Preseason Blahs

Not into the training camp scene. Too few changes to be optimistic about the coming season. The plan appears to be: hope the kids step up, Filatov must star and Mason must stand on his head every game.

Same Old Song

Again with the Red Wings. Yes, they are better than the Jackets. Yes, they skate circles around them at times. And yes, the Jackets got hosed by a bad call.

The skinny: ref calls no goal, replay shows Bertuzzi in the crease angling his foot back to deflect the puck off his skate then inexplicably the call is overturned. Tough to swallow when you lose 3-2.

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Nash

With two more goals by Rick Nash you'd think it would be an inopportune time to state he is undervalued. It's not and he is. Nash capped off an all-around game by diving to free the puck in the last seconds. Yeoman work on the penalty kill, taking the body when needed and getting those goals.

Beautiful feed from Umberger led to Nash's second tally. Nice to see RJ give it up for the setup. Back to .500.


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After the pressure lifts

Now that the games don't matter for this year, the team gets it rolling. We're left with some questions that spring forth from this puzzling season:

• The team is 9-5-4 since Noel took over for Hitchcock. Is he the answer for next season?


• As of late Steve Mason has been playing well, defeating the Blackhawks twice down their stretch run. His goals against average is still almost a point higher than last year. Is it the sophomore slump or is this late run what we should expect next year?


• Is this the year that Russell turns the corner and realizes his potential? His plus/minus is at even over the course of the year. In years past, he was well below break even. Will next year see him push into the positive side?


• Brassard must come back stronger next year. He has 8 goals in 73 games this season after having 10 goals in 31 games before injury.

Wait Til Next Year

Howson cleans house by trading a few expiring contracts. Good luck to Raffi Torres in Buffalo. Now the team plays out the string to what will be dwindling crowds. So much for building on last year's playoff run.


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Indicative

Canada hosts the U.S. on Sunday in the biggest game so far and it is decided to put the game on MSNBC. I look for the deeper, more talented Canadian team to win in the game after the scare from the Swiss. Miller hasn't been tested yet, but he could be the X factor.


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Solid Win

First period only yields one goal: despite tight coverage by a defenseman, Nash outmuscles the defender and redirects a pass to put the Jackets into the lead against the Sharks. Mason looks sharp, making several stops on close chances. Steve Mason finishes with another shutout and now three straight wins bringing visions of last season. Spectacular save on Lalime late in the game with another glove save after a left-to-right slide across the crease. Beautiful. Wake the kids as Voracek scores for the first time since last year! Vermette scores an empty-netter. When asked about tonight's win during the post-game interview, Mason said, "It's huge. You want to play your best agains the best teams in the league." Amen.

Too bad the Olympics are coming. It will be interesting to see if the team can build on this new found momentum. No playoff dreams at this point, but the team is playing hard, exciting hockey.

The shoe drops

Hitchcock gets canned and the death watch ends. Not sure celebration is in order as we watch the only coach to lead the team to the playoffs walk the plank. No question the team is floating seemingly rudderless. However is it the coach or the players or the GM? Hard to fire the players. Good luck Ken.


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Treading Water

Another week that the Jackets end marginally better in wins by going 2-1. At this rate they will qualify for the playoffs by 2013. Wins against St. Louis should not excite at this point. The slowed schedule leading to Vancouver begins and the team can soon reorganize and see if the staff can recharge the troops over the break. Coming out of the break without hard-charging will signify the true end of the season. We'll see if Hitch and Howson are up to the task.

Near the break the Jackets are 22nd in attendance.

Something to build upon?

Even if this victory leads into a loss, a Jackets fan must savor even a home ice victory against Nashville. Their arch nemesis, Nashville has owned Columbus since the inception of the Jackets franchise. It was the same story line we grew familiar with last year: Mason toes the line and keeps the wolves at bay. Goals by Brassard, Huselius and Modin were enough as two third period Nashville goals were too little, too late. Shots on goal: Nashville 31, Columbus 17. 17?

Signs of the apocalypse #783: +/- for the year has no one in the team's top 15 in scoring on the positive side (Nash -13, Huselius -13, Vermette -8, Umberger -16).

Wait 'til next year

Another week set to gain ground ends with a loss. 2-2 last week after a weekend loss to Minnesota. The hard play of last season simply is not there. There is no magic in goal and the team still lacks scoring weapons. No news there. 180 goals allowed! Only Toronto has allowed more goals. Tough to get excited about the team these days.

....

The decision to suspend Patrice Cormier for the rest of the regular season and the playoffs by the QMJHL for his hit on Mikael Tam hopefully will send s signal to players. Let's not downplay the suspension by labeling it merely a beacon: Cormier deserved a long suspension for such an obvious attack. Hopefully the NHL will take heed and learn from the juniors about how to handle such shenanigans. I applaud the Devils for announcing that they won't try to skirt the suspension and dump him into another league.

Fail

Three games to show where they stood. Three losses. Getting close to games becoming less interesting than considering who is available in the next draft. From playoffs back to doormats in six months.

Three in a Row

Winning three in a row a week after not winning for a month is a bit like Packer fans celebrating the offensive show in Arizona today. Okay, the offense did great... but you lost the game. Kudos for the Blue Jackets putting together a solid run of wins... though their slot at fourteenth place in the conference has not changed. Streaks have to start somewhere, and for that I am grateful. And skeptical.

The positive signs are there: solid goaltending, veterans playing tougher and good special teams. Raffi Torres scored his 13th goal in a solid season and managed eight shots on goal. Mike Commodore hit the ice and logged 20 minutes. Garon is doing his best Steve Mason impersonation, shutting down Dallas . The penalty unit is doing its job, allowing no goals in 16 chances during this three game streak.

Road games versus divisional rivals this week will be the real barometer: Tuesday in St. Louis and Thursday in Chicago. Two wins this week and then we can call the recent play a trend.

Chimera, Commodore and a Win

Haven't had a chance to comment on Jason Chimera's trade. I have mixed feelings about the trade as Chimera was a hard-skating, lunch bucket sort of player that was easy to cheer for by fans. Admittedly he never seemed to stay healthy long enough to utilize all the potential that he showed in glimpses. Stabilizing a team in free-fall was an obvious need. I'm wait-and-see if the trade of a popular, tough and skilled player will be a good thing.

Why the Jackets are having trouble reason #357: Mike Commodore - "My legs aren't there. I will go for any type of explosive stride to close on a guy, and there's nothing there." Not exactly the sort of quote you want to read from your best blue-liner.

Solid win on the road in Edmonton on Wednesday. Goals by Umberger (14), Huselius (14), Vermette (12) and Hejda. Hard to believe that on a team that does not score often that they may have four guys who score 30+ goals. Odder that Garon's GAA is better than Mason's. Yikes...

Hitchcock

So how did Hitchcock go from playoffs to rumor mill grist? Losing does such things. What this season hasn't done is invalidate the team's run last year. Ken didn't slip into senility in the off-season. Coaching is overrated in most sports, and hockey is no exception. Players carry the day and coaches sometimes make a difference over the long haul.

The biggest difference year-to-year from 2009-2010? Mason. It's as simple as that. To put that pressure on a young person is tough, but the conclusion is inescapable. The Jackets rode his cape into the playoffs and they occupy the bottom now based on the absence of magic. Firing Hitchcock or blaming Mason as the sole source is as easy as it is unfair. Howson has to face the fact that the dearth of scoring is on him, not Hitch. To expect Mason to work under the pressure of shutout or loss is untenable.

Awry

I moved and have not seen a game in over a month. Good thing because the Jackets have hit the wall. After the great start, the team has won three times in 23 games and, even more frightening, hasn't scored more than two goals in their last 10 games. Mason should sue for non-support. Not sure it's a good thing, but the cable guy installs a line this week.

Squashed

Two quick goals by the Jackets led to an early time out called by Tortorella. Whatever he said worked because the score for the rest of the game was 7-2 for the Rangers. Mason gave up three goals and was pulled in favor of Garon, who gave up four. Such was the destiny on thsi night Wasted efforts: Gordie Howe hat trick for Boll who had a goal, as assist and a fight (well, actually two fights). For the first time in seven games no assist for Tyutin. Huselius scored a goal and still was -3 on the night. Nash ended the game -4. Yikes.

Nashville Again

The Jackets lost their 5,273,356 game in a row to the Predators in Nashville. This time it was a 4-3 shootout loss. Close but no cigar. Wasted efforts by Umberger (two goals), Tyutin (two assists) and Mason (49 shots). 49 shots on goal? Dismissed as coincidence: minutes played by Boll (3:45) and Belak (3:54).

Team Winning Games, Losing Russians

After solid back-to-back wins from backup goaltender Mathieu Garon, the Blue Jackets announced that Filatov ha been loaned for the remainder of the year to a KHL team. The former first round pick simply was earning his way onto the ice. It's anyone's guess whether we have seen the last of him or not. Let's hope an extra year of gaining experience and getting stronger will yield a Filatov ready for prime time next season. Disappointing, but a move that will benefit the team down the road. Hopefully...

Kick 'em while they are down

Carolina limped into Nationwide winless in eleven games and goalie Cam Ward went down in the first period. In a dog-eat-dog world, the Jackets took care of business, netted three in the third period to shut down the Hurricanes 3-2. That's what good teams should do - beat inferior opponents. Mason played up to the level expected - unrealistically good. Goals by Nash, Boll, and Filatov powered the team; all goals were scored within a five minute span. Mason even assisted on Boll's goal: Mason to Strallman to Boll (who sped around the defenseman whose stick had broken then went top shelf on Leighton.

A win is a win, but this victory was better than the odd 4-3 win in Atlanta on Thursday. It makes for uneasy feeling when you give up two power play goals, take eight penalties - on the road no less - and only manage 21 shots on goal (compared to your opponent's 35 shots). Luckily it was the Thrashers. Torres had another high energy game, scoring a pair of goals and was generally flying around the rink. Voracek and Brassard had the other goals for Columbus.