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Game 37 Recap: Krampusnacht

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As the NHL prepares to take a few days off for the holidays, the Blue Jackets went into PNC Arena to face the Carolina Hurricanes, and ended up stealing a game out from under them with a dramatic 4-3 come from behind victory.

To say this was an odd game for the Blue Jackets would be an understatement.

Thanks to Derek MacKenzie and Jack Skille returning to the lineup, the forwards would shuffle again, with the final arrangement putting Brandon Dubinsky on the wing with Artem Anisimov at center and Cam Atkinson on the right, a third line of Corey Tropp, Mark Letestu, and Boone Jenner, and DMac and Skille paired with Blake Comeau. Only the red hot Umby / Johan / Goaligno line would be untouched.

On top of that, the team had expected Curtis McElhinney to start all day, but Mike McKenna would get a last minute nod after C-Mac tweaked his back shortly before warmups.

Oh, and on top of that, a few guys apparently got lost inside the bowels of the building.

The team wouldn't get off to a confused start, though. After each goaltender was tested a few times in the first few minutes of play, the Jackets would draw first blood on Justin Peters thanks to Cam Atkinson driving deep into the Carolina zone, grabbing the puck below the goal line, and dropping a gorgeous pass to AA, who hit the wrist shot cleanly into the net.

Unfortunately, the Jackets would begin collecting the first of what would be many penalties not long after the opening goal. Despite the Hurricanes having one of the worst power plays in the NHL this season, Jeff Skinner made it look easy late in the first period. Taking the puck from Eric Staal off of the faceoff, he slid himself back in a pirouette before lining up a sneaky little shot that slipped right past McKenna to tie the game at ones heading into intermission.

The parade of penalties really picked up for both teams in the second, but the Jackets couldn't make anything work against the Carolina PK. Fortunately, they weren't as frustrated at even strength, pushing play firmly into the offensive zone, and that would pay off just past the 3/4 mark of the period when the Test Tube line would get on the board.

Letestu would carry the puck in down the left side, then rip a hard shot into Peters' chest, which rebounded out into the slot. Corey Tropp would...well, honestly, I'm not sure what he was trying to do, as he got his legs cut out from under him as he tried to play the puck, but somehow his flailing attempt to get a shot on net would squeak through a crush of bodies in front of the net and past Peters for his first NHL goal this season.

The lead wouldn't last long, though, as Jack Johnson would be sent to the box for a hooking call that I will politely call borderline, and Skinner would spark the Hurricane power play once again. Left totally unguarded in front of the net, he called for the puck from Alexander Semin, and put his shot bar down to tie the game once again.

That goal fired up the Hurricanes, and they blew into the third period with devastating force, pinning Columbus in their end again and again until they finally broke down the Blue Jackets' defenses. After James Wisniewski stood Nathan Gerbe up in the Columbus zone, Jordan Staal would take the puck away and drive to the net before faking his shot and passing over to a waiting Alexander Semin, who put his shot home in a very similar fashion to the second Skinner goal.

Unable to push back on the ice, frustration boiled over for Skille, who knocked Tuomo Ruutu halfway back to Turku with a thunderous hit. Unfortunately, his highlight reel hit was also textbook interference, so he'd be sent to the box.

In other games, that penalty might have lead to a fourth Carolina goal, and the end of Columbus' chances, but tonight that hit seemed to fire up the Jackets bench, and the PK finally figured out that maybe Jeff Skinner ought to be covered, rather than left to his own devices on the ice.

After the successful kill, the Jackets went on the attack, with Letestu figuring into the play once again. This time he'd launch the puck out of his own zone and over to Nick Foligno with a perfect stretch pass, and he'd break through on a rush with Ryan Johansen. A nice little dish over to the Johan put him behind the defense, one on one against Peters, and he showed off his wicked shot to bring the Jackets back into the game.

The Canes must have felt a bit shell shocked by the sudden reversal of momentum, and James Wisniewski would take advantage of that confusion in the next minute after the tying goal, sending Artem Anisimov up the ice on a very similar pass to the Letestu - Foligno connection, and this time Anisimov would be the one passing the puck off to a teammate, dropping it back to Jack Skille, who knew exactly what to do with it. Taking the puck and firing top corner, he picked up his fourth goal in nine games to give Columbus the lead with just over two minutes to play in regulation.

Carolina attempted to force their way back in, pulling Peters for an extra attacker, and as time died away Jeff Skinner would find time and space once again away from the Blue Jacket defenders, but this time McKenna was ready with a spectacular glove save, snapping the leather up and making a game saving stop to help the Jackets steal two huge points that they could put under the tree.

Final Score: Jackets 4 - Hurricanes 3

Standard Bearers:

  • Mike McKenna - McMac stepped in on short notice and kept the Jackets in the game a couple times, particularly in the early part of the third period, and found one crucial save right when the team needed it.
  • The Grinders - Between Tropp, Letestu, Jenner, Comeau, and Skille, the Jackets got some major plays from their bottom six.
  • The Johan - That is one Grown Ass Man there. Johansen is now leading the team in goals and overall points.

Bottom of the Barrel:

  • PK - No, really, you probably should consider putting some defensive pressure on the opponent's leading goal scorer. We made the NHL's worst home ice power play look like a well oiled machine tonight, and that's just embarrassing.
  • Discipline - The Skille penalty was a big momentum changer in the Jackets' favor (for once!), but the Jackets got wrapped up and boxed like Christmas presents for most of this game. Quite a few of the calls looked borderline to me, but guys were sitting in the box one way or the other, and that could have easily given this game away.
  • ...honestly, that's really about it. The Jackets came back for a big win with a huge third period effort. I'm feeling a good bit of holiday cheer right now, and I bet the guys on the flight home are too.

Good teams find ways to win, even on nights where things don't go according to plan. Based on what we saw tonight? The Blue Jackets may just be turning that corner. They picked up a win against a divisional opponent, moved one point back of New Jersey, and are two points back of both New York and Philly. With more Metro Matchups coming up after the holiday break, Columbus is in a position to take control of their own destiny...and did I mention that it's looking like Nathan Horton may be ready to play his first game in a Blue Jackets sweater on Friday?

Merry Christmas.


Quick Hits: Zetterberg, Helm, & Abdelkader Updates

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Red Wings News

Zetterberg, Helm, Abdelkader expect to return for Detroit on Saturday | ProHockeyTalk
It's cause I'm going to that game. You guys can thank me later.

Samuelsson ‘extremely’ disappointed he can’t get in Wings’ lineup | Red Wings Front
I don't know what to say. Personally, I have always liked Sammy. That is partially because he's Swedish, but also because he's really not a bad player. No, I would never have given him the contract he was given, but remember, hindsight is 20/20.

‘We’re definitely on schedule’: Work continues ahead of 2014 Winter Classic | ProHockeyTalk

That's good to hear.

Wings want Kindl to compete harder defensively | Red Wings Front
Kindl is a good player, he's just struggling a bit right now.

360 View of Michigan Stadium | Ann Arbor, Michigan, Dec 26 2013 by Corey Masisak

Title says it all.

NHL News

Horton expects to debut for Columbus in early January | ProHockeyTalk
Horton hasn't exactly been what Columbus intended him to be.

Olympics: Competition intense for Canadian roster spots - 2014 Olympics
The big question is whether to include P.K. Subban or not.

Coyotes owners ‘probably a little disappointed’ with attendance | Puck Daddy - Yahoo Sports
They are never going to have good attendance unless they relocate or win the Cup.

Top 10 goals from 2013 in the NHL - CBSSports.com
Datsyuk is second only to Hertl.

World Junior Championship: Anthony Mantha hat trick leads Canada over Germany - SBNation.com
In case you missed it. Mantha is incredible!

Blue Jackets sign club's fifth-round pick Bjorkstrand | TSN
TSN made a typo on the article title, he was selected in the third round.

Top 10 hockey fights of 2013 (Puck Daddy Year in Review) | Puck Daddy - Yahoo Sports
Only 2 NHL fights on the list.

Which goalies make the big clutch saves? - SBNation.com

Interesting article.

Not a lot of news yesterday folks, hopefully stuff picks up again today.

Let's Go Red Wings!

New Jersey Devils vs. Columbus Blue Jackets: Game Preview #39

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Right after the holiday, the New Jersey Devils begin a Metropolitan Division-based back-to-back set with the Columbus Blue Jackets. This preview highlights' Blue Jackets' top six, their lack of possession, and how the Devils should approach this game.

Welcome back to hockey with a back-to-back with your favorite team. The first game is at the Rock.

The Time: 7:00 PM EST

The Broadcast: TV - MSG+; Radio - 660 AM & 101.9 FM WFAN

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (15-16-7) vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets (16-17-4; SBN Blog: The Cannon)

The Last Devils Game: The New Jersey Devils went to Chicago to take on the Blackhawks. The Blackhawks are the best possession team in hockey and it certainly showed on Monday night. The Devils were limited to a mere two shots on net in the first period while Chicago got twelve and a goal from Patrick Sharp. In the second period, the Devils did manage to get an equalizer when Jon Merrill fired a low shot from the center point. It bounced off a skate, Stephen Gionta's stick, and then past Antti Raanta. Chicago responded by continuing to pin the Devils back. Cory Schneider couldn't hold on to a Nick Leddy shot and Patrick Kane pounded in the rebound. Bryan Bickell put them up 3-1 with an open wrist shot through a screen in the second period. While Michael Ryder put home a loose puck to start the third period to make it 3-2, there was no hope for a comeback as Chicago just dominated puck control for a third period. As the Devils were held to only twelve shots total (remember, Chicago got twelve in the first alone), Chicago just increased the score. A Merrill shot was blocked by Brent Seabrook and immediately sprung Sharp for a breakaway that he scored on. Later, Leddy put a shot through Schneider to convert a power play. Throw in three posts throughout the game and it was simply a one-sided 5-2 loss. My recap of that game is here.

The Last Blue Jackets Game: On Monday night, the Blue Jackets visited the Carolina Hurricanes in what would turn out to be a dramatic game. Columbus struck first as Artem Anisimov scored with help from Cam Atkinson and Brandon Dubinsky. But late first period power play for Carolina was converted by Jeff Skinner to make it 1-1. The second period featured four penalties by Carolina and no PPGs for the visitors. Bottom six forward Corey Tropp did score his first of the season. The Blue Jackets built on that by two straight penalties from their defenders; Skinner converted a 5-on-3 to make it 2-2. Carolina went up just before halfway through the third when Alexander Semin scored. They really put the pressure on Columbus, doubling up in shots 16-8. But Columbus would rise above with a quick two goals. Ryan Johansen got the equalizer and the returning Jack Skille put home a beautifully placed shot to make it 4-3. Mike McKenna held on, made one impressive stop on Skinner right at the end, and the Blue Jackets went to Christmas with a big Metropolitan Division win. Matt Wagner at The Cannon has this recap of what happened.

The Last Devils-Blue Jackets Game: On December 10, the New Jersey Devils played as well as anyone could have expected to start a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Travis Zajac scored on the team's very first shot. The Devils pinned back Columbus repeatedly, forcing Curtis McElhinney to make tough saves early, and Michael Ryder put home a rebound off a quick two-on-one that began with one of the many Columbus turnovers. The only reason why the first period ended 2-1 was because a shot by Brandon Dubinsky caromed off Martin Brodeur's pad and then off the calf of Cam Atkinson right in front. A bad bounce to be sure. Even the second started well enough as Patrik Elias set up Damien Brunner for his first goal in a long time. But the Devils simply couldn't stop the unit of Dubinsky, Atkinson, and Matt Calvert. That line put Columbus right back in the game with the next three goals scored: two in the second and one on their first shift in the third period. Martin Brodeur was bad, the Devils only had trouble with this unit, and their attack slowed up. The Devils absolutely responded in the third period and got a second goal from Brunner off a rebound. But after being quiet all game long, Ryan Johansen and Nick Foligno made some noise. On their only attacking shift of the night and getting not exactly New Jersey's best five men out there, they just maintained possession for at least 45 seconds as Johansen kept trying to make a set-play into the crease. He missed the first time, but on the second, his attempt ricocheted off Foligno's skate and into the net. The Devils lost 5-4 in what was ultimately a choking effort. If only the Devils could have stopped the Dubinsky line or if only Brodeur was just decent in net. If only. My recap of the loss is here. Over at The Cannon, Mike MacLean had plenty of praise for the Dubinsky line in his recap.

The Goal: At home, get the best match-ups against their top six. While it's not the same line as the last Devils-Blue Jackets game, I really want the Devils to stamp down on Dubinsky's line. Anisimov, I think, is a better player than Calvert and he's been more productive this season with ten goals and eight assists. He'll likely get more points as he continues to play with Atkinson, Columbus' most prolific shooter with 108 shots, and Dubinsky, who not only gets up for Devils games (12 G, 13 A in 34 games against NJ in his career) but he's also Columbus' second leading scorer (6 G, 17 A in 31 games). Dubinsky and Atkinson were too brilliant on December 10 and they've been among Columbus' best possession players. The Devils will need to them to be far quieter. To do that, they must force them to defend more than attack; which is why the match-ups against them really matter.

Of course, I wouldn't expect the Devils to limit Ryan Johansen as much as they did on that night. Seriously, Johansen, R.J. Umberger, and Foligno did very little until the end of that game. Usually, that's a good thing, but it cost them on that night. My hope is that it doesn't get to that point again but I really doubt those three will be so inconsequential. Johansen is having a fantastic season as he currently leads the Blue Jackets with fifteen goals and thirty points. Foligno and Umberger each have ten goals and at least ten assists (11 for Foligno, 10 for Umberger). It's a line that has been quite successful all season long despite that two-thirds of that line has been creamed in possession. I don't want the Devils to ignore them at the cost of trying to make sure the Dubinsky unit doesn't beat them again.

Pound the Puck: On Saturday in D.C., the Devils demonstrated how a good possession team can really make it a long night for an opposing team that isn't so good in possession. Constantly working the defense over and going for long stretches without conceding a shot makes it so much easier to try and win. Even when behind in the game. Fortunately for the Devils, the Blue Jackets have not been that much better than the Capitals when it comes to possession. In 5-on-5 close-score situations, their Fenwick% (attempts without blocks) is the seventh lowest in the league at 47.4% according to Extra Skater. Not as bad as Washington, but still pretty bad. In 5-on-5 situations overall, their Corsi% (all attempts) is the ninth lowest in the league at 47.9% according to Extra Skater. Again, that's still quite low. The Blue Jackets concede only 30.8 shots per game according to NHL.com, but that's still in the bottom third of the league. While the Devils certainly don't shoot a lot, they're a top-ten possession team. This is the sort of game where the Devils should be able to repeatedly pin back the opposition. They did so on December 10, Dubinsky-line-being-on-fire aside.

The Devils should be able to emphasize this advantage and having the last change can only help them out. The unit of Travis Zajac, Jaromir Jagr, and Dainius Zubrus should have a field day against one of Columbus' pairings. Hopefully it'll be Fedor Tyutin and USA Hockey's Favorite Overrated Black Hole, Jack Johnson. (Surprise: Columbus' top pairing has been wrecked in possession. This is partially why their team isn't good at it.) I'd like to see Patrik Elias have a good game and what better time than a game against a team that has defended a lot more at evens than not? There should be plenty of space from the point as I expect the Devils to get the puck in deep. This could be a great night for Andy Greene to continue to make USA Hockey look stupid for not even considering, Eric Gelinas to bust out The Truth, or even have Marek Zidlicky make decent plays. I'm really looking forward to seeing the Devils get back to forcing the issue after seeing Chicago do it to them for the better part of sixty minutes on Monday. that's what should happen, at least.

Additionally, the Columbus penalty kill is another part that can be exploited. I know that assumes the Devils power play to be something resembling "reliably competent." However, the Blue Jackets are 23rd in the league in shots against per 60 in shorthanded situations according to Extra Skater. They concede more than your average penalty kill while being a bit under the league median in success rate and number of shorthanded situations. Should the Devils be able to do things like carry the puck into the zone and get set up, then they should be able to find shooting lanes to the net.

A Backup or a Third-Stringer: If there's one other reason the Devils should take initiative and keep swarming the Blue Jackets, then it's their goaltending. Curtis McElhinney and Mike McKenna have been forced into playing more due to Sergei Bobrovsky's injury. Both haven't been too terrible based on NHL.com's numbers. McKenna has a better even strength save percentage at 91.9%, though he's only appeared in four games. McElhinney has been getting more starts and he's a little lower at 91.2%. They aren't great numbers, but a team may be able to work with them. That said, they aren't great goalies either. McElhinney wasn't really a good back up in the past and McKenna is a third stringer. Regardless of who they start, I want the Devils to force them to be great.

Speaking of Starters, Does It Matter Tonight?: The Devils have been splitting starts between Martin Brodeur and Cory Schneider on back-to-back sets. It will not be long before they get their next start. I'm sure both goalies would love to get their next game as soon as possible to put their last performance behind them. Brodeur was bad in D.C. I'd go as far to say that the Devils won that game in spite of Brodeur. Schneider got shelled in Chicago and gave up a couple of bad goals as well. With both goalies below 91% save percentage at even strength, the Devils really could benefit from either one having a good game. Fortunately, both Columbus and the Isles are in the bottom third in the league in shots per game so it's not likely either will face a ton of rubber. Ultimately, because of the back-to-back, I'm fine with either one starting this one. I just want them to be fine tonight.

I Hope Section 1 Doesn't Get To Hear Me Yell "Dang it, Marek" Like I'm Hank Hill But...: Marek Zidlicky leads the team with 19 minor penalties and he's only two behind the league leader. I fear a hook or a hold from him may be a matter of "when" and not "if." The Columbus power play is about average. Their shots for per 60 minute rate is only a little below league median while their success rate is exactly the league median. The players to watch for aren't surprising: Johansen and Umberger have been the most productive with ten and eight power play points respectively. Do look for someone who didn't play in the last Devils-Blue Jackets game: defenseman James Wisniewski. He's got nine power play assists, which makes up the vast majority of his eleven total points this season. Hopefully the forwards are able to keep an eye on him at the points if/when there's a power play for the visitors. Don't help them out, Marek. (Note: This is a slight preview of what I'm planning for Monday.)

One Last Note: This back-to-back is massive within the division and this is the bigger game. Columbus is in the same boat as the Devils and four other teams trying to scramble for playoff positioning. This game will determine a lot and another loss to this team would hurt. I know it seems odd to think that anything involving Columbus as important in the season; but it is at this moment in time.

Your Take: The New Jersey Devils return to the Rock tonight. Will you be there? Whether you will or not, what do you think the Devils have to do (beyond the obvious "score more than them") to win this game tonight? Who needs to play well? Who on Columbus needs to be stopped? Can the Devils even stop Dubinsky? Please leave your answers and other thoughts on tonight's game in the comments. Thank you for reading.

New Jersey Devils vs. Columbus Blue Jackets: Game Stream #39

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The NHL is back and the New Jersey Devils return to the ice with a home game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the first of a back-to-back set. This stream will consist of all posts relevant to this game.

Welcome back to hockey with a back-to-back with your favorite team. The first game is at the Rock.

The Time: 7:00 PM EST

The Broadcast: TV - MSG+; Radio - 660 AM & 101.9 FM WFAN

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (15-16-7) vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets (16-17-4; SBN Blog: The Cannon)

The Last Devils Game: The New Jersey Devils went to Chicago to take on the Blackhawks. The Blackhawks are the best possession team in hockey and it certainly showed on Monday night. The Devils were limited to a mere two shots on net in the first period while Chicago got twelve and a goal from Patrick Sharp. In the second period, the Devils did manage to get an equalizer when Jon Merrill fired a low shot from the center point. It bounced off a skate, Stephen Gionta's stick, and then past Antti Raanta. Chicago responded by continuing to pin the Devils back. Cory Schneider couldn't hold on to a Nick Leddy shot and Patrick Kane pounded in the rebound. Bryan Bickell put them up 3-1 with an open wrist shot through a screen in the second period. While Michael Ryder put home a loose puck to start the third period to make it 3-2, there was no hope for a comeback as Chicago just dominated puck control for a third period. As the Devils were held to only twelve shots total (remember, Chicago got twelve in the first alone), Chicago just increased the score. A Merrill shot was blocked by Brent Seabrook and immediately sprung Sharp for a breakaway that he scored on. Later, Leddy put a shot through Schneider to convert a power play. Throw in three posts throughout the game and it was simply a one-sided 5-2 loss. My recap of that game is here.

The Last Blue Jackets Game: On Monday night, the Blue Jackets visited the Carolina Hurricanes in what would turn out to be a dramatic game. Columbus struck first as Artem Anisimov scored with help from Cam Atkinson and Brandon Dubinsky. But late first period power play for Carolina was converted by Jeff Skinner to make it 1-1. The second period featured four penalties by Carolina and no PPGs for the visitors. Bottom six forward Corey Tropp did score his first of the season. The Blue Jackets built on that by two straight penalties from their defenders; Skinner converted a 5-on-3 to make it 2-2. Carolina went up just before halfway through the third when Alexander Semin scored. They really put the pressure on Columbus, doubling up in shots 16-8. But Columbus would rise above with a quick two goals. Ryan Johansen got the equalizer and the returning Jack Skille put home a beautifully placed shot to make it 4-3. Mike McKenna held on, made one impressive stop on Skinner right at the end, and the Blue Jackets went to Christmas with a big Metropolitan Division win. Matt Wagner at The Cannon has this recap of what happened.

The Last Devils-Blue Jackets Game: On December 10, the New Jersey Devils played as well as anyone could have expected to start a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Travis Zajac scored on the team's very first shot. The Devils pinned back Columbus repeatedly, forcing Curtis McElhinney to make tough saves early, and Michael Ryder put home a rebound off a quick two-on-one that began with one of the many Columbus turnovers. The only reason why the first period ended 2-1 was because a shot by Brandon Dubinsky caromed off Martin Brodeur's pad and then off the calf of Cam Atkinson right in front. A bad bounce to be sure. Even the second started well enough as Patrik Elias set up Damien Brunner for his first goal in a long time. But the Devils simply couldn't stop the unit of Dubinsky, Atkinson, and Matt Calvert. That line put Columbus right back in the game with the next three goals scored: two in the second and one on their first shift in the third period. Martin Brodeur was bad, the Devils only had trouble with this unit, and their attack slowed up. The Devils absolutely responded in the third period and got a second goal from Brunner off a rebound. But after being quiet all game long, Ryan Johansen and Nick Foligno made some noise. On their only attacking shift of the night and getting not exactly New Jersey's best five men out there, they just maintained possession for at least 45 seconds as Johansen kept trying to make a set-play into the crease. He missed the first time, but on the second, his attempt ricocheted off Foligno's skate and into the net. The Devils lost 5-4 in what was ultimately a choking effort. If only the Devils could have stopped the Dubinsky line or if only Brodeur was just decent in net. If only. My recap of the loss is here. Over at The Cannon, Mike MacLean had plenty of praise for the Dubinsky line in his recap.

The Goal: At home, get the best match-ups against their top six. While it's not the same line as the last Devils-Blue Jackets game, I really want the Devils to stamp down on Dubinsky's line. Anisimov, I think, is a better player than Calvert and he's been more productive this season with ten goals and eight assists. He'll likely get more points as he continues to play with Atkinson, Columbus' most prolific shooter with 108 shots, and Dubinsky, who not only gets up for Devils games (12 G, 13 A in 34 games against NJ in his career) but he's also Columbus' second leading scorer (6 G, 17 A in 31 games). Dubinsky and Atkinson were too brilliant on December 10 and they've been among Columbus' best possession players. The Devils will need to them to be far quieter. To do that, they must force them to defend more than attack; which is why the match-ups against them really matter.

Of course, I wouldn't expect the Devils to limit Ryan Johansen as much as they did on that night. Seriously, Johansen, R.J. Umberger, and Foligno did very little until the end of that game. Usually, that's a good thing, but it cost them on that night. My hope is that it doesn't get to that point again but I really doubt those three will be so inconsequential. Johansen is having a fantastic season as he currently leads the Blue Jackets with fifteen goals and thirty points. Foligno and Umberger each have ten goals and at least ten assists (11 for Foligno, 10 for Umberger). It's a line that has been quite successful all season long despite that two-thirds of that line has been creamed in possession. I don't want the Devils to ignore them at the cost of trying to make sure the Dubinsky unit doesn't beat them again.

Pound the Puck: On Saturday in D.C., the Devils demonstrated how a good possession team can really make it a long night for an opposing team that isn't so good in possession. Constantly working the defense over and going for long stretches without conceding a shot makes it so much easier to try and win. Even when behind in the game. Fortunately for the Devils, the Blue Jackets have not been that much better than the Capitals when it comes to possession. In 5-on-5 close-score situations, their Fenwick% (attempts without blocks) is the seventh lowest in the league at 47.4% according to Extra Skater. Not as bad as Washington, but still pretty bad. In 5-on-5 situations overall, their Corsi% (all attempts) is the ninth lowest in the league at 47.9% according to Extra Skater. Again, that's still quite low. The Blue Jackets concede only 30.8 shots per game according to NHL.com, but that's still in the bottom third of the league. While the Devils certainly don't shoot a lot, they're a top-ten possession team. This is the sort of game where the Devils should be able to repeatedly pin back the opposition. They did so on December 10, Dubinsky-line-being-on-fire aside.

The Devils should be able to emphasize this advantage and having the last change can only help them out. The unit of Travis Zajac, Jaromir Jagr, and Dainius Zubrus should have a field day against one of Columbus' pairings. Hopefully it'll be Fedor Tyutin and USA Hockey's Favorite Overrated Black Hole, Jack Johnson. (Surprise: Columbus' top pairing has been wrecked in possession. This is partially why their team isn't good at it.) I'd like to see Patrik Elias have a good game and what better time than a game against a team that has defended a lot more at evens than not? There should be plenty of space from the point as I expect the Devils to get the puck in deep. This could be a great night for Andy Greene to continue to make USA Hockey look stupid for not even considering, Eric Gelinas to bust out The Truth, or even have Marek Zidlicky make decent plays. I'm really looking forward to seeing the Devils get back to forcing the issue after seeing Chicago do it to them for the better part of sixty minutes on Monday. that's what should happen, at least.

Additionally, the Columbus penalty kill is another part that can be exploited. I know that assumes the Devils power play to be something resembling "reliably competent." However, the Blue Jackets are 23rd in the league in shots against per 60 in shorthanded situations according to Extra Skater. They concede more than your average penalty kill while being a bit under the league median in success rate and number of shorthanded situations. Should the Devils be able to do things like carry the puck into the zone and get set up, then they should be able to find shooting lanes to the net.

A Backup or a Third-Stringer: If there's one other reason the Devils should take initiative and keep swarming the Blue Jackets, then it's their goaltending. Curtis McElhinney and Mike McKenna have been forced into playing more due to Sergei Bobrovsky's injury. Both haven't been too terrible based on NHL.com's numbers. McKenna has a better even strength save percentage at 91.9%, though he's only appeared in four games. McElhinney has been getting more starts and he's a little lower at 91.2%. They aren't great numbers, but a team may be able to work with them. That said, they aren't great goalies either. McElhinney wasn't really a good back up in the past and McKenna is a third stringer. Regardless of who they start, I want the Devils to force them to be great.

Speaking of Starters, Does It Matter Tonight?: The Devils have been splitting starts between Martin Brodeur and Cory Schneider on back-to-back sets. It will not be long before they get their next start. I'm sure both goalies would love to get their next game as soon as possible to put their last performance behind them. Brodeur was bad in D.C. I'd go as far to say that the Devils won that game in spite of Brodeur. Schneider got shelled in Chicago and gave up a couple of bad goals as well. With both goalies below 91% save percentage at even strength, the Devils really could benefit from either one having a good game. Fortunately, both Columbus and the Isles are in the bottom third in the league in shots per game so it's not likely either will face a ton of rubber. Ultimately, because of the back-to-back, I'm fine with either one starting this one. I just want them to be fine tonight.

I Hope Section 1 Doesn't Get To Hear Me Yell "Dang it, Marek" Like I'm Hank Hill But...: Marek Zidlicky leads the team with 19 minor penalties and he's only two behind the league leader. I fear a hook or a hold from him may be a matter of "when" and not "if." The Columbus power play is about average. Their shots for per 60 minute rate is only a little below league median while their success rate is exactly the league median. The players to watch for aren't surprising: Johansen and Umberger have been the most productive with ten and eight power play points respectively. Do look for someone who didn't play in the last Devils-Blue Jackets game: defenseman James Wisniewski. He's got nine power play assists, which makes up the vast majority of his eleven total points this season. Hopefully the forwards are able to keep an eye on him at the points if/when there's a power play for the visitors. Don't help them out, Marek. (Note: This is a slight preview of what I'm planning for Monday.)

One Last Note: This back-to-back is massive within the division and this is the bigger game. Columbus is in the same boat as the Devils and four other teams trying to scramble for playoff positioning. This game will determine a lot and another loss to this team would hurt. I know it seems odd to think that anything involving Columbus as important in the season; but it is at this moment in time.

Your Take: The New Jersey Devils return to the Rock tonight. Will you be there? Whether you will or not, what do you think the Devils have to do (beyond the obvious "score more than them") to win this game tonight? Who needs to play well? Who on Columbus needs to be stopped? Can the Devils even stop Dubinsky? Please leave your answers and other thoughts on tonight's game in the comments. Thank you for reading.

Way Down on the Farm: ECHL's IceMen Feeling the Pain

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The Evansville IceMen, Columbus' ECHL affiliate, are keeping the ship afloat despite a recent tidal wave of injuries and player call-ups.

According to the latest update on ManGamesLost.com, the Blue Jackets are currently 5th in the NHL in man-games lost to injury this season. Such health problems always lead to a "trickle-up" effect on rosters throughout the organization, which means Columbus' AHL and ECHL affiliates (the Springfield Falcons and Evansville IceMen, respectively) have felt the Blue Jackets' pain as well.

At the bottom of the food chain, Evansville has also had an unhealthy helping of its own pain to deal with. The IceMen have lost 59 man-games to injury this season, and that total does not include the losses of key players called up to the AHL due to injuries elsewhere.

As a result, Evansville's active roster currently features four players signed away from the Single-A SPHL (including the starting goaltender), two players who weren't even playing pro hockey when the season began (including the backup goaltender), and one player on loan from the Dallas Stars who is now with his 7th pro team in his 4th season.

The roster volatility has produced quite the rollercoaster ride in recent weeks. In their past 21 games, the streaky IceMen have put together (in chronological order) an 8-game point streak, a 3-game losing streak, a 4-game winning streak, another 3-game losing streak, and a 3-game point streak.

Despite all of the injuries and call-ups, Evansville is 14-7-4 and just 2 points behind North Division leading Cincinnati, with one game in-hand on the rival Cyclones. The IceMen have the fourth-best winning percentage in the ECHL's Eastern Conference, and will now enjoy the benefit of playing 15 of their next 19 games at home.

Following are updates about the players under contract to Columbus or Springfield who have spent time in Evansville this season, as well as a few IceMen-contracted players who are worth keeping an eye on...

FORWARDS:

• Rookie Jeremy Langlois (SPR) has been Evansville's most dynamic scoring threat since being sent down in early November. He leads the IceMen in scoring with 22 points, despite playing in just 17 of the team's 25 games. The Arizona native, a product of Quinnipiac University, is also tied for the team lead with 9 goals and tied for second on the team with a +7 rating. Langlois has quickly gained legitimate consideration as perhaps the most talented player to ever don an IceMen uniform.

• Rookie Peter Sakaris (SPR) has yet to find the same scoring touch that helped him produce 137 points in 159 career games in the QMJHL. Sakaris did score his first professional goal late in a 7-3 throttling of the Toledo Walleye in early December, but he has just 5 points (4 assists) in 20 games overall this season. Prior to the relatively recent depletion of the Evansville roster, Sakaris was a healthy scratch on 5 different occasions.

• Third-year pro Nathan Moon (EVN), who was under contract to Springfield last season, is tied for second on the IceMen with 21 points in 23 games. Moon has heated up in recent weeks, finding the scoresheet in 12 of his last 14 games. The gritty forward has also gained an "A" on his jersey, having been appointed an alternate captain after former "A" Jason Dale was released just before Thanksgiving.

• Sixth-year pro Matt Schepke (EVN) is tied with Moon for second on the team with 21 points. The Michigan native, who has had a few cups of coffee in the AHL during his career, is on pace for his best season as a pro.

• Second-year pro Matt Lowry (EVN) has been in the AHL on loan to Bridgeport since early December. When he departed Evansville, Lowry was tied for second on the team (with Schepke and behind Langlois) in scoring with 15 points in 19 games.

DEFENSEMEN:

• Rookie Thomas Larkin (CBJ) is now in Springfield after starting the season with the IceMen. While in Evansville, Larkin piled up 9 assists and a +6 rating in 19 games as half of Coach Jeff Pyle's top defense pairing. The big Italian also engaged in 4 fights and routinely punished opposing forwards in the corners. Larkin clearly has, at minimum, "AHL talent."

• Rookie Austin Madaisky (CBJ) is back with the Falcons after briefly getting some ice time with the IceMen earlier this month. Madaisky joined a short-handed Evansville team on the road for 3 games in 3 days, all losses. He was -5 and did not notch any points.

• Third-year pro Joe Lavin (SPR) is currently on the shelf after undergoing surgery to repair a sports hernia earlier this month. He has already missed 11 games and will likely sit out about a half-dozen more before returning sometime in the early-to-middle part of January. Prior to the injury, Lavin was Larkin's partner on the team's ultra-reliable top defense pairing. The Notre Dame product had 8 points and a +5 rating in 14 games.

• Fifth-year pro Matt Krug (EVN) is enjoying his most productive season since making his pro debut with the IHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks in 2009-10. Krug, whose younger brother Torey is making waves in the NHL with the Boston Bruins, is 4th on the IceMen with 17 points in 25 games this season. Among all ECHL defensemen, Krug is tied for 4th in scoring and tied for 2nd in goals with 7. He also has 79 penalty minutes (most on the team and among ECHL blueliners) and a team-leading 8 fighting majors. On December 20 at Wheeling, Krug notched his third career "Gordie Howe Hat Trick."

GOALTENDERS:

• Second-year pro Mike Clemente (SPR) is currently filling in for Mike McKenna in Springfield, thanks to Sergei Bobrovsky's injury in Columbus. In 13 appearances with the IceMen prior to his Falcons call-up, Clemente went 9-2-2 with a 2.59 Goals-Against Average and a .903 Save Percentage. Outside of a rough 5-game stretch in November, Clemente was downright superb for Evansville - logging a 7-1-0 record with a 1.51 GAA and a .942 SV%.

• Former Blue Jackets netminder Allen York (EVN) has only been in uniform for a handful of Evansville's games, having spent most of the season bouncing around the AHL on loans to various teams. York's tour of the AHL began with a weekend in Charlotte, continued with a month in Texas, and concluded (for now) with a couple weeks in Rockford. However, as soon as he was officially returned to the IceMen from Rockford on December 23, he was immediately loaned to Team Canada's squad that is pursuing the Spengler Cup in Switzerland. York will return to Evansville after the Spengler Cup tournament ends on New Year's Eve - unless, of course, his services are requested by yet another AHL team first.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

IceMen Maniac is Michael Shockley, a.k.a. "Shocker" to IceMen fans
Michael provides JacketsCannon.com with monthly IceMen updates
He is also the Webmaster and Senior Writer for IceMenManiacs.com

Game Day #38 - CBJ at Devils

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After a few days off for the holidays, the Jackets are back at it tonight in New Jersey.

Columbus Blue Jackets at New Jersey Devils

December 10, 2013 - 7:00 pm EST
Prudential Center - Newark, NJ
Radio - WBNS 97.1 - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: In Lou We Trust
Blue Jackets vs Devils coverage
Tickets

The Christmas break is over, and the NHL is back in action. The holiday season is still upon us, however, and here's hoping that everybody is having a safe and happy time with friends and family.

The Jackets are back to work tonight in New Jersey, for the first time this season. From a standings perspective this game is huge, as the Jackets can leapfrog the Devils with a victory, drawing even with the idle Flyers for the third and final divisional playoff spot. The Rangers, also tied with the Flyers at 38 points, are facing the Capitals tonight. A win would also bring the Jackets back to .500.

In their final game prior to the break, the Jackets earned a gutsy win over the 'Canes, while the Devils were blasted by the Blackhawks.

The goaltending matchup features Curtis McElhinney against Martin Brodeur. Other notable roster notes include the return of Ryane Clowe to the Devils lineup, Matt Calvert, Nathan Horton, Marian Gaborik, Jared Boll and Dalton Prout out with injuries for Columbus, while Tim Erixon is a healthy scratch.

The Jackets will need to set the pace early, and avoid letting the Devils run things ther way on home ice. Scoring the opening goal is critical.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(16-17-4, 36 Points; 6th division, 12th conference)

Nick FolignoRyan JohansenR.J. Umberger
Brandon Dubinsky
Artem Anisimov
Cam Atkinson
Blake Comeau
Derek MacKenzie
Jack Skille
Boone Jenner
Mark LetestuCorey Tropp
Fedor TyutinJack Johnson
Ryan MurrayJames Wisniewski
Nikita NikitinDavid Savard
Curtis McElhinney
Mike McKenna

New Jersey Devils
(15-16-7, 37 Points; 5th division, 10th conference)

Dainius ZubrusTravis ZajacJaromir Jagr
Mattias Tedenby
Patrik EliasSteve Bernier
Reid Boucher
Adam HenriqueMichael Ryder
Ryane CloweAndrei LoktionovStephen Gionta
Andy GreeneMark Fayne
Anton VolchenkovJon Merrill
Eric GelinasMarek Zidlicky
Martin Brodeur
Cory Schneider

Season Series

10/22/13 - New Jersey 1 at Columbus 4
12/10/13 - New Jersey 4 at Columbus 5
12/27/13 - Columbus at New Jersey
02/27/14 - Columbus at New Jersey

Head to Head Stats

New JerseyColumbus
2.42 (23)GPG2.70 (13)
2.47 (12)GAPG2.84 (20)
19.1% (12)PP%18.2% (15)
85.8% (5)PK%81.8% (18)
Jaromir Jagr, 13G leaderRyan Johansen, 15
Jaromir Jagr, 20A leaderJames Wisniewski, 18
Jaromir Jagr, 33Pts leaderRyan Johansen, 30
Marek Zidlicky, 38PIM leaderBrandon Dubinsky, 68
7-5-4Home/Road7-9-2
12/23 @ Chicago, L 5-2Last Game12/23 @ Carolina, W 4-3
4-4-2Last 106-3-1

New Jersey Devils Get Point They Didn't Deserve in 2-1 Shootout Loss to Columbus Blue Jackets

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Martin Brodeur played a great game but the rest of the New Jersey Devils really didn't. They managed to get a point in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. This recap goes into how bad the game was despite it going beyond 65 minutes.

Tonight was dreary for the faithful at the Rock.  The New Jersey Devils managed to grind out a point against the Columbus Blue Jackets.  Brodeur did whatever he could to keep the score low.  Adam Henrique banged in a rebound to make it a tie game in the third.  But the ice was often tilted against the Devils as the Blue Jackets out-shot the Devils 30-17 and out-attempted them 44-34 in 65 minutes.  Brodeur really did stood tall. While the shootout woes continued and the Devils lost in it 0-1 to make it a 1-2 loss on the books, the Devils were fortunate to get that far.  Martin Brodeur really had a great game tonight.  A shame most of his teammates didn't help him out.

Let me put the overall experience of watching this game in this manner.  As some of you may know, I have season tickets to the Devils.  I try to make every game I can and I'm pretty good for only missing a handful of games.  I only have the one season ticket; I am almost always by myself.   I do not usually bring a guest, such as beloved family member, a good friend, a solid coworker, or an attractive woman I'm trying to woo.   After a game like tonight would have made all of them would have turned to me and said, "Do you not like me or something? Did I do something to upset you?"  It was that bad of a viewing experience.

Full credit to the Columbus Blue Jackets for making it that way.  They were forechecking two skaters early and often, bothering the Devils greatly. They let up a bit in the third, but they hit back in transition as they out-shot the Devils in every period.  Brandon Dubinsky played like his contract was on the line and he could have scored four goals by my eye.  Reid Boucher certainly gave him a great chance at it.   Mark Letestu was on fire with six shots out of nine attempts.  Lower minute players like Boone Jenner and Corey Tropp made a lot of noise, especially Jenner with drawn calls and rushes up ice.  Even Fedor Tyutin and Jack Johnson didn't have to spend their entire night skating like headless chicken in their own end of the rink.  The Blue Jackets played a very good game and they likely would have won decisively with this effort if it wasn't for Brodeur playing like it was 2003.

Of course, the Jackets got plenty of help from the Devils.  Zone exits for all four lines and three pairings were a struggle at times.  Plenty of them were just chips out of their own end, which meant a Columbus player, usually a defender, recovered them and immediately looked up to start another attack.  The Devils didn't do a good job at all at shot prevention as Columbus put 30 out of 44 attempts on net.  Jon Merrill was especially beaten, but each defender seemingly had their moment of non-glory. They ranged from Andy Greene going and failing for a hit that helped create Columbus' goal to Mark Fayne throwing a puck over the glass in his own end to Eric Gelinas getting beaten and taking a foul (and still didn't deny the rush) to Marek Zidlicky's Random Offensive Decision Generator that ended up on "Do something clever and hope it works" a few too many times.

The Devils forwards exacerbated the problem with their own approach to attacking. The first period was a throwback to the Brent Sutter days of just dumping-and-chasing.  Given how much time the Devils spent in their own end, some of these were just dumping-and-changing; especially in the second period.  The Blue Jackets were well prepared for when it was a dump-in to gain the zone for about forty minutes.  When the Devils tried to carry it in, they would almost immediately pass it to the side as if there was a rule of going ahead forward.  The Devils got smarter about this in the third and found more success at trying to win pucks.  But overall, the Devils could have had more than 17 shots tonight but their own decisions went awry.  In hockey, that means more pucks on the opposition's sticks and more opportunities for them to attack.

Amazingly, Martin Brodeur did everything he could to keep every attempt out of the net save for a backhander by Artem Anisimov.  That goal was preceded by a desperate split that denied (who else?) Dubinsky a goal with his toe. Brodeur did it all until Cam Atkinson beat him in the shootout.  In news that shouldn't surprise any fan, the Devils didn't score once.  The Devils would've needed two to win as it turned out; no one has more than one goal across the entire team.

But I can't and won't get mad about the shootout; they were lucky to be playing beyond regulation.   That's what I'm unhappy about.  Despite three days off, the return of Ryane Clowe, a mostly packed arena, and an important game against a division opponent, this was the effort. Brodeur more than did his job and while they had one rebound put-back by Adam Henrique to tie it and Travis Zajac hitting the post(s) late in nearly stealing it, there certainly wasn't enough for the Devils to be in this game, never mind taking it.   Sadly, this wasn't even the worst game in this month (the Detroit game); but it's more evidence that the Devils are going to have to scrape for everything in the second half of this season and hope for the best.  It's not technically beginning tomorrow, but it's just about a must-win in my mind.  If only to show that this team can put out a better performance.

The Game Stats: The NHL.com Game Summary | The NHL.com Event Summary | The NHL.com Play by Play Log | The NHL.com Shot Summary | The NHL.com Devils Time on Ice Log | The Extra Skater Game Stats

The Opposition Opinion: Surely, The Cannon should be pleased with a win, though probably not with making it a three-point game. Check them out for a recap on their end at some point.

The Game Highlights: It was the Brodeur show as Columbus gave him a lot of work to do tonight.  Here's the video from NHL.com:

Believe it or Not: Martin Brodeur was not named the First Star of the Game by Tonight's Attending Media.  It went to Adam Henrique.   Sure, he scored his first goal in seemingly forever and it was an important goal.  He was also one of the few good possession players for the Devils.  He did a lot of hard work on the PK, too.  But Brodeur prevented this game from the decisive loss or slaughter it could've been.  Among other stops, Brodeur bailing out Boucher's hideous turnover to Dubinsky at his own blueline still stands out in my mind.  So does his wicked glove save on a Jack Johnson blast from one of the many lost draws.  Brodeur really was great.  Sadly, I know it will not last and the Devils didn't take full advantage from the performance.

Oh, the Penalties: The Devils' PK got a lot of minutes they should not have received if it were up to me.  No, it wasn't because the calls weren't legit.  Only Zajac's slash while forechecking on a penalty kill was a really weak call in my eyes.  Though I know the ref looks for that hand contact.   No, the other four were just dumb ones to take. To review: Gelinas got beat, slashed Jenner, and it still didn't stop him from setting up his teammate for a scoring chance.  Fayne had all the time in the world to clear a puck from the front and lifted it ten feet for reasons I don't know.  Merrill was trying to battle Jack skille for the puck and he got his stick high.  After an ill-advised line change by the team, Andrei Loktionov held Jenner, who still made it to the net and forced another tough stop by Brodeur.  Those last threec came within the second half of the second period.  Even when the Devils got clears on those calls, it still meant no offense, which is a big reason why they only got four shots in that period as a whole.

The Zajac slash made matters more dire as there was still about a minute left on Loktionov's penalty.  The Devils did a great job killing the 3-on-5. Overall, out of five power play chances, Columbus only got six shots on net.  After Loktionov's penalty, Stephen Gionta was set-up on another shorthanded two-on-one.  He was denied by the helmet of Curtis McElhinney.  The penalty kill was as strong as one could hope for and a goal then would've been sweet (and tied the game).  I'm not going to lament that, though; just that the penalty killers were forced to play as much as they did.  Again, that contributed to the overall lackluster offensive performance as it meant 8:26 where Columbus mostly controlled the puck.

Silver Lining: I actually liked what the Devils were trying to do on their power plays.  As typical, it was either quite good or non-effective.  But the four shots they did get to McElhinney were good ones and when they got set up, they were looking calm on the puck - something they really weren't for most of the game at evens.

The Returne: I am not going to put much fault with Ryane Clowe tonight.  It was his first game in months.  He was bound to look rusty.  I was pleased that he started this game with the fourth line, where his minutes and competition would be limited.  While I understand it's risky, Clowe's strength lies with his physical game. Seeing him go into checks and take some punishment along the boards without wilting was good to see. Possession didn't go south every time he stepped on the ice.  He played with a jump in his step, which is good since he looked super-slow when he started this season.  I liked his inclusion on power plays and even the shootout (don't sneer, he's relatively good at shootouts in his history).  So I don't have too many complaints about Clowe's first game back.

I think the next step is to see him make some attempts (he had none) and get some shots on net.  If he can do that while still skating and playing with vigor, then I think an increase in minutes could be in the future.  That would be really helpful since Mattias Tedenby continues to flounder and Boucher is very much someone in his first pro season of hockey.

Your Take: I've pretty much said my piece on this loss.  Brodeur was great, the Devils managed to get a point, and that was lucky since their play in all three zones left a lot to be desired.  But perhaps you think and feel differently about this one. What's your take on this shootout loss?  Did you think any Devil not named Brodeur did well? What did you think of Clowe's return?  What should have the Devils done differently tonight?  Can they get it together for tomorrow's game in Long Island?  Please leave your answers and other thoughts about this loss in the comments.

Thanks to those who commented here and followed @InLouWeTrust on Twitter.  Thank you for reading.

Game Day #41 - CBJ vs. Coyotes

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After two pretty demoralizing losses, the Jackets get a few bodies back into the lineup that can hopefully provide a spark as the team hits the halfway mark.

Columbus Blue Jackets at Phoenix Coyotes

January 2, 2014 - 9:00 pm EST
Jobing.com Arena - Glendale, Arizona
Radio - WBNS 97.1 - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Five For Howling
SBN's Blue Jackets vs Coyotes coverage

The Blue Jackets are skating as I type at this moment, so we'll have some more lineup updates as the day goes on. But, the three important things to note are these:

1. Nathan Horton!!!1!1!
2. Sergei Bobrovsky!!!!1!
3. (Dalton Prout)

All of these people will be dressed tonight. Only Bob will probably not play (he's slated to be the backup as of this moment). But, yeah. Nathan Horton makes his Blue Jackets' debut tonight after missing 40 games coming back from shoulder surgery. Sergei Bobrovsky is back in the fold tonight after missing 12+ games with a groin injury. Oh, and Dalton Prout.

Obviously, my lineup conjecture below is rough at best. I'm assuming Jack Skille doesn't play tonight after leaving Tuesday night's game and with Horton coming in. I have no idea if the coaching staff plays Horton on one of the top lines (one would hope), but as a default for now I have him penciled in on the third line in place of Skille (with Blake Comeau moving over to the left side).

EDIT - After checking the Tweets after publishing, I've noticed that The Dispatch's Shawn Mitchell has the morning skate lines as follows (reflected below as well, now):

Dubinsky--Anisimov--Horton
Foligno--Johansen--Umberger
Comeau--MacKenzie--Atkinson
Jenner--Letestu--Tropp

That said, all personnel updates aside, the Jackets have some worrying trends to overcome. Their special teams have been abysmal of late, with their once-very-good PK having deserted them. The Power Play scored just THREE times in the entire month of December (3-for-39, 7.7%). Their PK allowed that many PPGs in each of the last two games and are just 10-for-18 (55.6%) over their last four games. These are disturbing trends.

The Coyotes are a team predicated on offense, as they trot out scoring from all facets of their lineup. Whereas Columbus has just two players with 25 or more points, the Coyotes have five of them. Look at the head-to-head chart below for their team leaders: it's not just one guy driving the bus.

Defensively, however, the Coyotes are not as stout as they have been in years-past. Mike Smith has not been great, and has been outplayed by Thomas Greiss recently. After his breakout year two seasons ago in which he posted 2.21 gaa and .930 sv%, Smith's numbers have dropped each season to the point where he's posted a 2.88 gaa and .912 sv%.

Those numbers in concert speak to a defensive issue overall, and that is echoed by shots-numbers: Phoenix is 26th in the league in shots allowed per-game (over 33), and sooner or later even a goaltender with a moderately good save percentage against all of those shots is going to get scored on regularly. Smith played 34 games last season, and faced 938 shots, stop 91.0% of them. This year, in one fewer game, he's faced 104 MORE SHOTS, and is saving 91.2% of them. It doesn't take a mathematician to see what that does to the team's defensive numbers overall.

And, to wit, Smith has yet to record a shutout this season in 33 games after having five last season in 34 games.

But, enough about Smith; we might not even see him tonight, as Greiss came in in relief on Tuesday after Smith allowed three goals to Edmonton on 10 shots, and willed the team to an overtime victory.

Overall, there's reason for an injection of life into the Jackets' offense with Horton coming on board, even if it's only a placebo-effect of having him in the lineup. What this game will come down to is the Jackets' special teams, yet again. The Coyotes have a good Power Play, and the Jackets' PK is hemorrhaging goals right now. Conversely, the Coyotes, PK isn't very good, and the Jackets are more than overdue on the man advantage.

Which ship can they right tonight?

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(17-19-4, 38 Points; 7th division, 13th conference)

Brandon DubinskyArtem AnisimovNathan Horton
Nick FolignoRyan JohansenR.J. Umberger
Blake ComeauDerek MacKenzieCam Atkinson
Boone JennerMark LetestuCorey Tropp
Fedor TyutinJack Johnson
Ryan MurrayJames Wisniewski
Nikita NikitinDalton Prout
Curtis McElhinney
Sergei Bobrovsky

Phoenix Coyotes
(20-10-9, 49 Points; 5th division, 8th conference)

Lauri KorpikoskiMartin HanzalRadim Vrbata
Rob KlinkhammerAntoine VermetteMikkel Boedker
Tim KennedyMike RibeiroDavid Moss
Paul BissonnetteJeff HalpernKyle Chipchura
Connor MurphyOliver Ekman-Larsson
Keith YandleDerek Morris
Michael StoneDavid Schlemko
Mike Smith
Thomas Greiss

Season Series

01/02/14 - Columbus at Phoenix
04/08/14 - Phoenix at Columbus

Head to Head Stats

PhoenixColumbus
2.97 (6)GPG2.68 (13)
2.97 (25)GAPG2.90 (23)
19.7% (10)PP%16.7% (21)
79.1% (24)PK%79.0% (25)
Shane Doan / Antoine Vermette - 12G leaderRyan Johansen, 16
Keith Yandle, 21A leaderBrandon Dubinsky / James Wisniewski, 18
Radim Vrbata / Mike Ribeiro, 29Pts leaderRyan Johansen, 32
Martin Hanzal, 47PIM leaderBrandon Dubinsky, 68
11-3-3Home/Road8-10-2
12/31 vs. Edmonton, W 4-3 (OT)Last Game12/31 @ Colorado, L 5-3
4-2-4Last 105-4-1

NHL Injury News for Thursday's schedule

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everything I could throw together in 10 min of in depth research

So here's your Havlat report for January 2, 2014

that really looks strange

Sergei Bobrovsky has been activated from IR, however he will serve as Curtis McElhinney's back-up tonight.

Anton Khudobin gets his first start since Oct 13 tonight vs. the Capitals.

Scottie Upshall is back on the ice and appears ready to play against Nashville, his former team, Saturday night.

Josh Harding is out tonight due to the flu.

Nathan Horton will make his Blue Jackets debut tonight.

Matt Read, injured on New Year's Eve vs. the Flames, will miss tonights game with the ole UBI.

Carl Soderberg will be back in the lineup following a 2 game rest, with a head injury that he suffered last Friday.

Dougie Hamilton will also return to the B's lineup after missing 10 games with a LBI, thought to be his knee.

and...

Marty Havlat... well he isn't playing

Game 41: Horton Hears A Goal

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Nathan Horton's debut for the Blue Jackets against the Phoenix Coyotes couldn't have gone better if a Hollywood scriptwriter had put it together.

After two losses that could be politely described as "rough", the Jackets needed a boost, and they received it with the news that Dalton Prout, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Nathan Horton would be activated off the IR.

For Nathan Horton, this game had been a long time in coming, and there was no hiding the enthusiasm on his face. Every time the camera focused on him, he seemed to be grinning, laughing, and visibly relieved to finally be playing hockey once again.

The Coyotes, like the Jackets, had been in a rough patch of late, losing three of their last four games, missing captain Shane Doan due to illness, and their penalty kill sitting at the bottom of the NHL. One team had to win tonight, but neither one wished to take undue risks to get there.

With each club playing a more defensive style, the opening minutes were spent looking for opportunities. Each team had a few quick opportunities, but Curtis McElhinney and Mike Smith were ready for them.

The physical play started heavy and got nasty near the midway point of the first, when Derek MacKenzie rocked Oliver Ekman-Larsson with a hard check that sent him to the ice. D-Mac would be challenged immediately by Keith Yandle, and after the dust from the fisticuffs cleared, OEL was taken to the dressing room and would not return to the game.

There were a few minutes of deja vu as the Jackets gave up several penalties in the early going, but C-Mac was much improved tonight, and the PK responded with a strong effort, including a couple of great shorthanded opportunities, but the game would go to the first intermission with no score.

The Horton / Anisimov / Dubinsky line went out with a will in the second period, and set a pace that the entire team followed, pressuring the Coyotes and racking up several excellent early chances, but the game would still be scoreless until late in the period, when Mike Smith was called for playing the puck outside of the trapezoid.

Horton set up in front of the net, creating space inside the Phoenix PK, and would be rewarded when James Wisnewski fired in a shot that rebounded off Smith's pads, where #8 was waiting to scoop it up and redirect it into the net for his first goal as a Blue Jacket, and his 199th career NHL goal.

The lead held through the second intermission, but the Coyotes would push hard in the third period, dominating the possession and forcing McElhinney to stay sharp for extended stretches before the team finally caught a break.

David Rundblad would be called for sending the puck over the ice, and the Jackets set up for another power play opportunity.

This time, it would be the Johansen line that drove the bus, with Nick Foligno carrying the puck in and driving to the net, then dropping the puck back to Fedor Tyutin. Tyutin's shot created another big rebound, and this time it would be R.J. Umberger in front of the net, grabbing the puck and shooting into a wide open net to give the team a much needed insurance goal.

Even with a 2-0 lead, there was still ten minutes left to play, and the Coyotes worked hard to try and find an answer, racking up 21 shots in the third period alone. Tension built as time clicked down, until finally Mike Smith was pulled for an extra skater.

Artem Anisimov broke out of the Jackets' zone with Dubinsky, and attempted to seal the game with an empty net, but his shot would go wide, allowing the Coyotes to keep after the puck, and to make matters worse Fedor Tyutin would be forced to hook down Mikkel Boedker to keep him from getting off a point blank shot, leaving the Jackets with the wrong side of a 6 on 4 power play and 30 seconds left to play.

Fortunately, the PK had a few more minutes of good hockey left in the tank, and did a great job of keeping the puck along the boards and forcing Phoenix to come in and try to dig it out, killing time until the horn sounded, and the victory was finally secured.

Final Score: Jackets 2 - Coyotes 0

Standard Bearers:

  • Nathan Horton - Game Winning power play goal in your debut? Yeah, that's not a bad way to start things off. In honesty, the whole game was a great debut for him. His line was constantly pushing the Coyotes around, and there certainly didn't seem to be anything wrong with his energy.
  • Curtis McElhinney - I honestly wondered if Sergei Bobrovsky would get the start after the meltdown in Colorado, but this was a great rebound game, particularly with the way he handed the pressure during the third period. Suddenly the coaching staff has a tough decision for Saturday's game in St. Louis.
  • Nick Foligno - This lines up with the TV's three stars, but that's because every time I saw #71 on the ice, he was fighting for the puck, and he had more than a few rushes to carry the puck into the offensive zone. I do wish he'd shot the puck rather than pass a few times, but it paid off for the insurance marker.

Bottom of the Barrel:

  • 21 Shots in the Third Period - The Jackets needed to clamp down on this game, especially after Umby's goal, and instead they let Phoenix set the pace. That easily could have backfired, and they know it.
  • Penalties - Again, the Jackets took over 10 minutes in minors, plus the major for MacKenzie's fight. The penalty kill was better tonight, but they need to improve on this, particularly in the case of the offensive zone fouls.
  • Ryan Johansen's Point Streak - Sadly, it came to an end tonight.

After 41 games, the Blue Jackets are four points out of a playoff spot. Nathan Horton made an immediate impact. Bob is going to be back in the net soon. Matt Calvert is rejoining the team in St. Louis. Dalton Prout is ready to draw back in. The power play got themselves on track. We faced a tough opponent tonight, and came out with a big win.

Interestingly, in the post game coverage on Fox Sports Ohio, Jeff Rimmer all but stated that he thinks Horton will be named captain. I'm honestly torn on it. There's no question the guys in the room respond to him, and that he can be one of the leaders on this team.On the other hand, he's only been back one game, and I'd really like to see a few more before anything happens.

If he's earned it? Fine. If he's getting it because he's the highest paid player on the team? We've been down that road, and it didn't end well.

Still, that's a footnote on a great story. The entire team worked hard to make this win happen, and were rewarded with the best possible result.

The team is halfway out of the dark, and there's signs of some bright days ahead. You can't ask for more than that.

Columbus Blue Jackets vs Phoenix Coyotes recap: flat out shutout

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The Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Phoenix Coyotes 2-0 on Thursday night.

A familiar face and a familiar foe took down the Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday night.

The familiar face - goaltender Curtis McElhinney, who played a pair of successful games for the Coyotes in Dec. 2011.

The familiar foe - Nathan Horton, a Coyotes killer for two previous teams who emerged once again, this time with a new team.

McElhinney stopped 34 shots en route to his fourth career shutout. The 30-year-old is the only goaltender to shutout the Coyotes this season.

Horton emerged from offseason shoulder surgery that cost him the first 40 games of the season, to face a team he has dominated over the years. He scored the game-winning goal in the second period that give him five goals and 11 points in nine career games against Phoenix.

While a strong third period gave the Coyotes the lead on the shot clock, the team came out flat and stayed flat for most of the game.

"We didn't play well enough. We didn't execute well enough. We didn't compete hard enough," coach Dave Tippett said.

Assistant captain Keith Yandle said the team just ran into a hot goaltender who was able to steal a game.

Unlike McElhinney, Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith wasn't perfect on the night, but bounced back with a solid performance after being pulled in the second period on Tuesday after allowing three goals on 10 shots.

Two rebounds on two different power plays were all the Blue Jackets needed to take home the win as Phoenix killed only two of Columbus' four power plays.

Phoenix's penalty kill struggled with the absence of Oliver Ekman-Larsson who left the game in the first period with an injury. The Coyotes were forced to play the majority of the game with five defensemen.

Ekman-Larsson's injury incited anger into what was a fairly uneventful start to the game.

Derek MacKenzie appeared to board Ekman-Larsson midway through the first period. With OEL shaken up and no penalty called, Yandle took matters into his own hands, literally. Yandle challenged MacKenzie to a fight, but neither man landed too many punches. The Boston native was able to take out some of his frustrations of not being selected for the US Olympic roster on Wednesday.

"I'm not gonna really beat anybody up, but I thought I could stick up for (Ekman-Larsson)," Yandle said.

Ekman-Larsson was helped to the locker room after brief stop at the bench and would not return. He was diagnosed with an upper-body injury. Tippett said he believes the young Swede will be fine and categorized him as day-to-day.

Columbus struck first after Smith was called for his second playing the puck outside of the trapezoid penalty of the season. "(It) could be the worst rule in hockey," Smith said.

In his first game as a Blue Jacket, Horton swatted a rebound off a James Wisniewski shot into the net on the ensuing power play.

The Blue Jackets opened up a two goal lead on their second rebound goal of the game. Nick Foligno muscled through two Coyotes players to get off the initial shot. Smith saved that shot and another one before RJ Umberger finally put one past him.

Despite a final period where the Yotes amassed 21 shots, they could never solve McElhinney.

The Coyotes remain in the eighth and final playoff spot in the ultra-competitive Western Conference despite the loss. Phoenix has a two point lead over the Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars for that final spot.

Paw Prints

  • Columbus' perspective
  • With OEL injured, Yandle played more than half the game - 30:37.
  • Martin Hanzal was all over the ice, leading the team in hits (6) and blocks (4).
  • David Rundblad played his first game in nearly a month recording 21:50 of ice time.
  • Attendance: 10,539

Our Three Stars of the Game

1. Curtis McElhinney: 34-save shutout.

2. Nathan Horton: Game-winning goal in his first game back.

3. RJ Umberger: A goal that iced the game.

Looking Ahead

The Coyotes continue their six-game home stand on Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers. Puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Quick Hits: Joffrey Lupul To Face A Hearing With The NHL Over Hit On Patrick Eaves

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Red Wings News

Dumb Red Wings fan attempts Winter Classic video bomb, fails spectacularly (Video) | Puck Daddy - Yahoo Sports
I don't think that is how it's done.

Mantha penalty shot the winner as Canada tops Swiss 4-1 to reach semifinals - Yahoo Sports Canada
All hail King Mantha.

Holland says Winter Classic was ‘complete success’ | Macomb Daily

I totally agree.

NHL.com - Fantasy Spin: Filppula on cusp of top 100 overall - NHL.com
While we can all complain about Holland letting Filppula go, remember, hindsight is 20/20.

Leafs welcome end of Winter Classic hype | Windsor Star
What? Didn't they like all of the attention?

NHL News

NHL plans Friday telephone hearing with Lupul for crosscheck | ProHockeyTalk
He may have given Patrick Eaves a concussion during the Winter Classic.

Team USA’s Bobby Ryan embarrassment | Puck Daddy - Yahoo Sports
I said the same thing yesterday, Bobby Ryan should be on Team USA.

World Junior hockey 2014: Russia eliminates USA, taunts them - SBNation.com
Heja Sverige!

Blue Jackets activate Horton, Bobrovsky off injured reserve | TSN
The Nathan Horton era will finally begin in Columbus.

World Juniors: Semifinals set with Russia vs. Sweden, Canada vs. Finland | ProHockeyTalk

I am predicting a Sweden vs. Canada final with Sweden claiming the gold. Heja Sverige!

NHL superstar unveiled: 1-on-1 in depth with Valeri Nichushkin - Voice of Russia
Here's an interview with the Dallas Stars' forward Valeri Nichushkin.

VIDEO: ECHL Stockton Thunder to play on ice painted by 845 fans - CBSSports.com
This is really cool. The ECHL always seems to find new ways to make hockey interesting.

Winter Olympics 2014: Breaking down the Team USA roster - SBNation.com
The roster may have some glaring omissions, but overall it is one of the best in the tournament.

Members of the Hockey Community Who Were Lost in 2013 | The Hockey Writers
Shawn Burr will not be forgotten.

Fantasy Hockey: The 20 biggest shocks, stars and trends of 2013 | Puck Daddy - Yahoo Sports
Here are some of the biggest fantasy hockey storylines from the past year.

Chemistry with Crosby has Kunitz on bubble for Canadian Olympic team - The Hockey News
The Crosby - Kunitz relationship makes this Canadian team very interesting.

2014 Olympics: Breaking down Team USA's roster for Sochi - CBSSports.com
CBS Sports gives their take on Team USA.

Yandle admits Olympic snub is a ‘tough pill to swallow’ | ProHockeyTalk
Yandle is another major omission.

NHL Award Favorites Halfway Through 2013-14 | The Hockey Writers
The Wings best shot at a trophy is by winning the Selke through either Datsyuk or Zetterberg.

A review of analytics-based personnel assessments - SBNation.com
There are times when statistics can predict the outcome of transactions, however, you have to use these stats carefully. They can be very misleading at times.

Preds sign draft pick Diaby to entry-level deal - Sportsnet.ca
Diaby was drafted 64th overall in the 2013 draft.

KISS is playing Dodger Stadium NHL game because Gene Simmons invented ice | Puck Daddy - Yahoo Sports

I like KISS. Mostly thanks to "Detroit Rock City", but still, I like them.

Let's Go Red Wings!

Devils in the Details - 1/3/2014: New Year Edition

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New Jersey Devils & Related Hockey Links for 1/3/14

Happy (late) New Year! We're back for your regularly scheduled links. Your links for today:

Devils Links

The Devils players watched the Winter Classic, and it got them a little excited for their Stadium Series game. [Fire and Ice] [Star-Ledger]

The Devils ended 2013 on a positive note with a win over the Penguins. Hooray! [Fire and Ice] [Star-Ledger]

Adam Henrique got a horseshoe for Christmas, and perhaps it helped him to turn his fortunes around? It's only weird if it doesn't work. [Star-Ledger]

The U.S. Olympic team was named, and Cory Schneider wasn't on it. In fact, no Devils were. [Fire and Ice] [Star-Ledger]

Jaromir Jagr is enjoying his time in New Jersey and won't ask for a trade come deadline time. [Star-Ledger]

Hockey Links

Here's the United States' Olympic roster: [Puck Daddy]

Burnside has an in-depth look at how that roster was created. You really should read it. No, really. [ESPN Hockey]

When the U.S. Olympic roster was announced, a 67-year-old Canadian was mistakenly texted instead of Ryan Kesler. Oops. [SBNation]

Bobby Ryan didn't make the roster. WAT. [Puck Daddy]

The Winter Classic happened. It was pretty great! Pictures: [Puck Daddy]

The game delivered a record rating for NBC. Not bad, Winter Classic. Not bad. [Puck Daddy]

Nathan Horton finally made his Columbus Blue Jackets debut. [Eye on Hockey]

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

Blue Jackets 2, Coyotes 0 - Game Highlights

Derek MacKenzie to have in-person hearing for hit on Oliver Ekman-Larsson

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The Blue Jackets forward knocked Ekman-Larsson out of the game on Thursday.

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Derek MacKenzie's actions on Thursday night hurt both the Phoenix Coyotes' best player and his chances of playing the next few games.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson was injured on Thursday when MacKenzie checked him hard into the boards eight minutes into the first period. No penalty was called on the play, but Coyotes defenseman Keith Yandle immediately engaged MacKenzie in a fight. Both were sent to the penalty box for five minutes.

Ekman-Larsson left the game and did not return. MacKenzie will have an in-person hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety on Friday afternoon.

Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said after the game that Ekman-Larsson "looked okay" and is day-to-day. MacKenzie has never been suspended before, but an in-person hearing allows the NHL to suspend a player for more than five games. MacKenzie has just four points in 33 games this season.

More from SB Nation NHL:

Winter Classic : Leafs win in shootout | Old lady dancing

The Rink of Dreams: One Mich. family created an outdoor hockey paradise

WJC: Russia eliminates USA, then taunts them

Analyzing the American Olympic team


MacKenzie to have hearing for hit on Ekman-Larsson

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The NHL has asked Derek MacKenzie to report for an in-person hearing after his hit on Oliver Ekman-Larsson in last night's game.

Last night, Derek MacKenzie had a big hit against Phoenix's Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The play didn't draw a penalty at the time beyond Keith Yandle challenging D-Mac to a fight, but it appears that the NHL's department of player safety felt otherwise.

MacKenzie will have an in person hearing this afternoon, which means the NHL could suspend him for more than five games. He has never faced supplemental discipline before, which helps, but the hit did take OEL out of the game, which seems to fit the trend of suspending to the injury, not to the actual play.

After watching the hit a few times, I would say it probably deserved a boarding call, but I don't see an intent to injure. MacKenzie gives him a pretty solid blow, and Ekman-Larsson does go hard into the boards as a result, but the impact was pretty much a center mass hit, not a headshot or deliberate attempt to put him into the turnbuckle all Shea Weber style.

I will say that MacKenzie does give an extra shove as he delivers the check that probably isn't necessary, but this doesn't feel like a five+ game suspension to me. I could see two games, just in the sense of "don't do that again", but we've seen far worse incidents go unpunished in the past.

If Ekman-Larsson had stayed in the game, would this have come up? Honestly, I feel like the answer is probably not. This looks a like a case of the NHL deciding to take action because the player left the game, not for the severity of the incident, but we won't know for sure until we learn the outcome of the hearing.

Poll
How many games do you think MacKenzie is likely to miss?

  75 votes |Results

Around Hockey East: Vermont Continues Hot Play Capturing Catamount Cup

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Picked to finish ninth in the Hockey East Standings, Vermont has won seven of eight and proven many doubters wrong.

Eight of the 11 Hockey East member schools took part in a holiday tournament over the weekend between Christmas and New Year's. The results were mixed from a league standpoint, but perhaps no Hockey East team impressed as much as Vermont did.

The Catamounts lack a true superstar with name recognition, but Kevin Sneddon's hockey team is a hard-working group that has proven it can compete in Hockey East this season. Vermont took down Clarkson and Canisius to claim the Catamount Cup on a tiebreaker over league foe UMass-Lowell, a team that also went 2-0 on the weekend in Burlington.

"Things are clicking right now. We've got two hot goalies and the defense is playing great. We're getting good bounces and everyone is working hard. We just have to stick to our game plan and not run away from our identity," explained junior Jake Fallon.

Chris McCarthy, Mario Puskarich and Fallon make up a very good first line for the Catamounts. McCarthy, the team's senior captain, has battled injuries throughout his UVM career, but he is a strong, physical player who thrives in puck possession situations at both ends of the ice.

Fallon has been snakebitten at times, but his sixth goal on a breakaway with 1.7 seconds to play proved to be the difference for UVM to take the tournament title out of the grasp of UMass-Lowell's hands.

The so-called fourth line, made up of two Vermont natives, was also terrific over the weekend. Freshman Tom Forgione had beautiful breakaway goal that turned out to be the game-winner against Clarkson. He registered eight shots on goal a night later against Canisius.

Pete Massar, a former Clarkson transfer, scored a goal against his old team and added another one the next night.

The line was buzzing all over the ice with speed and tenacity.

"That line has been pretty special for us there with [Jonathan] Turk in the middle. It was certainly a few nice goals. Forgione showed his speed there getting to the loose puck and made a nice move to seal it. Massar has one of the best shots on our team. The Vermont boys have been doing well for us," said Sneddon.

The two wins over the course of its own tournament should come as no surprise as Vermont has been playing extremely well for over a month now. UVM has won seven of eight contests with the team's only loss coming against Northeastern in a game that the Catamounts outplayed the Huskies, but were stymied by a strong goalie performance.

"We ran into a hot goalie against Northeastern, but we've won seven of eight. The team is hot. I'd definitely be afraid to play us. We've just got to keep it going [this] weekend against Dartmouth and Yale. We're just trying to put ourselves in a situation that we're one of those sixteen [NCAA Tournament] teams," said Fallon.

Kevin Sneddon has the luxury of running out two very capable backstops each night. Sophomore Brody Hoffman sat out the first five games of the season due to injury, but he has joined freshman Michael Santaguida to form a strong rotation. The two goaltenders have combined for a 2.22 goals against average and a .924 save percentage.

"Everyone on the team has 100 percent confidence in Hoff and Santa. They're both playing great," said Fallon.

"We're really fortunate to have two really good [goaltenders]. They both have played exceptional this year. It's making the coach's decision really tough. It's a good thing. They push each other in practice. Pat Feeley is another great goalie who hasn't gotten as much time, but he has worked really hard in practice to push the guys. We have three really great goalies and we're fortunate for that," said Michael Paliotta.

Vermont will look to keep on the win train this weekend as it hosts Dartmouth on Friday and Yale on Saturday.

Northeastern's Defense Exposed

Jim Madigan was not too pleased following his team's 8-8 tie with host Dartmouth in the Ledyard Bank Classic consolation game in Hanover, NH. The play of its freshman class, the first few forward lines and goaltender Clay Witt have been the bright spots for Northeastern throughout the first half, but the defense for the most part didn't buckle too much.

However, it has the past three games. Northeastern gave up 44 shots on goal and was totally dominated at Vermont in the last game before Christmas. Heroic goaltending by Witt and an inability to cash in on chances let Northeastern escape Burlington with a 3-0 win, but then things got worse.

Madigan's team gave up 13 goals over two games at the Ledyard Bank Classic. Northeastern lost, 5-2, against Air Force in the semifinal and was outshot, 29-16. A night later Northeastern allowed eight goals and committed numerous defensive mistakes.

"Shootout at the OK Corral," said Madigan to lead off his post-game press conference. "Our defensive zone coverage was very lax. Our goaltender [Derick Roy] had to bear the brunt of it with wide open shots," commented the third year head coach.

Players that should know better making reckless runs at the body instead of focusing on the puck in the neutral zone, turnovers and an inability to contain Dartmouth's transition were all witnessed in the consolation game that was a defensive coach's worst nightmare.

"You can't give up eight goals. We have some work to do in our defensive zone defensively. We certainly don't practice having our defensemen running through the neutral zone trying to take their guy out of the play. We made poor reads. We will address it in the next couple of days," said Madigan after the game.

Madigan knows his team cannot continue to play like that and have success in Hockey East games going forward.

"You can't play like that and get away with it in league play. It's just too much at stake. I'm not pleased with that kind of performance. We're smarter than that," said Madigan.

Martin Ouellette Key to Maine Success

The University of Maine hockey program lost some of its media and fan exposure over the past few seasons with just one NCAA Tournament appearance in six years. Perhaps that is the reason people are slow to give senior goaltender and Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Martin Ouellette the respect he deserves.

The St. Hippolyte, Quebec native and Kimball Union Academy alum has a 1.87 goals against average and a .937 save percentage following his splendid performance in Estero, Fla. at the Florida College Classic. He made 68 saves on 69 shots faced in a shutout victory over Princeton and a 1-1 tie against Cornell.

Ouellette will be peppered with more rubber on Friday night as his Black Bears face heavily favored Quinnipiac in Hamden, Conn. The Bobcats are a team that has been known to pile on the shots all season so Ouellette will have his work cut out for him.

UMass-Lowell Plugs Right Along

The River Hawks had a little post-Frozen Four hangover to start the season with an inexplicable home loss to Sacred Heart and a 1-3 start, but since then have gone 12-2. Norm Bazin's team doesn't really do anything flashy, but the team executes the coaching staff's game plan to perfection.

Winnipeg Jets prospect and sophomore goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is obviously the go-to-guy in net for Lowell, but UML fans should rest easy knowing Doug Carr is a more than adequate backup. Bazin gave Hellebuyck the night off against Clarkson, and Carr, the senior from Hanover, Mass., made 18 saves on 19 shots. He made several key saves on quality scoring chances even with the limited number of shots faced.

"Doug was a rock. I liked his game today. It was a tough game because there weren't that many shots. You had to be really sharp with the pucks he was receiving. He was very strong. Those games are more difficult than the ones where you face 35," said Bazin.

Inconsistency Costs Providence

The Friars had a terrific first half of the season. The 13 wins tied for most in the first part of the season in school history, but there could have been even more victories if the Friars played a full 60 minutes each time out. Examples of this include the team's 4-4 tie with Miami, 3-3 tie with Northeastern, and most recently the 3-2 loss to Air Force in the Ledyard Bank Classic championship game.

"They outworked us and out-executed us for the first 40 minutes. We dug ourselves a hole and thought we could turn it on in the third. It's disappointing," said Nate Leaman.

This writer has been as high on Providence as anyone. With Jon Gillies back from the World Junior Championship the Friars have the best goaltender in the league and a solid nucleus of young players to make a run at a Hockey East championship and maybe more. Leaman will have to find a way to convince his team to play a strong 60 minutes each time out.

Jeff Cox covers college, junior and high school hockey, NCAA recruiting, NHL Draft prospects and the AHL for SBNation. Follow him on twitter @JeffCoxSBNation.

Fresh Links: Sveddy, Ready, GO Edition

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In his belated debut, Niklas Svedberg calmly lived up to the hype.

 The Bruins defeated the Predators on a Marchand overtime goal, sparing Nicklas Svedberg a shootout in his debut. 

  • The synopsis of the win- Bruins overcome a "dud of a middle frame." [NewEnglandHockeyJournal]
  • A Brad Marchand snipe sealed it in overtime. Niklas Svedberg held the fort for nearly two periods before a sloppy Bruins line change (stop me if you've heard this) with 1:56 left in the second allowed a Viktor Stahlberg tally. Johnny Boychuk and Jarome Iginla each scored. [BostonHerald]
  • Svedberg was solid in his postponed debut, Claude Julien indicated he'd be in Boston again very soon. Dougie Hamilton and Carl Söderberg were welcomed back. Tuukka Rask wore a "Free Thornton" tee shirt in the dressing room. [TheBostonGlobe]
  • Sadly, Svedberg's family was unable to book travel to attend. He was quick to acknowledge Matt Bartkowski for blocking one likely goal. [BostonHerald]
  • Marchand was not all that certain of the move that got him past Mike Fisher for the game winning goal. Ryan Spooner is proving to be a crafty playmaker. [MetroWestDaily News]
  • Reilly Smith WHO? Carter Camper 's former college linemate has proven to be smart, slippery, skilled, strong, and coachable. He is also almost Chris Kelly -esque in wishing to fly under the radar. [WEEI]
  • Take three... from last night's victory. [BruinsDaily]
  • Peter Chiarelli is in no rush to attempt to acquire a defenseman. [TheFourthPeriod]
  • What if? Thankfully, the win meant no losing streak, no sad debut for a young goalie, and a high note to lead into next week's California trip. [PatriotLedger]
  • It's true: With or without the Bruins, Jarome Iginla flat-out owns the Predators. [Tennessean]

Elsewhere around the rink:

  • Steven Stamkos is now skating in full gear, no contact. Good news for Team Canada! [TSN]
  • the ECHL Stockton Thunder let children decorate the ice, and then played a game on it. [SportingNews]
  • Take a look at Team USA Men, breaking down the roster choices... [SBNation]
  • ... or skip right to this USA Sochi Olympics All-Snubbed Team. [SportsIllustrated]
  • Nathan Horton celebrated his return to the ice with a power play goal and a win with the Columbus Blue Jackets. [JacketsCannon]
  • Statistics don't lie: Teams are mostly better without their "scrubs," so suspending them for dity hits actually rewards teams! [HookedOnHockey]
  • Keeping up with the World Junior Championship. [TheGlobeAndMail]

Fantasy Hockey News for Friday

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A fantasized look at Thursday night's NHL action.

Kyle Okposo took his Olympic snub out on the opposition as he scored the OT winner and added an assist last night. He's on an 8 game point scoring streak (6+7=13) and is currently a point per game player with 42 points in 42 games on the season.

Evgeni Nabokov picked up his third win over his last 4 starts. He stopped 37 of 39 shots and has been playing very well since his return from injury. If he's in your free agent pool and you need some goalie help, kick his tires.

Ryan Spooner had an assist for the second straight game and he now has 6 assists in his last 6 games. He's not playing a whole lot of minutes but that can change if he keeps this up.

Let's go with Mike Fisher for fantasy line of the night. His 2 assists, 6 shots, 2 hits, 4 blocks, and plus-1 was everything a multicat could have asked for. This marked his third straight multi point effort (3+5=8 over that span) which followed up a streak of just 1 point over his last 9 games. He isn't this good but he isn't that bad. Split the difference.

Jeff Skinner likes to score his goals in bunches and he's on one of his streaks now. After potting a hat trick last night he has 7 goals in his last 7 games and 5 in his last 2. He lost some games to injury this season but 19+11=30 over 30 games is damn good and I'd like to see what he's capable of over a full season.

Anton Khudobin played his first game in two and a half months and made 41 saves for the overtime win. I think a speculative pickup wouldn't be the craziest thing in the world, especially given Cam Ward's minor injury and overall poor numbers.

Another assist for Jacob Trouba and he has a four game point scoring streak going. He also had 2 pim, 3 hits, 2 blocks, and 4 shots in over 20 minutes of ice time. He's starting to really come around. Don't miss the boat.

Brian Elliott made it five straight wins with his 30 save shutout last night. It's starting to feel like 2011-2012 again with Elliott's ridiculous numbers (11-1-2, 1.84 gaa, .928 sv%, and 3 shutouts).

Two goals scored by T.J. Oshie last night and he's on a three game goal scoring streak. He'd only had 4 goals in the previous 37 games on the season. He does have a boatload of assists but it's nice to see him hitting the twine a bit more.

Bad time for Martin Jones to go cold. He was pulled last night and ended up with the loss for a third straight start. With Jonathan Quick returning to action shortly, a demotion seems likely.

Four game point scoring streak for Mikko Koivu as he had two assists last night. The Wild's captain is always highly underrated but always delivers the goods on the scoring sheet.

What an outburst from Max Pacioretty last night as he scored two goals for the second straight game but also added two assists to make it a magical four point night. Save some for Sochi, MaxPac.

David Desharnais made it two straight multipoint games with a goal and an assist last night. He now has 10 points in his last 9 games and is making us forget about his poor start to the season. I'd be comfortable picking him up even in somewhat shallow leagues.

Nathan Horton returned with a bang as he scored the GWG for the Blue Jackets last night in his first game of the season. He also handed out 3 hits and had 2 shots in just under 15 minutes of ice time. I'm still weary of picking him up and expecting a lot out of him.

Curtis McElhinney followed up two games in which he got shelled for five goals each with a shutout. Go figure. Don't get too excited.

Derek MacKenzie suspension: Blue Jackets forward out 3 games

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The NHL's department of player safety has suspended Columbus forward Derek McKenzie.

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Derek MacKenzie was hit with a three-game suspension for his hit from behind on Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The suspension is the first of MacKenzie's 11-year NHL career, as the 32-year-old grinder isn't known for dirty hits.


Representative of the NHL's Department of Player Safety Patrick Burke explained that this hit was suspension-worthy due to the fact that Ekman-Larsson made no sudden changes of positioning, meaning that MacKenzie saw numbers the whole way and he finished with significant force anyway.

Also noted was that Ekman-Larsson suffered an apparent injury on the play, and didn't return to the game after the hit.

Even noting these factors, there doesn't seem to be anything particularly vicious about the hit, and while it's definitely deserving of a suspension, three games seems a little bit harsh for a first-time offender when you consider that Joffrey Lupul, a repeat offender, got away with an attempted decapitation during the Winter Classic with just a $10,000 fine.

More from SB Nation NHL:

Winter Classic : Leafs win in shootout | Old lady dancing

The Rink of Dreams: One Mich. family created an outdoor hockey paradise

WJC: Russia eliminates USA, then taunts them

Analyzing the American Olympic team

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