Backing In

Playing well but losing is not exactly the ideal way to make the playoffs, but we'll take what we can get. Mason is keeping them in games, but teh offense, aside from nash, needs to step it up. Two losses (Nashville and Chicago) garner points in the new era of NHL, so hope is alive. 90 points obviously is a great improvement, but there will be no satisfaction without a playoff appearance. Three games left for the Jackets to claim their own spot. Games left: at Chicago, at St. Louis and Minnesota.

Two Big Points

Mason outduels Rinne as the Jackets earn an important victory against Nashville, a team looking up at Columbus in the playoff race. After two weekend losses to the Blues, this game presented Civil War buff Hitchcock with the task to rally the troops and get refocused. Raffi Torres scored the game-winner at 4:05 of the third period and Mason made it stand up. Definitely a playoff atmosphere at Nationwide Arena, the crowd saw both teams put on a show of hard-hitting hockey. Mason played up to the publicity and made some crucial saves in the third period. The teams meet again on Saturday in Nashville.

The win gives Columbus 88 points and leaves them in the sixth seed slot. St. Louis sits in ninth and has 83 points with a game in hand. A win in Nashville should sew up a playoff spot for the Blue Jackets.

Lost Weekend

After dropping two games to the Blues this weekend, the Jackets now cling to their playoff spot. Simply put, the team looked flat in the home game on Sunday. The Blues' Mason outplayed the Columbus' Mason over the weekend home-and-home match up. St. Louis has crept into a playoff spot while the Jackets claim to a spot became tenuous. Was teh team looking ahead to the playoffs? No, I don't believe so. The Blues looked hungrier and played harder - they wanted it more. I give the St. Louis management some credit for keeping their young team focused throughout the season despite the long list of injuries.

The next two games are against Nashville - Tuesday and Saturday. It's time to find out whether the playoff run has run out of gas or not. Let's hope Mason picks up his game. The Columbus crowd needs to pick up the team on Tuesday. Meaningful late season games are what we have wanted. It has been fun so far. Nerve-racking, but fun.

Impressive Win Against teh Flames

“We have a pretty good idea that if we’re in the playoffs this is a team we could be playing, so we wanted to have a good effort. We definitely came forward with it, that’s for sure,” Mason said.

At the risk of over-valuing one game, during the push to the playoffs I think you can consider a 5-0 drubbing of the Flames as a big win. Mason earns his 10th shutout of the season moving behind the rookie record of 15 shutouts set by the great Tony Esposito. 15? That record will stand quite a while. Both Nash and Huselius had four assists each. Goals by: Malhotra, Williams (2), Torres and Umberger. Both of the goals by Williams were on the power play. Columbus won the faceoff battle by a wide margin: 44-24.

The second period was filled with brawls and penalties. Boll and Vandermeer earned game misconduct penalties and the referee issued another 40 minutes in misconduct penalties. Describing the game as chippy would be an understatement. Both teams are in full playoff run mode and blew off some steam.

Last week the television guys interviewed Tony Esposito between periods and it was quite fun. He's a regular guy, a straight shooter. He dismissed the idea that Mason is a one season flash-in-the-pan.

George Lucas Memorial Loss in Tampa
Games notes for this entry. Sloppy looking first period as the Jackets seem a bit off. A late break by Umberger is easily stopped. Flat period for the most part. 2 shots on goal for TB in 1st period.

Shoot the puck! Ahh! Sometimes Huselius drives me crazy. "A little too fancy" said by Gare is an understatement. Later Boll eschews a scoring chance to make that extra pass too. Great flash move to the middle by Nash from the off-wing, but good glove save. The second period starts with 7 minutes of action before the first whistle.

Umberger sets up Voracek with an open net opportunity that is missed. Shortly thereafter McKenna stops Huselius from point blank range on a Columbus PP. Boll wisely doesn't retaliate to a punch to the head and the Jackets get another PP chance. The team looks horrid on the PP: no shots and sloppy play. Terrible period for a team trying to play into the playoffs.

Jackets come out skating hard and fire 8 shots in the first 4 minutes of the period. Hejda's shot from the point is stopped by McKenna but the rebound hits a defender and finds the net for a 1-0 lead. Later Hejda takes a penalty to give the drowning ship a line... and they score. It never fails. Mason screened on the point blast and has no chance to stop Malone's redirect.

Good glove save on a backhand shot. McKenna has done his part for Tampa tonight. St. Louis rings one off the right post behind Mason. Lucky break for Columbus. Late icing by TB leads to a time out with 1:20 remaining.

OT "I have bad feeling about this." Goal knocked in with an obvious high stick called off as a rebound bounces off of Mason's mask and was struck with a high stick. Commodore giveaway in front gives Lecavalier a chance in front, but he shoots wide. Whew. A minute later St. Louis beats Mason on an off-angle, magnificently placed shot that eludes Mason's glove. Outshot 34-17, Tampa wins.

If they play like that against Calgary on Thursday, they'll get run out of the building. Hitchcock has work to do on the day off tomorrow. Not a game you would expect after a two day rest against one of the worst teams in the league.

Focused

Three third period goals power the Jackets to a 3-1 win in Florida. Raffi Torres scored the first two goals to push the jackets to a 2-1 lead and Antoine Vermette added an empty netter to seal the game. Mason was solid again in goal though we should give kudos to the Panthers' Vokoun who faced 37 shots and kept them in the game until the end.

The team kept the faith and, more importantly, kept skating when they could not find the net to finally beat a team they should beat - and that's a great sign for a team that has had in past seasons as one its hallmarks the tendency to fall short when the goings got tough. Big game against Calgary later this week after the Tuesday game against the Lightning. With Stamkos starting to play well, let's hope they don't look past that trap game in Tampa.

OT Win
A fun game to watch as both teams showed spirited play. The Jackets were a bit frustrated as they kept racking up penalties (Tyutiin had four minors) and providing the excellent Chicago power play unit chances. Both goalies looked suspect early then played into form. Each team's penalty killing units had breakaways stopped by the goalies.

After searching I discovered that somehow I never wrote the following: the "On the powerplay!" thing needs to die... now. It seems like a cross to bear for a bad power play team. The players must look forward to hearing that phrase over the P.A. as much as the Obama administration enjoys hearing AIG in the nightly news. Long setup for a bad joke.

Rudy Martzke Memorial Dreaded Glitch Award: Jackets score a goal while TV plays a Quenneville commentary about Martin Brodeur. Dorsett cleans up a Methot shot after a Peca faceoff win in the CHI zone.

Game had its swings as Columbus dominating play suddenly followed by Chicago drumming up scoring chances. Umberger was a tough matcup in the Black Hawk defensive zone all night. Kane stopped by Mason on a delayed penalty situatopn. The kid looks quite nifty tonight - looks like a star-in-the-making (or is he one already?)

Fluky, wild goal by Nash as he fires one in from the corner as a shaky-looking Huet is beaten on a knucklecurve of a goal.
Two 4-on-3 power play chances for Columbus comes up empty. Jason Williams did ring one off the post.
crossbar blast by Jason Williams. Just when Huet looks weak, he makes an unbelievable save to stone Umberger, looking like the ghost of Hasek with octopus legs waving in the air. Early in teh thir period, Mason makes a big save on a CHI PP by sliding across the crease to rob Bolland... or was it Keith? Hard to say as the channel drops off. Ack! Outage for 5 minutes.

The television picture comes back as Huselius rings the post behind Huet. Russell looking great in spots again. Love his skating at times as he has that burst. We need to see that speed more and we will once he gains experience. Dorsett makes a sensational pass from the Chicago right corner that is redirected off the post by Murray. A great hustle play, but no cigar.

Umberger to Vermette for the game winner! Vermette pops Campbell's stick to take the feather pass and finish off the Hawks. Great game for fans as the play was exciting with goals, big hits and some timely goaltending. Nice to grab the two points with only eleven games left. The Jackets have their fate in their own hands. Play solid and grind out wins and they will make the playoffs.

Brodeur

Could not pass up a chance to laud Marin Brodeur's setting the all time vicotry record last night. While passing Patrick Roy was inevitable, a comparison shows Broduer's remarkable run in New Jersey. Brodeur has won 553 times in 987 games. Roy won 551 in 1,029 games.

Some commentators may make an argument for Roy as being the better goalie based on some spectatcular seasons, but my money would be with Brodeur and his three Stanley cups and four Vezinas. Let's hope he stays in goal for at least a few more seasons with the Devils. The league needs good guy stars like Brodeur.

4 for 5

Tough week for me (bad sinus infection), but a good week for the Blue Jackets. In a solid test of the team, they came out shining. Winners of 4 of 5 against tough opponents, Columbus has solidified its position in the Western playoff race despite the loss to Detroit 4-0 on Sunday night. By no means are they locks to make the playoffs, but this stretch hopefully was a sign of things to come.

What we learned is how a change of scenery appears to have inspired Antoine Vermette. He has notched six points since the trade and has been as billed - a speedy, versatile player.

The five: W 8-2 @ DET, W 2-0 BOS, W 4-3 PIT, W 5-3 @ CHI, L 4-0 DET

1 of 5

Crucial stretch of five games starts with a blow out of the Red Wings in Detroit. The Jackets needed this victory, and they played like a team on a mission. The sloppy defense was shored up for the most part and the Captain did what he needs to do for the team to excel - carry it on his back. Nash had a hat trick and Umberger added 2 goals and an assist.

Mason was solid again in goal after cooling off a bit, stopping 44 of 46 shots on goal. Columbus won the close face off battle 33-31. Vermette made his debut and assisted on Jason Williams' goal, his 14th of the season. Osgood got pulled after allowing 7 goals in 23 shots.

Good game and important win, but it's only one game.

The Test

The results from next five games will show the real chances of the Blue Jackets to make the playoffs. All opponents are solid teams, in the playoff hunt or leading conferences. The loss in Nashville had a playoff atmosphere, but the result, a 4-2 loss, brings a sense of urgency to the next eight days. It starts tonight in Detroit.

The next five games: at Detroit, Boston, Pittsburgh, at Chicago and Detroit.

Trades at the Deadline

GM Howson sought to make a move to shore up the glaring weakness of the team - at the center position. The Jackets traded injured goalie Pascal Leclaire and a second-round pick in the 2009 draft to Ottawa for winger Antoine Vermette. Known to be a solid two-way player who possess great speed, Vermette has only nine goals and 19 assists in 62 games this year and is under contract for next season. Howson commented, “He’s a 20-goal guy who’s not having a 20-goal year. Hopefully he’ll provide some energy for us and give us a jolt.” It looks like they will slip him in at center between Nash and Huseilius. We'll see if this winger-turned-center does the trick.

Class act on the way out: “If anybody wants to buy a condo, it’s available,” Leclaire joked.

Today in preparation for the important game against Nashville the team activated off injured reserve defenseman Rostislav Klesla and winger Fredrik Modin.

game blog
Free form notes taken while watching the 5-4 win against the Kings. Submitted not merely because I am lazy, rather it gives you a glimpse of the up-and-down experience of a fan starved for playoffs... Okay, it's only posted because I was lazy (c;


Hustle goal for Voracek to tie the score in the first period just seconds after Novotny misfired a golden opportunity. Smart play by Umberger to center the puck to Voracek just outside the crease.

Sweet pass from Russell to Malhotra in the slot whose blast was tipped by Raffi Torres... On the power play too.

Long distance seeing-eye point shot by Rome finds the net as Malhotra deflects it in for a 3-1 lead. Euphoria over the goal dissipates as the TV team announces Chimera is to have surgery for his injured groin. Out 4-5 weeks. Sigh.

two quick goals tie the game - the second a weak bouncer through the legs then the Kings add a third in less than two minutes. The defense looks sloppy and Mason shaky. What a weird game. Give LA credit for skating hard and not giving up on the road. Good timeout by Hitchcock as the team appears rattled. Near the period's end Novotny cleans up a Russell rebound to make amends for his early misfires. Good to see the team fight back after the deflating rally by the Kings.

Yikes, Boll flattened by Greene at the blue line. Boll popped right up, buy that will be a highlight.

Malhotra redirects a pass from Nash through Quick's pads. 5-4. He Nash-Huselius-Malhotra line has looked great tonight. Manny is having his best game as a Blue Jacket.

Russell has looked like a solid player all game. Good to see the young guy playing well.

Hmm. icing on LA with 1:28 left. Hard to fathom. Kings pull goalie with a minute left. No other sport has this exciting game-changing strategy. Love it.

Mason draws a delay penalty when his clearing shot goes into the stands. 12 seconds with a two-man advantage but the Jackets hold on.

fun game to watch ends with a win, but that Kings rally left me a bit queesy

Tough Western Trip Ends

If the Blue Jackets wanted a measuring stick for their road ahead, then the recent road trip out west gave them the answer - the offense needs to get better or they will miss the playoffs. Good goaltending alone cannot get them into the playoffs. On Sunday night the Vancouver stopper Roberto Luongo was a bit better than Mason and had the advantage of only seeing 20 shots on goal in the Vancouver 3-1 victory. The playoffs and the chase for a spot are based on a simple formula: limited scoring opportunities against an excellent goalie means a loss. Mason's margin of error is too low right now with the offense sleeping. Vancouver is getting by with scoring from the Sedins and Sundin. Nash alone is not enough.

Misc: Nash had the ony goal for Columbus, but he was also in the penalty box for the first two Canuck goals. Peca left during the first period and did not return. The game was shown on Yahoo - stream worked perfectly for me and was a lucky bonus since Cox Cable showed the Cavs game instead of the Jackets game. It would be great if they showed replays of games later in the night for preempted games, but they don't...

Big Win in Edmonton

After being handled by the Flames earlier in the week, the Jackets stared at a trip to play the Oilers with two losses in a row on their minds. With so few games left, the team needed to turn it around. Fast. They used the yeoman's work from rookie Steve Mason in goal and earned a tough 1-0 win. A hard fought game with some spectacular saes by both goalies. I can still see that sliding pad-stack save across the crease by Roloson. The game definitely had a playoff atmosphere.

The game's lone goal came from that unfamiliar scoring combination of Boll and Torres. Boll and Torres? We'll take it! After receiving the one-handed clear by Tyutin, Boll hit Torres with a great cross-ice pass from the right wing boards just iinside of the Columbus defensive zone. Torres, who earlier had a scrap with Strudwick, beat Roloson with a shifty move to slip the puck between the goalie's legs. Great to see Torres be the first star back in Edmonton. If he can hit his stride and stay healthy during the playoff drive, the team's chances should drastically improve.

Misc: Another tight game from the defense as they only allowed 19 shots on Mason. Nice to see Methot rack up the ice time. Hard to dislike the Oilers. They play a tough, entertaining brand of hockey.

4 /13

The Ducks defeat the Jackets in Columbus and one curious statistic says it all: the Ducks score 4 times on 13 shots. 13 shots for the whole game! And 5 for the last two periods. It's hard to fathom that few shots on goal.. and winning. To make the matter more curious, the league's worst power play scores two goals (Nash and Huseilus). Simply a bad game all around for Columbus against a team in the thick of the race for the playoffs and who now climbs to within 3 points of the Jackets. Big crowd (18,628) goes home disappointed.

The Jackets placed defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen on injured reserve, claimed center Chris Gratton off waivers from Tampa and recalled defenseman Aaron Rome from their AHL affiliate in Syracuse.

Shootout Win in Toronto

Mason versus Pogge in a nice young goalie matchup ends for the Jackets due to a fluke goal during the shootout. Call him clever like Inspector Clouseau, in the shootout Jason Williams tried to deke the young Toronto goalie. A good plan, but Williams fanned on the puck. Luckily for the Jackets, the missed puck went five hole. Regulation goals by the guys who are shaping up as the team money players: Umberger, Nash (also found the net in the shootout) and Huselius.

Two goals from Maple Leaf winger Nik Antropov who was called out by GM Brian Burke last week. Was he trying to impress potential trade deadline suitors in Columbus?

Coasting to a Win

Weird game. A win, but weird and nerve-racking. The Jackets beat the Blues 4-3 in Columbus in a game that saw them jump to a 4-1 lead by dominating play then barely hang on as St. Louis outplayed them in the third period. More relief than joy at the game's end. In the battle of the Masons, Steve outplayed Chris and made a late game-saving stop.

With the four goals the Jackets pulled to 159-161 goals for vs. goals against. For comparison see Detroit: 221-170. 221! The win puts the Blue Jackets six games over .500. The last time they were at such a level? Never before. Yes, it has been a long seven years.

Misc: Goals by Tyutin (power play), Malhotra, Nash and Murray. The Jackets dropped Modin back on the IR. Been a tough year for him given all the injuries. Torres was scratched due to the flu.

Making the Case

The Jackets finished the week with two impressive wins against teams who are in the playoff race: a home 3-2 win against the defending Cup champion Red Wings and an efficient 5-1 road win against Carolina. The team now has won four games in a row and has jumped into the thick of the race for the Western Conference playoff seeding, up to #6. Though Dallas sits at #5 with the same umber of points (61), the four slot belongs to Chicago with 70 points. Anaheim at 7 also has 61 points. And it continues. It is clear that barring any strange occurrences the playoffs will not be set until the season finale. The old agade of "Every game counts" is as appropriate as ever. Eyes off the standings and just play hard hockey.

The team is winning through hard work, outstanding goaltending and dedication to the Hitchcockian plan of defense, defense, defense. A good D and a hot goalie can carry a team that lacks offense like the Blue Jackets. If the team can more efficiently convert its power play chances, it will become a tough team to play. Columbus has one goal all season with a 5-on-3 advantage and is last in the league in power play goal percentage. Detroit has more than double the power play goals scored by the Jackets (65-29). Improvement in this area is a must.

The Columbus faithful have been given a rare treat: a legitimaate run at the playoffs. In the game against Dettroit the Nationwide crowd was the largest ever announced at the arean at 18,802. The team has a long way to go to seal a spot in the post-season, but they have provided a real opportunity for excitement for their more-than-patient fans who crave a home playoff game.

It's been fun, and it has been a while since that feeling was in the arena every night.

The Sub's Sub

With a 3-0 win in Columbus, Dan LaCosta earned his first career shutout in his second NHL start to help Columbus complete an unlikely sweep of the season series (4 games) against the Avalanche.

LaCosta was sharp all night and made a clutch stop with seconds remaining to preserve the shutout. It is reported that Mason may be ready later in the week. Hopefully he is fully recovered. With the team playing well, it is not time to rush him back. Let's err on teh side of caution.

Goals: Andrew Murray, Jason Williams and Fredrik Modin. The Blue Jackets have won six of seven. Great to see Chimera increasing ice time (12+ minutes).

Big Win

Christian Backman scored the game winner against San Jose in the overtime period to give the Jackets a 3-2 home ice win. Yes, Christian Backman! Dan LaCosta got the start in goal after Wade Dubielewicz looked shaky in a 4-1 loss to the Oilers earlier in the week. Nabakov nearly stole this game for San Jose and was his usual tough self. He somehow made a stop while laying belly-down on the ice against Modin in the third period to keep them alive for overtime.

Loved the first Columbus goal, by Jason Williams a neat top shelfer over Nabby's glove hand. Nice pass by Huselius to hit Nash in stride for a goal that put them up 2-0. Backman's unlikely game winner came as he joined in an odd man rush in overtime. teh goal was of the clean up rebound variety, but they all count.

The obligatory Boll-Shelley bout came in the second period. A spirited affair that really was for the fans. Shelly's a good guy so I wish him well in San Jose. However the game was good enough that the seemingly stock fight was not needed to fire anyone up. You would not have seen this scrap in the playoffs.

Misc: Backman was +3 for the game. Mason sat out again in his recovery from mono. Give him the rest he needs. Commodore was out with foo poisoning. Another good crowd at home: 18,144. 9 points separates #5 (Ducks) from last (Blues) in the Western Conference. The Jackets, Wild and Oilers sit in slots 8-10, all with 55 points.

Dose of Reality

Pulling rookie Mason after allowing three Dallas goals in eight shots was the wise move. What remains to be seen is how the rookie handles adversity even if it is one bad game (following a shutout the day before). The team released news that he has been suffering from mono for three to four weeks, but only was diagnosed last week.

Hmm. Rookie goalie carrying the team on his back has mono and they decide to play him in back-to-back games? Sounds a little like they fear the backup. Wade Dubielewicz, Mall Cop? Nope, backup to Mayor Mason. We'll see what he has to offer. I'm missing Leclaire already.

Good news: Today the Jackets reactivated Rusty Klesla from IR.

Committing to Reality

The day after the Blue Jackets defeated the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit squad in an exciting overtime game, I cannot help but feel tempted to forgo the present and think about the unknowable future. Isn't that like a paranoid fan? What brought this notion?

The 12 year contract signed by Red Wing star Henrik Zetterberg today is worth a cool $73 million deal. I look at Zetterberg and see a excellent player who is clearly a star that deserves the money Detroit was willing to give him. I also look at Zetterberg in comparison to Rick Nash, and I would rather Nash. Yes, Nash got a hat trick yesterday, but this evaluation is not just about one game. With the specter of a contract year next year, it begs the question of whether Jacket management can afford to keep their popular star. With a group of young rising stars (Mason, Huselius, Brassard), will the team be hard-pressed by salary demands? Today it seems unthinkable that they would allow Nash to leave, but the fan speculates about the future, the next game or next season.

The Jackets beat the Red Wings. Good. Baby steps, Dr. Marvin.

All Star Break for Mason

After the major snub of not picking the league leader in goals-against and shutouts for the main event, the team has wisely decided to rest their young goalie and hold Steve Mason out of the Young Stars game scheduled for All Star weekend. It's hard to understand the logic behind criticism of this decision since the team announced this week that Pascal Leclaire is out for the rest of the season after ankle surgery. It appears to be sound judgment to rest the rookie goalie who is now forced to carry the team for the rest of the year given that he has had some back issues in the first half.

Last week the Jackets picked up goalie Wade Dubielewicz off waivers. With the backup now a cast-off from the New York Islanders, I think Mason should enjoy the All Star game from his couch. He has earned the rest.

Good Week

Even a tough 2-1 loss at home to the Devils on Friday cannot color this week in a poor way. The team is playing solidly in all phases of the game. The cynic in me worries that the fade that began last year around this time will happen again, but we'll see what Hitchcock has up his sleeve. Riding a hot goalie can be fun, as we saw last year with a healthy Pascal in net. Young Mason has been fun to watch for Columbus fans hungry for a playoff appearance.

Another good crowd saw the controversial loss to New Jersey, almost 18000 fans were at Nationwide. I won't rehash the Madden goal, but for those who missed it: Mason had the puck covered for a few seconds, the puck eased out and after the net was dislodged the puck was pushed in by the scrappy Devil (I can't hate Madden; he plays hockey the right way: scrappy, intelligent and hard).

Earlier in the week the Jackets had a very impressive victory against Colorado, winning 4-3 via three third period goals. Huselius has shaken off his concussion by now and led the Nash-less team with three points. Do not dismiss this mini-run and solid play by Michael Peca as coincidental. The veteran has been terrific this season. Jared Boll and Manny Malhotra have recently earned more ice time and been solid as well. Torres is back and once he rounds into shape it should be a welcome jolt of energy. I cannot wait until Chimera comes back. Exciting times in Columbus for once.

Hat Trick

At Nationwide Arena, Nikita Filatov scored his first NHL hat trick to power the Blue Jackets to a 4-2 win over Minnesota. Filatov is back with the Jackets after representing Russia at the world junior championships, and his scoring punch is needed with their top scorer Nash out. Voracek had three assists and Peca added another two. Derek Dorsett added a third period goal. Mason was again solid in goal facing only 23 shots.

The Jackets have won seven of their last eight home games. Count me as one who is dying for Jason Chimera's return. His explosiveness had him on course to make this year his break-through season. Hopefully he'll return in the next week or two. Good crowd on a wintry night (16605).

Potential

This week brought shutout scores of 3-0: a loss and a win. Both games were against good teams, Detroit and Washington. While the Jackets scored enough against the capitals, it was clear that Mason won the game. Facing 45 shots from the talented Capitals' squad, the rookie fought off back pain that nearly kept him out of the game. Talk about whether it is the system or the goalie (see Puck Daddy's article on this argument) cannot ignore that the rookie's skills are high, as are those of the injured Leclaire.

Hindered by injuries all season, the Jackets are in a tough spot. They need to give Leclaire reps to get his game back on track and increase his possible value. They also need to pursue every victory possible as the playoffs seems to be in reach. I think Howson sees that making the playoffs is not optional at this point. In a down market the long-suffering Columbus faithful need a shot in the arm.

***

Shame on the NHL for ignoring the cross-check to Huselius' face and subsequent concussion. Reviewing the hit, the player took strides and raised his stick. Not a hockey move, the play had the intent to injure. One can only wonder why the league punishes comments about girlfriends with suspensions and then allow head shots to go unpunished. A horrible precedent to set that leaves one wondering what the reaction would have been if the victim had been a star (i.e. Ovechkin). Count me as one who feels the talk of banning fighting should be far lower on the long list of the things the NHL should focus on. Players using the stick to inflict head injuries should be at the top. Sorry, perhaps third on the list behind punishing free speech and propping up franchises in non-hockey markets.

Ugly Loss in St. Louis

The Blues blistered the Columbus penalty killing unit, scoring four goals with the man advantage, and added a short-handed goal en route to a 5-2 win in St. Louis. After a long stretch of dominant play, Mason looked a bit shaky on a few goals. Klesla made a great play in the first period to save a goal. A shot squeezed through Mason and was slowly sliding in when Klesla flicked the puck as it was partially across the goal line. The young netminder may be a bit tired after this road trip, but the Jackets should be thrilled with the overall play from the rookie. A tough loss since the Blues have played so poorly this season. Goals by Comodore and Modin. Nash assisted on both goals. Boll is day-to-day with an upper body injury and did not play. Howson recalled winger Maksim Mayorov from AHL Syracuse on Saturday.

We'll see what the league does to Blues forward David Backes who cross-checked Huselius in the face leading to a brawl and later a game misconduct for Backes. Tyutin drew a game misconduct when he instigated a fight with Backes.

Rolling

Steve Mason allows an opening period goal then the Blue Jackets make like their opponents and avalanche the Avalanche, burying them 6-1 in a rare road barrage of goals. Goals by Huselius (2), Nash (who also had 3 assists), Commodore, Voracek and Umberger. Nash's goal came on a penalty shot as he went low glove side. The Sakic-less Avs are a ghost of their former champion selves (insert your own snow blower joke here; I cannot do it since I can sympathize with poor Joe - a classy hockey guy who deserved a better final season). Playing in St. Louis tonight should be seen as a must-win. If the new year will bring playoffs, they need to beat teams like the injury-ravaged Blues.

I was tempted to title this entry "Mason Allows Goal, Sent To Minors," but I figured the idiot reporting methods out there would not bother to read the text below noting the joke. After 199 minutes, 19 seconds Mason finally allowed a goal breaking his shutout game streak at three.

Mason for Mayor?

Steve Mason earned his second straight shut out in a 2-0 road victory in Los Angeles. Kris Russell's second goal of the season was enough for the win as Mason stopped all 24 shots. Rick Nash added an empty netter to ice the game. With Mason playing so well the rumors about Lecalire getting traded at the trade deadline are already surfacing. I am not ready to trade Leclaire given the position is so important and subject to injury. The Jackets will also need to do some confdence rebuilding for Pacal who showed last year that he can be a solid goalie at the NHL level.

Sabres-Islanders

Yep, you read right. This matchup was the early feature (read: free) game on Yahoo Sports this week. An interesting experience to see another struggling team (Islanders) playing a better team (Sabres). A classic scenario that is all too familiar to Columbus fans: the team carries the play through large stretches yet does not convert scoring chances. The Islanders seemed on pace to again squander a solid effort from MacDonald who had several great saves, including a magnificent kick save on a wide-open Vanek opportunity from inside the face-off circle. Ryan Miller was his solid self, but the Islanders imply failed to cash in opportunities that they earned through hard work. Sounds sickenly familiar, eh? However the story has an unexpected ending: the Islanders pull the goalie during a late power play to gain a two-man advantage. The trick pays off as they score. With two seconds left, Campoli wrists one top-shelf to send the game to overtime.

Love the anti-shootout comment by New York play-by-play man Howie Rose at the end of overtime. "After a vigouros game of hockey, it's time for Homerun Derby!" Miller stones the Islanders in the shootout, but New York escpaes with a point.

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Note to Safari and Firefox users: if you try to watch games at Yahoo and find the player stalls, then be sure to click the small link under the video box that says "Optimize your Hockey Night video experience here." Much better! After that small adjustment, the video worked great. If only the CBC site would stream better for me, I'd be thrilled.

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Luckily the Jackets did not follow the Islanders formula this night as they convincingly beat the Flyers 3-0 in Columbus. Despite their lackluster play as of late including that ugly shutout loss to Los Angeles, luckily they continue to play well at home. Goals by Hejda, Murray and Malhotra power a shuout by super rookie Mason, who earns another shutout (his third) by stopping all 20 Philadelpia shots. Best crowd of the season (18,402).

Coal in the Stocking

Bad news for Derick Brassard. His shoulder injury will cause him to miss the remainder of the season. Leading all rookies in scoring and shaping up to be a good story, the Jackets rookie will now be a bystander. Tough break as the Jackets had a nice core developing with rookies Brassard and Mason playing well. Couple this news with Chimera's extended stay on the IR and the Christmas stocking is filled with only coal. Rusty Klesla was activated to take Brassard's place on the roster.

Big Win Against Sharks

R.J. Umberger scored in overtime to defeat the San Jose Sharks at Nationwide Arena. The goal was a beautifully run 2-on-1 as Umberger got nicely fed by Kristian Huselius. Steve Mason solidified his status as one of the top young NHL goalies, stopping 46 of 47 shots from a very tough opponent. Mason kept the Jackets in the game while being constantly peppered with shots. Michael Peca had the other goal for Columbus, a nice wrister from the faceoff circle.

A big win against a good opponent that showed a focused Columbus team can play with anyone... as long as the goalie stands on his head. As always, more scoring is needed but the defense is playing solidly in front of their rising rookie.

Up and Down

The team is once again battling uneven play. The tough 2-1 shoot out win at home against rival Nashville will go for naught without a follow-up win against the Islanders. If they really want to be considered a rising team, they need to beat teams like the lowly Uniondalers. Hard to imagine that truly great players like Trottier, Bossy, Potvin and Smith were a part of the franchise given its current condition.

Tough Week Ends with a Perfect Win

Yesterday Ken Hitchcock was thankful for a complete victory by the Jackets on home ice against the Capitals. In front of a big crowd, Rick Nash had two goals and rookie goalie Steve Mason earned his second shutout in the last two weeks. It's always a tough task keeping down both star Semen and superstar Ovechkin, and Mason was up to the task, turning away all 26 shots by Washington. Mike Commodore keeps paying dividends as a signed free agent this year. He almost always leads the team in ice time and, more importantly, he brings the veteran leadership that the team needs at the blue line.

The game was important for a few reasons. First, Thanksgiving weekend against a good opponent provided a large crowd. Not a lot of large crowds in Columbus these days for the Blue Jackets, so it was great to see the team play well for them (or is that, in part, because of them?) The years of poor play have worn down the Columbus faithful, so it is heartening to see a good crowd get rewarded. The victory was also important after the heart-breaking way the team lost their last two games (Detroit and Phoenix) by late errors. Lastly the team has shown that they can win without Pascal Leclaire. Mason has played well enough to push into the goalie rotation. Leclaire deserves to play again, but Norrena might be working elsewhere soon enough.

Expected Win over Atlanta

If the Jackets expect to be playoff contenders, they need to expect to win games against teams like the foundering Thrashers. Nash led as he is paid to do, scoring the first goal and assisting on Umberger's empty netter that clinched the game. A good team defensive effort against Atlanta, who only mustered 15 shots on goal for the entire game.

Steve Mason earned his first shutout while spelling Leclaire, who needed some relief after the blistering in Edmonton earlier in the week. Recap of that game: Oilers crush the Jackets then leave town. Turnabout being fair play, the Jackets did teh same to Atlanta. Civil War buffs: insert your own (Ohioan) Sherman marches to Atlanta joke here. I apologize to the Shelby Foote estate for even invoking such a joke.

Mason for Mayor

Perhaps I have gotten caught up in the political season with the headline, but after wins against Edmonton, Montreal and Calgary rookie Steve Mason has made more than a few fans in Columbus. Saturday night's clash against the Flames was the kind of solid all-around game that Hitchcock is seeking to coax out of his young team every night. 12 of 18 Blue Jackets had a +1 or better rating. Brassard and Chimera keep playing like world-beaters and Malhotra's energy has been a godsend. History tells us this roll will end, but it's fun while it lasts. Hard to believe stat: Columbus is 16-12-1 all-time against the Flames.

Malhotra’s goal gives Mason win in Jackets debut

With Star goalie Pascal Leclaire on IR and Norrena hurting his groin during thw morning skate, Steve Mason got a chance to show us his stuff. He made some solid saves, but he looked like what he is: a good prospect not ready for full time work just yet.
With 1:09 left in the third period Manny Malhotra knocked in a rebound giving Mason a win in his NHL debut and leading Columbus to a 5-4 victory over the Edmonton.

It was gratifying to see hard-working Torres play so well against his old team. It was his shot that Malhotra, another Oiler alum, poked in for the game-winner.

Goals: Malhotra, Kristian Huselius, Derek Brassard, R.J. Umberger and Fredrik Modin. Mike Commodore, Jake Voracek, Rick Nash and Torres each had two assists. After not scoring in his first 9 games as a Jacket, Umberger has 4 goals in the last 3 games.

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“At the stoppage of play I looked up and saw there was 1:09 on the board and that was probably the longest 1:09 of my life.” - Steve Mason

Leclaire on IR

Goalie Pascal Leclaire was placed on injured reserve with a sprained ankle. He is expected to miss at least a week. Vital to the hopes of making the playoffs, it is better to be conservative on bringing him back. It's always rough to lose your stopper, but at least Columbus was able to activate Jared Boll. Norrena's ability, or lack thereof, to carry the team will be critical. This stretch will be a good (albeit unwanted) test of the backup goaltender.

Offense Lacking

Looks like the offense needs a shot in the arm to get itself going. In consecutive game losses to the Rangers and Wild, the Jackets managed to tally only one goal in each game. Zherdev had his best game as a Ranger in his first game against his old team, scoring two goals and an assist.

Line tinkering season is upon us. Umberger was dropped to third line and Malhotra was paired with Nash and Huselius to seee if they could create a spark. Nash's potential game-tieing goal was disallowed due to touching with a high stick. The video review by replay seemed too close to overturn in my opinion. Earlier Backstron stopped Nash on a breakaway. The team's leader needs to break out of his unlucky streak as no one else has stepped up aside from Chimera and Huselius. Last night Leclaire sprained an ankle in the second period and was replaced by Norrena.

Solid Effort

Simply put, the Jackets outplayed the Canucks and won the game. I describe it this way because similar games against Vancouver have the tendency to go their way because of Roberto Luongo. In the game Leclaire bettered the opposing goalie and let the offense carry the day. Back after missing one game with a hand injury, it is clear that a healthy Leclaire is the most important part of attempt to make the playoffs.

Misc: Goals - Chimera, Huselius (power play), Dorsett and Nash. Malhotra made his first on ice appearance of the regular season because Modin was placed on the injured list.

Big Home Opening Win

The game was an early important game. First, early wins helps fan interest after the years of losing. Second, it was Nashville. The Predators owned the Jackets last year, winning all games against Columbus, and gaining early confidence against a prime rival is key for a good start.

The play went according to a dream script: goals from Nash (2), Chimera and rookies Jake Voracek and Nikita Filatov. Leclaire did leave the game with a "bruised thumb." He is doubtful for Saturday's re-match in Nashville.

Misc: Two power play goals (Nash, Chimera). Tyutin led in ice time (25:48). The league office cut Peca's 10 game suspension to 5. Before the game, the Blue Jackets raised to the rafters a banner with the name of team founder and principal owner John H. McConnell, who died last spring.

Filatov Gets His Chance

Tough forward Jared Boll was placed on injured reservebecause of a head injury and Nikita Filatov was recalled from AHL's Syracuse. Boll is expected to be sidelined seven to 10 days. Apparently Boll has been injured since his fight with Barch in Dallas on opening night. The 18 year old Filatov, this year's first round pick and No. 6 overall, scored each of the first two games at Syracuse.

Coyotes 3 Jackets1

I expected a let down and got one. Columbus committed an unbelievable 8 penalties in the first period to hand Phoenix two power play goals. brassard scores on a power play early in the seond period, but Nash missed on two breakaways to seal their fate.

The NHL explained the game misconduct penalty that seemed mysterious during the season opener. Peca was suspended indefinitely for making contact with the referee when pleading his case about the apparent tripping peanlty that was missed by the officials. I admit to not seeing it during the broadcast and the Dallas anouncers seemed as surprised as I was. The Jackets need his leadership and solid defensive play so hopefully the suspension will not be too long.

Jackets Win Opener in Dallas
The Blue Jackets earned their first ever road win on a season opener by beating Dallas in overtime 5-4 via a Rick Nash 45' blast from the off-wing. The game had a strange but entertaining ocean wave feel ot it. There were times when the Blue Jackets clearly outplayed the Stars and then there was the second period. In that brutal period dallas looked like they were wearing rocket-powered skates and the jackets are wearing anvils on their backs. Outshot 15-2 in the period, Leclaire the only reason why they were down by 2 goals and not 10. It was discouraging to say the least.

Whatever Hitchcock said in the lockerroom worked as the third period mostly went the Blue Jackets way. Goals by Huselius, Murray and Brassard allin a five minute span seemingly put the game away. However with 3 minutes left a bank shot off of a defenseman then off of Richards shin pad somehow found the net. That fluke was followed by a more standard goal (though Leclaire seemingly did not see the shot with traffic in front of him) less than 30 seconds later allowed Dallas to tie. turco made a couple of great saves late, sliding across to stop a Chmera one-timer comes to mind.

In overtime Turco again looked like he was going to singlehandedly keep Dallas in the game, make three spectacular saves from uncovered player right in front of the goal. Nash and Umberger looked like a tough pairing for Dallas during the 4-on-4 session. Chimera's drop pass to Nash then beautifully placed top shelf shot from beyond the top of the circle put it away.

Many players played well. Brassard (+2) and Chimera (+3) looked solid throughout the game and Russell (+2) was solid at the blue line. An exciting opener tto watch. Hopefully the team can get some rest before tomorrow night's game in Phoenix.

Goals: Voracek, Huseius, Murray, Brassard, and Nash.

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NHL Gamecenter is in its free weekend. Delays logging in caused me to miss the first period. I understand they will be swamped by demand during this free weekend, but I still was not happy missing game play. Live scores weren't updating regularly and my flat panel isn't big enough to see the play-by-play area so I turned all the "extras" off: the weird "lights" feature, live score & clock, live scoreboard, and play-by-play. As far as I can tell "lights" only changes the background of the informational areas. Handy for someone I guess. It was nice to be able to shift from game to game (when bandwidth was cooperating). it was not good for the live game scores feature to lag and not present correct scores. A decent start but I am not sure that I will drop the sale price of $150 down when they offer only "selected" playoff games. Only in Bettman logic has a season pass not covering the whole season.

Drop of the Puck

A few thoughts as the Jackets' season begins tonight.

I was surprised when the Blue Jackets left Nikita Filatov, the No. 6 pick in the 2008 Entry Draft, off the roster and shipped him to Syracuse of the AHL. I realize the position is one of the few slots of strength (with Nash, Picard, Murray and Modin), but the rookie looks to have star potential. I don't imagine we will have to wait long to see him in Ohio. Bummer to see Malhotra injured again. Injuries to Manny and Torres out of the gate change the feel of the team. At Dallas for the opener will be a tough matchup. I will be trying the free preview of NHL Gamecenter, the league's Internet push for the year. At $150 for the season it is tempting though I wasn't too happy to see the addition of "selected" playoff games.

On Season's Cusp, Torres Injured

Veteran free agent signee Raffi Torres separated his shoulder during a fight in his first game back from knee surgery early this year. I was looking forward to seeing the potential monster grinding line of Torres and Jared Boll around center Michael Peca, but we'll have to wait for that line. With luck and quick healing, Torres will miss 15 games. Not an auspicious start to the year for someone seeking to bounce back after a serious injury.

The Expected

Plain and simple, Pascal Leclaire is the basis of the team's future. Correspondingly, the Jackets signed their goalie to a three year contract. They had to do it, and they did. Nice how that worked out. If only the rest of the team could fall into place so easily...

Sealing the Deal

Howson closed three deals this week that should show fans that he means business: re-signing veteran center Michael Peca, inking the expected deal with R.J. Umberger and extending Coach Hitchcock through the 2012 season.

After trading for Umberger, it was apparent that a deal would get done with the possible restricted free agent. Howson would have been ridden out of town if he had not signed Umberger after trading away players for his rights. The Canadian Press reported that Umberger received a 4 year, $15 million contract. A hard-nosed player who can provide some scoring, Umberger will be a fun player to watch assuming he stays out of the path of Brian Campbell. Go to YouTube and search for Umberger if you don't know what I mean. Yikes...

Last season Peca provided leadership, good faceoff skills and steady defensive play. Despite the decline in his offensive numbers, Peca was a valuable signing as he often had tough defensive assignments.

Hitchcock had the team playing well for much of the season and, despite a late season swoon, the team ended the year with its best record to date: 80 points and 34-36-12. Hopefully he can push them into the playoffs so we can finally never again read "Columbus: the only NHL team to never make the playoffs."

Getting Defensive

A flurry of activity has shaken up the Jackets roster and seen a young exciting player, Nikolai Zherdev, get traded. The moves demonstrate Howson's determination to bolster the team's blue line and build around rising star goalie Pascal Leclaire.

The trade: Blue Jackets send Nikolai Zherdev and center Dan Fritsche to the New York Rangers for defensemen Christian Backman and Fedor Tyutin. Though Zherdev, the biggest name in the deal, does lack defensive skills, he was exciting on the ice and possessed that old Denis Savard knack of instantly creating a spectacular play, though without Savard's consistent conversion of those plays into goals. The Rangers will be thrilled if they get 50% of Savard performance out of Zherdev. Fritsche, a native Ohioan, was a tough but low-scoring center. Hopefully he can flourish with the right players around him. Good luck to Nikolai and Danny.

Tyutin is a defenseman with good puck-handling skills who should find a home on the power play. At 6'4", Backman will provide needed size on the blue line. Add the signing of defenseman Mike Commodore, who stands at 6'5" and brings a Stanley Cup winner's experience, and the defense looks much improved. Well, super-sized anyway.

On Tuesday, the Jackets obtained winger Raffi Torres from Edmonton for former #1 (6th overall) pick Gilbert Brule. Torres adds another physically tough veteran who has playoff experience, going to the finals when an Oiler. It should be noted that Torres is coming off an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his right knee. Brule never made a splash in Columbus, but hopefully he will find success back home in Edmonton.

Next Howson signed Kristian Huselius $19 million contract over four years. Last season Huselius had 25 goals and 66 points in 81 games for the Calgary Flames. After a season in the dog house of head dog Mike Keenan, we will have to wait-and-see how he fares under coach Hitchcock. Possessing excellent passing and stick-handling skills, he will have to play defense as well as score.

Blue Jackets Gamble at Draft

Nikita Filatov, a left winger from Russia, was taken sixth overall by Columbus. Quick, shifty with a scorer's touch, Filatov's size (6'0" 170 pounds) is the only question about his NHL potential. Highly regarded by scouts, Filatov has said that he wants to play in the NHL, an important point considering there is no player transfer agreement with the IIHF.

GM Howson traded the team's 19th overall and third round draft picks for possible restricted free agent winger R.J. Umberger. A former Oho State Buckeye, Umberger just completed his best season as a pro, scoring 50 points and playing well in the playoffs for the Flyers.

Undoubtedly a solid player, Howson gambles as he needs to sign Umberger before his free agent status begins July 1. One would hope that we will hear an announcement about a contract in the coming week. The Jackets have cap space and need to act aggressively to improve the team this summer. Howson has made two risky moves. Let's hope his gamble proves golden.

Freefall at Season's End

Perhaps during the off-season the improvement of the team will be appreciated. However right now the Jackets have lost four of five games and injuries abound. Despite being 34-34-12 they are tied with Phoenix for the fifth worst record in the league. A home-and-home series with St. Louis on Saturday and Sunday will mercifully end the season.

The Final Nail?

A disappointing 4-1 loss to Detroit in Columbus just may be the final nail in the coffin of the season for the Blue Jackets. Detroit outplayed the Jackets en route to their 50th win of the season. Nash scored early in the third period after two first period power play goals had the Wings up 2-0. Hasek outperforms Norrena on this night though he only faced 12 shots for the whole game. Detroit has moved their game up a notch in preparation for the playoffs, and that notch is one level higher than the Blue Jackets can play.

With Fritche, Boll and Russell out, the team looked tired and outmatched. They sorely miss Foote's leadership and blue-line play. It has been a long season and Nashville comes to town on Tuesday. It would be a morale booster to shut down the Predators, their chief nemesis, and hurt Nashville's playoff chances. Looks like spoiler is the final role for the team this year.

The Tease

The Jackets win another home game. This time Norrena gets a shutout and Manny Malhotra scores two goals to power the team to an impressive 3-0 win in Calgary. The anticipated battle lived up to (Columbus) expectations and further clouded the playoff picture. Tempers flared at a few points due in no small part to a slash to the back of the knee of Boll in the last game. Late in the third period Boll and Craig Conroy squared off and the guys really pounded each other. Norrena was again in goal for a concussed Leclaire, and again he came up big. On Sunday he made 43 saves en route to a 4-3 win against Detroit.

With the team now seven points out of the last playoff spot, playoff chances are slim. The tease is seeing them play so spiritedly at season's end. It is clear now that the long lull after the all star break was the season-killer. Certainly I hope they can slip into the playoffs, but given the number of teams to pass that reality is unlikely. How big was that loss last week to Chicago? They cannot afford such indiscretions again.

Expected

These days when Tampa Bay comes to town, you should expect a win. The Blue Jackets played a hard-nosed game on home ice and put away a game Lightning squad. Hard to dismiss a team with St. Louis and Lecavalier, but the former league champs are a shadow of their former selves. Two third period goals clinched the game and Novotny sealed the deal with an empty netter.

No crowing over this victory. With only 60 points, Tampa Bay staggers to the end of the season, hoping for a good draft pick. The Jackets hover just above the good draft slot and just below playoff level. Like all fans I see the utility of a high pick. However I do not like seeing the guys not try and, to their credit, they have not given up.

Misc: The Jackets finally got the monkey off their back by scoring a power play goal. Vyborny and Chimera had PP goals. Klesla was +4 for the game. The team needs one point to tie their franchise best of 74.

Another Tough Loss to the Oilers

The Blue Jackets lost in overtime 2-1 to Edmonton. Another exciting game with Columbus looking great at times. The Jackets end the game out-shooting 31-17.

The life of a pro example #236. Dan Fritche runs the gamut from hero to goat game in a few minutes. First, he scores the tying goal with one second left in the game to force overtime. Two minutes into the extra period, he turns over the puck in the Jackets zone and Cogliano sneaks a 5 hole shot past Leclaire.

The Jackets horrid streak on the power play continues. The team has not scored in its last 30 tries. Edmonton went 1-2 on the power play.

Calgary 1 Columbus 0

Exciting game on the road against Calgary. Battle of the goalies: Leclaire versus Kiprusoff. Weak blocker side goal on a broken play gives the Flames the first goal of the game, netted early in the third period. Kippy played spectacularly, capping off the night by stoning Hainsey right in front of the net with just a minute left to cap a great evening. More scoring chances for Columbus than Calgary, but the one goal stood up. Hard not to like the Flames and their hard-nosed style.

Hard not to like Andrew Murray: a hard-playing scrapper with good energy. Murray, Chimera, Fritche and Boll make it a chore to play the Jackets.

The league worrying abut scoring should have seen this game: spirited and physical play. No goals did not mean a dull game. But what do I know? I just like hockey. Why cater to me?

The Jackets have now gone 0-26 in 8 games on the power play. You won't win many games on the road with that stat.

Big Road Win in Vancouver

The Blue Jackets capped a late rally to beat the Canucks 3-2 on an overtime winner by Jason Chimera. Dick Tarnstrom had two assists as third period goals by Andrew Murray and Rick Nash forced overtime. Leclaire out-duels Luongo in an exciting game that looked grim after two periods as the Jackets were down 2-0.

With Foote's departure, we are seeing Jan Hejda step into the role of blue line stalwart. Howson's gambit to bank on his mix at defense makes it vital to get steady play and big minutes for the 30 year old Czech. He seems up to the task for now. Seeing Kris Russell take a step up next season is as vital as the need for Hejda to rise. Both turns upward are conditions precedent to the Jackets making that push into the playoff ranks.

A Seller Once More

The trade of Sergei Federov did not surprise or even hurt. Chalk up his signing to a chance to see if he had gas in the tank. He didn't. Hopefully he can pace himself through the end of the season and make a difference in the playoffs. I like Sergei and it is not his fault that he is past his prime. At the peak of his powers Federov was a top-notch player who struck fear into defenses. He had excellent hands and was a center of good size (6'2") who was a scoring force... just not in Columbus.

The surrender flag was officially raised when Howson traded Adam Foote to his former championship team, the Colorado Avalanche. Foote was the best defender on a seemingly improving defensive team. He logged 25+ minutes on a typical night and was a player of high character on and off the ice. Good luck, Adam. Thanks for the professional attitude and for giving the team (indeed the city) a chance.

The team made a legitimate run at the playoffs and looked very good during stretches. Hitchcock and Howson deserve credit for the improvement. With Foote gone and veterans like Peca unsigned after this season, the future is unclear. With many teams above them in the playoff hunt, the deal perhaps makes sense. However no one can argue that the Jackets are better today than yesterday.

Up and Down and Up Again

With the trade deadline looming just two days away, the Jackets have strung together two victories to push the team to within five points of a playoff berth. This victory comes on the back of a 3-2 shootout win over Ottawa and an inexplicable 3-1 loss to an equally erratic Toronto squad.

Despite going up and down, this latest victory was an impressive one: a 3-0 win over the Canadiens in Montreal. Pascal Leclaire, the non- All Star, eanred yet another shutout (his 10th). Nash, Murray and Malhotra provided the goals.

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The Canadiens started the night with a celebration honoring their GM Bob Gainey’s remarkable playing career. Gainey was a stalwart on the 1980s Montreal teams that had great success.

Helter Skelter

So which team will it be tonight? The Bad Jackets, losers of 6 of 7 and skidding during a playoff run, or the Good Jackets? Well tonight it was the latter as the team pummeled the Detroit Red Wings 5-1. To add to the shock of that final score is that the game was in Detroit. A road win in Detroit? Hardly imaginable considering the protracted slump that had gripped the Blue Jackets.

Buyers or sellers? What will Howson do as the trade deadline nears? Keep Foote, add a player and try to get into the playoffs for the first time in franchise history? Or will he try to fleece a team looking to advance deep into the playoffs who could use a tough veteran front-liner like Michael Peca or a top notch blue line stalwart like Foote? It's a tough call, but that's why they pay him the big bucks. I know that the Columbus fans hunger to see a playoff game. At the same time is it in the best long-term interest of the team to keep Foote when his contract will expire at season's end?

I imagine Toronto fans are thinking the same things about their star Mats Sundin. Hard to imagine either team going far into the playoffs. Sundin's lack of interest to move and the failure of the Maple Leafs to move up in the standings might remove their problem, but Howson's conundrum remains.

Jackets Flounder After Break

The pre-All Star run momentum crashed and died over the extended weekend. The Jackets drop four out of five and look to be lost at times. I have been ill with a bad flu so I have missed several games. With the team playing so poorly I guess it is a good time to miss games.

Good Ending to First Half

Ken Hitchcock could not have drawn up a better eding to the season's first half; two hard-fought road wins: a 4-2 victory over Dallas and last night's 1-0 victory in Chicago. Pascal Leclaire, the famous non-all star who leads the league in shut outs, earned his 8th of the season by stopping all 30 shots from a game Chicago team making Jared Boll's redirection second period goal hold up. Khabibulin was spectacular at times, keeping Chicago in the contest with some outstanding saves. Not to be out-done, Leclaire had a few great cross-crease saves, especially a sprawling skate save late in the third period. The Blackhawks have some scary quick young players. It will be good for the league to see a rejuvenated Chicago franchise in the next few years.

The team is playing hard in all phases of the game. Remarkably the penalty killing unit has climbed to #2 in the league. Solid play from veterans has inspired the young guys to raise their game up a level or two. One cannot underestimate the influence of veteran additions like Michael Peca or Jan Hejda in the off-season. With Foote's contract ending after this season, the improved play of the team is the only hedge they have in trying to keep him here. A game after seeing Kris Russell notch his first two NHL goals, it is imperative to keep Foote and let the defense solidify under his proven veteran leadership.

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Listened to Bettman's radio show via podcast the other day. Strange that they leave long periods of silence in the podcast, but not as strange as using as the theme song one that was used for a movie about a male gigolo.

Wow

I was at a Winking Lizard with friends. Just letting you know where I was when I saw Rick Nash's goal to beat Phoenix 4-3 for the road win. The goal was that good. Simply a jaw-dropping play that will be on Nash's career highlight reel forever. I loved how Gare just kept laughing as they talked about the goal in the post-game show.

The Goal capped a night that had the Jackets take a lead only to see the Coyotes come back and tie. In fact the last Phoenix goal came on a power play after a high sticking penalty on Nash. Zherdev earlier had given the Jackets a 3-2 lead with his own highlight reel goal. Hitchcock said it best at the post-game interview: "Our two best players did what we needed them to do. They scored goals." Two goals and an assist for Nash and a goal and an assist for Zherdev.

Leclaire got the win, but Tellqvist outplayed him, making spectacular saves early in the game to keep Columbus off the scoreboard.

Home Cooking

The Blue Jackets won their sixth home game in a row and third overall. If only Hitchcock could get the boys to play the same on the road, he would have something cooking. Hainsey (power play), Zherdev (power play) and Chimera had the goals for Columbus. Former Jacket Kris Beech (recently waived by Howson) had one for Vancouver. The victory pushes Columbus into a tie with St. Louis, though the Blues had two games in hand.

In the matchup of top goalies, Leclaire outdueled Luongo. Perhaps it is just me, but I still find it hard to understand how a goalie who is leading the league in shutouts and is second is goals against does not make the all-star team. Hard to overcome the negative stereotype of the hapless Blue Jackets I guess. Only Rick Nash has managed to escape the cloud. Zherdev's play deserves recognition as well.

Shoot Out Win Against Nashville

Fun game to watch with spans of domination by each team. Late give-and-go goal by Klesla from Zherdev tied the game. Leclaire stones Nashville in the shootout for the win. First shot goal by Zherdev proves to be the game-winner.

Plenty of opportunities, but either the goalies came up big or the shooters misfired. Symptomatic of the spell that Nashville has over the Jackets: in the second period the Jackets have a 3-on-1 and Zherdev has the puck. The goalie is set up and Nick goes too high when aiming for top shelf glove-side. The puck careens to Nashville and they convert (interestingly perhaps only to me: Radaulov goes top shelf glove-side against Leclaire).

Signs of assimilation to our culture: mastery of the language. Tollefson replying to Danny Gare's question about how it feels to be on the injured list: "It sucks to be out."

Columbus 6 St. Louis 4

A solid home ice victory earned by a third period in which the Jackets scored three goals. Zherdev had two goals including a power play goal and one on a breakaway after a beautiful long pass by Vyborny. Foote and Vyborny had three assists each.

The victory pulled Columbus within 3 points of second place (and final playoff slot team) St. Louis. Success against divisional opponents will be key in the unlikely drive to a playoff berth. Big game Saturday at home against their nemesis Nashville.

Crushed

6-1 losses on the road happen, but that reality does not make it any easier to digest. A lone goal by Nash is sandwiched by a spate of goals by the Blues. Very interesting stat in the storm: Foote and Hejda each were +1 on the game. Everyone else... well not so good. Problems on defense you say? Correct you are.

Jackets 4 Kings 3

I finally got a chance to see this one from tape (well, from hard drive but you know what I mean). A solid road victory for the scrappy Blue Jackets. I have to give the Kings some credit for playing hard and laying some hard hits. Despite its top players being silent, the muckers earned this victory for Columbus. Michael Peca had two goals, Boll and Hejda had two assists each and Lindstrom had a goal and an assist. It was great to see Boll and Chimera grind out those two goals and Federov getting a classic Sergie snapper from teh slot off a quick pass by Lindstrom.

Despite all of this hard work, it came down to goalies. Simply put, Norrena had to make more saves than opponent and he did. The Kings swarmed at times but could never grab a lead because Norrena made the big stops when it was crunch time.

Where would the Jackets be without Jan Hejda? Wow, he has been a great addition to the team. A solid blue-liner who has made a real difference. Give GM Howson some credit for giving a two year deal last summer to this young defenseman.

Ending the Year in Style

On New Year's Eve Columbus beats Edmonton 4-2 in Ohio. Rick Nash finishes off 2007 with a hat trick and the Jackets close the year after winning three of four. Jan Novotny and Nickolai Zherdev continue their strong play.

Some new year's resolutions for 2008. Fewer injuries: Michael Peca and Manny Malhotra begin the year on the injured reserve list, newly tonsil-less Gil Brule is still not back and David Vyborny (he of the Ranger rumors) left last night's game with a groin injury. Finishing games: I would love to see the Blue Jackets finish off opponents in the third period, especially on the road. More scoring: getting a hat trick on New Year's Eve hopefully will propel Rick into a streak. Zherdev has been playing spiritedly so if they both can finish off opportunities then the offense will get the needed jolt.

Happy 2008.

Part of the Plan

Two games demonstrate this season for the Blue Jackets: a beautiful 2-0 victory over Atlanta followed by a 4-3 loss to Nashville. The team shows the hard-checking ferocity one night then get outplayed by their bitter rival. Nashville has their number, it is clear.

To watch the team scramble in fear of Heatley and play every shift with importance was fabulous television. I reveled in seeing Chimera and Boll provide the only goals and Leclaire claim his 7th shut out. The commentators groaned about following such a gritty game with a trip to Nashville the next day. They were prescient.

Two third period Predator goals carried them to victory. The Jackets seemed tired and could not hold off the pesky Nashville squad on their home ice. Mason outplayed Norrena as Leclaire was wisely held out from playing back-to-back nights. With the unbalanced schedule, the Jackets cannot improve unless they start winning games against Nashville. It is simple as that.

Nashville has now beaten the Jackets 112 games in a row. 12! Goals by Beech (power play), Vyborny (power play) and Novotny. Nash was out again due to his throat problem.

Dan Fogelberg RIP.

Nashville 3 Columbus 1

Another game given away late by defensive breakdowns. Two goals in the last minute gives away at least one point to chief rival Nashville. Norrena stops 29 of 31 shots and they still lose. The bottom line is that they simply are not getting enough production. Coach Ken Hitchock speaking about offense: "We're not generating enough to give ourselves a chance to win." Amen.

How can the team win when their third leaing scorer has 17 points in 35 games? Evne worse is the fact that this -6 +/- player is the formerly formidable Sergei Federov. Injuries have slowed David Vyborny, but that does not explain 10 points in 28 games. Is the answer that the increased defensive responsibility imposed by Hitchcock has shown the weakness of the players? Simply not enough good two-way hockey players are on the roster and that fact is even more annoying considering that the goalies have a combined goals against average of 2.12 that ranks them 4th in the league.

Playing through a funk

After losing two games in a row, the Blue Jackets suck it up and defeat the Kings in Columbus 2-1. Zherdev gets his reward (goal and an assist on Novotny's second period goal) for his spirited play as of late. It was nice to see the team play hard through the third period, getting 15 shots on goal in the final period. Troubling to see the Kings get 7 power play attempts though they only had one goal with the man-advantage; Columbus went 0-2. Norrena started in goal as Leclaire should be held back until his hamstring is completely healthy. During his start against Calgary Lecalire looked a bit shaky in the 3-1 loss. Why rush him back? It's along season.

Merry Christmas!

Strong Like Boll - Blue Jackets 4 Avalanche 1

Great energy game from the Jackets in Columbus. The fans were revved up in a game against a team that has some excellent players but not as much depth as one would like. Good early spirited shifts from the team (even Shelley had a few nice shifts). Good to see the defense give Smith a run after a laate poke at Norrena. In general the Blue Jackets took the body, especially Boll. A big welcome back to Novotny and Malhotra. What a difference their presence makes. In the first period Dan Fritsche mucked the puck off the boards and set up Manny for 1-0 lead.

Zherdev was playing on a different plane than everyone else. He and linemates need to step up and finish off the deal, but it is good to see him playing hard. In the second Boll blasted one low glove-side to regain the lead. Good to see his hard work rewarded. His shot was the first one in second period for Columbus - it took 11 minutes to get. Wow.

A huge save by Norrena near the end of a penalty kill at the end of the 2nd period after a late penalty on Hainsey. The Jackets look tired, but they got out of the period leading 2-1. That Smith-Stasny line looks electric at times.

Beautiful big Beech goal! He hustled after the puck then beat Theodore with a sweet backhand, assist to Novotny. At the end of the game a Globetrotter Meadowlark Lemon-like half-ice looping backhand empty-netter for Federov.

Not many shots on goal this game: only 16 for each team. The teams went a combined 0-5 on the power play. Colorado won the faceoff battle 27-18. Norrena was very solid in goal against not many shots, clearly outplaying Theodore.

Giguere the Difference

A hard fought 4-3 overtime win for the Ducks in Columbus was a tough loss. Anaheim goalie Giguere made the big saves in the third period to send the game into overtime. That toe save on Zherdev's leaping shot was a killer. Later a penalty in the overtime period led to Chris Pronger's game-winner.

This one was hard to swallow as at times the Jackets played great hockey. Zherdev was flying all over the ice and played his best game of the season. Scoring a goal and assisting on Beech's goal, Zherdev was impossible not to watch - he was the best player on the ice or either team. If we see that kind of effort every night, then the team will succeed. Anaheim showed why they were champions lat year - good goaltending, solid checking and tough defensemen.

Columbus out shot (35-28) and won the faceoff battle (35-23), but they gave up three power play goals. In the third period the Ducks got a power play goal when Peca broke his stick while killing a penalty. Near the end of the kill if Peca had his stick there was a chance for an easy clear, but the Ducks were able to capitalize on the unlucky break. Power play effectiveness: Ducks 3-6 and Columbus 2-9. Another Jody special: 5 minute fighting major in 3:18 of ice time.

Another Home Loss

In a game that had several good indicators, the Jackets lost to Minnesota in Columbus. That fact alone should be a sign of a slump since the Wild have not won here in five years. The credit lies with goaltending. As good as Leclaire has been, he was outplayed by Backstrom. Withstanding a third period flurry of shots by Columbus, Backstrom held fast for the road win.

Good things: Zherdev scored in his fourth game in a row and his 11th goal means that he now has more goals than he had in all of last year.

OT Win in Calgary

Strange game with a good ending. Norrena is tough in goal and Curtis Glencross scores two goals including the game-winner in overtime off a neat pass in front by Beech. Not a bad night for a kid playing with friends and family in the crowd.

The Jackets look like nails after the first period, jumping to a 2-0 lead on goals by Zherdev and Glencross. In mid-second period Nash got hauled down in front of the net and a penalty was called. The station goes to commercial, but when they come back the Flames have a power play: PENALTY ON NASH. Huh? A minute later the game is 2-1. The second ends with the game tied and Calgary looking as good as Columbus did at the end of the first.

Beech gets a goal off the stick of a Calgary defenseman and literally seconds later the game is tied when a shot deflects off of Foote past Norrena. Vicious elbow to Tollefson's head by Nolan draws only a 2 minute penalty. Is this the commitment to protecting players that the league has previously touted?

Columbus wins the faceoff battle 35-28. Good example of why faceoffs matter in the first period. Peca wins a draw in the Calgary zone, Nash nudges it to Zherdev who wrists it by Kiprusoff's shaky looking glove.

Weird night as college football takes center stage. West Virginia loses to Pitt and Oklahoma blasts a Missouri team that looked invincible against Kansas last week. Ohio state seemed out of title contention. Will they now be in the championship game? Somehow it seems likely.

The game was the late game on Hockey Night in Canada. The chippy nature of the game must have made Don Cherry happy (though I expect he was at the Toronto home game for HNIC). If you haven't seen the CBC coverage, do yourself a favor and visit the web site.. When I lived in Buffalo we picked up CBC and HNIC was a weekly treat. Sadly you just don't see such thorough coverage here in the U.S.

Canucks 2 Jackets 0

The Jackets came up against a stone wall in Vancouver. Robert Luongo earned his third straight shutout and has not allowed a goal in almost 200 minutes. Two second period goals were enough for the victory.

Norrena was solid in goal. Leclaire was out as he is hampered with a slight hamstring pull that happened in Edmonton. Another Jody special: 4:51 ice time with 7 penalty minutes. Columbus continues its season-long strength in faceoffs, winning 36 of 58 in the game.

Gut Check: Passed

After jumping to a 2-0 first period lead only to see the Red Wings even the score in the second period (with goals 5 seconds apart!), the Jackets held on in the third and won in a shoot out against a very game Detroit squad.

Both goalies had their moments, though Osgood looked fantastic at times. Not to be outdone, Leclaire kept Detroit from taking the lead during a critical third period two man advantage for the Red Wings and ultimately he stoned Zetterberg in the shoot out to then see Zherdev follow with the game winner.

I missed the Jody Shelley Sunday special 4:46 ice time and 5 minutes in penalties. Jody and Downey dropped gloves early in the first period. The Jackets went 0-4 on the power play; Detroit was 1-3. Regular time goals: Malhotra (4) and Zherdev (7). Vyborny's assist was his 300th and came in his 500th game as a Blue Jacket.

Now We're Talking

If Ken Hitchcock were to draw up on a board the dream road game, it would look like today's game: success on special teams, hard checking and good goaltending. The Jackets scored two power play goals (Peca and Vyborny) and added a short-handed one by Dan Fritsche. For good measure, Rick Nash netted his 16th goal with assist to Peca.

It is clear that Pascal Leclaire has shaken off as temporary what detractors figured was a slump indicating the end of his great run. He stopped 32 shots and gave the team a much-needed road victory. Perhaps the downward momentum has not been stopped, but at least it appears to have been slowed. We'll see who starts in goal Saturday with the skillful Red Wings in town.

Stats deceiving territory: Minnesota out-shot Columbus 32-29. In the face off battle, the Jackets proved strong again, decisively winning that stat 38-17. Another Jody Shelley special: 7 penalty minutes in 5:46 of ice time.

Bad Loss in St. Louis

The Jackets dropped into a mathematical three-way tie for last in their division though having played three more games than St. Louis makes them effectively at rock bottom. In the two previous games this season against the Blues, the team had been shut out by Pascal Leclaire.

Nash scored a meaningless goal after the Blues iced the game with an open net goal. Hainsey and Klesla assiisted on Nash's tally at 19:54 of the third period. Curtis Glencross scored his second of the season with assists to Zherdev and Westcott. Norrena was solid in goal, stopping 20 of 22 shots. Legacy was even better, turning away 28 of 30 including some clutch third period saves during a Columbus two-man advantage.

Columbus won the face-off and shots-on-goal battles, but they went 0-6 on the power play. Nash had an incredible 7 shots on goal. Jody Shelley had more penalty minutes (5:00 for fighting) than ice time (3:29).

Jackets 4 Blackhawks 2

The Jackets won their first must-have win of the year. Following up after three losses, the team pulled together for the win. Three players had a goal and an assist: Chimera, Federov and Nash. Balance is good.

The teams combined for only 39 shots (Columbus had the slight edge: 21-18). As usual face-offs went to the Jackets, 25-22. Jody Shelley sighting - Jody was on ice for 8:50. The game a had few scraps and was tense. That's good after a frustrating stretch for the team. Leclaire got the win.

Nashville 4 Columbus 3 SO, Nashville 4 Columbus 1

This weekend gave the Jackets a chance to gauge their new-found respect in the league. A home-and-home match-up against division rival Nashville was the litmus test. Well the test results are in, and after dropping both games (and three in a row overall) it is clear that the Jackets have work to do.

The better game played by the Jackets came in Nashville where they ran into a hot goalie in teh shoot-out. Leclaire lost both games and some of the magic that he had early on this season. The real test of where is they are is how they react to adversity. Will they turn it around quickly? This scenario is why they hired a veteran coach. Let's see what Hitchcock come sup with now.

Columbus 3 St. Louis 0

Another home game, another Pascal Leclaire shutout. Repetitive, but far from boring. Five shut outs in nine starts, darn nice way to start a season! St. Louis must be happy to get out of town - both times they have played Columbus Leclaire has shut them out.

Nash scored again, netting his 10th goal. Chimera added his fourth and Malhotra his second. Solid on the blue line all season, Adam Foote had two assists.

Each team went 0-4 on the power play. Columbus out-shot the Blues 25-21, but St. Louis won the face-off battle 32-30. Last year the Blue Jackets did not have 8 wins until December so they are one month ahead of that pace. Better yet is that the fan base has something to latch onto after years of failure. The team is playing solid all-around hockey. Who can ask for more?

Tough Loss in Anaheim

In the off-season if one were to state on a blog that the Jackets would hold the defending champion Ducks to one regular time goal in two games, you would be flamed to a crisp. Well, it has happened. The team dropped a tough 2-1 shoot-out loss in Anaheim. A match-up of Giguere versus Norrena did not disappoint. Norrena stopped 34 shots to Giguere's 20, but Giggy stoned the Jackets in the shoot-out. Zherdev netted his 3rd goal on the power play, poking in a rebound past the Duck's net-minder. The second period was sparkled with fights here and there, perhaps springing from the first game of the season when Columbus' Jared Boll laid a hard but clean hit on Ducks' Travis Moen that knocked Moen out of the game.

Anaheim was 0-6 on the power play. Columbus went 1-6. Tollefsen has 17 penalty minutes including a game misconduct. Norrena Norrena started for the first time in nine days. Such is life behind a hot goalie like Leclaire.

Impressive Win over San Jose

Pascal Leclaire made goals by Federov (power play) and Fritche hold up for a hard-fought 2-1 home ice victory over the Sharks. In a close checking game, each team was stymied by defense and solid goaltending. Kudos to SJ goalie Nabokov as he singlehandedly kept them in the game. A particularly incredible save came against hard luck David Vyborny. Nabokov was on his back and stuck up his left pad in the nick of time, robbing Vyborny of what would have been his first goal of the season.

The game had a dearth of shots on goal: Columbus out shot San Jose 18-17. One source of improvement this season: the Jackets penalty killers have been great. Power plays: Jackets 1-6, Sharks 0-5. The team has also converted consistently when they have the man-advantage. Malhotra had two assists and was flying around the rink. I liked his attitude after the game, getting in Jeremy Roenick's face after time expired as Roenick had piled on Leclaire.

Standing up to a tough, skilled veteran team like San Jose is a very good sign: a sign that Coach Hitchcock has his thumb print on the team this season.

Another Road Win

Rick Nash continued his scoring ways, scoring two goals and adding an assist, to power the Blue Jackets past the Blackhawks 7-4. Other goal scores for Columbus were Federov (power play), Zherdev, Tollefsen and Novotny (2 goals). Michael Peca continued making his mark, adding three assists.

Norrena faced 28 shots and Columbus fired 26 on goal. The Jackets center-men again did their job, winning the face-off battle 26-23. Peca and Zherdev both were +3 for the game.

Vancouver 4 Columbus 1

The Jackets lose convincingly to a tough Vancouver club. Leclaire comes back to earth and is handed his first home ice loss of the season. Rick Nash scored the lone Jackets goal, again on the power play.

Surprising only perhaps because of the final score, the Jackets both out shot (39-19) and won more face-offs (42-32) than the Canucks. Columbus was a disappointing 1-10 on the power play (and Vancouver was also a poor 1-6).

Jackets Blank Sabres 3-0

Pascal Leclaire is hot. With three shutout already this season, last night he stoned the explosive Sabres. Perhaps they are not as explosive as in years past, but they are still a formidable team. His third shut out of the season, but it was the first one on the road. Columbus has been horrid on the road, so this trend would be a welcome one.

The important part of the solid offense so far this year is not merely that they are scoring (which is indeed a welcome change), but who is scoring. In this game, Michael Peca netted his first goal as a Blue jacket. The team is relying on his solid two-way game and leadership skill to help them make a push for the playoffs. Rick Nash scored again, this time on the power play. Even if it was an open net goal, it was good to see Zherdev get a goal.

Surprisingly the Jackets out shot the Sabres 29-21. Ryan Miller stopped Nash on a penalty shot. Seems hard to believe but Nash has never converted a penalty shot (0-3) in his NHL career.

Tough Shoot Out Loss

The Jackets dropped their first game on home ice after a 3-2 shoot out loss to Dallas. Stars Jussi Jokinen scored the lone goal during the shoot out to hand Columbus its first loss in three home games. Fredrik Norrena was solid in goal, allowing two regular time goals in 30 shots on goal.

Columbus edged Dallas in both shots on goal and face offs won, respectively 35-30 and 33-29. Power plays: Jackets 1-5, Stars 0-3. Blue Jacket goal scorers were Rick Nash and Jiri Novotny (power play). Two assists for Nikolai Zherdev.

The Nationwide Arena crowd of 11,820 was the smallest announced attendance for a Blue Jackets regular-season home game in seven years in the NHL.

It's About Time

The league finally started backing up its words about getting tough on stick work. Today it was announced that Philadelphia's Jesse Boulerice was suspended 25 games for hitting Vancouver's Ryan Kesler across the face with his stick, making the suspension the longest single-season suspension in NHL history (tied with the suspension given to Chris Simon for his two-hander to the face of Ranger Ryan Hollweg).

Perhaps mitigated by the lack of a long-term injury, the suspension is not long enough for some commentators. 25% of the season seems like a good warning to goons. Stay tuned for the next time when someone sustains a substantial injury. We'll see about the conviction of the league at that time.

Leclaire Second Shutout in a Row

Pascal Leclaire made it 2-for-2: two games, two shutouts. Not a bad way to start the season. The Blue Jackets won their second home game by shutout, blanking Phoenix 3-0.

Goals from Malhotra, Chimera (who added 2 assists) and Boll powered Columbus who out-shot the Coyotes 33-31 and won the faceoff battle 32-30. Phoenix had too many power play opportunities, but the defense held firm against 7 power plays.

After missing two games with a groin injury, Michael Peca made his debut as a Blue Jacket. Winger Jared Boll's goal was his first in the NHL.

Bad Habits Die Hard

They didn't listen to me... they played another game. As in seasons past the Jackets let a third period lead on the road slip away. Despite special teams goals by Hainsey (power play) and Foote (shorthanded), two third period goals by the Wild propelled them to a 3-2 win. Columbus was out-shot 31-21 but won the faceoff battle 33-21. Zherdev made the seemingly impossible happen: he had two assists and still managed to be -2 for the game (-4 for the season). It's early, but his complete failure as a defender is painfully obvious.

End the season now!

The Blue Jackets start the season right: winning 4-0 against the reigning Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks. It's all downhill from here folks, so let's bask in teh glow for a while.

Many good things to point out. Shutout! Leclaire is back as starter in goal and he pitches all zeros against a good club. This performance goes a long way in answering questions about coming back from an injury plagued season.

Power play success. Three goals from three different players (Federov, Nash and Hainsey) as Columbus goes 3-10 on the power play and holds Anaheim to 0-7. Special teams advantage is a must if the team is to improve this year.

Shots on goal. It is not nit-picking to consider that Columbus needs to generate more opportunities in the offensive end. They have been routinely out-shot and they need to turn those tables by clearing the defensive zone and taking the open shot. The extra pass seemed to plague the team last year. Nash and Modin had 13 shots between them, and the Jackets out-shot the Ducks 37-28.

Now that's a good start.

Comings and Goings... for the better

I'll admit up front that I simply do not like Alexander Svitov as a player. He seemed to lack the edge that is needed to play in the NHL. Last season was filled with talk of his potential. Well, now he has chosen to fulfill his potential in Russia. Despite being under a fresh month-old contract with Columbus, he signed and left for Europe. Good.

Better: the signing of Michael Peca. A tough, defensive thinking veteran, he has made it to the Stanley Cup final twice. He brings the edge that Svitov lacks and the defense that nearly all Blue Jacket forwards lack. Rick Nash will have a model to watch in his attempt to shed the deserved tag of one-way player. Thanks to the Rangers for dragging their feet! The 33 year old forward signed only a one year deal, but he should become a fan favorite in his (likely) brief stint in Columbus.

Captain Howston at the Helm: is he seaworthy?

It's a sign of a brave man; he who agrees to be the general manager of the Blue Jackets. No shallow water sailors need apply. Or is it the sign of a mad man? Either way, Scott Howson is now the culpable one... err I mean the GM, come hell or high water.

Even the casual fan couldn't help but notice the splash of high-profile signings this week (Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, Paul Kariya, Daniel Briere, Kimmo Timonen, Ryan Smith) and wonder when the Jackets will jump into the water. Resigning Alexander Svitov and Ole-Kristian Tollefsen may be nice, but new players are needed to infuse change.

We're onboard captain, but we'll need to see improvement and team commitment to prevent mutiny.

Young Winger Taken First in Draft

The Blue Jackets made winger Jakub Voracek their first round selection in this year's draft. The youngster (only 17) had a great season for the Halifax Mooseheads. Born in Slany, Czech Republic, Jakub looks to be a complimentary wing to the team's young centers. A tall playmaker, Voracek may need another season in the minors before the jump to the NHL, but you never know.

Here's a link to the Blue Jackets information page for Voracek,
http://bluejackets.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=318182

Nash Shine for Canada at World Championships

Rick Nash scored two goals to help Canada beat Finland 4-2 and clinch this year's world hockey championship in Moscow, Russia. If you have a chance, visit YouTube and see Nash's amazing goal to ice the game. Wow!

Russell Named WHL Player of the Year

Defenseman Kris Russell was named the Western Hockey League's player of the year for the second straight year. A player under contract with the Blue Jackets, Russell of the Medicine Hat Tigers led his team in scoring, netting an impressive 32 goals to go along with 37 assists in only 59 games. Perhaps we will see this young player on the team. A scoring threat from the blue line would be a welcome addition to the team.

Disappointing Seasons Leads to MacLean's Dismissal

Today the Columbus Blue Jackets fired president and general manager Doug MacLean after starting this season with some mild expectations only to finish 33-42-7. MacLean leaves the team with a dismal record of 172-258-62 under his six-year tenure.

No one can argue that he did not have enough time to make the team a winner. The only argument that can be made at this point is why did the move take so long? Look for the team to hire an experienced hockey man who will step into a situation with some young, underachieving talent.