Dog Days

As we enter the playing-out-the-string period of the season for bad hockey teams and as if on cue, Jeff Carter earns a trip to the IR with a separated shoulder. Welcome to the hell that is all things Blue Jackets, Mr. Carter. Add that the normally very durable R.J. Umberger is concussed, and the table is set for the long, slow stumble to the draft. Arniel is gone and Todd Richards is in. Good luck, Todd... you'll need it.

Oh yeah, they beat the NHL-owned Coyotes 4-3. Whee!

Too Late

A day after yet another shellacking, this time at the hands of the Kings, the coach lost his job. I suppose there's no point in firing the general manager in the middle of the season, but I would make an exception here. Howson needs to go, and he needs to go now. There's no analysis of the team's situation that doesn't start with a Howson blunder. The irony of St. Louis sitting at the fourth slot in the conference with Hitch at the helm apparently is lost on the Columbus brain trust.

This post seems appropriate to unearth.

Solid

Good game at home against Calgary that ends regulation tied at 1-1. Mason plays a good game, as does Kiprusoff at the other end. Mason makes a clutch glove save with 2 seconds left in overtime to send it to a shoot out. Only one goal in the shoot out - Iginla nets the winner as Wisniewski's shot rings off the post behind Kipper to end the game. Good crowd gets a solid effort, but no win.

The Holiday Spirit

22 points on December 26 - good enough for worst in the league. Losers of four in a row. Unless someone catches fire, no one will score 30 goals or earn 75 points. There is on regular with a favorable plus/minus rating. The winner: Derek MacKenzie. Our top two players, Nash and Wisniewski, are a combined -37. Steve Mason can only be found on a milk carton these days. The holiday spirit these days is bourbon, by the barrel.

Mason Returns

Steve Mason was back in goal after nearly a month in the doghouse, and the Jackets walk away with a 2-1 shootout win against the here-to-fore hot Canucks. It had to gratifying for Mason in stopping 30 shots and beating at-times similarly beleaguered Luongo. Carter had the only goal in regulation for Columbus, netting his sixth and, shockingly, on the power play. 37 shifts and 26+ minutes of ice time for Tyutin. A good win in front of the home crowd.

Everything but the win

Tough loss at home to the hated Nashvillans on Friday night. Trying to follow up on the Tuesday win against Montreal, the Jackets carried the play for 57+ minutes. Unfortunately the Rinnes were ale to score on a 6-on-4 power play with Rinne pulled with 1:30 left. Destiny completed the letdown in overtime as Wlison beat Sanford for the loss. Carter, Vermette and Dorsett scored for the Jackets.

Why We Are What We Are - Columbus is:

27th in power play

28th in penalty killing.

28th in goals per game

27th in goals against

Why does Howson still have his job?

Western Swing

The mini trip out west ended up being a microcosm of the season. The team dropped two of three and finished up the trip by allowing edmonton to net 5 goals in the third. Huselius was activated for the first time this year in that last game. Clearly he will need many games to get himself in game-shape, as his -2 attests. Hate to see a gritty come-from-behind win at Calgary get followed up by the collapse in Edmonton. The team gets a break until Tuesday when they travel to Montreal.

Interesting that after 26 games, Derek MacKenzie leads the team at +6. In stark contrast, the player with the worst ratio on the team? Rick Nash at -14. Hard to believe. High priced free agent Wisniewski is just behind him at -13.