The Opponent:
The Blue Jackets close out November, and the first third of the season, tonight in Boston as they face the Bruins at TD Garden. It will be the third meeting of the season between the teams, with Boston winning the first in Columbus in regulation, and the second in Boston in overtime. The Bruins are 17-7-2 and in first in the Atlantic Division by 3 points over Tampa Bay and Detroit. They are led by David Krejci's 19 points (4 G, 15 A) and Milan Lucic's 9 goals. There is no indication who will start in net, but Tuukka Rask played against the Rangers yesterday, so it's very possible that Chad Johnson will get the start again against the CBJ.
The Blue Jackets:
The Jackets are coming off of a solid 4-2 win against the Edmonton Oilers at Nationwide Arena last night. However, with the one-game-on, one-game-off pattern that the Blue Jackets have followed over the last couple of weeks this could be a bad sign. In last night's game Ryan Johansen tied James Wisniewski for the team scoring lead at 18 points (9 G, 9 A for Johansen, 2 G, 16 A for Wisniewski). He also kept the team lead in goals as well. The only lineup change from last night that is anticipated is Curtis McElhinney getting the start in net. Brandon Dubinsky skated in the optional morning skate, but he is not expected to return tonight.
The Prediction:
The Blue Jackets looked very strong for about 45 minutes of last night's game, but they need to play a full 60 if they expect to beat the Bruins. This is a team that they have played close in the first two meetings, losing 3-1 (with a late empty net goal) at home in October, and losing in overtime in Boston by a 3-2 count just 16 days ago. That was just before the "Jekyll and Hyde" stretch that the team is currently on, and it's a stretch that the team wants to snap out of. No better time than tonight, at a "Jekyll" crest. If "Team Hyde" shows up, it could be very ugly, very fast. With two home games coming up next week, the Jackets really want to keep the positive momentum they started to build last night.
Blue Jackets win, 4-2.
29 November 2013
Game 26 in Review - Blue Jackets 4, Oilers 2
The Good:
There was a lot of good in this game, especially in the first 40 minutes. The power play looked much more organized than in recent games. There was great chemistry on the lines, especially the top two lines. New acquisition Corey Tropp looked strong. Jack Skille continues to make a case for staying up in Columbus as injured players start to come back. Sergei Bobrovsky stood on his head through a few difficult flurries in front of the net. Jack Johnson may have had his most solid two-way game of the season. And this doesn't even really get into the play of Ryan Johansen, Cam Atkinson, Arty Anisimov, Boone Jenner and Ryan Murray.
The Bad:
Coasting in the third period, particularly the last 10 minutes of the game, nearly cost the Blue Jackets. Again, this is the NHL and you need to play all 60 minutes of the game. But after the midway point of the third the team was back on their heels in a way they had not been through the first 50.
The Ugly:
While not exactly a negative since the Blue Jackets won, the continuing inconsistency is still worrying. But this where we want to get off the rollercoaster play consistently strong hockey. So, while not a bad ugly because of the result, it's an ugly that needs to end now while the team is on a high. Honorable mention goes to people who yell stupid crap at the games. It seems to be happening more and more, or the knowledgeable fans are tweeting about it more and more during the games, anyhow.
Blue Jackets Player of the Game:
This is going to go to guy who lit the fuse with the first goal of the game, Ryan Johansen. He's built himself into the player that everyone was hoping for, waiting for, after he was drafted. If he continues on like this, he should be an All-Star as early as next season when it comes to Nationwide Arena. But honorable mentions go to Anisimov, Skille, Nick Foligno and Bobrovsky.
Looking Ahead:
The Blue Jackets make a quick trip to Boston to face the Bruins, who beat the Rangers earlier today. The game will be a 7:00 start, so it won't be a quick turn-around on travel. This will be the third game between the Jackets and the Bruins; the first team they will have played three times this year. Which the Jekyll Jackets show up at TD Garden, or will they Hyde, instead?
Record: 10-13-3, 23 pts., 7th in the Metropolitan Division (3 points out of 3rd)
There was a lot of good in this game, especially in the first 40 minutes. The power play looked much more organized than in recent games. There was great chemistry on the lines, especially the top two lines. New acquisition Corey Tropp looked strong. Jack Skille continues to make a case for staying up in Columbus as injured players start to come back. Sergei Bobrovsky stood on his head through a few difficult flurries in front of the net. Jack Johnson may have had his most solid two-way game of the season. And this doesn't even really get into the play of Ryan Johansen, Cam Atkinson, Arty Anisimov, Boone Jenner and Ryan Murray.
The Bad:
Coasting in the third period, particularly the last 10 minutes of the game, nearly cost the Blue Jackets. Again, this is the NHL and you need to play all 60 minutes of the game. But after the midway point of the third the team was back on their heels in a way they had not been through the first 50.
The Ugly:
While not exactly a negative since the Blue Jackets won, the continuing inconsistency is still worrying. But this where we want to get off the rollercoaster play consistently strong hockey. So, while not a bad ugly because of the result, it's an ugly that needs to end now while the team is on a high. Honorable mention goes to people who yell stupid crap at the games. It seems to be happening more and more, or the knowledgeable fans are tweeting about it more and more during the games, anyhow.
Blue Jackets Player of the Game:
This is going to go to guy who lit the fuse with the first goal of the game, Ryan Johansen. He's built himself into the player that everyone was hoping for, waiting for, after he was drafted. If he continues on like this, he should be an All-Star as early as next season when it comes to Nationwide Arena. But honorable mentions go to Anisimov, Skille, Nick Foligno and Bobrovsky.
Looking Ahead:
The Blue Jackets make a quick trip to Boston to face the Bruins, who beat the Rangers earlier today. The game will be a 7:00 start, so it won't be a quick turn-around on travel. This will be the third game between the Jackets and the Bruins; the first team they will have played three times this year. Which the Jekyll Jackets show up at TD Garden, or will they Hyde, instead?
Record: 10-13-3, 23 pts., 7th in the Metropolitan Division (3 points out of 3rd)
Game 26 Preview - Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Edmonton Oilers - 11/29/2013
The Opponent:
The Blue Jackets will take on the Edmonton Oilers for the final time this season at Nationwide Arena tonight. The two teams faced off in their only other match up of the season 10 days ago in Edmonton, losing an embarrassing 7-0 decision to the Oilers. The Oilers are 8-16-2 so far this season, and are led in scoring by Jordan Eberle with 22 points (9 G, 13 A), who is also the leading goal scorer for the Oilers. The Oilers will start the recently-acquired Ilya Bryzgalov in net tonight.
The Blue Jackets:
The Jackets are coming off a deflating 4-0 loss to the Nashville Predators two nights ago. They added Corey Tropp in a waiver acquisition yesterday, and he will be starting on the fourth line tonight. Tropp comes from the Buffalo Sabres, and is said to add grit and determination to the lineup. The Jackets' leading scorer remains James Wisniewski (2 G, 16 A) in light of the whitewash that the Jackets suffered. Plus/minus leader David Savard (+4) is expected to be scratched as Nikita Nikitin returns to the lineup. Sergei Bobrovsky is scheduled to start in net. The lines as provided by bluejackets.nhl.com are:
Foligno-Johansen-Jenner
Calvert-Anisimov-Atkinson
Umberger-Letestu-Comeau
Tropp-Chaput-Skille
Tyutin-Johnson
Murray-Wisniewski
Nikitin-Prout
Bobrovsky
The Prediction:
Much of what I said in my preview from the game on the 19th applies here. So, allow me to restate:
"Quite simply, this is one that the Blue Jackets should win if they expect to be a serious competitor for the playoffs this season. The Oilers are once again one of the worst teams in the league, and these are the games that successful teams win, and if that's where the Jackets fancy themselves heading, they need to win. On top of this, the trip is very important as the Jackets are now only 3 points behind the Rangers for 3rd in the division. The playoffs are still in easy reach, and they Jackets just need to stretch for them."
The biggest correction to the above in the last ten days is that the Jackets now trail the Rangers by 5 points for that 3rd spot in the division. All the more reason why it is important for them to get these all-important points against lesser opponents. Pretty much the rest remains true, and the Jackets must play the game they are capable of.
Blue Jackets win, 5-1
The Blue Jackets will take on the Edmonton Oilers for the final time this season at Nationwide Arena tonight. The two teams faced off in their only other match up of the season 10 days ago in Edmonton, losing an embarrassing 7-0 decision to the Oilers. The Oilers are 8-16-2 so far this season, and are led in scoring by Jordan Eberle with 22 points (9 G, 13 A), who is also the leading goal scorer for the Oilers. The Oilers will start the recently-acquired Ilya Bryzgalov in net tonight.
The Blue Jackets:
The Jackets are coming off a deflating 4-0 loss to the Nashville Predators two nights ago. They added Corey Tropp in a waiver acquisition yesterday, and he will be starting on the fourth line tonight. Tropp comes from the Buffalo Sabres, and is said to add grit and determination to the lineup. The Jackets' leading scorer remains James Wisniewski (2 G, 16 A) in light of the whitewash that the Jackets suffered. Plus/minus leader David Savard (+4) is expected to be scratched as Nikita Nikitin returns to the lineup. Sergei Bobrovsky is scheduled to start in net. The lines as provided by bluejackets.nhl.com are:
Foligno-Johansen-Jenner
Calvert-Anisimov-Atkinson
Umberger-Letestu-Comeau
Tropp-Chaput-Skille
Tyutin-Johnson
Murray-Wisniewski
Nikitin-Prout
Bobrovsky
The Prediction:
Much of what I said in my preview from the game on the 19th applies here. So, allow me to restate:
"Quite simply, this is one that the Blue Jackets should win if they expect to be a serious competitor for the playoffs this season. The Oilers are once again one of the worst teams in the league, and these are the games that successful teams win, and if that's where the Jackets fancy themselves heading, they need to win. On top of this, the trip is very important as the Jackets are now only 3 points behind the Rangers for 3rd in the division. The playoffs are still in easy reach, and they Jackets just need to stretch for them."
The biggest correction to the above in the last ten days is that the Jackets now trail the Rangers by 5 points for that 3rd spot in the division. All the more reason why it is important for them to get these all-important points against lesser opponents. Pretty much the rest remains true, and the Jackets must play the game they are capable of.
Blue Jackets win, 5-1
Game 25 in Review - Blue Jackets 0, Predators 4
The Good:
Try as I might, I cannot really think of anything that was really good about this game. There were no outstanding efforts, and no notable performances. There were some efforts to get shots on net that had seemed promising, but they were never enough to be rewarded with a goal.
The Bad:
The continued inconsistency is troubling, frustrating, maddening. After an excellent game in Toronto that saw the Blue Jackets win 6-0, they returned home looking listless and slow. A Predators team who presented them the opportunity to build a winning streak instead manhandled the Blue Jackets and handed them their second shutout in the recent run of a loss for a win.
The Ugly:
Players need to consistently do the right things. In the big wins they are crashing the net, they are playing defense with sticks down and ready to break up pass. Passes are crisp and on target. Skating is swift and sure. In the losses, the play is almost the exact opposite. The most troubling can be the poorly executed passes, usually when it is a no-look pass that completely misses the target. These inconsistencies need to be worked out and the team needs to be able to replicate their play night after night. When fans don't know what team will show up for the games it becomes harder for them to justify going to the game themselves.
Blue Jackets Player of the Game:
The player who had the strongest and most consistent game was Ryan Johansen. He was even for the night, and among players who took more than 2 faceoffs, he was the only one to have won more than half of his draws. He was just over 20 minutes of ice time. He is quickly becoming one of the top players on the team.
Record: 9-13-3, 21 pts., 7th in the Metropolitan Division
Try as I might, I cannot really think of anything that was really good about this game. There were no outstanding efforts, and no notable performances. There were some efforts to get shots on net that had seemed promising, but they were never enough to be rewarded with a goal.
The Bad:
The continued inconsistency is troubling, frustrating, maddening. After an excellent game in Toronto that saw the Blue Jackets win 6-0, they returned home looking listless and slow. A Predators team who presented them the opportunity to build a winning streak instead manhandled the Blue Jackets and handed them their second shutout in the recent run of a loss for a win.
The Ugly:
Players need to consistently do the right things. In the big wins they are crashing the net, they are playing defense with sticks down and ready to break up pass. Passes are crisp and on target. Skating is swift and sure. In the losses, the play is almost the exact opposite. The most troubling can be the poorly executed passes, usually when it is a no-look pass that completely misses the target. These inconsistencies need to be worked out and the team needs to be able to replicate their play night after night. When fans don't know what team will show up for the games it becomes harder for them to justify going to the game themselves.
Blue Jackets Player of the Game:
The player who had the strongest and most consistent game was Ryan Johansen. He was even for the night, and among players who took more than 2 faceoffs, he was the only one to have won more than half of his draws. He was just over 20 minutes of ice time. He is quickly becoming one of the top players on the team.
Record: 9-13-3, 21 pts., 7th in the Metropolitan Division
27 November 2013
Game 25 Preview - Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Nashville Predators - 11/27/2013
The Opponent:
Tonight the Blue Jackets face the foe that Jackets fans have come to call the "Evil Empire", the Nashville Predators. This is their first meeting of the season, having last faced them in the final game of last season, a 3-1 win at Nationwide Arena. In fact, the Blue Jackets took 4 of 5 from the Preds last year. The single biggest difference between those Preds and the current edition is rookie Seth Jones, one of the top rookies in the league, working on the blue line for the Preds. The Preds are 12-10-2 so far this season, with David Legwand leading in scoring with 19 points (4 G, 15 A) and Shea Weber leading in goals (7 goals). Regular goalie Pekka Rinne is out injured, so the Preds start Marek Mazanec in net.
The Blue Jackets:
The Jackets come in off a fantastic 6-0 victory in Toronto on Monday night to cap a 3-2-0 trip through Canada. Ryan Johansen scored twice in the game, and stretched his team-leading goals total to 8. James Wisniewski continues to lead in scoring with 18 points (2 G, 16 A). Tonight's lines, per bluejackets.nhl.com:
Jenner-Johansen-Foligno
Calvert-Anisimov-Atkinson
Umberger-Letestu-Comeau
Collins-Chaput-Skille
Tyutin-Johnson
Murray-Wisniewski
Savard-Prout
Bobrovsky
The Prediction:
If the team who finished last season, and showed up for the game on Monday, is the one on the ice tonight, the Jackets should win, no matter the difference in the records between the two teams. But it really is dependent on which Blue Jackets club shows up. Facing a goalie they never have before may cross the Blue Jackets up, but they should be able to adopt after 20 minutes at the most. If the home crowd can get behind the Blue Jackets, this could be a really good night in the Arena District.
Blue Jackets win, 4-2
Tonight the Blue Jackets face the foe that Jackets fans have come to call the "Evil Empire", the Nashville Predators. This is their first meeting of the season, having last faced them in the final game of last season, a 3-1 win at Nationwide Arena. In fact, the Blue Jackets took 4 of 5 from the Preds last year. The single biggest difference between those Preds and the current edition is rookie Seth Jones, one of the top rookies in the league, working on the blue line for the Preds. The Preds are 12-10-2 so far this season, with David Legwand leading in scoring with 19 points (4 G, 15 A) and Shea Weber leading in goals (7 goals). Regular goalie Pekka Rinne is out injured, so the Preds start Marek Mazanec in net.
The Blue Jackets:
The Jackets come in off a fantastic 6-0 victory in Toronto on Monday night to cap a 3-2-0 trip through Canada. Ryan Johansen scored twice in the game, and stretched his team-leading goals total to 8. James Wisniewski continues to lead in scoring with 18 points (2 G, 16 A). Tonight's lines, per bluejackets.nhl.com:
Jenner-Johansen-Foligno
Calvert-Anisimov-Atkinson
Umberger-Letestu-Comeau
Collins-Chaput-Skille
Tyutin-Johnson
Murray-Wisniewski
Savard-Prout
Bobrovsky
The Prediction:
If the team who finished last season, and showed up for the game on Monday, is the one on the ice tonight, the Jackets should win, no matter the difference in the records between the two teams. But it really is dependent on which Blue Jackets club shows up. Facing a goalie they never have before may cross the Blue Jackets up, but they should be able to adopt after 20 minutes at the most. If the home crowd can get behind the Blue Jackets, this could be a really good night in the Arena District.
Blue Jackets win, 4-2
26 November 2013
Game 24 in Review - Blue Jackets 6, Maple Leafs 0
The Good:
Where to begin? The team rebounded from a bad loss once again, which can be a positive in one light, or a negative in another. Here the focus is on the positive, however; and in this light it shows that the team is able to block out a bad game and get back at it in the next match without dwelling on the negatives. And what's more, they are able to do it when the roster is stretched thin, and while losing players to injury during the game. One of the items that has come up in discussion of the game was the fact that the Jackets went in with 4 of their top forwards out to injury, but the Jackets surely didn't play like they were down so many regulars. The most encouraging thing is that the young players; Ryan Johansen, Cam Atkinson, Ryan Murray and Matt Calvert; were taking the reins of the team and leading them on the night.
The Bad:
The inconsistency shown on this trip, even as it was a winning trip, was maddening. The three wins were all strong performances by what looked to be a playoff-caliber team. But the two losses were awful, chaotic messes that appeared to be featuring a pee-wee team in NHL sweaters. Hopefully the team will achieve consistency in the fashion of last night's game rather than that of either of the losses.
The Ugly:
Can there really be "ugly" in a 6-0 win without stretching to find something? Or criticizing officials or opposing fans? Probably not.
Blue Jackets Player of the Game:
This is a night when you could give this honor to the entire roster and it would make sense. But the player who stood head and shoulders above the rest was Ryan Johansen. Joey had 2 goals and an assist, was +1, and was second to Nick Foligno among forwards in time on ice. The way he has played on this Canadian trip, he seems to be developing into the player that Scott Howson told fans he was when the Jackets shocked the NHL by taking Johansen 4th in 2010, and this is only good for the Jackets.
Looking Ahead:
Next up for the Blue Jackets is former divisional rival Nashville. The teams last met on the final night of last season, when the Jackets won 3-1 in hopes that, with a little help from Dallas or Colorado, they would qualify for the playoffs. Since that time the Preds drafted the steal of this year's draft (also in the 4th spot), Seth Jones, who is making a strong case for making the USA blue line for the Sochi Olympics over someone like a...oh, I don't know...perhaps over someone like a Jack Johnson. So this isn't the same Preds team that struggled last season, but still they are on the outside in the Western Conference playoff slots, even with a 12-10-2 record.
Record: 9-12-3, 21 pts., 7th place in the Metropolitan Division
Where to begin? The team rebounded from a bad loss once again, which can be a positive in one light, or a negative in another. Here the focus is on the positive, however; and in this light it shows that the team is able to block out a bad game and get back at it in the next match without dwelling on the negatives. And what's more, they are able to do it when the roster is stretched thin, and while losing players to injury during the game. One of the items that has come up in discussion of the game was the fact that the Jackets went in with 4 of their top forwards out to injury, but the Jackets surely didn't play like they were down so many regulars. The most encouraging thing is that the young players; Ryan Johansen, Cam Atkinson, Ryan Murray and Matt Calvert; were taking the reins of the team and leading them on the night.
The Bad:
The inconsistency shown on this trip, even as it was a winning trip, was maddening. The three wins were all strong performances by what looked to be a playoff-caliber team. But the two losses were awful, chaotic messes that appeared to be featuring a pee-wee team in NHL sweaters. Hopefully the team will achieve consistency in the fashion of last night's game rather than that of either of the losses.
The Ugly:
Can there really be "ugly" in a 6-0 win without stretching to find something? Or criticizing officials or opposing fans? Probably not.
Blue Jackets Player of the Game:
This is a night when you could give this honor to the entire roster and it would make sense. But the player who stood head and shoulders above the rest was Ryan Johansen. Joey had 2 goals and an assist, was +1, and was second to Nick Foligno among forwards in time on ice. The way he has played on this Canadian trip, he seems to be developing into the player that Scott Howson told fans he was when the Jackets shocked the NHL by taking Johansen 4th in 2010, and this is only good for the Jackets.
Looking Ahead:
Next up for the Blue Jackets is former divisional rival Nashville. The teams last met on the final night of last season, when the Jackets won 3-1 in hopes that, with a little help from Dallas or Colorado, they would qualify for the playoffs. Since that time the Preds drafted the steal of this year's draft (also in the 4th spot), Seth Jones, who is making a strong case for making the USA blue line for the Sochi Olympics over someone like a...oh, I don't know...perhaps over someone like a Jack Johnson. So this isn't the same Preds team that struggled last season, but still they are on the outside in the Western Conference playoff slots, even with a 12-10-2 record.
Record: 9-12-3, 21 pts., 7th place in the Metropolitan Division
25 November 2013
Game 24 Preview - Columbus Blue Jackets at Toronto Maple Leafs - 11/25/2013
The Opponent:
The Blue Jackets travel to Toronto to take on the Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre. The teams faced each other one month ago today in Columbus, with the Blue Jackets triumphant, 5-2. The Leafs are 5-4-1 in their last 10 and they are led by Phil Kessel's 21 points and 12 goals. Their leader in plus/minus is Dion Phaneuf with +11. The Leafs have 9-3-0 mark in home games so far this season. James Reimer is expected to start in net for the Leafs tonight.
The Blue Jackets:
The Jackets are 2-2-0 on their current 5-game swing through Canada, with wins in Calgary and Ottawa offset by losses in Edmonton and Vancouver. The Jackets look to make it a winning trip with a win in Toronto tonight. Sergei Bobrovsky has been tabbed as the starter for the Jackets in this crucial match. The Blue Jackets are led by James Wisniewski with 16 points (2 G, 14 A) and six goals apiece from Ryan Johansen and Arty Anisimov.
The Prediction:
This is another must-win match-up for the Jackets. Finishing the trip with a winning record would go a long way to alleviating the sting of the losses in Edmonton and Vancouver. And whenever facing a rival in the Eastern Conference, points are important. Look for the Jackets to play a stronger, swifter game, more like their effort in Ottawa.
Leafs win, 4-3 (SO)
The Blue Jackets travel to Toronto to take on the Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre. The teams faced each other one month ago today in Columbus, with the Blue Jackets triumphant, 5-2. The Leafs are 5-4-1 in their last 10 and they are led by Phil Kessel's 21 points and 12 goals. Their leader in plus/minus is Dion Phaneuf with +11. The Leafs have 9-3-0 mark in home games so far this season. James Reimer is expected to start in net for the Leafs tonight.
The Blue Jackets:
The Jackets are 2-2-0 on their current 5-game swing through Canada, with wins in Calgary and Ottawa offset by losses in Edmonton and Vancouver. The Jackets look to make it a winning trip with a win in Toronto tonight. Sergei Bobrovsky has been tabbed as the starter for the Jackets in this crucial match. The Blue Jackets are led by James Wisniewski with 16 points (2 G, 14 A) and six goals apiece from Ryan Johansen and Arty Anisimov.
The Prediction:
This is another must-win match-up for the Jackets. Finishing the trip with a winning record would go a long way to alleviating the sting of the losses in Edmonton and Vancouver. And whenever facing a rival in the Eastern Conference, points are important. Look for the Jackets to play a stronger, swifter game, more like their effort in Ottawa.
Leafs win, 4-3 (SO)
Game 23 in Review - Blue Jackets 2, Canucks 6
The Good:
The return of Matt Calvert to the ice was very encouraging, especially as he scored on his first shift back. He showed that the injury lay off did not affect his game and he proved to be one of the best players on the ice on the night, being one of the few Jackets players to be even or better for the evening. One of the other players to be even or better was making his first start of the season, Tim Erixon.
The Bad:
The last two periods were awful. The Blue Jackets gave up 5 goals on 21 shots. Some were weak goals that Sergei Bobrovsky should have stopped, but some were situations where he was left hung out by the defense. Regardless, after the tying goal by Daniel Sedin late in the first period the Blue Jackets played a listless, purposeless game. It was an effort barely better than that put in against Edmonton on Tuesday night. And with the importance of each game and earning as many points as possible, such efforts are not acceptable.
The Ugly:
The defense, in particular that of Jack Johnson. He was a -3 on the night, and he weighed down the efforts of Ryan Murray, who seemed to expending a good deal of effort covering up for him. He is too often on his heels, and too often leaves the point unmanned, allowing pucks to trickle helplessly out of the offensive zone. For a player that many fans have looked to as a potential captain, a possible leader on this team, he isn't providing any sort of spark that can be pointed to that would merit such selection.
Blue Jackets Player of the Game:
Matt Calvert, who scored on his first shift and was an even plus/minus on a night when the team lost by 4, and every goal scored was at even strength. There was little else of value to earn any other player the honor on this night, but Calvert's effort was a good showing in his first game back.
Looking Ahead:
The Blue Jackets will face off with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the finale of the 5-game Canadian road swing on Monday night. The Jackets won the first meeting between the clubs in Columbus on October 25 by the score of 5-2. The Jackets will be looking to replicate that result at Air Canada Centre, and in doing so return home with a 3-2-0 record on the trip.
Record: 8-12-3, 19 pts., 7th place in Metropolitan Division on ROW
The return of Matt Calvert to the ice was very encouraging, especially as he scored on his first shift back. He showed that the injury lay off did not affect his game and he proved to be one of the best players on the ice on the night, being one of the few Jackets players to be even or better for the evening. One of the other players to be even or better was making his first start of the season, Tim Erixon.
The Bad:
The last two periods were awful. The Blue Jackets gave up 5 goals on 21 shots. Some were weak goals that Sergei Bobrovsky should have stopped, but some were situations where he was left hung out by the defense. Regardless, after the tying goal by Daniel Sedin late in the first period the Blue Jackets played a listless, purposeless game. It was an effort barely better than that put in against Edmonton on Tuesday night. And with the importance of each game and earning as many points as possible, such efforts are not acceptable.
The Ugly:
The defense, in particular that of Jack Johnson. He was a -3 on the night, and he weighed down the efforts of Ryan Murray, who seemed to expending a good deal of effort covering up for him. He is too often on his heels, and too often leaves the point unmanned, allowing pucks to trickle helplessly out of the offensive zone. For a player that many fans have looked to as a potential captain, a possible leader on this team, he isn't providing any sort of spark that can be pointed to that would merit such selection.
Blue Jackets Player of the Game:
Matt Calvert, who scored on his first shift and was an even plus/minus on a night when the team lost by 4, and every goal scored was at even strength. There was little else of value to earn any other player the honor on this night, but Calvert's effort was a good showing in his first game back.
Looking Ahead:
The Blue Jackets will face off with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the finale of the 5-game Canadian road swing on Monday night. The Jackets won the first meeting between the clubs in Columbus on October 25 by the score of 5-2. The Jackets will be looking to replicate that result at Air Canada Centre, and in doing so return home with a 3-2-0 record on the trip.
Record: 8-12-3, 19 pts., 7th place in Metropolitan Division on ROW
22 November 2013
Game 23 Preview - Columbus Blue Jackets at Vancouver Canucks - 11/22/2013
The Opponent:
The Blue Jackets will be facing the Vancouver Canucks for the second and final time this season. The teams played each other on October 20, with the Blue Jackets winning 3-1. The Canucks are led by Henrik Sedin's 22 points (4 G, 18 A) and Ryan Kesler's 9 goals. Bowling Green alum Kevin Bieksa leads the Canucks in plus/minus with a +8. Roberto Luongo is slated to start in net for Vancouver.
The Blue Jackets:
The Jackets will have to play without Brandon Dubinsky once again tonight, and will also be missing James Wisniewski. In their place will be Matt Calvert returning to the lineup for the first time since the second week of the season, and Tim Erixon, who was called up from Springfield on Wednesday. Calvert is going to draw in on the fourth line with Michael Chaput and Jared Boll, meaning that Mark Letestu will probably fill Dubinsky's spot in the top-six. Sergei Bobrovsky will be in net for the Jackets. Ryan Johansen leads the Jackets with 6 goals, and is the top scorer of players in the lineup tonight with 13 points.
The Prediction:
The Canucks are mired in a 5-game skid (0-3-2), so this is a good opportunity for the Blue Jackets to take it to them, knowing that they can beat them, and bank 2 more points. Right now every win is crucial. Despite the win in Calgary Wednesday, the Jackets are now 4 points out of 3rd in the division, losing a point on the spot during their night off. It's time to take advantage of a struggling team. If the Jackets come out and play their game, they should be able to do that.
Blue Jackets win, 4-3
The Blue Jackets will be facing the Vancouver Canucks for the second and final time this season. The teams played each other on October 20, with the Blue Jackets winning 3-1. The Canucks are led by Henrik Sedin's 22 points (4 G, 18 A) and Ryan Kesler's 9 goals. Bowling Green alum Kevin Bieksa leads the Canucks in plus/minus with a +8. Roberto Luongo is slated to start in net for Vancouver.
The Blue Jackets:
The Jackets will have to play without Brandon Dubinsky once again tonight, and will also be missing James Wisniewski. In their place will be Matt Calvert returning to the lineup for the first time since the second week of the season, and Tim Erixon, who was called up from Springfield on Wednesday. Calvert is going to draw in on the fourth line with Michael Chaput and Jared Boll, meaning that Mark Letestu will probably fill Dubinsky's spot in the top-six. Sergei Bobrovsky will be in net for the Jackets. Ryan Johansen leads the Jackets with 6 goals, and is the top scorer of players in the lineup tonight with 13 points.
The Prediction:
The Canucks are mired in a 5-game skid (0-3-2), so this is a good opportunity for the Blue Jackets to take it to them, knowing that they can beat them, and bank 2 more points. Right now every win is crucial. Despite the win in Calgary Wednesday, the Jackets are now 4 points out of 3rd in the division, losing a point on the spot during their night off. It's time to take advantage of a struggling team. If the Jackets come out and play their game, they should be able to do that.
Blue Jackets win, 4-3
Game 22 in Review - Blue Jackets 2, Flames 1 (OT)
The Good:
The Blue Jackets showed remarkable resilience in coming back the night after the debacle in Edmonton and gutting out a hard-fought overtime win in Calgary. The players played with tons more energy than the previous night and were doing a much better job of doing the "little things" to get the win. Much better job of going in toward the net for rebounds, much better use of sticks to break up passes. All around, just a much better showing.
The Bad:
The number one star, as selected by Charlie Simmer of SportsNet West, was Kris Russell. Really? He wasn't in the top half of Flames defensemen in time on ice, he was even for the game, had no takeaways. Why wasn't Nikita Nikitin the number one star? He was the only player with two points on the night, and he scored the game winner. He made it seem, at least for one night, as if the Blue Jackets won that trade with Saint Louis. But Nikitin didn't even end up the second or third star. I think some media members just need to never be entrusted with picking the stars if this is the sort of thing they're going to come up with.
The Ugly:
The jerk on Twitter who posted about once a minute about how bad and boring and ugly the game was, but he continued to watch it.
Blue Jackets Player of the Game:
Never thought I'd say this, especially right before this game, but it was Nikita Nikitin. He seemed to have found his heart somewhere on the road between Edmonton and Calgary. He played his best game in a LONG time for the Blue Jackets, and was responsible, as mentioned earlier, for two points, including the game winning goal. So, a well-deserved hat-tip to Niki6.
Looking Ahead:
The next team up for the Blue Jackets is the Vancouver Canucks. This will be their final meeting for the season, having faced off on October 20 in Columbus, when the Jackets won 3-1 in rebounding from a bad game in Washington the previous night. The Jackets faced the Canucks backup goalie in that game, and one has to wonder if they might face him again in Vancouver.
Record: 8-11-3, 19 pts., sixth in the Metropolitan Division (on ROW tiebreaker)
The Blue Jackets showed remarkable resilience in coming back the night after the debacle in Edmonton and gutting out a hard-fought overtime win in Calgary. The players played with tons more energy than the previous night and were doing a much better job of doing the "little things" to get the win. Much better job of going in toward the net for rebounds, much better use of sticks to break up passes. All around, just a much better showing.
The Bad:
The number one star, as selected by Charlie Simmer of SportsNet West, was Kris Russell. Really? He wasn't in the top half of Flames defensemen in time on ice, he was even for the game, had no takeaways. Why wasn't Nikita Nikitin the number one star? He was the only player with two points on the night, and he scored the game winner. He made it seem, at least for one night, as if the Blue Jackets won that trade with Saint Louis. But Nikitin didn't even end up the second or third star. I think some media members just need to never be entrusted with picking the stars if this is the sort of thing they're going to come up with.
The Ugly:
The jerk on Twitter who posted about once a minute about how bad and boring and ugly the game was, but he continued to watch it.
Blue Jackets Player of the Game:
Never thought I'd say this, especially right before this game, but it was Nikita Nikitin. He seemed to have found his heart somewhere on the road between Edmonton and Calgary. He played his best game in a LONG time for the Blue Jackets, and was responsible, as mentioned earlier, for two points, including the game winning goal. So, a well-deserved hat-tip to Niki6.
Looking Ahead:
The next team up for the Blue Jackets is the Vancouver Canucks. This will be their final meeting for the season, having faced off on October 20 in Columbus, when the Jackets won 3-1 in rebounding from a bad game in Washington the previous night. The Jackets faced the Canucks backup goalie in that game, and one has to wonder if they might face him again in Vancouver.
Record: 8-11-3, 19 pts., sixth in the Metropolitan Division (on ROW tiebreaker)
20 November 2013
Game 22 Preview - Columbus Blue Jackets at Calgary Flames - 11/20/2013
The Opponent:
The Blue Jackets will be facing off against the Calgary Flames, seeking to put last night's debacle as far behind them as they can, and as quickly as possible. This will be the final meeting of the year against the Flames, who were the opponent in Columbus on opening night, taking a 4-3 decision in that first game. The Flames have a 7-11-3, identical to the Blue Jackets. They are 3-4-2 at home so far this season. Jiri Hudler leads the Flames in scoring with 21 points (7 G, 14 A) and Mike Cammalleri leads with 9 goals. Former Jacket Kris Russell has a +1 rating to lead the Flames in that category.
The Blue Jackets:
There isn't much to say about the team that wasn't said last night. Dwelling on last night is pointless. Defensive pairings were preliminarily set to be the same as last night, though Tim Erixon could draw in for tonight's game. Sergei Bobrovsky will be given the opportunity to get right back up on the horse tonight. There will be changes in the forward lines with the injury to Brandon Dubinsky, who is day-to-day (foot). These are the anticipated lines from bluejackets.nhl.com:
Jenner-Anisimov-Atkinson
Umberger-Johansen-Foligno
Letestu-MacKenzie-Comeau
Skille-Chaput-Boll
The Prediction:
This game will hinge on the team and their ability to respond after the ugly loss last night. Otherwise, as I could say the same things I said last night about this being a team that they have to beat if they want to be taken seriously. All of that applies again. Will the team take that knowledge to heart?
Blue Jackets win, 5-1
The Blue Jackets will be facing off against the Calgary Flames, seeking to put last night's debacle as far behind them as they can, and as quickly as possible. This will be the final meeting of the year against the Flames, who were the opponent in Columbus on opening night, taking a 4-3 decision in that first game. The Flames have a 7-11-3, identical to the Blue Jackets. They are 3-4-2 at home so far this season. Jiri Hudler leads the Flames in scoring with 21 points (7 G, 14 A) and Mike Cammalleri leads with 9 goals. Former Jacket Kris Russell has a +1 rating to lead the Flames in that category.
The Blue Jackets:
There isn't much to say about the team that wasn't said last night. Dwelling on last night is pointless. Defensive pairings were preliminarily set to be the same as last night, though Tim Erixon could draw in for tonight's game. Sergei Bobrovsky will be given the opportunity to get right back up on the horse tonight. There will be changes in the forward lines with the injury to Brandon Dubinsky, who is day-to-day (foot). These are the anticipated lines from bluejackets.nhl.com:
Jenner-Anisimov-Atkinson
Umberger-Johansen-Foligno
Letestu-MacKenzie-Comeau
Skille-Chaput-Boll
The Prediction:
This game will hinge on the team and their ability to respond after the ugly loss last night. Otherwise, as I could say the same things I said last night about this being a team that they have to beat if they want to be taken seriously. All of that applies again. Will the team take that knowledge to heart?
Blue Jackets win, 5-1
Game 21 in Review - Blue Jackets 0, Oilers 7
From the preview for this game:
"Quite simply, this is one that the Blue Jackets should win if they expect to be a serious competitor for the playoffs this season. The Oilers are once again one of the worst teams in the league, and these are the games that successful teams win, and if that's where the Jackets fancy themselves heading, they need to win. On top of this, the trip is very important as the Jackets are now only 3 points behind the Rangers for 3rd in the division. The playoffs are still in easy reach, and they Jackets just need to stretch for them."
Look over that again.
"Quite simply, this is one that the Blue Jackets should win if they expect to be a serious competitor..."
And again.
"...should win if they expect to be a serious competitor..."
And one more time.
"...should win...to be a serious competitor..."
Now, look at the scoreline. A 0-7 loss! WHAT WAS GOING ON? There was not a single serious chance on goal. NONE. NADA. ZILCH.
This was ugly. There was no player worthy of "Player of the Game" honors. There was nothing about this game that was salvageable. What's even more troubling is that Brandon Dubinsky may have gotten injured in this stinkburger.
UGLY. DISGUSTING. HORRID. There are not enough adjectives that are negative enough to express just how bad this game was. There was no heart. No effort. No desire. No hunger. Even worse, Philly smacked Ottawa down tonight, climbing out of the cellar once again.
Record: 7-11-3, 17 pts., 8th in the Metropolitan Division
"Quite simply, this is one that the Blue Jackets should win if they expect to be a serious competitor for the playoffs this season. The Oilers are once again one of the worst teams in the league, and these are the games that successful teams win, and if that's where the Jackets fancy themselves heading, they need to win. On top of this, the trip is very important as the Jackets are now only 3 points behind the Rangers for 3rd in the division. The playoffs are still in easy reach, and they Jackets just need to stretch for them."
Look over that again.
"Quite simply, this is one that the Blue Jackets should win if they expect to be a serious competitor..."
And again.
"...should win if they expect to be a serious competitor..."
And one more time.
"...should win...to be a serious competitor..."
Now, look at the scoreline. A 0-7 loss! WHAT WAS GOING ON? There was not a single serious chance on goal. NONE. NADA. ZILCH.
This was ugly. There was no player worthy of "Player of the Game" honors. There was nothing about this game that was salvageable. What's even more troubling is that Brandon Dubinsky may have gotten injured in this stinkburger.
UGLY. DISGUSTING. HORRID. There are not enough adjectives that are negative enough to express just how bad this game was. There was no heart. No effort. No desire. No hunger. Even worse, Philly smacked Ottawa down tonight, climbing out of the cellar once again.
Record: 7-11-3, 17 pts., 8th in the Metropolitan Division
19 November 2013
Game 21 Preview - Columbus Blue Jackets at Edmonton Oilers - 11/19/2013
First off, apologies for not having a set of posts for the Ottawa game on Sunday. I thought it was a night game so didn't worry about doing a preview before going to see Thor at noon. Oops! Need to look more closely at the schedule next time. But VERY glad to see the performance they put on. That was the type of game we'd grown used to last season. We're hitting the quarter mark for this season, so hopefully the last 3 quarters will be more of the type of game we saw on Sunday. If so, we could be in for a lot of fun. So, without further ado, on to the preview.
The Opponent:
The Blue Jackets will face the Edmonton Oilers for the first time this season, this one on the road in Central Alberta. The Oilers come into the game with a 5-15-2 record and a 1-7-0 home mark. Saturday night's 4-2 victory in Calgary helped the Oilers snap a 5-game skid. The Oilers are led by Jordan Eberle's 16 points (5 G, 11 A), and he is one of four leaders with 5 goals, along with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall and David Perron. Three Oilers lead the team in plus/minus with a +1 rating. Devan Dubnyk is to be the starter in net for the Oilers tonight.
The Blue Jackets:
The Blue Jackets opened the road swing through Canada with a dominant 4-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Sunday, running the string of games in which they have earned standings points to 5. Ryan Johansen was in "beast mode" as he racked up a goal and an assist in the game. James Wisniewski is leading the team in scoring with 16 points (2 G, 14 A) and Johansen's 6 goals puts him atop the team in markers. David Savard continues to lead in plus/minus at a +5. Sergei Bobrovsky is tabbed to start in net tonight. The team did not release projected lines before the game.
The Prediction:
Quite simply, this is one that the Blue Jackets should win if they expect to be a serious competitor for the playoffs this season. The Oilers are once again one of the worst teams in the league, and these are the games that successful teams win, and if that's where the Jackets fancy themselves heading, they need to win. On top of this, the trip is very important as the Jackets are now only 3 points behind the Rangers for 3rd in the division. The playoffs are still in easy reach, and they Jackets just need to stretch for them.
Blue Jackets win, 5-2
The Opponent:
The Blue Jackets will face the Edmonton Oilers for the first time this season, this one on the road in Central Alberta. The Oilers come into the game with a 5-15-2 record and a 1-7-0 home mark. Saturday night's 4-2 victory in Calgary helped the Oilers snap a 5-game skid. The Oilers are led by Jordan Eberle's 16 points (5 G, 11 A), and he is one of four leaders with 5 goals, along with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall and David Perron. Three Oilers lead the team in plus/minus with a +1 rating. Devan Dubnyk is to be the starter in net for the Oilers tonight.
The Blue Jackets:
The Blue Jackets opened the road swing through Canada with a dominant 4-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Sunday, running the string of games in which they have earned standings points to 5. Ryan Johansen was in "beast mode" as he racked up a goal and an assist in the game. James Wisniewski is leading the team in scoring with 16 points (2 G, 14 A) and Johansen's 6 goals puts him atop the team in markers. David Savard continues to lead in plus/minus at a +5. Sergei Bobrovsky is tabbed to start in net tonight. The team did not release projected lines before the game.
The Prediction:
Quite simply, this is one that the Blue Jackets should win if they expect to be a serious competitor for the playoffs this season. The Oilers are once again one of the worst teams in the league, and these are the games that successful teams win, and if that's where the Jackets fancy themselves heading, they need to win. On top of this, the trip is very important as the Jackets are now only 3 points behind the Rangers for 3rd in the division. The playoffs are still in easy reach, and they Jackets just need to stretch for them.
Blue Jackets win, 5-2
17 November 2013
Game 19 in Review - Blue Jackets 2, Canadiens 3 (SO)
The Good:
The lower six had a really strong game, bringing a grit and toughness that they had been lacking in many games this season, which helped to signal to the Canadiens that the Jackets weren't going to be pushovers on the night. The forechecking by the Jackets forwards also continued to improve. Keeping the puck in the opponents' end and making it hard for them to bring it out only leads to good things, so it's wonderful to see this aspect of the game getting better. Also, more smart shots are being taken, meaning they at least get through to the goal area so that the can be redirected or can create rebounds.
The Bad:
The Blue Jackets need to get out of the "cruise-control" mindset. They got out to a 2-0 first period lead and then just seemed to play the remainder of their game not to lose. When you get yourself out to a quick two-goal advantage, that's the time to go for the kill. See if you can stretch it to three goals, then to four. That lack of a killer instinct has cost the team a couple of games this season so far.
The Ugly:
The shootout. 0-for-3. This is an unimpeded attempt on net, there should be at least one effort that registers, if not more. But all three attempts by the Blue Jackets were fairly weak attempts. It's obvious why Blue Jackets fans fear any game going to the skills competition.
Looking Ahead:
Next up are the Ottawa Senators, in Ottawa, on Sunday. This is the crucial first game of a 5-game trip through Canada, and the Blue Jackets need to come out with 2 points rather that just being satisfied to keep the four-game points string going.
Record: 6-10-3, 15 pts., 8th in the Metropolitan Division
The lower six had a really strong game, bringing a grit and toughness that they had been lacking in many games this season, which helped to signal to the Canadiens that the Jackets weren't going to be pushovers on the night. The forechecking by the Jackets forwards also continued to improve. Keeping the puck in the opponents' end and making it hard for them to bring it out only leads to good things, so it's wonderful to see this aspect of the game getting better. Also, more smart shots are being taken, meaning they at least get through to the goal area so that the can be redirected or can create rebounds.
The Bad:
The Blue Jackets need to get out of the "cruise-control" mindset. They got out to a 2-0 first period lead and then just seemed to play the remainder of their game not to lose. When you get yourself out to a quick two-goal advantage, that's the time to go for the kill. See if you can stretch it to three goals, then to four. That lack of a killer instinct has cost the team a couple of games this season so far.
The Ugly:
The shootout. 0-for-3. This is an unimpeded attempt on net, there should be at least one effort that registers, if not more. But all three attempts by the Blue Jackets were fairly weak attempts. It's obvious why Blue Jackets fans fear any game going to the skills competition.
Looking Ahead:
Next up are the Ottawa Senators, in Ottawa, on Sunday. This is the crucial first game of a 5-game trip through Canada, and the Blue Jackets need to come out with 2 points rather that just being satisfied to keep the four-game points string going.
Record: 6-10-3, 15 pts., 8th in the Metropolitan Division
15 November 2013
Game 19 Preview - Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Montréal Canadiens - 11/15/2013
The Opponent:
The Blue Jackets make a brief stop at home tonight to face the Montréal Canadiens before beginning a five-game swing through Canada. This is the second meeting this season, having faced off October 17th in Montréal, with the Habs taking a 5-3 decision, with Boone Jenner scoring twice for the Blue Jackets. The Canadiens are currently sporting a 9-8-2 record, good for 5th in the Atlantic Division and the second wildcard in the Eastern Conference. The Canadiens are led by 17 points from P.K. Subban (3 G, 14 A), and the goals leader is Brendan Gallagher (8 G), who will be a game-time decision for play (flu-like symptoms). Andrei Markov's +6 leads the Habs in plus/minus rating. Peter Budaj will start in net for the Canadiens.
The Blue Jackets:
The Blue Jackets come into tonight on two consecutive overtime losses, the last to the Boston Bruins at TD Garden last night. They will be without Marian Gaborik for the first time this season (knee sprain). They will be looking to win tonight just as they had on their last meeting with Montréal at home, when they won 3-0 on November 2, 2010. Brandon Dubinsky's 15 points (5 G, 10 A) lead the Blue Jackets; and Dubinsky, Gaborik, Cam Atkinson and Ryan Johansen all lead the team with 5 goals. The Blue Jackets are 6-5-1-0 all-time against the Habs. Projected lines were not released by the team due to the late news of Gaborik's injury, which will keep him out for 4-6 weeks. Curtis McElhinney has been announced as the starter in net for the Blue Jackets with this being the second of back-to-back games.
The Prediction:
This is a team that the Blue Jackets match up well against, and if they can avoid taking periods off or other letdowns in play through the course of the game, they should be able to win this one. Look for the Jackets to work to neutralize P.K. Subban and get on the board early. They also will want to get the power play clicking again tonight after they were held without a goal on special teams last night. Both teams are starting their backup goalies, but neither is an "easy win" to face as they both have sub-2.00 GAAs and save more than 93% of the shots that they face. This should be a good game, though it may be low-scoring. The Jackets need to capitalize on any good opportunities they get.
Blue Jackets win, 3-1
The Blue Jackets make a brief stop at home tonight to face the Montréal Canadiens before beginning a five-game swing through Canada. This is the second meeting this season, having faced off October 17th in Montréal, with the Habs taking a 5-3 decision, with Boone Jenner scoring twice for the Blue Jackets. The Canadiens are currently sporting a 9-8-2 record, good for 5th in the Atlantic Division and the second wildcard in the Eastern Conference. The Canadiens are led by 17 points from P.K. Subban (3 G, 14 A), and the goals leader is Brendan Gallagher (8 G), who will be a game-time decision for play (flu-like symptoms). Andrei Markov's +6 leads the Habs in plus/minus rating. Peter Budaj will start in net for the Canadiens.
The Blue Jackets:
The Blue Jackets come into tonight on two consecutive overtime losses, the last to the Boston Bruins at TD Garden last night. They will be without Marian Gaborik for the first time this season (knee sprain). They will be looking to win tonight just as they had on their last meeting with Montréal at home, when they won 3-0 on November 2, 2010. Brandon Dubinsky's 15 points (5 G, 10 A) lead the Blue Jackets; and Dubinsky, Gaborik, Cam Atkinson and Ryan Johansen all lead the team with 5 goals. The Blue Jackets are 6-5-1-0 all-time against the Habs. Projected lines were not released by the team due to the late news of Gaborik's injury, which will keep him out for 4-6 weeks. Curtis McElhinney has been announced as the starter in net for the Blue Jackets with this being the second of back-to-back games.
The Prediction:
This is a team that the Blue Jackets match up well against, and if they can avoid taking periods off or other letdowns in play through the course of the game, they should be able to win this one. Look for the Jackets to work to neutralize P.K. Subban and get on the board early. They also will want to get the power play clicking again tonight after they were held without a goal on special teams last night. Both teams are starting their backup goalies, but neither is an "easy win" to face as they both have sub-2.00 GAAs and save more than 93% of the shots that they face. This should be a good game, though it may be low-scoring. The Jackets need to capitalize on any good opportunities they get.
Blue Jackets win, 3-1
14 November 2013
Game 18 in Review - Blue Jackets 2, Bruins 3 (OT)
The Good:
The Blue Jackets played a very strong, physical game against the defending Eastern Conference champions tonight. Comparing and contrasting this with the game these two teams played in Columbus a little over a month ago, it's a world of difference. And Zdeno Chara seemed to be a non-factor through most of the game. Hits were solid, timely. Sticks were down and active most of the night. A lot of the little things that were not there in the five-loss streak are reappearing, and against a team that is clearly a better team than the Blue Jackets. There is a lot of cause for hope, even optimism, in this game.
The Bad:
Scratch Jack Johnson. Do it now. Do it for a couple of games. There is NO WAY that David Savard and Dalton Prout could look any worse on the blue line than Johnson has. The second goal for the Bruins was almost all due to his inability to stay in position and get to a puck before it exits the offensive zone. He's capable of better, and that's what makes it especially frustrating to see him loaf his way through games. The empty net goal that the Bruins scored against the Jackets in Columbus last month was a direct result of this laziness.
The Ugly:
Milan Lucic. And we're not just talking his aesthetics here. He beat the Jackets tonight by blocking an ill-advised shot by Cam Atkinson (rather an ugly shot to take in that situation, to be honest), collecting the puck, then skating down on the breakaway to fire the puck through Sergei Bobrovsky's five-hole. Last month he was the player who pursued the Bruins clearing attempt when the Jackets had pulled the goalie. Jack Johnson was skating lazily backwards, waiting on the clearance to come to him, but Lucic got to it before it got to Johnson, poked it between Johnson's legs, and Johnson kicked it back and into the empty goal. As I stated on Twitter after the game, Lucic has been upgraded from "Pest" status to official "Noted Jacket-Killer" status, giving the Bruins two such players now (the other, Loui Eriksson has a goal in each game this season, as well).
Blue Jackets Player of the Game:
This could be given to any one of many CBJ players, but the one it's going to go to is Nick Foligno. He has seen limited action since the birth of his daughter in mid-October and got his fourth goal of the season, his second during his period of limited action, to tie the game at 2 late in the second period. He also played a solid game throughout the night. Hopefully the Jackets will be seeing more of #71 soon, but his absence is understandable, and the fans send their best wishes to him and his family.
Looking Ahead:
The Blue Jackets are back at it tomorrow night as they face the Montréal Canadiens in Columbus. It will be the second meeting between the clubs this season, and is the last game at home before a five-game swing through Canada with games in all but Winnipeg and Montréal on the trip. Les Habs are 9-8-2 so far this season, which sets them in 5th in the Atlantic Division and the 2nd wildcard in the Eastern Conference. This will be the first time that the Canadiens will have played in Columbus since November 2, 2010; a game that the Habs lost 3-0.
Record: 6-10-2, 14 pts., 8th in the Metropolitan Division
The Blue Jackets played a very strong, physical game against the defending Eastern Conference champions tonight. Comparing and contrasting this with the game these two teams played in Columbus a little over a month ago, it's a world of difference. And Zdeno Chara seemed to be a non-factor through most of the game. Hits were solid, timely. Sticks were down and active most of the night. A lot of the little things that were not there in the five-loss streak are reappearing, and against a team that is clearly a better team than the Blue Jackets. There is a lot of cause for hope, even optimism, in this game.
The Bad:
Scratch Jack Johnson. Do it now. Do it for a couple of games. There is NO WAY that David Savard and Dalton Prout could look any worse on the blue line than Johnson has. The second goal for the Bruins was almost all due to his inability to stay in position and get to a puck before it exits the offensive zone. He's capable of better, and that's what makes it especially frustrating to see him loaf his way through games. The empty net goal that the Bruins scored against the Jackets in Columbus last month was a direct result of this laziness.
The Ugly:
Milan Lucic. And we're not just talking his aesthetics here. He beat the Jackets tonight by blocking an ill-advised shot by Cam Atkinson (rather an ugly shot to take in that situation, to be honest), collecting the puck, then skating down on the breakaway to fire the puck through Sergei Bobrovsky's five-hole. Last month he was the player who pursued the Bruins clearing attempt when the Jackets had pulled the goalie. Jack Johnson was skating lazily backwards, waiting on the clearance to come to him, but Lucic got to it before it got to Johnson, poked it between Johnson's legs, and Johnson kicked it back and into the empty goal. As I stated on Twitter after the game, Lucic has been upgraded from "Pest" status to official "Noted Jacket-Killer" status, giving the Bruins two such players now (the other, Loui Eriksson has a goal in each game this season, as well).
Blue Jackets Player of the Game:
This could be given to any one of many CBJ players, but the one it's going to go to is Nick Foligno. He has seen limited action since the birth of his daughter in mid-October and got his fourth goal of the season, his second during his period of limited action, to tie the game at 2 late in the second period. He also played a solid game throughout the night. Hopefully the Jackets will be seeing more of #71 soon, but his absence is understandable, and the fans send their best wishes to him and his family.
Looking Ahead:
The Blue Jackets are back at it tomorrow night as they face the Montréal Canadiens in Columbus. It will be the second meeting between the clubs this season, and is the last game at home before a five-game swing through Canada with games in all but Winnipeg and Montréal on the trip. Les Habs are 9-8-2 so far this season, which sets them in 5th in the Atlantic Division and the 2nd wildcard in the Eastern Conference. This will be the first time that the Canadiens will have played in Columbus since November 2, 2010; a game that the Habs lost 3-0.
Record: 6-10-2, 14 pts., 8th in the Metropolitan Division
Game 18 preview - Columbus Blue Jackets at Boston Bruins
The Opponent:
The Blue Jackets will be facing the Boston Bruins at TD Garden in Boston; the first road meeting between the teams this season. They did meet on October 12 at Nationwide Arena, when the Bruins won 3-1. The Bruins are 11-5-1, 7-3-1 at home, this season. They stand in second place in the Atlantic Division, 3 points behind the division-leading Tampa Bay Lightning. David Krejci leads the B's in scoring with 16 points (3 G, 13 A) and Milan Lucic's 7 goals leads the team. Backup goalie Chad Johnson is expected to start tonight. In the previous match up they started Tuukka Rask, so this will be the first time facing their number 2. The projected lineup, based on bruins.nhl.com's "Bruins Blog":
Lucic-Krejci-Iginla
Marchand-Bergeron-Eriksson
Soderberg-Kelly-Smith
Paille-Campbell-Thornton
Chara-Hamilton
Seidenberg-Krug
Bartkowski-Boychuk
Johnson
The Blue Jackets:
The Blue Jackets come into Boston off of a tough overtime loss to the Capitals in Washington on Tuesday night. The Jackets have points in two games straight, and look to win tonight to keep pace in the Metropolitan Division, which they currently sit at the bottom of, with a 6-10-1 record. Brandon Dubinsky leads the team with 15 points (5 G, 10 A), and is one of 4 players tied for the team goals lead with 5 (Marian Gaborik, Cam Atkinson, Ryan Johansen). Dubinsky also has a 4-game point-scoring streak. Sergei Bobrovsky is getting the start in goal for the Jackets. The projected lines for the game, provided by bluejackets.nhl.com:
Dubinsky-Johansen-Atkinson
Umberger-Anisimov-Gaborik
MacKenzie-Letestu-Comeau
Foligno-Chaput-Boll
Murray-Wisniewski
Tyutin-Johnson
Nikitin-Prout
Bobrovsky
The Prediction:
When the team's met last, the Blue Jackets were playing near the top of their game and struggled. Now they are just getting their stride back after a protracted downswing, and they really need to play their best possible game. The Bruins are helping them out, in theory, but starting their backup goalie, but that's no guarantee, as their history has shown. The Bruins are a special challenge because they combine the speed and skill of an Eastern Conference team with and size and physicality of a Western Conference team. No easy task to deal with. Still, this is a game that the Jackets need to win, especially as the Flyers are moving ahead of them in the standings.
Bruins win, 3-2
The Blue Jackets will be facing the Boston Bruins at TD Garden in Boston; the first road meeting between the teams this season. They did meet on October 12 at Nationwide Arena, when the Bruins won 3-1. The Bruins are 11-5-1, 7-3-1 at home, this season. They stand in second place in the Atlantic Division, 3 points behind the division-leading Tampa Bay Lightning. David Krejci leads the B's in scoring with 16 points (3 G, 13 A) and Milan Lucic's 7 goals leads the team. Backup goalie Chad Johnson is expected to start tonight. In the previous match up they started Tuukka Rask, so this will be the first time facing their number 2. The projected lineup, based on bruins.nhl.com's "Bruins Blog":
Lucic-Krejci-Iginla
Marchand-Bergeron-Eriksson
Soderberg-Kelly-Smith
Paille-Campbell-Thornton
Chara-Hamilton
Seidenberg-Krug
Bartkowski-Boychuk
Johnson
The Blue Jackets:
The Blue Jackets come into Boston off of a tough overtime loss to the Capitals in Washington on Tuesday night. The Jackets have points in two games straight, and look to win tonight to keep pace in the Metropolitan Division, which they currently sit at the bottom of, with a 6-10-1 record. Brandon Dubinsky leads the team with 15 points (5 G, 10 A), and is one of 4 players tied for the team goals lead with 5 (Marian Gaborik, Cam Atkinson, Ryan Johansen). Dubinsky also has a 4-game point-scoring streak. Sergei Bobrovsky is getting the start in goal for the Jackets. The projected lines for the game, provided by bluejackets.nhl.com:
Dubinsky-Johansen-Atkinson
Umberger-Anisimov-Gaborik
MacKenzie-Letestu-Comeau
Foligno-Chaput-Boll
Murray-Wisniewski
Tyutin-Johnson
Nikitin-Prout
Bobrovsky
The Prediction:
When the team's met last, the Blue Jackets were playing near the top of their game and struggled. Now they are just getting their stride back after a protracted downswing, and they really need to play their best possible game. The Bruins are helping them out, in theory, but starting their backup goalie, but that's no guarantee, as their history has shown. The Bruins are a special challenge because they combine the speed and skill of an Eastern Conference team with and size and physicality of a Western Conference team. No easy task to deal with. Still, this is a game that the Jackets need to win, especially as the Flyers are moving ahead of them in the standings.
Bruins win, 3-2
Game 17 in Review - Blue Jackets 3, Capitals 4 (OT)
The Good:
Cam Atkinson seems to be back. After a third-period goal on Saturday against the Islanders, Atkinson showed a hunger for more, and he was rewarded with a beautiful breakout pass from Brandon Dubinsky with just over 5 minutes remaining in the game. Atkinson turned on the jets, fought off a hook that would have earned him a penalty shot, and buried the shot behind Bradon Holtby before he even knew what had happened. It's this sort of speed and skill that made Atkinson a force at Boston College and has had Blue Jackets fans on the edge of their seats when he touches the puck.
The Bad:
The team did an especially poor job of finishing the periods out against the Capitals. This was especially true with how they played after Atkinson's go-ahead-goal in the third, which culminated in a Capitals' equalizer with 1:45 remaining. The defense was playing back on their heels and seemed to be paying attention to something other than the play in front of them. When your offense stakes you to a late lead and the opponent is in a situation where they are about to pull the goalie, you don't want to give up the tying goal due to laziness.
The Ugly:
The late play of James Wisniewski was just ugly. The tying goal was scored when he lost track of a rebound between his skates. The game winning goal, scored by Alexander Ovechkin in overtime, came when Wiz abandoned his post down low to try and throw a check on Ovechkin at the right half-boards. Ovie side-stepped the check as Marcus Johansson unloaded a heavy shot. Ovechkin then skated unmolested to pick up the rebound and wrist it past Sergei Bobrovsky just as Ryan Murray arrived to check him. Breakdowns by Wisniewski on both goals turned a regulation win into an overtime loss. The chaos certainly was not controlled when it counted.
Blue Jackets Player of the Game:
Brandon Dubinsky, with a goal and an assist and just over 22:30 TOI (top among Blue Jackets forwards), was once again a force to be reckoned with for the opposition. He is now one of 4 Blue Jackets players to be tied for the team lead with 5 goals, and is the team's top scorer with 15 points.
Looking Ahead:
The Jackets travel to Boston to face the Bruins for the first time on the road this season. The two sides met in Columbus for a lazy early-afternoon affair on October 12th, when the Bruins walked away with a 3-1 victory. Noted-Jacket-killer Loui Eriksson scored the game winner and Milan Lucic was credited with an empty-net goal when Jack Johnson kicked a clearing pass into the Jackets' net. Tuukka Rask was in net for the B's and held the Jackets to a single first-period goal.
Cam Atkinson seems to be back. After a third-period goal on Saturday against the Islanders, Atkinson showed a hunger for more, and he was rewarded with a beautiful breakout pass from Brandon Dubinsky with just over 5 minutes remaining in the game. Atkinson turned on the jets, fought off a hook that would have earned him a penalty shot, and buried the shot behind Bradon Holtby before he even knew what had happened. It's this sort of speed and skill that made Atkinson a force at Boston College and has had Blue Jackets fans on the edge of their seats when he touches the puck.
The Bad:
The team did an especially poor job of finishing the periods out against the Capitals. This was especially true with how they played after Atkinson's go-ahead-goal in the third, which culminated in a Capitals' equalizer with 1:45 remaining. The defense was playing back on their heels and seemed to be paying attention to something other than the play in front of them. When your offense stakes you to a late lead and the opponent is in a situation where they are about to pull the goalie, you don't want to give up the tying goal due to laziness.
The Ugly:
The late play of James Wisniewski was just ugly. The tying goal was scored when he lost track of a rebound between his skates. The game winning goal, scored by Alexander Ovechkin in overtime, came when Wiz abandoned his post down low to try and throw a check on Ovechkin at the right half-boards. Ovie side-stepped the check as Marcus Johansson unloaded a heavy shot. Ovechkin then skated unmolested to pick up the rebound and wrist it past Sergei Bobrovsky just as Ryan Murray arrived to check him. Breakdowns by Wisniewski on both goals turned a regulation win into an overtime loss. The chaos certainly was not controlled when it counted.
Blue Jackets Player of the Game:
Brandon Dubinsky, with a goal and an assist and just over 22:30 TOI (top among Blue Jackets forwards), was once again a force to be reckoned with for the opposition. He is now one of 4 Blue Jackets players to be tied for the team lead with 5 goals, and is the team's top scorer with 15 points.
Looking Ahead:
The Jackets travel to Boston to face the Bruins for the first time on the road this season. The two sides met in Columbus for a lazy early-afternoon affair on October 12th, when the Bruins walked away with a 3-1 victory. Noted-Jacket-killer Loui Eriksson scored the game winner and Milan Lucic was credited with an empty-net goal when Jack Johnson kicked a clearing pass into the Jackets' net. Tuukka Rask was in net for the B's and held the Jackets to a single first-period goal.
12 November 2013
Game 17 Preview - Columbus Blue Jackets at Washington Capitals - 11/12/2013
The Opponent:
The Capitals come into tonight's game having lost their last two games, and with a record of 9-8-1 overall. They are 6-3-0 at home so far this year, including a win over the Blue Jackets on October 19th by a 4-1 margin. They Caps are lead by 20 points each from Alexander Ovechkin (13 G, 7 A) and Nicklas Backstrom (5 G, 15 A). Mikhail Grabovski leads the Caps in plus/minus (+3) and is one goal shy of 100 for his NHL career.
The Blue Jackets:
The Jackets are coming off a 5-2 victory over the Islanders on Saturday night, including a stretch of three unanswered goals in the 3rd period. The last time that the Blue Jackets beat the Caps was November 1, 2009 in Washington, winning 4-3 in overtime, 5-4. The leading scorers for the Blue Jackets are James Wisniewski (2 G, 11 A) and Brandon Dubinsky (4 G, 9A). Healthy scratch David Savard remains the club's plus/minus leader (+4). The lines for tonight's game, courtesy of bluejackets.nhl.com:
Dubinsky - Johansen - Atkinson
Umberger - Anisimov - Gaborik
MacKenzie - Letestu - Comeau
Collins - Chaput - Boll
Tyutin - Johnson
Murray - Wisniewski
Nikitin - Prout
Bobrovsky
The Prediction:
The Blue Jackets need to keep their intensity for a full 60 minutes. They also need to keep in check the Caps' big guns, Ovechkin and Backstrom, while not allowing Noted-Jacket-Killer Martin Erat to have a good night (he tallied 3 assists in the game on October 19th). The Jackets need to get traffic in front of Braden Holtby, and take advantage of deflections and rebounds to sneak pucks by. Get everything working together, and this is a winnable game, and one that they really need to have to help their position in the standings as they face another Metropolitan Division opponent.
Capitals win, 4-3
The Capitals come into tonight's game having lost their last two games, and with a record of 9-8-1 overall. They are 6-3-0 at home so far this year, including a win over the Blue Jackets on October 19th by a 4-1 margin. They Caps are lead by 20 points each from Alexander Ovechkin (13 G, 7 A) and Nicklas Backstrom (5 G, 15 A). Mikhail Grabovski leads the Caps in plus/minus (+3) and is one goal shy of 100 for his NHL career.
The Blue Jackets:
The Jackets are coming off a 5-2 victory over the Islanders on Saturday night, including a stretch of three unanswered goals in the 3rd period. The last time that the Blue Jackets beat the Caps was November 1, 2009 in Washington, winning 4-3 in overtime, 5-4. The leading scorers for the Blue Jackets are James Wisniewski (2 G, 11 A) and Brandon Dubinsky (4 G, 9A). Healthy scratch David Savard remains the club's plus/minus leader (+4). The lines for tonight's game, courtesy of bluejackets.nhl.com:
Dubinsky - Johansen - Atkinson
Umberger - Anisimov - Gaborik
MacKenzie - Letestu - Comeau
Collins - Chaput - Boll
Tyutin - Johnson
Murray - Wisniewski
Nikitin - Prout
Bobrovsky
The Prediction:
The Blue Jackets need to keep their intensity for a full 60 minutes. They also need to keep in check the Caps' big guns, Ovechkin and Backstrom, while not allowing Noted-Jacket-Killer Martin Erat to have a good night (he tallied 3 assists in the game on October 19th). The Jackets need to get traffic in front of Braden Holtby, and take advantage of deflections and rebounds to sneak pucks by. Get everything working together, and this is a winnable game, and one that they really need to have to help their position in the standings as they face another Metropolitan Division opponent.
Capitals win, 4-3
Game 16 in Review - Blue Jackets 5, Islanders 2
The Good:
"Dams" breaking - The Blue Jackets scored 5 times, from 5 different players, including 3 unanswered in the third period, to win the game. After struggling to find the net in the last 5 games, this was a welcome sight. Surely this game was a relief for a number of the Jackets players as they saw long-denied offensive success. While some players are still on the schneid, seeing goals from R.J. Umberger, Cam Atkinson and James Wisniewski on this night helped to buoy the spirits of the faithful. Also, the power play was 2-for-4, a much better showing than in recent games.
The Bad:
Passing still needs to get better, though it was improved on the night. Also, while the second period was closer to what we would want to see in a full-60 effort, it still needs to improve, as well. But the fact that these are getting better is a good sign.
The Ugly:
Well, there wasn't anything that was really grossly awful about this game. The one thing that doesn't seem to be getting better as quickly as it needs to, is clearing obstructions from in front of the net. The Jackets need to improve upon this, or they will continue to struggle, especially against better teams with more talented scorers.
Blue Jackets Player of the Game:
I'm going to go against the trend from Saturday night and award this to Brandon Dubinsky. His early power play goal (which really had almost no business going into the net) lit the spark that burned throughout the game. He ended the night with 1 goal and 2 assists and a share of the team scoring lead. He's proven himself to be a leader on the ice and off. An honorable mention to Ryan Johansen, the in-house First Star, who also had a goal and two assists on the game, and catapulted himself to a tie for third on the team in scoring. This is the player that Scott Howson thought he was picking with the 4th overall pick. Sharing a line with Cam Atkinson has really improved his game, and the two of them seem to create a lot of chances for one another.
Looking Ahead:
The next opponent for the Blue Jackets is the Washington Capitals, at the Verizon Center in DC, on Tuesday night. The two teams previously faced each other in Washington on October 19th, capping off the team's poor road swing through the northeast, losing 4-1. In that game, Noted-Jacket-Killer Martin Erat had 3 assists for the Caps. This will be the last trip to DC for the Blue Jackets, who have not beating the Capitals since a 5-4 overtime win on November 1, 2009 in Washington.
Record: 6-10-0, 12 pts., 7th in the Metropolitan Division
"Dams" breaking - The Blue Jackets scored 5 times, from 5 different players, including 3 unanswered in the third period, to win the game. After struggling to find the net in the last 5 games, this was a welcome sight. Surely this game was a relief for a number of the Jackets players as they saw long-denied offensive success. While some players are still on the schneid, seeing goals from R.J. Umberger, Cam Atkinson and James Wisniewski on this night helped to buoy the spirits of the faithful. Also, the power play was 2-for-4, a much better showing than in recent games.
The Bad:
Passing still needs to get better, though it was improved on the night. Also, while the second period was closer to what we would want to see in a full-60 effort, it still needs to improve, as well. But the fact that these are getting better is a good sign.
The Ugly:
Well, there wasn't anything that was really grossly awful about this game. The one thing that doesn't seem to be getting better as quickly as it needs to, is clearing obstructions from in front of the net. The Jackets need to improve upon this, or they will continue to struggle, especially against better teams with more talented scorers.
Blue Jackets Player of the Game:
I'm going to go against the trend from Saturday night and award this to Brandon Dubinsky. His early power play goal (which really had almost no business going into the net) lit the spark that burned throughout the game. He ended the night with 1 goal and 2 assists and a share of the team scoring lead. He's proven himself to be a leader on the ice and off. An honorable mention to Ryan Johansen, the in-house First Star, who also had a goal and two assists on the game, and catapulted himself to a tie for third on the team in scoring. This is the player that Scott Howson thought he was picking with the 4th overall pick. Sharing a line with Cam Atkinson has really improved his game, and the two of them seem to create a lot of chances for one another.
Looking Ahead:
The next opponent for the Blue Jackets is the Washington Capitals, at the Verizon Center in DC, on Tuesday night. The two teams previously faced each other in Washington on October 19th, capping off the team's poor road swing through the northeast, losing 4-1. In that game, Noted-Jacket-Killer Martin Erat had 3 assists for the Caps. This will be the last trip to DC for the Blue Jackets, who have not beating the Capitals since a 5-4 overtime win on November 1, 2009 in Washington.
Record: 6-10-0, 12 pts., 7th in the Metropolitan Division
09 November 2013
Game 16 Preview - Columbus Blue Jackets vs. New York Islanders - 11/9/2013
The Opponent:
The Blue Jackets will be facing the New York Islanders for the second time this season. They won the first meeting, on Long Island, 3-2 in a shootout. The Isles are currently struggling as they come into the game, going 4-5-1 in their last 10 games and losing 2 straight. Their most recent loss came at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes on the road, 1-0. The Islanders' top scorer is Kyle Okposo with 5 goals and 14 assists for 19 points. Frans Nielsen leads the Isles in goals with 8 goals through 16 games. Okposo leads in plus/minus with a +7. Top goalie Evgeni Nabokov has been having an average-at-best season with a 3.18 GAA and .897 saves percentage.
The Blue Jackets:
If there is a must-win situation at this point in the season, the Jackets are in it. They've lost 5 in a row and are playing the last game in a 8-of-9-at-home stretch that has been, in a word, disappointing. Attendance for Thursday sank to the 11,000-level as fans have started to mutter "same old Jackets". They need to break out of the funk, otherwise they could find themselves at the bottom of the Metropolitan after tonight, as the Flyers are taking on the Oilers. Probable lines for tonight, courtesy of bluejackets.nhl.com:
Dubinsky-Johansen-Atkinson
Umberger-Anisimov-Gaborik
Mackenzie-Letestu-Comeau
Collins-Chaput-Boll
Tyutin-Johnson
Murray-Wisniewski
Prout-Nikitin
Bobrovsky
Inexplicably, it appears that David Savard is being scratched again in favor of three defensemen who probably deserve to sit before he does, with Nikita Nikitin heading that list.
The Prediction:
Both teams are struggling and really need the win tonight. The question is which team will do the best job in answering the bell. The Blue Jackets have the better goalie, but the Isles are more sound in the defensive zone. This should be a close game, and could come down to a shootout as the previous match-up between these teams did.
Jackets win, 4-2
The Blue Jackets will be facing the New York Islanders for the second time this season. They won the first meeting, on Long Island, 3-2 in a shootout. The Isles are currently struggling as they come into the game, going 4-5-1 in their last 10 games and losing 2 straight. Their most recent loss came at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes on the road, 1-0. The Islanders' top scorer is Kyle Okposo with 5 goals and 14 assists for 19 points. Frans Nielsen leads the Isles in goals with 8 goals through 16 games. Okposo leads in plus/minus with a +7. Top goalie Evgeni Nabokov has been having an average-at-best season with a 3.18 GAA and .897 saves percentage.
The Blue Jackets:
If there is a must-win situation at this point in the season, the Jackets are in it. They've lost 5 in a row and are playing the last game in a 8-of-9-at-home stretch that has been, in a word, disappointing. Attendance for Thursday sank to the 11,000-level as fans have started to mutter "same old Jackets". They need to break out of the funk, otherwise they could find themselves at the bottom of the Metropolitan after tonight, as the Flyers are taking on the Oilers. Probable lines for tonight, courtesy of bluejackets.nhl.com:
Dubinsky-Johansen-Atkinson
Umberger-Anisimov-Gaborik
Mackenzie-Letestu-Comeau
Collins-Chaput-Boll
Tyutin-Johnson
Murray-Wisniewski
Prout-Nikitin
Bobrovsky
Inexplicably, it appears that David Savard is being scratched again in favor of three defensemen who probably deserve to sit before he does, with Nikita Nikitin heading that list.
The Prediction:
Both teams are struggling and really need the win tonight. The question is which team will do the best job in answering the bell. The Blue Jackets have the better goalie, but the Isles are more sound in the defensive zone. This should be a close game, and could come down to a shootout as the previous match-up between these teams did.
Jackets win, 4-2
Game 15 in review - Blue Jackets 2, New York Rangers 4
The Good:
Sergei Bobrovsky back in net - Say what you will about the struggles the "top cop" has suffered this season, and there have been some (which are probably as much or more due to poor defense than to anything that Bobrovsky is doing or not doing), but having him back in net was a welcome sight, and he performed admirably. The game-winning goal was scored on him by his own defense, and the other goal in the margin was an empty-net marker that never would have happened without the own-goal. The second goal was a little on the weak side, but every goalie gives up a goal that they wish they could have back once in a while, so I'm not going to fault him, especially since he was having to shake off some rust.
The ex-Rangers - This especially holds true for Artёm Anisimov and Brandon Dubinsky, but even Marian Gaborik had a strong showing, and Fedor Tyutin got the first goal of the night for the Blue Jackets. All of the Jackets players who have played for the Rangers had strong showings, and they may well have been the best Blue Jackets players on the night.
The Bad:
The defense - And I'm going to harp on this and harp on this until things change. The missed passes, the unmanned points, the opponents milling about in front of our net without being checked...these are FUNDAMENTAL mistakes and they cannot be allowed to continue. There have been four defensemen who seem to be untouchable in terms of healthy scratches so far this season. Of those four, only one has consistently earned that level of impunity, and he's the rookie. Healthy scratches need to come, to put players on notice, and the place I would start is with Jack Johnson. He had been mentioned before the season by many as a possible captain for this team, and he hasn't even proven himself as the leader of the defensive corps. Maybe a night or two spent on the Press Level will re-light his fire. And in showing that even top defenders will be held to account for their lackadaisical play, the entire corps will respond.
The Ugly:
The own-goal - The scoresheet officially records it as an unassisted goal by Carl Hagelin, but it was really scored by Mark Letestu, with an assist to Nikita Nikitin. It's this kind of ineptitude in our own end that has been killing the Blue Jackets in this 5-game losing streak. And I've always felt that the NHL should score own-goals as own-goals rather than a goal to the last guy to touch it. Maybe exempt unintentional deflections so that a guy taking a heavy shot that just barely gets redirected isn't penalized, but for something that's a howler on this level, the responsible parties on the defensive side are the only ones who deserve any sort of "credit" for the goal.
Blue Jackets Player of the Game:
Fedor Tyutin - Tyuts played on of the most "inspired" games, not only of this season, but probably of his career in Union Blue. He got the first goal of the game for the Jackets, and he was buzzing around, doling out strong hits and breaking up passes. When you play a game like that, I'm going to reward you. Congrats, Tyuts, and keep up the good work.
Looking Ahead:
The Jackets will face the New York Islanders for the second time this season on Saturday night. It will be the Isles' first visit to Nationwide in the Metropolitan Division era. The Blue Jackets won the first meeting between the clubs at the Nassau County Veterans Memorial Coliseum in the second game of the season after going to a shoot-out. Since that game the Isles have traded Matt Moulson to the Sabres for Tomas Vanek. The Isles have struggles almost as badly of late as the Blue Jackets, going 4-5-1 in their last ten and losing the last two.
Record - 5-10-0, 10 pts. 7th in the Metropolitan Division
Sergei Bobrovsky back in net - Say what you will about the struggles the "top cop" has suffered this season, and there have been some (which are probably as much or more due to poor defense than to anything that Bobrovsky is doing or not doing), but having him back in net was a welcome sight, and he performed admirably. The game-winning goal was scored on him by his own defense, and the other goal in the margin was an empty-net marker that never would have happened without the own-goal. The second goal was a little on the weak side, but every goalie gives up a goal that they wish they could have back once in a while, so I'm not going to fault him, especially since he was having to shake off some rust.
The ex-Rangers - This especially holds true for Artёm Anisimov and Brandon Dubinsky, but even Marian Gaborik had a strong showing, and Fedor Tyutin got the first goal of the night for the Blue Jackets. All of the Jackets players who have played for the Rangers had strong showings, and they may well have been the best Blue Jackets players on the night.
The Bad:
The defense - And I'm going to harp on this and harp on this until things change. The missed passes, the unmanned points, the opponents milling about in front of our net without being checked...these are FUNDAMENTAL mistakes and they cannot be allowed to continue. There have been four defensemen who seem to be untouchable in terms of healthy scratches so far this season. Of those four, only one has consistently earned that level of impunity, and he's the rookie. Healthy scratches need to come, to put players on notice, and the place I would start is with Jack Johnson. He had been mentioned before the season by many as a possible captain for this team, and he hasn't even proven himself as the leader of the defensive corps. Maybe a night or two spent on the Press Level will re-light his fire. And in showing that even top defenders will be held to account for their lackadaisical play, the entire corps will respond.
The Ugly:
The own-goal - The scoresheet officially records it as an unassisted goal by Carl Hagelin, but it was really scored by Mark Letestu, with an assist to Nikita Nikitin. It's this kind of ineptitude in our own end that has been killing the Blue Jackets in this 5-game losing streak. And I've always felt that the NHL should score own-goals as own-goals rather than a goal to the last guy to touch it. Maybe exempt unintentional deflections so that a guy taking a heavy shot that just barely gets redirected isn't penalized, but for something that's a howler on this level, the responsible parties on the defensive side are the only ones who deserve any sort of "credit" for the goal.
Blue Jackets Player of the Game:
Fedor Tyutin - Tyuts played on of the most "inspired" games, not only of this season, but probably of his career in Union Blue. He got the first goal of the game for the Jackets, and he was buzzing around, doling out strong hits and breaking up passes. When you play a game like that, I'm going to reward you. Congrats, Tyuts, and keep up the good work.
Looking Ahead:
The Jackets will face the New York Islanders for the second time this season on Saturday night. It will be the Isles' first visit to Nationwide in the Metropolitan Division era. The Blue Jackets won the first meeting between the clubs at the Nassau County Veterans Memorial Coliseum in the second game of the season after going to a shoot-out. Since that game the Isles have traded Matt Moulson to the Sabres for Tomas Vanek. The Isles have struggles almost as badly of late as the Blue Jackets, going 4-5-1 in their last ten and losing the last two.
Record - 5-10-0, 10 pts. 7th in the Metropolitan Division
07 November 2013
Game 15 Preview - Blue Jackets vs. New York Rangers - 11/7/2013
(Sorry for the lateness. It was payday today and I needed to spend my new-found "wealth" on groceries.)
The Opponent:
I'm not going to make this too fancy or involved. The opponent tonight, the New York Rangers, used to be us, and we used to be them. Or so it seems, with 8 players having been exchanged between the sides since they last met. The biggest matters of note for the Rangers are the absence of Rick Nash (concussion) and Henrik Lundqvist from the lineup. But the Rangers will have Derrick Brassard, Derek Dorsett, John Moore and Anton Stralman in the lineup in front of the former home-crowd. The Rangers also have Ohio native (East Palestine; near Youngstown) J. T. Miller in the mix for the game; his first in Columbus. Cam Talbot gets the start in net for the Blueshirts in the first divisional matchup between the teams.
The Blue Jackets:
The Jackets are coming into the game with more lineup juggling from the coaching staff. Notably, Nick Foligno and David Savard return to the ice, while Sean Collins and Dalton Prout sit. Sergei Bobrovsky will return to the net as well for the Union Blue. They look to improve on recent performances, having lost their last four games. The team points lead remains shared between Marian Gaborik (5 G, 5 A) and James Wisniewski (1 G, 9 A). No projected lines were released prior to game time.
The Prediction:
The Blue Jackets really need to correct the mistakes they have fallen into. They have to pursue the puck, block shots, clear opponents away from Bobrovsky, and get into the greasy areas in the offensive zone. Special teams need to improve, as well. After starting the season strong on both the power play and the penalty kill, now the team has been struggling on the uneven situations. With improvement in these areas (and it's a lot more than it looks like just lid out like this), good things should happen. They also need to do better at shooting at the places the keeper isn't, and players in the area in front of the crease need to attempt more deflections. And they cannot take the Rangers lightly; they are coming off a 5-1 win in Pittsburgh last night.
Rangers win, 4-3
The Opponent:
I'm not going to make this too fancy or involved. The opponent tonight, the New York Rangers, used to be us, and we used to be them. Or so it seems, with 8 players having been exchanged between the sides since they last met. The biggest matters of note for the Rangers are the absence of Rick Nash (concussion) and Henrik Lundqvist from the lineup. But the Rangers will have Derrick Brassard, Derek Dorsett, John Moore and Anton Stralman in the lineup in front of the former home-crowd. The Rangers also have Ohio native (East Palestine; near Youngstown) J. T. Miller in the mix for the game; his first in Columbus. Cam Talbot gets the start in net for the Blueshirts in the first divisional matchup between the teams.
The Blue Jackets:
The Jackets are coming into the game with more lineup juggling from the coaching staff. Notably, Nick Foligno and David Savard return to the ice, while Sean Collins and Dalton Prout sit. Sergei Bobrovsky will return to the net as well for the Union Blue. They look to improve on recent performances, having lost their last four games. The team points lead remains shared between Marian Gaborik (5 G, 5 A) and James Wisniewski (1 G, 9 A). No projected lines were released prior to game time.
The Prediction:
The Blue Jackets really need to correct the mistakes they have fallen into. They have to pursue the puck, block shots, clear opponents away from Bobrovsky, and get into the greasy areas in the offensive zone. Special teams need to improve, as well. After starting the season strong on both the power play and the penalty kill, now the team has been struggling on the uneven situations. With improvement in these areas (and it's a lot more than it looks like just lid out like this), good things should happen. They also need to do better at shooting at the places the keeper isn't, and players in the area in front of the crease need to attempt more deflections. And they cannot take the Rangers lightly; they are coming off a 5-1 win in Pittsburgh last night.
Rangers win, 4-3
Game 14 in Review - Blue Jackets 1, Senators 4
The Good:
The best thing about this game was the one goal, scored by R. J. Umberger, getting his second goal of the season. There was also continued strong blue line play from Ryan Murray.
The Bad:
Just about everything else. Too much of the defense standing around, or being out of position in the offensive zone. Too many no-look pass attempts. Too many guys grinding their sticks to sawdust as they try to make goals happen, but simply fire into bodies or just outside of the frame. Too many soft rebounds given up in net.
The Ugly:
Lineup selection. There was no good reason to keep Sergei Bobrovsky out for a second straight game, nor was there a good reason for keeping David Savard out in favor of any of at least three, if not four, of the defensemen who played on the night. When things went down for the night, adjustments weren't made to fix the deficiencies. There needs to be more urgency to set things right during the game rather than before the next one.
Blue Jackets Player of the Game:
Ryan Murray continues to be the strongest, steadiest defenseman on the team. He stays at the point in the offensive zone when the Jackets have clear possession. When needed, he goes into tie-ups on the board and fights for the puck, many of which he wins. In the absence of any outstanding play on the part of the forwards, expect to see Murray regularly mentioned at the game's top player.
Looking Ahead:
Next up for the Jackets are the New York Rangers, and it will see the return of Derrick Brassard, John Moore and Derek Dorsett to Nationwide ice. The Rangers are winners of 4 of their last 5, and are coming in as one of the hottest teams in the league.
Record - 5-9-0, 10 pts., 6th in the Metropolitan Division
The best thing about this game was the one goal, scored by R. J. Umberger, getting his second goal of the season. There was also continued strong blue line play from Ryan Murray.
The Bad:
Just about everything else. Too much of the defense standing around, or being out of position in the offensive zone. Too many no-look pass attempts. Too many guys grinding their sticks to sawdust as they try to make goals happen, but simply fire into bodies or just outside of the frame. Too many soft rebounds given up in net.
The Ugly:
Lineup selection. There was no good reason to keep Sergei Bobrovsky out for a second straight game, nor was there a good reason for keeping David Savard out in favor of any of at least three, if not four, of the defensemen who played on the night. When things went down for the night, adjustments weren't made to fix the deficiencies. There needs to be more urgency to set things right during the game rather than before the next one.
Blue Jackets Player of the Game:
Ryan Murray continues to be the strongest, steadiest defenseman on the team. He stays at the point in the offensive zone when the Jackets have clear possession. When needed, he goes into tie-ups on the board and fights for the puck, many of which he wins. In the absence of any outstanding play on the part of the forwards, expect to see Murray regularly mentioned at the game's top player.
Looking Ahead:
Next up for the Jackets are the New York Rangers, and it will see the return of Derrick Brassard, John Moore and Derek Dorsett to Nationwide ice. The Rangers are winners of 4 of their last 5, and are coming in as one of the hottest teams in the league.
Record - 5-9-0, 10 pts., 6th in the Metropolitan Division
05 November 2013
Game 14 Preview - Blue Jackets vs. Ottawa Senators - 11/5/2013
The Opponent:
The Blue Jackets face the Ottawa Senators for the first time in 2013-14 tonight. The Sens are coming off a 4-3 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars on Sunday night. More than just the game, the Sens lost goalie Craig Anderson to injury in the overtime period, with Robin Lehner expected to step in to start tonight. The Sens are led by Eric Karlsson's 15 points (4 goals, 11 assists) and 8 goals each from Jason Spezza and noted Jacket-killer Bobby Ryan. Left-winger Clarke MacArthur tops the Sens in plus/minus at +8. The lines according to senators.nhl.com:
The Jackets:
The Blue Jackets seek to end a three-game skid tonight, coming off an uninspired, uninspiring performance against the Penguins in a home-and-home series Friday and Saturday nights. In fact, you know it's bad when the thing that has most incited the Blue Jackets' fans in the last 9 days has been the interview that defenseman Fedor Tyutin gave to R-Sport (a Russian sports media outlet) concerning the arrest and charges pressed against Colorado Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov (basically stating that he feels that the charges, and American laws on domestic violence issues, were unfair -- that there's some sort of gray area in getting drunk and throwing your girlfriend into the car against her will, and driving off). The Jackets continue to be led by Marian Gaborik's 5 goals and 10 points. Defenseman James Wisniewski has joined him in the double-digit club with 1 goal and 9 assists. David Savard continues to lead in plus/minus at +5 despite (or perhaps because of) a healthy scratch on Saturday night. Projected lines for tonight, per bluejackets.nhl.com:
Anisimov - Dubinsky - Gaborik
Atkinson - Johanssen - Umberger
Letestu - MacKenzie - Comeau
Collins - Chaput - Boll
Tyutin - Wisniewski
Murray - Johnson
Nikitin - Prout
McElhinney
The Prediction:
The team is going to have to step it up and play a stronger, full-60 game than they have in the last three games. Lehner has a 2.73 GAA, which means there should be plenty opportunity to score and get the game in their favor. The question is whether or not they have the hunger to do so.
Blue Jackets win, 4-3/SO
The Blue Jackets face the Ottawa Senators for the first time in 2013-14 tonight. The Sens are coming off a 4-3 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars on Sunday night. More than just the game, the Sens lost goalie Craig Anderson to injury in the overtime period, with Robin Lehner expected to step in to start tonight. The Sens are led by Eric Karlsson's 15 points (4 goals, 11 assists) and 8 goals each from Jason Spezza and noted Jacket-killer Bobby Ryan. Left-winger Clarke MacArthur tops the Sens in plus/minus at +8. The lines according to senators.nhl.com:
MacArthur - Turris - Ryan
Greening - Spezza - Zibanejad
Michalek - Smith - Neil
Kassian - Grant - Conacher
Cowen - Karlsson
Methot - Borowiecki
Phillips - Gryba
Lehner
The Jackets:
The Blue Jackets seek to end a three-game skid tonight, coming off an uninspired, uninspiring performance against the Penguins in a home-and-home series Friday and Saturday nights. In fact, you know it's bad when the thing that has most incited the Blue Jackets' fans in the last 9 days has been the interview that defenseman Fedor Tyutin gave to R-Sport (a Russian sports media outlet) concerning the arrest and charges pressed against Colorado Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov (basically stating that he feels that the charges, and American laws on domestic violence issues, were unfair -- that there's some sort of gray area in getting drunk and throwing your girlfriend into the car against her will, and driving off). The Jackets continue to be led by Marian Gaborik's 5 goals and 10 points. Defenseman James Wisniewski has joined him in the double-digit club with 1 goal and 9 assists. David Savard continues to lead in plus/minus at +5 despite (or perhaps because of) a healthy scratch on Saturday night. Projected lines for tonight, per bluejackets.nhl.com:
Anisimov - Dubinsky - Gaborik
Atkinson - Johanssen - Umberger
Letestu - MacKenzie - Comeau
Collins - Chaput - Boll
Tyutin - Wisniewski
Murray - Johnson
Nikitin - Prout
McElhinney
The Prediction:
The team is going to have to step it up and play a stronger, full-60 game than they have in the last three games. Lehner has a 2.73 GAA, which means there should be plenty opportunity to score and get the game in their favor. The question is whether or not they have the hunger to do so.
Blue Jackets win, 4-3/SO
Game 13 in Review - Blue Jackets 0, Penguins 3
The Good:
Still searching...keeping Crosby from getting a goal? Getting the All-Star Game back in 2015? All seem pretty hollow for "the good", though. Maybe the way Ryan Murray was fighting for pucks along the boards, and never being intimidated by who he may have to take on.
The Bad:
The Blue Jackets played a wholly uninspired game. While never bad, they were never good, either. They simply were. The sad thing in all of this is the fact that the crowd was trying to will the team to better play, they were drowning out multiple attempts to start up a "Let's Go Pens" chant in the fairly evenly divided crowd. But the team let the fans down by not stepping up to match their efforts. They can only do that so many times before losing the fans once again, and they are running up against the limit of the goodwill that last season had built.
The Ugly:
Being shut out - Even worse than just being shut out in this game was the fact that the Blue Jackets were shut out by a backup goalie who came into the game with a 5.04 GAA and a .818 saves percentage. That, truly, was unacceptable. The Jackets should have been licking their chops at the opportunity to face this keeper and to put up big numbers against him. They failed utterly in the effort. And there were only a handful of good, solid scoring chances.
Blue Jackets Player of the Game:
Ryan Murray, who in both games against the Penguins over the weekend played the best defense of any of the Blue Jackets' defensive corps. He fought for pucks on the boards, which has been something that has been largely absent from the performances of the defense. He went toe-to-toe with the player most consider the best active NHL player and kept him off of the scoresheet for the most part. He has proven to be the star of the 2012 draft class so far. Now, if this rookie could only embarrass the veterans sharing the blue line with him into stepping their games up.
Looking Ahead:
The road grows no easier as the Jackets take on Ottawa on Tuesday night. The Sens have lost long-time captain Daniel Alfredsson, but they still have a strong club with Jason Spezza wearing the C this season. The Blue Jackets will need to bring their best game to avoid taking another loss.
Record: 5-8-0, 10 pts., 6th in the Metropolitan Division
02 November 2013
Game 13 preview - Blue Jackets vs. Pittsburgh Penguins - 11/2/2013
Lucky Game Number 13...let's take a look.
The Opponent:
As last night, the Blue Jackets are facing the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Pens survived a strong Blue Jackets' first period last night on the outstanding goaltending of Marc-Andre Fleury, and came out in the second period with a vengeance. They chased Sergei Bobrovsky, who had one of his worst starts in the Union Blue, and got another past backup Curtis McElhinney before things settled down. There were no significant losses by the Pens and they are not expected to get anyone back, so the skaters and their lines should remain largely unchanged over last night. There is no definite word on who will be in net for the Pens, though Coach Dan Bylsma has stated earlier in the week that he would like to get both goalies some action this weekend, which would indicate that Jeff Zatkoff could be in net for the Black and Gold.
The Blue Jackets:
There will be a couple of lineup changes for the Union Blue tonight as they seek to erase the memory of the disappointing loss last night. The first was anticipated as Curtis McElhinney will get his second start of the season in net. This had only fallen into a slight doubt after McElhinney play a little more than half of the game last night in relief of Bobrovsky, but Coach Todd Richards has confirmed that McElhinney will get the start. The other lineup change is a mild surprise as Nikita Nikitin will return to the lineup, but no scratch has been named for the Jackets at this time. Anticipate that the scratch will be Dalton Prout, however.
Projected lines:
Foligno-Anisimov-Gaborik
Letestu-Dubinsky-Atkinson
Comeau-Johansen-Umberger
Chaput-MacKenzie-Boll
Tyutin-Prout/Nikitin
Murray-Wisniewski
Johnson-Savard
McElhinney
The Prediction:
How many times can I say in this section that the Jackets need to play a full 60-minute game. If they do, they can beat any team in the league, and that includes the Pens. But playing only the first and last 20 is a recipe for disaster. So the Jackets need to come out strong and stay strong for the whole game. No playing on their heels for any length. With Zatkoff in net tonight carrying brutal stats (0-2-0, 5.04 GAA, .818 saves percentage), this is a wonderful opportunity for the Jackets to rebound from a tough loss last night.
Blue Jackets win, 5-3
The Opponent:
As last night, the Blue Jackets are facing the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Pens survived a strong Blue Jackets' first period last night on the outstanding goaltending of Marc-Andre Fleury, and came out in the second period with a vengeance. They chased Sergei Bobrovsky, who had one of his worst starts in the Union Blue, and got another past backup Curtis McElhinney before things settled down. There were no significant losses by the Pens and they are not expected to get anyone back, so the skaters and their lines should remain largely unchanged over last night. There is no definite word on who will be in net for the Pens, though Coach Dan Bylsma has stated earlier in the week that he would like to get both goalies some action this weekend, which would indicate that Jeff Zatkoff could be in net for the Black and Gold.
The Blue Jackets:
There will be a couple of lineup changes for the Union Blue tonight as they seek to erase the memory of the disappointing loss last night. The first was anticipated as Curtis McElhinney will get his second start of the season in net. This had only fallen into a slight doubt after McElhinney play a little more than half of the game last night in relief of Bobrovsky, but Coach Todd Richards has confirmed that McElhinney will get the start. The other lineup change is a mild surprise as Nikita Nikitin will return to the lineup, but no scratch has been named for the Jackets at this time. Anticipate that the scratch will be Dalton Prout, however.
Projected lines:
Foligno-Anisimov-Gaborik
Letestu-Dubinsky-Atkinson
Comeau-Johansen-Umberger
Chaput-MacKenzie-Boll
Tyutin-Prout/Nikitin
Murray-Wisniewski
Johnson-Savard
McElhinney
The Prediction:
How many times can I say in this section that the Jackets need to play a full 60-minute game. If they do, they can beat any team in the league, and that includes the Pens. But playing only the first and last 20 is a recipe for disaster. So the Jackets need to come out strong and stay strong for the whole game. No playing on their heels for any length. With Zatkoff in net tonight carrying brutal stats (0-2-0, 5.04 GAA, .818 saves percentage), this is a wonderful opportunity for the Jackets to rebound from a tough loss last night.
Blue Jackets win, 5-3
Game 12 in Review - Blue Jackets 2, Penguins 4
The Good;
The first and third periods - The Blue Jackets managed to keep the Pens forwards to the outside of the offensive zone and were getting good looks and good efforts in the Penguins end. If not for Marc-Andre Fleury's superb goaltending, the score at the intermission could have been 3-1 to the Blue Jackets instead of 1-0 to the Pens. And all of that being said, the Jackets DID get on the scoreboard twice in the third period, and while it would be easy to dismiss Ryan Johansen's goal as a "garbage time" goal, coming with about 2 and a half minutes left and a 3-goal differential, the shot itself was pro level and Fleury just got beaten.
The Bad:
Shot selection - The Blue Jackets were outshooting the Penguins in every period of the game, including a 16-9 advantage in the first period. The problem is that too many of the shots are being sent directly at the goalie, and there wasn't anybody there in front to deflect shots or collect rebounds. If you're going to take those long shots at the net, you need to have at least one guy down in the greasy areas to help you out. This needs to improve before this team can join the upper echelons of the NHL.
The Ugly:
The second period - The less said, the better. The Blue Jackets have had a terrible tendency to come out for the second and play really flat. If the team wants to succeed, they will need to give a full 60 minute effort every night. These second period doldrums have become a point of contention for the Blue Jackets faithful. And after last night, the less they remember about that particular second the better. In fact, the one thing they want to remember is the sting of a truly embarrassing period of hockey that included the pulling of Sergei Bobrovsky when the Pens went up 3-0.
Looking Ahead:
Just as two weeks ago, the Jackets are lucky enough to have little time for dwelling on the bad loss as they have to come back the next day and put on a strong show for the home crowd. In this case both combatants move the front lines west three hours to Columbus as the Jackets will face the Penguins once again. And while the game will be a home game, it will prove to be a pretty heavily mixed crowd due to the proximity to the opponent's home base and the number of Columbusites who were Pens fans before the NHL came to town.
Record - 5-7-0, 10 pts., 6th in the Metropolitan Division
The first and third periods - The Blue Jackets managed to keep the Pens forwards to the outside of the offensive zone and were getting good looks and good efforts in the Penguins end. If not for Marc-Andre Fleury's superb goaltending, the score at the intermission could have been 3-1 to the Blue Jackets instead of 1-0 to the Pens. And all of that being said, the Jackets DID get on the scoreboard twice in the third period, and while it would be easy to dismiss Ryan Johansen's goal as a "garbage time" goal, coming with about 2 and a half minutes left and a 3-goal differential, the shot itself was pro level and Fleury just got beaten.
The Bad:
Shot selection - The Blue Jackets were outshooting the Penguins in every period of the game, including a 16-9 advantage in the first period. The problem is that too many of the shots are being sent directly at the goalie, and there wasn't anybody there in front to deflect shots or collect rebounds. If you're going to take those long shots at the net, you need to have at least one guy down in the greasy areas to help you out. This needs to improve before this team can join the upper echelons of the NHL.
The Ugly:
The second period - The less said, the better. The Blue Jackets have had a terrible tendency to come out for the second and play really flat. If the team wants to succeed, they will need to give a full 60 minute effort every night. These second period doldrums have become a point of contention for the Blue Jackets faithful. And after last night, the less they remember about that particular second the better. In fact, the one thing they want to remember is the sting of a truly embarrassing period of hockey that included the pulling of Sergei Bobrovsky when the Pens went up 3-0.
Looking Ahead:
Just as two weeks ago, the Jackets are lucky enough to have little time for dwelling on the bad loss as they have to come back the next day and put on a strong show for the home crowd. In this case both combatants move the front lines west three hours to Columbus as the Jackets will face the Penguins once again. And while the game will be a home game, it will prove to be a pretty heavily mixed crowd due to the proximity to the opponent's home base and the number of Columbusites who were Pens fans before the NHL came to town.
Record - 5-7-0, 10 pts., 6th in the Metropolitan Division
01 November 2013
Game 12 preview - Blue Jackets at Pittsburgh Penguins - 11/1/2013
The Opponent:
The Jackets will take on the Pittsburgh Penguins in the road half of a classic home-and-home matchup tonight. The Pens lost to the Bruins in the Eastern Conference Finals last season in four straight, and they currently lead the Metropolitan Division by 7 points with a 9-4-0 record. The Pens are led in points and goals by Sidney Crosby (8 goals, 13 assists, 21 points). The plus/minus leader for the Pens is Chris Kunitz at +11. Marc-Andre Fleury will be in net with a 9-2-0 record and a 1.81 GAA.
The Blue Jackets:
The Jackets come off a disappointing end to their homestand against the Ducks on Sunday night. They are 5-6-0 and in 4th in the Metropolitan Division coming into the game. The Jackets' emotional leader is Brandon Dubinsky, who avoided a suspension after being given a game misconduct against the Ducks for a hard hit on Saku Koivu. The statistical leader is Marian Gaborik, with 5 goals, 5 assists and 10 points. David Savard continues to lead in plus/minus at +5. The projected lines for tonight are:
Foligno-Anisimov-Gaborik
Letestu-Dubinsky-Atkinson
Comeau-Johansen-Umberger
Chaput-MacKenzie-Boll
Tyutin-Prout
Murray-Wisniewski
Johnson-Savard
Bobrovsky
The Prediction:
The Jackets will face the team that they hope to build a contentious rivalry with, and as such they need to bring their best game with them to the ice. And as they do, they bring their fathers with them for the annual Fathers' Trip. As such, they will want to do their dads proud in one of the most difficult arenas for a road team to win in. That said, the Jackets beat the Pens in both pre-season matchups between the teams, so the Pens certainly should not be counting the Jackets out.
Pens win, 4-3/SO
The Jackets will take on the Pittsburgh Penguins in the road half of a classic home-and-home matchup tonight. The Pens lost to the Bruins in the Eastern Conference Finals last season in four straight, and they currently lead the Metropolitan Division by 7 points with a 9-4-0 record. The Pens are led in points and goals by Sidney Crosby (8 goals, 13 assists, 21 points). The plus/minus leader for the Pens is Chris Kunitz at +11. Marc-Andre Fleury will be in net with a 9-2-0 record and a 1.81 GAA.
The Blue Jackets:
The Jackets come off a disappointing end to their homestand against the Ducks on Sunday night. They are 5-6-0 and in 4th in the Metropolitan Division coming into the game. The Jackets' emotional leader is Brandon Dubinsky, who avoided a suspension after being given a game misconduct against the Ducks for a hard hit on Saku Koivu. The statistical leader is Marian Gaborik, with 5 goals, 5 assists and 10 points. David Savard continues to lead in plus/minus at +5. The projected lines for tonight are:
Foligno-Anisimov-Gaborik
Letestu-Dubinsky-Atkinson
Comeau-Johansen-Umberger
Chaput-MacKenzie-Boll
Tyutin-Prout
Murray-Wisniewski
Johnson-Savard
Bobrovsky
The Prediction:
The Jackets will face the team that they hope to build a contentious rivalry with, and as such they need to bring their best game with them to the ice. And as they do, they bring their fathers with them for the annual Fathers' Trip. As such, they will want to do their dads proud in one of the most difficult arenas for a road team to win in. That said, the Jackets beat the Pens in both pre-season matchups between the teams, so the Pens certainly should not be counting the Jackets out.
Pens win, 4-3/SO
Game 11 in Review - Blue Jackets 3, Ducks 4
The Good:
The Jackets didn't let down, even through adversity. After falling behind the Ducks 2-1 almost 7 minutes into the 2nd period, they pressured the Ducks and got the equalizer on a short-handed goal by Artёm Anisimov. When team spark-plug Brandon Dubinsky was given a game misconduct for what was judged to be an intentional shot to the head of Saku Koivu the rest of the team picked each other up. After a goal by Anaheim on the ensuing 5-minute power play, the team continued to fight, where previous editions would have folded up and taken the attitude that forces were out to get them. Instead, the Jackets tied it up on Anisimov's second goal of the night (only the second multi-goal game by a Blue Jackets player so far this season). The Jackets were in the game to the end, fighting for the win, and that's a definite improvement over the past.
The Bad:
Over the last 5 seasons or so there have been two names that have shown up on the scoresheet when the Jackets face the Ducks more than others, especially in crucial situations; Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. And on Sunday night it was Corey Perry that sank the dagger in with 2:25 to go. Games when the Jackets reduce the effect these two have on a game, the Jackets come out winners. But on Sunday they allowed the duo to be a constant presence around the net. This needs to be improved with regards to the top players for any team that they Jackets face going forward, in particular this weekend through the home-and-home with Pittsburgh.
The Ugly:
The officiating. Especially on the call that got Dubinsky run. After watching the play at game speed and in replays, I could see the possibility to make the call as it was, but it really bothers me how it happened. The referees did not even signal a penalty immediately after the hit, only decided to call something when Koivu struggled to get up, and only called the misconduct at the direction of a linesman. It's understandable that the league is working to reduce the number of intentional head-shots in an effort to reduce concussions, but as the league's failure to take the opportunity to enforce "supplemental discipline" related to the hit indicates, the penalty paid by Dubinsky, and by the Jackets in losing him for the last 20 and a half minutes of the game, was greater than the hit merited. Especially when the referees were not going to assess anything initially.
Blue Jackets Player of the Game:
No question it's Artёm Anisimov. He had two goals, was a +2, and he stepped into the emotional leadership role that was left behind when Dubinsky was ejected.
Looking Ahead:
Next up is a Friday/Saturday home-and-home with the Pittsburgh Penguins, starting in Pittsburgh. This will be the strongest test of the young season for the Jackets as the face two of the league's top forwards in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
Record: 5-6-0, 10 pts., 4th in the Metropolitan Division.
The Jackets didn't let down, even through adversity. After falling behind the Ducks 2-1 almost 7 minutes into the 2nd period, they pressured the Ducks and got the equalizer on a short-handed goal by Artёm Anisimov. When team spark-plug Brandon Dubinsky was given a game misconduct for what was judged to be an intentional shot to the head of Saku Koivu the rest of the team picked each other up. After a goal by Anaheim on the ensuing 5-minute power play, the team continued to fight, where previous editions would have folded up and taken the attitude that forces were out to get them. Instead, the Jackets tied it up on Anisimov's second goal of the night (only the second multi-goal game by a Blue Jackets player so far this season). The Jackets were in the game to the end, fighting for the win, and that's a definite improvement over the past.
The Bad:
Over the last 5 seasons or so there have been two names that have shown up on the scoresheet when the Jackets face the Ducks more than others, especially in crucial situations; Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. And on Sunday night it was Corey Perry that sank the dagger in with 2:25 to go. Games when the Jackets reduce the effect these two have on a game, the Jackets come out winners. But on Sunday they allowed the duo to be a constant presence around the net. This needs to be improved with regards to the top players for any team that they Jackets face going forward, in particular this weekend through the home-and-home with Pittsburgh.
The Ugly:
The officiating. Especially on the call that got Dubinsky run. After watching the play at game speed and in replays, I could see the possibility to make the call as it was, but it really bothers me how it happened. The referees did not even signal a penalty immediately after the hit, only decided to call something when Koivu struggled to get up, and only called the misconduct at the direction of a linesman. It's understandable that the league is working to reduce the number of intentional head-shots in an effort to reduce concussions, but as the league's failure to take the opportunity to enforce "supplemental discipline" related to the hit indicates, the penalty paid by Dubinsky, and by the Jackets in losing him for the last 20 and a half minutes of the game, was greater than the hit merited. Especially when the referees were not going to assess anything initially.
Blue Jackets Player of the Game:
No question it's Artёm Anisimov. He had two goals, was a +2, and he stepped into the emotional leadership role that was left behind when Dubinsky was ejected.
Looking Ahead:
Next up is a Friday/Saturday home-and-home with the Pittsburgh Penguins, starting in Pittsburgh. This will be the strongest test of the young season for the Jackets as the face two of the league's top forwards in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
Record: 5-6-0, 10 pts., 4th in the Metropolitan Division.
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