most common of the non "Yay Prospal!!" crowd.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Jackets Road Trip in Review
It was certainly an interesting week for the Blue Jackets, coming home with a 1-2-0 record out west, and another 0-3-0 record in the other half of their six game road trip. I haven't recapped in quite some time because of how much negativity could be grouped into each one, but I think it's worth taking a few things into account from these last six games.
I want to group the first four games into one collection of awful, where the Blue Jackets were outscored 17-5. The obvious is there, where they need to score more, produce more offense, and generate fewer chances in their own zone. As noted, it's a grouping of losses where the mistakes are greatly magnified, so I won't bother spending much time with it.
Rather, I want to touch a little on "Clock Gate" and the LA game, and then spend a fair bit of time on the treat I enjoyed last night. If you've been under a rock, you'll be interested to learn that with 1.8 second left in the game against Los Angeles, the clock quite literally stopped ticking down for somewhere between 1-2 seconds, giving the Kings additional time to score the game winner. Sure enough, Doughty found the back if the net with 0.6 seconds left, but it was more like -0.4 or -1.4 seconds remaining. I know watching these games doesn't mean I'm 'owed' anything, but I feel like the fans and certainly the team, who played reasonably well for sixty minutes of hockey, deserved a better fate.
I want to group the first four games into one collection of awful, where the Blue Jackets were outscored 17-5. The obvious is there, where they need to score more, produce more offense, and generate fewer chances in their own zone. As noted, it's a grouping of losses where the mistakes are greatly magnified, so I won't bother spending much time with it.
Rather, I want to touch a little on "Clock Gate" and the LA game, and then spend a fair bit of time on the treat I enjoyed last night. If you've been under a rock, you'll be interested to learn that with 1.8 second left in the game against Los Angeles, the clock quite literally stopped ticking down for somewhere between 1-2 seconds, giving the Kings additional time to score the game winner. Sure enough, Doughty found the back if the net with 0.6 seconds left, but it was more like -0.4 or -1.4 seconds remaining. I know watching these games doesn't mean I'm 'owed' anything, but I feel like the fans and certainly the team, who played reasonably well for sixty minutes of hockey, deserved a better fate.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Time to Turn the Page in Columbus
At some point, after the bitter pill of another loss is swallowed, the patience deteriorates into extreme dissatisfaction. For me, last night was simply that kind of night. It was right around the point when the first period finished, with the Jackets surrendering twelve shots to the Predators in the first period while only mustering three of their own. walking into the dressing room without a pulse, without a goal, and me without patience.
This has been written before. The Jackets lost, and they never really had the on ice presentation of threatening to win at any point in the game. Sure, Nash made a tremendous play to tie the game at one apiece, but there would never be another scenario where I was on the edge of my seat in anticipation of a goal. They lack confidence. They lack resolve. They lack a lot of things.
I'd call this a recap but there really isn't much point in recapping something that has been repeated over, and over, and over again this year. Instead, I am going to offer this: I'm ready for the purge.
This has been written before. The Jackets lost, and they never really had the on ice presentation of threatening to win at any point in the game. Sure, Nash made a tremendous play to tie the game at one apiece, but there would never be another scenario where I was on the edge of my seat in anticipation of a goal. They lack confidence. They lack resolve. They lack a lot of things.
I'd call this a recap but there really isn't much point in recapping something that has been repeated over, and over, and over again this year. Instead, I am going to offer this: I'm ready for the purge.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
New Look Jackets Behind Todd Richards
Sometimes the atmosphere around an arena can become stale. I am not one who normally attends practice, and after experiencing an Arniel practice shortly after the new year had arrived, I was not really left with the need to attend another one. The drills were reasonable, and the effort was somewhat there, but the atmosphere was heavily lacking. With that said, I attended my first Todd Richards practice on Monday morning, and I must say, the difference was clear.
Players were upbeat and into the drills with quite a bit of effort. When the time was appropriate, they enjoyed ribbing each other for scoring or not scoring, and were giving Mason (the goalie who happened to be on our side of the ice) all kinds of cheering when he made a big save. Dorsett, Boll, Brassard, and Prospal were the most audible for me, and there were times when I was openly laughing at their antics. I would never suggest that the team play to the fans during their practices, but I truly enjoyed watching some of the character bleed out.
The drills themselves were very satisfying to watch. High compete level with specific parts of their game in mind, and I'll share a couple here. The first drill is designed to have a forward head into the zone with the puck and take a shot on net. Once that has been accomplished, two skaters take the puck the other way on a two on one, and the job of the original shot taker is to back check hard to try and get back into the play before the shot is taken on the opposite end. It is a very creative way of getting the back checker a bit tired first, not unlike how he would feel in a game.
Players were upbeat and into the drills with quite a bit of effort. When the time was appropriate, they enjoyed ribbing each other for scoring or not scoring, and were giving Mason (the goalie who happened to be on our side of the ice) all kinds of cheering when he made a big save. Dorsett, Boll, Brassard, and Prospal were the most audible for me, and there were times when I was openly laughing at their antics. I would never suggest that the team play to the fans during their practices, but I truly enjoyed watching some of the character bleed out.
The drills themselves were very satisfying to watch. High compete level with specific parts of their game in mind, and I'll share a couple here. The first drill is designed to have a forward head into the zone with the puck and take a shot on net. Once that has been accomplished, two skaters take the puck the other way on a two on one, and the job of the original shot taker is to back check hard to try and get back into the play before the shot is taken on the opposite end. It is a very creative way of getting the back checker a bit tired first, not unlike how he would feel in a game.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Game Recap :: Columbus vs Vancouver 12/13
I've got lots to say about this game, some good, some bad, and I apologize if I bounce around. Optimism was laughably low with the ever mighty Canucks in town and Mason finally getting the call after close to a month of rest following a Rick Nash shot to the dome. Sadly I had a number of priorities that caused me to not be able to attend, but I watched the first 58 minutes before leaving for a hockey game of my own.
Imagine my disappointment when I got to the rink only to find out that I missed an extremely impressive shootout, with all three skaters scoring for Columbus, and only one managing to beat Mason, who returned from injury after getting sticked in the back of the knee midway through the third period. That said, disappointment turned quickly to satisfaction as the team finally found the back of the net and helped Mason put on a relatively impressive display of goaltending.
Now, some statistics I'd like to share.
- After controlling large amounts of the first period and leading in shots 10-5, Columbus returned to the ice for the second period and watched as Vancouver skated around them, peppering Mason from all angles and quickly changing the shot totals to 12-11 in favour of the Canucks. While Columbus managed to return to form and brought the shots back to a reasonable total, finishing the second period with 11 shots to the Canucks 14 (for the period anyways), they were never able to take back the shot edge. The final shots were 32-30 in favour of Vancouver.
Imagine my disappointment when I got to the rink only to find out that I missed an extremely impressive shootout, with all three skaters scoring for Columbus, and only one managing to beat Mason, who returned from injury after getting sticked in the back of the knee midway through the third period. That said, disappointment turned quickly to satisfaction as the team finally found the back of the net and helped Mason put on a relatively impressive display of goaltending.
Now, some statistics I'd like to share.
- After controlling large amounts of the first period and leading in shots 10-5, Columbus returned to the ice for the second period and watched as Vancouver skated around them, peppering Mason from all angles and quickly changing the shot totals to 12-11 in favour of the Canucks. While Columbus managed to return to form and brought the shots back to a reasonable total, finishing the second period with 11 shots to the Canucks 14 (for the period anyways), they were never able to take back the shot edge. The final shots were 32-30 in favour of Vancouver.
Friday, December 2, 2011
The Good and Bad of November
After a long stretch of loss induced negativity, I have been taking a backseat on my criticisms of the Jackets in hopes of seeing the rejuvenation of talent with all players healthy and in the lineup (give or take Huselius, Martinek, and Dex). Unfortunately, my patience only extends so far, and it is time to weigh in on some things that have been pleasing me and driving me crazy over the last couple of weeks.
First, the Good:
Marc Methot and Nikita Nikitin. Two players who were probably not the first options for many fans entering the season, but have both emerged as relevant defenders for the Blue Jackets playing high minutes each game. My love for Methot is fairly well known, and I finally feel as though his success and my reasonably high praise for his capacity as a defender is being fulfilled. He was tremendous during his World Championship stint with Canada, and I believe we have been getting a glimpse of his full potential over the last handful of games.
In Nikitin's case, he was a great solution to the defensive minded gap missing from the blueline, and yet has also factored into the scoring, most notably his three point game against Calgary last night. While I do think he may lack a step here and there, he has more than solidified the hole left by Martinek, and has played the big minutes between the top two defensive pairings. Secondary to that, he has managed to make up for a number of textbook mistakes by Fedor Tyutin.
First, the Good:
Marc Methot and Nikita Nikitin. Two players who were probably not the first options for many fans entering the season, but have both emerged as relevant defenders for the Blue Jackets playing high minutes each game. My love for Methot is fairly well known, and I finally feel as though his success and my reasonably high praise for his capacity as a defender is being fulfilled. He was tremendous during his World Championship stint with Canada, and I believe we have been getting a glimpse of his full potential over the last handful of games.
In Nikitin's case, he was a great solution to the defensive minded gap missing from the blueline, and yet has also factored into the scoring, most notably his three point game against Calgary last night. While I do think he may lack a step here and there, he has more than solidified the hole left by Martinek, and has played the big minutes between the top two defensive pairings. Secondary to that, he has managed to make up for a number of textbook mistakes by Fedor Tyutin.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Glaring Mistakes :: Columbus vs Detroit Recap
This recap is going to focus on a couple of things (I could write for hours on my frustration of an 0-6-1 start, but I don't think it's all that constructive at this point), and I hope it reaches a number of the fans commenting on the #CBJ twitter feed as well as the Puck-Rakers piece that went up after the game. While I find that many focus on the more obvious positions (aka Mason) it seems that glaring mistakes made which lead to sticky situations get completely ignored, so I will be exposing a couple of mistakes that cost them the game, and then reviewing Mason's game to see which of them can really be directly his fault.
The Mistakes
To begin, Columbus needs some defense, and smarter passing/clearing in the defensive zone. Of the many glaring mistakes made by the Blue Jackets last night, I have selected a few that I can share which made all the difference in the hockey game.
Mistake 1 :: Pahlsson grabs the puck behind the net and gets prepared to take a hit by a Detroit player. Instead of trapping the puck or playing it up the boards, he sends a soft fluttery pass through the middle of the ice that lands in the middle of the PK box, leaving Franzen to take the uncontested shot on Mason which becomes the first goal. Fault Pahlsson (although kudos to Umberger for taking an extremely lazy, extremely bad penalty on Datsyuk to give Detroit the powerplay). No bad pass, no easy shot, no goal.
Mistake 2 :: Johnson grabs the puck in front of the Blue Jackets net after a few decent saves by Mason, and rather than dumping it to the neutral zone or throwing it into the corner, he shovels it forward in an almost pass-like motion, directly onto the stick of Datsyuk, who scores easily. Fault Johnson (and whoever should have been covering Datsyuk) for not being able to get the puck into a low scoring area. No bad pass, no easy shot, no goal.
Mistake 3 :: Grant Clitsome coughs the puck up late in the game, without a goalie to defend them, and Detroit scores easily. I don't even see the point of analyzing this. Fault Clitsome. No bad turnover, no easy shot, no goal.
As you can see, while the scapegoat style blame fest falls on Mason, it is teammate breakdowns which lead to three of the goals, and a really fortunate series of deflected pucks that lead to another. Without these glaring mistakes, Mason would be hanging on to a one goal lead into the waning seconds of the third period. But the easy thing to do is blame Mason (as of course the scoresheet tells the best tale) so let's review..
Mason
He was tremendous on a number of occasions. The two most notable saves of the game were on Helm on the breakaway (shorthanded for Detroit, as the CBJ defense watched on) and a ridiculous glove save on Franzen from slightly further out than where he scored his first goal of the game. He was not a Hall of Fame candidate last night, though, letting in four goals, so here's the breakdown on them:
Goal 1 :: Franzen picks up the puck in the slot thanks to Pahlsson taking the puck behind the net and listlessly throwing it out in front on the penalty kill, and gets an uncontested shot on Mason from about 8 feet out, going far post. For those who don't know, Franzen is a tremendously talented shooter who has a knack for finding the back of the net. He is a goal scorer who scored. Give Mason a break.
Goal 2 :: Franzen attempts to make a pass across the crease during the powerplay. Mason begins to cross with the puck when it is blocked by a Columbus defensemen's stick and returned to Franzen's stick. He then makes ANOTHER attempt to pass it across the crease, and the puck deflects off of Johnson's stick, off Mason's pad (he scrambled to get back after the first pass was deflected) but it finds the back of the net. Give Mason a break.
Goal 3 :: Two saves in tight had Mason out of the crease to the left of the net, hunting for the rebound to cover. Johnson plays the puck directly onto the stick of Pavel Datsyuk (yes, THAT Pavel Datsyuk) and he buries into the empty net. Give Mason a break.
Goal 4 :: Once again on the powerplay, Mason is fighting to get an eye on the puck as he is blocked by a Detroit forward and Marc Methot. The Detroit winger with the puck fakes the shot (which causes Mason to go into a save position, while the puck is passed to Lidstrom at the point who bombs one far side shelf. I'm not going to say give Mason a break on this one, as he made the mistake of reading the fake as a shot, but I can certainly understand why he did. So alas, one goal out of four is questionably his fault.
Here's the kicker. For those who read this and actually disagree with me, feel free to describe each play in the comments section. Show me how it is Mason's fault on any of the first three goals, and maybe I can be persuaded. Until then, it is defense, NOT goaltending, that can fix this team in terms of goals against. While I do not think Mason has been a Hall of Fame level goaltender, the team needs to make his job easier, especially on the third, and sometimes fourth shot in a row that finally end up making it into the back of the net.
The Rest of the Team
I don't really feel the need to make this into a book so I'll be brief with the rest of the team. I thought Giroux had another solid game and is fitting in nicely with the Jackets lower lines. Were it my choice, I'd drop MacKenzie and play Giroux in his role.
A prime example of why MacKenzie doesn't belong in the NHL came when a fantastic pass from the corner landed on DMac's stick in front of Howard, who was slightly out of position. Rather than burying the puck far side post (not unlike Franzen) he panicked, and shoveled a shot directly into his pads. That might have been one of the biggest game changers right there, and was easily Columbus' best scoring chance of the night.
Brassard was moving around the ice with great effort for the second game in a row, and scored his second in as many games. I think it's great to see him get success as he is clearly one of the hardest working players right now.
Vermette and Umberger are still irrelevant. Without question, having these two guys find success is absolutely crucial for the team to start winning, so whatever it takes, these two "team leaders" need to pull their heads out of their.. uhh.. off-season and get with the program. Hard work and effort will reward. Maybe they can sit down with Brassard to get some knowledge dropped on them.
Does Rick Nash still score goals? Does Rick Nash backcheck? Does Rick Nash care?
I think Vinny P was a fire ball out there, which is great after his scathing comments regarding the team effort on the ice. As much as I do enjoy watching him work, I think it's concerning that he is one of their best players right now, and he was brought in to be a depth forward that benefited from Nash and Carter taking the spotlight. I also saw him getting frustrated by terrible low percentage shots, and I love it. I hope he had a few choice words for the shooters once they reached the bench.
I am not touching the defense. There's just too much wrong right now. Methot it a tank for finishing the game, and Russell's flip out after the brutal call on him for checking Bertuzzi late in the game was fun to watch. The rest of the defense are not even worth noting, as I am sure their names have already been mentioned a couple times in this blog.
Ottawa
While I am not a terribly patient guy, I will lose all of it if the team can't win their first game tonight against Ottawa. Maybe a part of it is pride, or just exhaustion from what we have been forced to watch, but I need something to give the fans hope that there could still be a season in Columbus worth watching.
I will be watching for the Vermette/Umberger tandem to start being relevant. I will look to the "captain" to backcheck further than his blueline, and I am going to hold my breath while they start the game hoping to see some level of compete from the Jackets. I may not need 55 wins a year to be a fan, but I most certainly need some sign that the compete level, the interest level, the heart, is there.
Carry the Flag.
The Mistakes
To begin, Columbus needs some defense, and smarter passing/clearing in the defensive zone. Of the many glaring mistakes made by the Blue Jackets last night, I have selected a few that I can share which made all the difference in the hockey game.
Mistake 1 :: Pahlsson grabs the puck behind the net and gets prepared to take a hit by a Detroit player. Instead of trapping the puck or playing it up the boards, he sends a soft fluttery pass through the middle of the ice that lands in the middle of the PK box, leaving Franzen to take the uncontested shot on Mason which becomes the first goal. Fault Pahlsson (although kudos to Umberger for taking an extremely lazy, extremely bad penalty on Datsyuk to give Detroit the powerplay). No bad pass, no easy shot, no goal.
Mistake 2 :: Johnson grabs the puck in front of the Blue Jackets net after a few decent saves by Mason, and rather than dumping it to the neutral zone or throwing it into the corner, he shovels it forward in an almost pass-like motion, directly onto the stick of Datsyuk, who scores easily. Fault Johnson (and whoever should have been covering Datsyuk) for not being able to get the puck into a low scoring area. No bad pass, no easy shot, no goal.
Mistake 3 :: Grant Clitsome coughs the puck up late in the game, without a goalie to defend them, and Detroit scores easily. I don't even see the point of analyzing this. Fault Clitsome. No bad turnover, no easy shot, no goal.
As you can see, while the scapegoat style blame fest falls on Mason, it is teammate breakdowns which lead to three of the goals, and a really fortunate series of deflected pucks that lead to another. Without these glaring mistakes, Mason would be hanging on to a one goal lead into the waning seconds of the third period. But the easy thing to do is blame Mason (as of course the scoresheet tells the best tale) so let's review..
Mason
He was tremendous on a number of occasions. The two most notable saves of the game were on Helm on the breakaway (shorthanded for Detroit, as the CBJ defense watched on) and a ridiculous glove save on Franzen from slightly further out than where he scored his first goal of the game. He was not a Hall of Fame candidate last night, though, letting in four goals, so here's the breakdown on them:
Goal 1 :: Franzen picks up the puck in the slot thanks to Pahlsson taking the puck behind the net and listlessly throwing it out in front on the penalty kill, and gets an uncontested shot on Mason from about 8 feet out, going far post. For those who don't know, Franzen is a tremendously talented shooter who has a knack for finding the back of the net. He is a goal scorer who scored. Give Mason a break.
Goal 2 :: Franzen attempts to make a pass across the crease during the powerplay. Mason begins to cross with the puck when it is blocked by a Columbus defensemen's stick and returned to Franzen's stick. He then makes ANOTHER attempt to pass it across the crease, and the puck deflects off of Johnson's stick, off Mason's pad (he scrambled to get back after the first pass was deflected) but it finds the back of the net. Give Mason a break.
Goal 3 :: Two saves in tight had Mason out of the crease to the left of the net, hunting for the rebound to cover. Johnson plays the puck directly onto the stick of Pavel Datsyuk (yes, THAT Pavel Datsyuk) and he buries into the empty net. Give Mason a break.
Goal 4 :: Once again on the powerplay, Mason is fighting to get an eye on the puck as he is blocked by a Detroit forward and Marc Methot. The Detroit winger with the puck fakes the shot (which causes Mason to go into a save position, while the puck is passed to Lidstrom at the point who bombs one far side shelf. I'm not going to say give Mason a break on this one, as he made the mistake of reading the fake as a shot, but I can certainly understand why he did. So alas, one goal out of four is questionably his fault.
Here's the kicker. For those who read this and actually disagree with me, feel free to describe each play in the comments section. Show me how it is Mason's fault on any of the first three goals, and maybe I can be persuaded. Until then, it is defense, NOT goaltending, that can fix this team in terms of goals against. While I do not think Mason has been a Hall of Fame level goaltender, the team needs to make his job easier, especially on the third, and sometimes fourth shot in a row that finally end up making it into the back of the net.
The Rest of the Team
I don't really feel the need to make this into a book so I'll be brief with the rest of the team. I thought Giroux had another solid game and is fitting in nicely with the Jackets lower lines. Were it my choice, I'd drop MacKenzie and play Giroux in his role.
A prime example of why MacKenzie doesn't belong in the NHL came when a fantastic pass from the corner landed on DMac's stick in front of Howard, who was slightly out of position. Rather than burying the puck far side post (not unlike Franzen) he panicked, and shoveled a shot directly into his pads. That might have been one of the biggest game changers right there, and was easily Columbus' best scoring chance of the night.
Brassard was moving around the ice with great effort for the second game in a row, and scored his second in as many games. I think it's great to see him get success as he is clearly one of the hardest working players right now.
Vermette and Umberger are still irrelevant. Without question, having these two guys find success is absolutely crucial for the team to start winning, so whatever it takes, these two "team leaders" need to pull their heads out of their.. uhh.. off-season and get with the program. Hard work and effort will reward. Maybe they can sit down with Brassard to get some knowledge dropped on them.
Does Rick Nash still score goals? Does Rick Nash backcheck? Does Rick Nash care?
I think Vinny P was a fire ball out there, which is great after his scathing comments regarding the team effort on the ice. As much as I do enjoy watching him work, I think it's concerning that he is one of their best players right now, and he was brought in to be a depth forward that benefited from Nash and Carter taking the spotlight. I also saw him getting frustrated by terrible low percentage shots, and I love it. I hope he had a few choice words for the shooters once they reached the bench.
I am not touching the defense. There's just too much wrong right now. Methot it a tank for finishing the game, and Russell's flip out after the brutal call on him for checking Bertuzzi late in the game was fun to watch. The rest of the defense are not even worth noting, as I am sure their names have already been mentioned a couple times in this blog.
Ottawa
While I am not a terribly patient guy, I will lose all of it if the team can't win their first game tonight against Ottawa. Maybe a part of it is pride, or just exhaustion from what we have been forced to watch, but I need something to give the fans hope that there could still be a season in Columbus worth watching.
I will be watching for the Vermette/Umberger tandem to start being relevant. I will look to the "captain" to backcheck further than his blueline, and I am going to hold my breath while they start the game hoping to see some level of compete from the Jackets. I may not need 55 wins a year to be a fan, but I most certainly need some sign that the compete level, the interest level, the heart, is there.
Carry the Flag.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Recap :: Dallas vs. Columbus 10/18
These are starting to write themselves. Columbus begins the game while an anxious (and generally prepared for a disappointment) crowd watches on. Kudos to the 9,157 other fans that joined me tonight at Nationwide instead of watching with the feet up at home. Despite outshooting the opposition 24-11 through two periods of play, the Jackets found themselves in a hole thanks to a ridiculous overcommit by Radek Martinek which gave Steve Ott a free shot from a high scoring area, beating Steve Mason about mid-level on the glove side. Certainly one he would have liked to have back.
The third period offered no favours either, with Jamie Benn being left alone by Rick Nash (backchecking is only mostly overrated) took an inexcusable turnover by Aaron Johnson and beat a rather surprised Steve Mason after dragging the puck all the way through the slot. Hard work brought the Jackets within one goal thanks to Brassard scoring his first of the year on a powerplay rebound, but the Stars came rolling right back thanks to more questionable defense by the Jackets.
Thoughtful of Kris Russell to bang home a fantastic point shot to bring it to within one again, but silly errors by Grant Clitsome spoiled the final two offensive pushes by the Jackets and once again, that 2-3 final score flashed before my eyes.
I've got fingers pointed in a number of directions, but I won't get ahead of myself too quick with the negative. On the positive note, I think Kris Russell had another noticeably decent game, scoring his first of the year and making a tremendous play to avoid the empty netter in the final minutes of the third period. Certainly when it comes to the Jackets defense right now, upwards of five spots seem to be as solid as jello, and I think Russell has done a fine job of making himself a strong candidates for one of the six.
On the other hand, Grant Clitsome has seemed to string together a series of truly mediocre games, making himself noticeable in a number of key situations, and faltering heavily on more than one occasion. Specifically, I can think of two within the last two minutes that were definitively glaring, coughing up the puck to Dallas while fiddling around at the blueline almost leading to an empty net goal, and then skating up the ice with the puck only to fire up down for an icing call with 18 seconds left on the clock thanks to no passing options. Frankly, I am disappointed. Between the bad decision making while looking for the pass, and skating across the blueline to shoot on net only to STILL find a shin pad, Clitsome and his excellent name are dropping heavily on my depth chart.
Hard to not be positive about forty shots on goal, but were they all that tremendous? I think rebounds and forcing difficult saves on account of traffic were two scenarios that Kari Lehtonen did not have on his mind. There were some solid shots, along with some absolutely atrocious misses (Pahlsson, I am looking at you after receiving a great pass from behind the net and missing shortside with at LEAST 40% of the net to work with) leaving me once again somewhat underwhelmed with the effort offensively. 40 shots are great, but make them 20 GOOD shots, and I'll be a happy guy.
Defensively I still don't understand Arniel's logic. The center seems to follow the puck regardless of how deep the puck goes in the defensive end, as well as at least one of the defenders typically. This leaves the two wingers dropping from the point down to pretty much the faceoff circle. I can certainly understand closing down the scoring zone, but when the passes reach the point (and more often than not they do) it leads to an excellent opportunity for the opposition. I just don't get it, and I can't get on board with that kind of coverage. I am tired of seeing that passing option.
Offensively I thought Brassard had a great night, along with the entire Giroux - Vermette - Prospal line which was an absolute pleasure to watch at times. I know people are getting down on Brassy a bit for losing the puck and falling over, but I see that as a guy who is giving it everything he's got, trying to do a little too much to create a scoring opportunity. In time, if he keeps up that level of confidence, I think those efforts will turn into excellent scoring opportunities (assuming all of these trade rumours are just rumours). I also have a bit of a bone to pick with Nasher, but there will be plenty more on that when I get a chance to sleep on some of the thoughts brewing in my head. I understand he's the face of the franchise, so I will be making a point of picking my words carefully.
Finally, Steve Mason. Certainly the kid would like to have goal one back, but it was a solid shot from a scoring position with no defensive coverage to back him up. The other two, well, 18 shots, and I think I could think of at least 4-5 that should have never even come close to Mase. I am getting a bit bored of the fan base claiming that he needs to be traded, so I won't really go into depth on this, but I felt that he gave them a chance to win again tonight, making a few very tough saves to keep them above water.
Carry the Flag!
The third period offered no favours either, with Jamie Benn being left alone by Rick Nash (backchecking is only mostly overrated) took an inexcusable turnover by Aaron Johnson and beat a rather surprised Steve Mason after dragging the puck all the way through the slot. Hard work brought the Jackets within one goal thanks to Brassard scoring his first of the year on a powerplay rebound, but the Stars came rolling right back thanks to more questionable defense by the Jackets.
Thoughtful of Kris Russell to bang home a fantastic point shot to bring it to within one again, but silly errors by Grant Clitsome spoiled the final two offensive pushes by the Jackets and once again, that 2-3 final score flashed before my eyes.
I've got fingers pointed in a number of directions, but I won't get ahead of myself too quick with the negative. On the positive note, I think Kris Russell had another noticeably decent game, scoring his first of the year and making a tremendous play to avoid the empty netter in the final minutes of the third period. Certainly when it comes to the Jackets defense right now, upwards of five spots seem to be as solid as jello, and I think Russell has done a fine job of making himself a strong candidates for one of the six.
On the other hand, Grant Clitsome has seemed to string together a series of truly mediocre games, making himself noticeable in a number of key situations, and faltering heavily on more than one occasion. Specifically, I can think of two within the last two minutes that were definitively glaring, coughing up the puck to Dallas while fiddling around at the blueline almost leading to an empty net goal, and then skating up the ice with the puck only to fire up down for an icing call with 18 seconds left on the clock thanks to no passing options. Frankly, I am disappointed. Between the bad decision making while looking for the pass, and skating across the blueline to shoot on net only to STILL find a shin pad, Clitsome and his excellent name are dropping heavily on my depth chart.
Hard to not be positive about forty shots on goal, but were they all that tremendous? I think rebounds and forcing difficult saves on account of traffic were two scenarios that Kari Lehtonen did not have on his mind. There were some solid shots, along with some absolutely atrocious misses (Pahlsson, I am looking at you after receiving a great pass from behind the net and missing shortside with at LEAST 40% of the net to work with) leaving me once again somewhat underwhelmed with the effort offensively. 40 shots are great, but make them 20 GOOD shots, and I'll be a happy guy.
Defensively I still don't understand Arniel's logic. The center seems to follow the puck regardless of how deep the puck goes in the defensive end, as well as at least one of the defenders typically. This leaves the two wingers dropping from the point down to pretty much the faceoff circle. I can certainly understand closing down the scoring zone, but when the passes reach the point (and more often than not they do) it leads to an excellent opportunity for the opposition. I just don't get it, and I can't get on board with that kind of coverage. I am tired of seeing that passing option.
Offensively I thought Brassard had a great night, along with the entire Giroux - Vermette - Prospal line which was an absolute pleasure to watch at times. I know people are getting down on Brassy a bit for losing the puck and falling over, but I see that as a guy who is giving it everything he's got, trying to do a little too much to create a scoring opportunity. In time, if he keeps up that level of confidence, I think those efforts will turn into excellent scoring opportunities (assuming all of these trade rumours are just rumours). I also have a bit of a bone to pick with Nasher, but there will be plenty more on that when I get a chance to sleep on some of the thoughts brewing in my head. I understand he's the face of the franchise, so I will be making a point of picking my words carefully.
Finally, Steve Mason. Certainly the kid would like to have goal one back, but it was a solid shot from a scoring position with no defensive coverage to back him up. The other two, well, 18 shots, and I think I could think of at least 4-5 that should have never even come close to Mase. I am getting a bit bored of the fan base claiming that he needs to be traded, so I won't really go into depth on this, but I felt that he gave them a chance to win again tonight, making a few very tough saves to keep them above water.
Carry the Flag!
Friday, October 14, 2011
Friday Thoughts - Off Day Lulls
I have made a concentrated effort to keep the information flowing on Carry the Flag lately, but I am not much for creating content as much as I am reacting to events that transpire on a daily basis. Needless to say, it makes things rather difficult when the Jackets are not playing games!
In any case, there are some minor talking points from Yesterday that have yet to be covered. There are also some twitter experiences that I will enjoy sharing, so be ready for a mixed can of Blue Jackets discussion!
Giroux Called Up
Try not to get too excited, but AHL all-star Alexander Giroux (Claude is spoken for) has been called up from Springfield to replace the demoted Cam Atkinson. While his success is known around the AHL world, he has been limited to only 39 NHL games in his career (He is 30 years old) during which he had 5 goals and 6 assists. He also has 61 shots on goal, making his shooting percentage well under 10%.
There is no question his AHL numbers are impressive. 650 points in just over 700 games. But I have to wonder what is holding him back from making the jump to the NHL. It makes me wonder what exactly he will have to offer the Blue Jackets, but certainly time will tell.
I would be lying if I said I was not disappointed by the call up, but I am not surprised. The excuse (or reasoning) behind sending Cam down was that the team did not want to expose him to the dire straits they currently find themselves in regarding a lack of a win. I suppose that makes sense, and it also makes sense that they would not replace a rookie with a rookie, leaving highly touted prospect Tomas Kubalik in the minors. What that DID do, however, was leave a solid net presence that can play in a top six role in the farm. A net presence that after thirty shots and only one goal against Colorado the Jackets so badly need.
Is Columbus a Hockey Market?
Not unsurprising was the rise of a few familiar negative nancy's on twitter yesterday talking about the lack of attendance early on this year by the Jackets and the notion that it is simply not a hockey market. It does sometimes entertain me when the familiar faces pop up on the #CBJ feed, and it never ceases to amaze me of how little they actually know about the city, but the fans are not doing Columbus any favours.
Columbus sold out the opener. It was a great crowd that sat in anticipation as they floundered the game and walked away with a loss, and from there it was a trainwreck. A weak effort against Minnesota lead to a lack of interest to watch the former Western Conference Canucks come into town on a Monday and beat up on the team. I could continue but the common trend here is competitiveness. While I do not like them, do you ever read about the successful teams taking a night off? A period off? If they do, the news rarely reaches my eyes/ears.
I think fans are chomping at the bit waiting for Columbus to break out, but they have to actually break out for them to show up. It's a fickle market (yeah I know the facepalm in using the word fickle) thanks to some incredibly successful football teams, and people are not interested in watching a team that does not seem to show up for small or large parts of games. I certainly wonder how much that third period of the Colorado game will sit in the minds of fans as they consider coming out to the Dallas game next Tuesday, and it is a shame considering how well they played the first two periods.
The Powerplay
This is my best attempt at a deflection of the Blue Jackets current powerplay slump, but the Red Wings are 0 for 16 on their powerplay this season. Probably an easier pill to swallow considering they are 3-0-0, but it goes to show you how easy it is for early season numbers to really make something look awful.
Goals For
I hope this is something that is marked in the dressing room and in the back of every players mind. They have scored two goals in every game they have played, and have put 123 shots on net (34-31-25-33) and have only scored 8 times. That means the goalies who are playing Columbus are averaging a .935 save percentage.
Certainly it is nice to see that they are managing to get the puck on net, but I believe it goes back to fighting for position in high and low slot, driving the play to the net and forcing bad rebounds which inevitably lead to goals. Rick Nash scored on his own rebound the other night, Derek Dorsett scored on an Aaron Johnson shot leading to a rebound, and Vinny Prospal scored the first goal of the season thanks to an absolute rip of a shot by Jeff Carter from near the blueline. All rebound goals.
Traffic in front of the net needs to be key. Forcing the goalies to make the harder first save and banging home rebounds is a great way to bust out of a slump, and I think the Jackets are plenty capable of it. If you consider some of the goals that have been scored on Columbus, it doesn't take long to realize that teams might be doing exactly the same thing back.
The Second Line
I am sure there are positives to take out of each game, but these guys need to be better. Vermette and Umberger have combined for zero points and are a collective -3 rating. They have also combined to take 17 shots on net, none of which have lead to a goal for Columbus. When folks talk about depth, I really look to guys like Vermette and Umberger to step up. I laugh when people say Columbus doesn't have it, but they will need to start proving their case soon for the sake of my sanity.
Maybe it boils down to having that third piece of the puzzle. Maybe the lack of chemistry with the additional winger will make the difference. I think hard work, hard areas, and tenacity is the only solution.
Dallas tomorrow. Dallas Tuesday. What better time to right the ship? I'll be in Columbus, in Nationwide, in Blue Jackets gear on Tuesday. Will you?
Carry the Flag!
In any case, there are some minor talking points from Yesterday that have yet to be covered. There are also some twitter experiences that I will enjoy sharing, so be ready for a mixed can of Blue Jackets discussion!
Giroux Called Up
Try not to get too excited, but AHL all-star Alexander Giroux (Claude is spoken for) has been called up from Springfield to replace the demoted Cam Atkinson. While his success is known around the AHL world, he has been limited to only 39 NHL games in his career (He is 30 years old) during which he had 5 goals and 6 assists. He also has 61 shots on goal, making his shooting percentage well under 10%.
There is no question his AHL numbers are impressive. 650 points in just over 700 games. But I have to wonder what is holding him back from making the jump to the NHL. It makes me wonder what exactly he will have to offer the Blue Jackets, but certainly time will tell.
I would be lying if I said I was not disappointed by the call up, but I am not surprised. The excuse (or reasoning) behind sending Cam down was that the team did not want to expose him to the dire straits they currently find themselves in regarding a lack of a win. I suppose that makes sense, and it also makes sense that they would not replace a rookie with a rookie, leaving highly touted prospect Tomas Kubalik in the minors. What that DID do, however, was leave a solid net presence that can play in a top six role in the farm. A net presence that after thirty shots and only one goal against Colorado the Jackets so badly need.
Is Columbus a Hockey Market?
Not unsurprising was the rise of a few familiar negative nancy's on twitter yesterday talking about the lack of attendance early on this year by the Jackets and the notion that it is simply not a hockey market. It does sometimes entertain me when the familiar faces pop up on the #CBJ feed, and it never ceases to amaze me of how little they actually know about the city, but the fans are not doing Columbus any favours.
Columbus sold out the opener. It was a great crowd that sat in anticipation as they floundered the game and walked away with a loss, and from there it was a trainwreck. A weak effort against Minnesota lead to a lack of interest to watch the former Western Conference Canucks come into town on a Monday and beat up on the team. I could continue but the common trend here is competitiveness. While I do not like them, do you ever read about the successful teams taking a night off? A period off? If they do, the news rarely reaches my eyes/ears.
I think fans are chomping at the bit waiting for Columbus to break out, but they have to actually break out for them to show up. It's a fickle market (yeah I know the facepalm in using the word fickle) thanks to some incredibly successful football teams, and people are not interested in watching a team that does not seem to show up for small or large parts of games. I certainly wonder how much that third period of the Colorado game will sit in the minds of fans as they consider coming out to the Dallas game next Tuesday, and it is a shame considering how well they played the first two periods.
The Powerplay
This is my best attempt at a deflection of the Blue Jackets current powerplay slump, but the Red Wings are 0 for 16 on their powerplay this season. Probably an easier pill to swallow considering they are 3-0-0, but it goes to show you how easy it is for early season numbers to really make something look awful.
Goals For
I hope this is something that is marked in the dressing room and in the back of every players mind. They have scored two goals in every game they have played, and have put 123 shots on net (34-31-25-33) and have only scored 8 times. That means the goalies who are playing Columbus are averaging a .935 save percentage.
Certainly it is nice to see that they are managing to get the puck on net, but I believe it goes back to fighting for position in high and low slot, driving the play to the net and forcing bad rebounds which inevitably lead to goals. Rick Nash scored on his own rebound the other night, Derek Dorsett scored on an Aaron Johnson shot leading to a rebound, and Vinny Prospal scored the first goal of the season thanks to an absolute rip of a shot by Jeff Carter from near the blueline. All rebound goals.
Traffic in front of the net needs to be key. Forcing the goalies to make the harder first save and banging home rebounds is a great way to bust out of a slump, and I think the Jackets are plenty capable of it. If you consider some of the goals that have been scored on Columbus, it doesn't take long to realize that teams might be doing exactly the same thing back.
The Second Line
I am sure there are positives to take out of each game, but these guys need to be better. Vermette and Umberger have combined for zero points and are a collective -3 rating. They have also combined to take 17 shots on net, none of which have lead to a goal for Columbus. When folks talk about depth, I really look to guys like Vermette and Umberger to step up. I laugh when people say Columbus doesn't have it, but they will need to start proving their case soon for the sake of my sanity.
Maybe it boils down to having that third piece of the puzzle. Maybe the lack of chemistry with the additional winger will make the difference. I think hard work, hard areas, and tenacity is the only solution.
Dallas tomorrow. Dallas Tuesday. What better time to right the ship? I'll be in Columbus, in Nationwide, in Blue Jackets gear on Tuesday. Will you?
Carry the Flag!
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