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Jonathan Bernier and the Bumpy Road to the Promised Land

Is there a parade planned along that road?

LFR7 - Game 62

Dangle says it was off the wall.

Leafs Prospect Update

Kids playing hockey.

Carton Ashton Scores Hattrick in Marlies Victory

Not good enough for the Leafs.

The Jackets look to make up some ground in the Wild Card as they have a chance for a season sweep against Toronto.

Columbus Blue Jackets at Toronto Maple Leafs

March 3, 2014 - 7:00 pm EST
Air Canada Centre - Toronto, Ontario
Radio - WBNS 97.1 FM -- TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Pension Plan Puppets
SBN's Maple Leafs vs Blue Jackets coverage

Hi Folks. Sorry this is late. And that the intro is basically shit. I've been stuck in my bed most of the day feeling like I got run over by Jan Hejda trying to chase down an empty-net goal. Not good times.

It's been awhile since we've seen the Leafs, but suffice it to say that the last time the Jackets went to Toronto, they exceeded any and all expectations.

Let's do that again, please.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(30-25-5, 65 Points; 5th division, 10th conference)

Toronto Maple Leafs
(32-22-8, 72 Points; 4th division, 5th conference)

Season Series

10/25/13 - Toronto 2 at Columbus 5
11/25/13 - Columbus 6 at Toronto 0
03/03/14 - Columbus at Toronto

Head to Head Stats

Toronto		Columbus
2.84 (9)	GPG	2.90 (7)
3.02 (26)	GAPG	2.80 (19)
21.4% (4)	PP%	19.4% (14)
77.5% (28)	PK%	81.9% (15)
Phil Kessel, 33	G leader	Ryan Johansen, 24
Phil Kessel, 36	A leader	James Wisniewski, 31
Phil Kessel, 69	Pts leader	Ryan Johansen, 47
Colton Orr, 96	PIM leader	Brandon Dubinsky, 86
21-10-1	Home/Road	13-14-3
3/1 @ Montreal, L 4-3 (OT)	Last Game	3/1 vs. Florida, W 6-3
5-2-3	Last 10	4-5-1

The Jackets look to make up some ground in the Wild Card as they have a chance for a season sweep against Toronto.

Columbus Blue Jackets at Toronto Maple Leafs

March 3, 2014 - 7:00 pm EST
Air Canada Centre - Toronto, Ontario
Radio - WBNS 97.1 FM -- TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Pension Plan Puppets
SBN's Maple Leafs vs Blue Jackets coverage

Hi Folks. Sorry this is late. And that the intro is basically shit. I've been stuck in my bed most of the day feeling like I got run over by Jan Hejda trying to chase down an empty-net goal. Not good times.

It's been awhile since we've seen the Leafs, but suffice it to say that the last time the Jackets went to Toronto, they exceeded any and all expectations.

Let's do that again, please.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(30-25-5, 65 Points; 5th division, 10th conference)

Toronto Maple Leafs
(32-22-8, 72 Points; 4th division, 5th conference)

Season Series

10/25/13 - Toronto 2 at Columbus 5
11/25/13 - Columbus 6 at Toronto 0
03/03/14 - Columbus at Toronto

Head to Head Stats

Toronto		Columbus
2.84 (9)	GPG	2.90 (7)
3.02 (26)	GAPG	2.80 (19)
21.4% (4)	PP%	19.4% (14)
77.5% (28)	PK%	81.9% (15)
Phil Kessel, 33	G leader	Ryan Johansen, 24
Phil Kessel, 36	A leader	James Wisniewski, 31
Phil Kessel, 69	Pts leader	Ryan Johansen, 47
Colton Orr, 96	PIM leader	Brandon Dubinsky, 86
21-10-1	Home/Road	13-14-3
3/1 @ Montreal, L 4-3 (OT)	Last Game	3/1 vs. Florida, W 6-3
5-2-3	Last 10	4-5-1

The Blue Jackets overcame an indifferent first period and another injury to a key defenseman to play a dominant last 40 minutes and defeat the Maple Leafs 2 -1 in Toronto. An impossibly tight playoff race continues to get even tighter.

The Jackets ventured to the focal point of the hockey universe for the final time this season, trying to build on the victory over the Florida Panthers on Saturday afternoon, and move themselves deeper into the mix in both the Metro and the East.   With two earlier victories over the Maple Leafs, they had positive images to draw upon.  Could they convert those past experiences to present victory?  You bet they could.

It Ain't Rocket Science, Guys . . .

Albert Einstein famously said " Insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result."   While the Blue Jackets played an overall decent road period in the first, it wasn't the kind of "take charge" effort that you would expect against a team that has been struggling defensively, was starting a goalie that hadn't had a start in a month (James Reimer), and against whom Columbus matches up well.

Todd Richards started the new incarnation of the "Energy Line"  --Derek MacKenzie, Mark Letestu & Matt Calvert -- as has become fashionable of late.  They played an inconsequential shift, but were followed by the Nathan Horton, Boone Jenner, Ryan Johansen line, which created some fireworks early.  That was followed by a delicious breakaway opportunity for Nick Foligno, which was foiled by a nice save by Reimer.  While a couple of more offensive chances would come Columbus' way, the energy and momentum waned, as they reverted to some of the same mistakes that have plagued them periodically all season.   They were ragged on passing, did not maintain good spacing in the offensive end, and simply surrendered possession too often and too easily.  Toronto has lots of skill, and the ice tilted sharply in the home team's direction.

The other cardinal sin -- penalties -- also reared its head in the first,   First, Boone Jenner took an ill-advised holding penalty in the offensive zone at the 7:15 mark, which Columbus did a good job of killing.  Less than five minutes later, Brandon Dubinsky took an equally imprudent slashing call in the offensive zone.  Toronto enjoyed a few distinct scoring opportunities this time, but Sergei Bobrovsky was up to the task, and the penalty kill unit was there to support.  The Maple Leafs came perilously close to scoring, when Bobrovsky made a nice save, but the puck trickled just behind him, dancing tantalizingly on the goal line.  Enter Ryan Johansen and his massive wingspan to sweep the puck away.  Crisis averted.

Unfortunately, another crisis could not be so easily avoided.  In his last shift of the period, Ryan Murray got his leg pinned awkwardly against the boards,   He went directly to the locker room, and did not return, leaving the Blue Jackets with just five defenseman for the balance of the contest -- and no Fedor Tyutin.

When You Least Expect It

Anyone who has visited Toronto knows that it is one of the most caffeinated cities in the world,  In the downtown area, you can't walk 100 feet without running into Starbucks, Tim Horton's or Second Cup -- and sometimes all three.  Well, the Blue Jackets must have found one or more of those establishments at the first intermission, because they came out on fire.  They skated, supported, exerted pressure and played consistently good hockey for the full twenty minutes.   Defensively, they challenged Toronto at the blue line, cleared rebounds and made crisp, clean exit passes.  Nary a penalty was taken, and the sins of the first were not revisited.  Such was the level of domination that Toronto did not generate their first shot on goal until after the halfway point of the period, and would manage only five shots for the period.  At one point, Columbus possessed the puck so long in the offensive zone that the assembled fans broke into a prolonged chorus of boos.

Such domination has been a rare thing in the troublesome second period, so it was only fitting that the first Columbus goal would come from an unlikely source.  At the 9:44 mark, with a ton of traffic in front of Reimer, Dalton Prout took a pass from MacKenzie, and fired a shot from the right point that found nothing but net.  Less than three minutes later, the lead doubled on a beautiful play, again triggered from the point.  While Foligno was working the puck to Nikita Nikitn on the left point, Artem Anisimov was victimized by a brutal hit against the end boards from Cody Franson.  Franson apparently thought Anisimov was effectively dispatched for the balance of the shift, but Artem had other ideas.  He bounced up, and found a quiet spot on the ice, just to Reimer's left   Nikitin found him squarely on the tape, and Anisimov did not miss -- burying the puck far side for a 2 - 0 lead -- and his third straight game with a goal.  Key in this flurry was the fact that Reimer lost his goal stick, but had no chance to retrieve it in the midst of the Columbus pressure.  He was armed with a defender's stick when Anisimov scored.

The balance of the period was more of the same, with some more scoring chances for Columbus, but hardly a threat from  the Maple Leafs, who left the ice to a chorus of boos.

Controlled Chaos

The third period started as a variation on the theme established in the second.   Columbus exerted less consistent offensive pressure, but did all of the fundamental things well, and actually generated more shots.  In one memorable sequence, Johansen danced the puck through the Maple Leafs' defense, and no less than four separate Blue Jackets had a crack at the puck in the crease, but to no avail.

Columbus continued with the defensive pressure, and frustrated Toronto for the bulk of the period.  However, they then allowed the game to develop into more of a track meet than they would have liked.  With the defense shorthanded, the legs were not up to the task, and Bobrovsky was forced to make some good saves.  Ultimately, with just o4:15  left, Mason Raymond got the puck off a deflection near the left dot, and used Joffrey Lupul and Nikitin as screens to beat Bobrovsky far side.  Now it was a one goal game, the legs were burning, and the Leafs' faithful were fully engaged.

To the Blue Jackets' credit, they played a gutsy and sound final few minutes.  While you could see the beginnings of a scramble, and there were some anxious moments, the club maintained its composure for the most part, and Bob was solid.  There were some choked sticks, resulting in missed clearing chances, but the squad was able to avert danger and finish off the nail-biting last 1:48 with Toronto's net empty.  While a 25 shot final period (13-12 in favor of Columbus) was likely not what was intended when they came out of the locker room, it was two points nonetheless, completing a 3 - 0 sweep of the Maple Leafs for the season, including the last two in Toronto.

Takeaways

In the final analysis, there were far more positives than negatives in terms of the caliber of on-ice play in this one.  The first period was disappointing, but not awful.  The second was simply stunning, and the third was 15 minutes of good, and five minutes of adequate.

After an effort against the Panthers that saw six goals -- but none at even strength -- this was a game where the five-on-five game needed to come to the fore.  Toronto's defense is suspect, and Columbus has the skill and speed to exploit that, if they play the way they can.  They found that game in the second, and for much of the third.  They skated hard, maintained spacing, kept their heads up, and created some impressive chances.  The finish is still not what you would like to see, but you get the sense that Horton and Dubinsky are not far off.  Atkinson is still MIA, but made some better plays across three zones tonight.  In the meantime, Anisimov has decided he'll take things on his back for a while, and Johansen is creating lots of opportunity, though not burying the puck himself.

Truly, the biggest kudos need to go to the defensive end of the ice -- including the defensive play of the forwards.  Losing Murray seemed to galvanize the troops, and the frustration the tight defense engendered among the Leafs players and fans was palpable.  Nikitin continues to impress, and Prout had his best game of the year . . . by far.  Toronto is an offensively talented team, and to keep them off the scoreboard with only five blue liners is a tall task, yet it almost happened.  Still, in the last six periods on Toronto ice, it's Columbus 8 Toronto 1.  That's not bad, folks.  Sergei Bobrovsky looked far more confident in net tonight, seeing the puck better than in the past two contests, confidently controlling his rebounds, and looking like a net-minder who is ready to lead the stretch run.

With this win, the club moves to 67 points, just two shy of the 3rd place Rangers, three short of the 2nd place Flyers, and 1 point behind the 4th place Capitals.  Importantly, the Blue Jackets hold a game in hand on each of these squads.  They are also only 1 point behind Detroit for the final wild card berth in the East, though the Red Wings have a game in hand on Columbus.

Tomorrow, the Dallas Stars come to Nationwide Arena, after playing just across Lake Ontario from the Blue Jackets tonight, in Buffalo.  (At press time, the Stars and Sabres were tied 2- 2, with just over 12 minutes left in regulation).  So, the Blue Jackets will have a slight edge in rest time tonight, but will need to juggle the defensive pairings once more, in all likelihood, with Cody Goloubef likely to draw in for Murray tomorrow.  Dallas is 6-2-2 over its last ten, so the Blue Jackets will need sixty minutes of effort again tomorrow.  A three game road trip ensues (Chicago, Nashville, Dallas), which means that Columbus will enjoy home ice for 10 of the final 17 games.

Of course, there's also this little thing called the trade deadline coming up on Wednesday, and if Ryan Murray will be out more than a few games, you might see Jarmo Kekalainen explore some defensive options.   Exciting times, which is all you can ask for.  Stay tuned.

Sorry I missed the update yesterday, but I didn't get out of bed until noon due to illness. Good times!

Metropolitan Division Standings - Tuesday, March 4

Eastern Conference Wild Card Standings - Tuesday, March 4

Division Playoff Odds

Courtesy of Sports Club Stats:

Pittsburgh - 100.0% (even)
NY Rangers - 71.3% (up)
Philadelphia - 61.8% (up)
Columbus - 61.5% (up)
New Jersey - 41.6% (up)
Washington - 29.6% (up)
Carolina - 3.8% (down)
NY Islanders - 0.0% (even)

If The Season Ended Today...

Round 1 Matchups

Who Helps Us Tonight

Columbus vs Dallas (+6.3)
New Jersey vs Detroit (+0.6)
Edmonton vs Ottawa (+0.7)
San Jose vs Carolina (+0.2)
St. Louis vs Tampa Bay (+0.1)

Both teams on the second night of a back-to-back with travel, both teams fighting for their playoff lives in their last games before the trading deadline.

Dallas Stars at Columbus Blue Jackets

March 4, 2014 - 7:00 pm EST
Nationwide Arena - Columbus, Ohio
Radio - WBNS 97.1 FM -- TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Defending Big D
SBN's Stars vs Blue Jackets coverage

This is when the schedule starts to get crazy: including last night, seven games in 11 days, including a three-game Western Conference road trip.

These two teams are mirror images of each other right now, almost. The Stars are clinging to the last Wild Card spot in the West, and the Jackets are just one point out of the last spot in the East. If you look at their numbers below, they're pretty similar across the board. Both clubs played last night in different cities.

In short, this should be a pretty even match-up.

However, the Jackets have some shuffling to do on their blue-line, most likely. My guess is that Ryan Murray is out, and Cody Goloubef draws in. Also, below, I've left the forward lines the same, but there may be some low-end shuffling with Corey Tropp or Blake Comeau. Finally, my guess is that Curtis McElhinney gets a start tonight, given the schedule coming up. But, who knows? After the way last season ended...

The Stars' top line is formidable, as Jamie Benn has a history of torching the Jackets and Tyler Seguin is having a very good year. The struggled to get a win in (suddenly resurgent) Buffalo, and theoretically both teams will be tired. Hopefully, the Jackets can use their forward depth to an advantage tonight, and wear down the Stars.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(31-25-5, 67 Points; 5th division, 10th conference)

Dallas Stars
(29-22-10, 68 Points; 5th division, 8th conference)

Season Series

03/04/14 - Dallas at Columbus
03/10/14 - Columbus at Dallas

Head to Head Stats

Dallas		Columbus
2.79 (13)	GPG	2.88 (8)
2.74 (16)	GAPG	2.77 (17)
14.5% (25)	PP%	19.3% (14)
81.6% (17)	PK%	82.0% (14)
Tyler Seguin, 25	G leader	Ryan Johansen, 24
Tyler Seguin, 33	A leader	James Wisniewski, 31
Tyler Seguin, 58	Pts leader	Ryan Johansen, 47
Antoine Roussel, 160	PIM leader	Brandon Dubinsky, 88
13-12-4	Road/Home	17-11-2
3/3 @ Buffalo, W 3-2	Last Game	3/3 @ Toronto, W 2-1
6-2-2	Last 10	5-4-1

The NHL Trade Deadline is tomorrow afternoon, and there's some chatter about Marian Gaborik being available. Should he stay or should he go?

Bruins Scouting Jackets Heavily

During the research for this post, I thought I had come up with a deal that made sense for both the Blue Jackets and a potential destination for Marian Gaborik.

What prompted me to look deeper into a potential Gaborik deal was the twitter chatter from last night indicating that the Boston Bruins have been heavily scouting the Jackets lately, confirmed by Bruins insider Joe Haggerty.

Like we all do this time of year, I popped over to Cap Geek's Trade Machine.

I tried multiple iterations, some involving just Gaborik to the Bruins, while others included Nikita Nikitin, due to the reported need for defense in Boston. Looking back to what was reportedly offered by the Bruins for Jarome Iginla last year, I started with a return of Matt Bartkowski and Alexander Khokhlachev. Bartkowski is an Ohio State alum, so there's that. He's also a talented young defender who is about to hit his prime years. Khokhlachev is playing great for Providence of the AHL, and the strong Russian presence in the Jackets' dressing room would offer up plenty of mentors for the young Russian sniper.

The problem I was presented was of course, the dollars. Whether it was just Gaborik going, or if he was paired with Nikitin, the Bruins had to send salary to Columbus to make the deal compliant. The player I kept coming back to was Loui Eriksson.

At first, I was convinced. Gaborik and Nikitin for Eriksson, Bartkowski and Khokhlachev. Maybe some picks would be involved to balance, but that was the general framework. I reached out to Cornelius at SToC, and while he (and many other Bruins fans) are keen on the idea of acquiring Gaborik, after giving it more thought I don't think I'm convinced that Eriksson is the right return.

Eriksson has two more years left at a cap hit of $4.25 million per season. He's 28, at the tail-end of his prime years. Aside from the fact that he's dealt with injuries, his offensive game is not where it should be, and is he adept enough defensively to be a bottom-six fixture? For that matter, would you want a guy who sits at a $4.25 million cap hit being a bottom-six fixture? He seems to be another Umberger to me right now. This is NOT a post to argue whether or not Umberger should remain a Jacket after this year, but I do see Eriksson offering up a similar situation.

So where does that put the Jackets and Bruins?

There is an obvious link between Bruins captain Zdeno Chara and his countryman Gaborik. What the Bruins need is defense though, so could they have been just scouting the Columbus defense?

There's something there, but I just don't like what I see coming back to Columbus, unless Jarmo gets really creative.

To the West Coast

If not the Bruins, maybe the Los Angeles Kings would have interest in Gaborik. Everybody and their dog knows that the Kings need scoring, but will they pay the Jackets what they'd want for his services? A package involving Alec Martinez (Miami of Ohio alum) and Valentin Zykov would make sense. You may remember I made no attempt to hide my adoration for Zykov leading up to last June's entry draft, while Martinez has one more year on his deal with a cap hit of $1.1 million. Once again, to make the dollars work a crappy contract would have to be included, with the likes of Jarett Stoll, Justin Williams or Willie Mitchell fitting the bill.

Williams is fourth in scoring for the Kings, so it's more likely that one of Stoll or Mitchell would be included.

A Winger for Spezza?

Could Gaborik be the winger that the Senators have been looking for to play alongside Jason Spezza? The Sens have cap space, and could offer Milan Michalek's expiring contract in return. Michalek would fit the Jackets' desire for a top-six forward, and if the Sens include a young player like Mike Hoffman or Matt Puempel, perhaps with a pick, there could be a deal there.

Deadline Approaching

This is all speculation, of course. I'm convinced that Gaborik is on the move, but where does he end up? Do the Jackets pick up a top-six winger or defenseman in a Gaborik deal? Or is he traded for futures and a top-six forward or defenseman is acquired in a separate deal? The Jackets are buyers, so strap in and enjoy the ride!

Coverage of the 2014 NHL Trade Deadline

Bruins Scouting Jackets Heavily

During the research for this post, I thought I had come up with a deal that made sense for both the Blue Jackets and a potential destination for Marian Gaborik.

What prompted me to look deeper into a potential Gaborik deal was the twitter chatter from last night indicating that the Boston Bruins have been heavily scouting the Jackets lately, confirmed by Bruins insider Joe Haggerty.

Like we all do this time of year, I popped over to Cap Geek's Trade Machine.

I tried multiple iterations, some involving just Gaborik to the Bruins, while others included Nikita Nikitin, due to the reported need for defense in Boston. Looking back to what was reportedly offered by the Bruins for Jarome Iginla last year, I started with a return of Matt Bartkowski and Alexander Khokhlachev. Bartkowski is an Ohio State alum, so there's that. He's also a talented young defender who is about to hit his prime years. Khokhlachev is playing great for Providence of the AHL, and the strong Russian presence in the Jackets' dressing room would offer up plenty of mentors for the young Russian sniper.

The problem I was presented was of course, the dollars. Whether it was just Gaborik going, or if he was paired with Nikitin, the Bruins had to send salary to Columbus to make the deal compliant. The player I kept coming back to was Loui Eriksson.

At first, I was convinced. Gaborik and Nikitin for Eriksson, Bartkowski and Khokhlachev. Maybe some picks would be involved to balance, but that was the general framework. I reached out to Cornelius at SToC, and while he (and many other Bruins fans) are keen on the idea of acquiring Gaborik, after giving it more thought I don't think I'm convinced that Eriksson is the right return.

Eriksson has two more years left at a cap hit of $4.25 million per season. He's 28, at the tail-end of his prime years. Aside from the fact that he's dealt with injuries, his offensive game is not where it should be, and is he adept enough defensively to be a bottom-six fixture? For that matter, would you want a guy who sits at a $4.25 million cap hit being a bottom-six fixture? He seems to be another Umberger to me right now. This is NOT a post to argue whether or not Umberger should remain a Jacket after this year, but I do see Eriksson offering up a similar situation.

So where does that put the Jackets and Bruins?

There is an obvious link between Bruins captain Zdeno Chara and his countryman Gaborik. What the Bruins need is defense though, so could they have been just scouting the Columbus defense?

There's something there, but I just don't like what I see coming back to Columbus, unless Jarmo gets really creative.

To the West Coast

If not the Bruins, maybe the Los Angeles Kings would have interest in Gaborik. Everybody and their dog knows that the Kings need scoring, but will they pay the Jackets what they'd want for his services? A package involving Alec Martinez (Miami of Ohio alum) and Valentin Zykov would make sense. You may remember I made no attempt to hide my adoration for Zykov leading up to last June's entry draft, while Martinez has one more year on his deal with a cap hit of $1.1 million. Once again, to make the dollars work a crappy contract would have to be included, with the likes of Jarett Stoll, Justin Williams or Willie Mitchell fitting the bill.

Williams is fourth in scoring for the Kings, so it's more likely that one of Stoll or Mitchell would be included.

A Winger for Spezza?

Could Gaborik be the winger that the Senators have been looking for to play alongside Jason Spezza? The Sens have cap space, and could offer Milan Michalek's expiring contract in return. Michalek would fit the Jackets' desire for a top-six forward, and if the Sens include a young player like Mike Hoffman or Matt Puempel, perhaps with a pick, there could be a deal there.

Deadline Approaching

This is all speculation, of course. I'm convinced that Gaborik is on the move, but where does he end up? Do the Jackets pick up a top-six winger or defenseman in a Gaborik deal? Or is he traded for futures and a top-six forward or defenseman is acquired in a separate deal? The Jackets are buyers, so strap in and enjoy the ride!

Both teams on the second night of a back-to-back with travel, both teams fighting for their playoff lives in their last games before the trading deadline.

Dallas Stars at Columbus Blue Jackets

March 4, 2014 - 7:00 pm EST
Nationwide Arena - Columbus, Ohio
Radio - WBNS 97.1 FM -- TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Defending Big D
SBN's Stars vs Blue Jackets coverage

This is when the schedule starts to get crazy: including last night, seven games in 11 days, including a three-game Western Conference road trip.

These two teams are mirror images of each other right now, almost. The Stars are clinging to the last Wild Card spot in the West, and the Jackets are just one point out of the last spot in the East. If you look at their numbers below, they're pretty similar across the board. Both clubs played last night in different cities.

In short, this should be a pretty even match-up.

However, the Jackets have some shuffling to do on their blue-line, most likely. My guess is that Ryan Murray is out, and Cody Goloubef draws in. Also, below, I've left the forward lines the same, but there may be some low-end shuffling with Corey Tropp or Blake Comeau. Finally, my guess is that Curtis McElhinney gets a start tonight, given the schedule coming up. But, who knows? After the way last season ended...

The Stars' top line is formidable, as Jamie Benn has a history of torching the Jackets and Tyler Seguin is having a very good year. The struggled to get a win in (suddenly resurgent) Buffalo, and theoretically both teams will be tired. Hopefully, the Jackets can use their forward depth to an advantage tonight, and wear down the Stars.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(31-25-5, 67 Points; 5th division, 10th conference)

Dallas Stars
(29-22-10, 68 Points; 5th division, 8th conference)

Season Series

03/04/14 - Dallas at Columbus
03/10/14 - Columbus at Dallas

Head to Head Stats

Dallas		Columbus
2.79 (13)	GPG	2.88 (8)
2.74 (16)	GAPG	2.77 (17)
14.5% (25)	PP%	19.3% (14)
81.6% (17)	PK%	82.0% (14)
Tyler Seguin, 25	G leader	Ryan Johansen, 24
Tyler Seguin, 33	A leader	James Wisniewski, 31
Tyler Seguin, 58	Pts leader	Ryan Johansen, 47
Antoine Roussel, 160	PIM leader	Brandon Dubinsky, 88
13-12-4	Road/Home	17-11-2
3/3 @ Buffalo, W 3-2	Last Game	3/3 @ Toronto, W 2-1
6-2-2	Last 10	5-4-1

This thread will live on the front page between now and the end of deadline day tomorrow. All trade deadline discussion here!

This will be the main discussion thread leading up to tomorrow's NHL Trade Deadline. Any deals involving the Jackets will have its own post, updated as details become available.

Have fun!

The Stars face another hot netminder in Columbus this evening, and Rich Peverley is out with an upper-body injury.

The Dallas Stars have had some frustration in the goal scoring department after Ben Bishop and Jhonas Enroth did super-human things during furious rallies. Tonight, on the dreaded back-to-back, they may find themselves in the same pickle as Sergei Bobrovsky starts for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Columbus played in Toronto last night, and so did Bobrovsky- A 2-1 win for the BJ's, completing a season-sweep of the Maple Leafs. Undeterred, he'll reportedly start this evening while Dallas rolls with Dan Ellis, who has not played since February 1st in Anaheim.

The Stars started with this last night:

Benn-Seguin-Nichushkin
Cole-Eakin-Peverley
Roussel-Fiddler-Garbutt
Whitney-Horcoff-Chiasson

And then switched to this:

Benn-Seguin-Whitney
Cole-Eakin-Chiasson
Roussel-Fiddler-Garbutt
Nichushkin-Horcoff-Peverley

Kind of. Eakin and Cole also took faceoffs with Nichushkin out there. Chiasson took a couple with Benn and Seguin. So we'll see how that all works out tonight.

Then comes the news this morning that Rich Peverley is expected to miss tonight's game with an upper-body injury, and he'll be day-to-day. This is where Chiasson's resurgence helps, because he can be scaled up the lineup with some confidence, and so can Val. Fitting it all together this evening with re-called Chris Muller will be a trick. We'll see tonight how it works out.

Brenden Dillon was able to play through a lower body injury that may still be nagging. His presence tonight is not a sure thing either.

This is Dallas' first meeting with Columbus this season, and the second and final matchup is just six days later at American Airlines Center.

"They have some big forwards," Lindy Ruff said of Columbus last night. "I think they have some good speed up front and I really like their defense and of course Bobrovsky in goal has been really good for them. I think they showed they're right above where we are at and it should be a tough game."

The Blue Jackets have been a pretty good home team this year (17-11-2), better than some of the teams they're chasing in the East. They sit 10th in their conference and curiously have a +10 goal differential, better than the next five teams above them.

They've survived five of their last six on the road at 3-2-1 and get three more away from home after this one with the Stars tonight.

Columbus has taken out the Kings, the Wild, the Oilers, and the Canucks at home this season, also taking St. Louis to overtime. They're 8-2-0 in their last ten in their barn, so this will be nothing short of difficult this evening.

Their power play at home has been electric of late, going 12 for 43 in their last 10 games- 28%.

Dallas did well to give Buffalo the single power play last night. Repetition on that front tonight could be key.

The real problem is that the Stars, for all the shots they generate, could be in line for another frustrating night against an opposing netminder. Sergei Bobrovsky will start both games of their back-to-back. He's 13-6-0 at home this season with a 2.27 GAA and a .922 save percentage.

Bobrovsky is 3-1-0 on the second night of a back-to-back this season having stopped 121 of 130 shots in that situation for a gaudy .931 save percentage. Your move, Dan Ellis.

Their lineup:

Jenner-Johansen-Horton
Foligno-Anisimov-Gaborik
Umberger-Dubinsky-Atkinson
Calvert-MacKenzie-Letestu

Johnson-Savard
Nikitin-Wisniewski
Goloubef-Prout

Bobrovsky
Bobrovsky
Bobrovsky

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A fast start and strong goaltending helped the Jackets overcome sloppy play in the second and third periods en route to a victory over the Stars.

The Jackets and Stars were both coming off victories last night, with fatigue potentially a factor for both squads. The Jackets had a definite edge in the energy department early on, dominating the first period. They were outworking the Stars in every way, with Sergei Bobrovsky shutting the door when tested. Bobrovsky was making his eighth-straight start.

Just 1:14 into the game, the heavy line of Boone Jenner, Ryan Johansen and Nathan Horton combined to shred the Dallas defense, before Jenner fired a shot on-net, squeaking through Dallas starter Dan Ellis. The trio was terrific in the opening period.

1-0 Jackets: Jenner - Johansen, Horton

The Jackets went up by a pair a few minutes later, when after some strong work by Brandon Dubinsky, R.J. Umberger was able to deposit a gift behind Ellis after banging in a loose puck in front of the net. Say what you will about Umberger, but the goal was his 17th of the season and he brings valuable secondary scoring. He's not looked out of place on Dubinsky's wing of late.

2-0 Jackets: Umberger - Dubinsky, Wisniewski

While up a man after an Antoine Roussel slashing penalty, the Jackets made it trips when Artem Anisimov deposited a backhand into the Dallas net. Arty has been absolutely en fuego lately, though late in the second period he seemed to wrench his knee in an awkward collision. He returned for the third period.

3-0 Jackets: Anisimov - Unassisted

The second period was a complete inverse of the opening frame. As good as they were in the first, they were equally inept in the second. Fatigue had to be setting in, as the Jackets could only muster a single shot on-net. Luckily thanks to some strong defensive play and Bob shutting the door, the score remained 3-0 Columbus after forty minutes.

The third period started off on the bad foot for Columbus, with Matt Calvert taking a tripping penalty. With the Stars set up in the Jackets' zone, Ray Whitney (wouldn't it be great to see him back in Columbus for a playoff run?) fired a low shot on Bobrovsky. Bob made the initial save, but the rebound went to Alex Goligoski, who was pinching-in untouched from the point.

3-1 Jackets: Goligoski - Whitney, Benn

Less than two minutes later Trevor Daley cut the lead to one goal for the Stars. The Jackets were on their heels, and the Stars capitalized.

3-2 Jackets: Daley - Gonchar, Cole

Just under four minutes into the third, the teams went four-on four after Umberger and Brendan Dillon received diving and roughing penalties, respectively.

Midway through the final period, the Jackets ramped up their intensity. The catalyst was an up-tempo shift by the fourth line, who night-in and night-out bring intensity, toughness and just a dose of scoring.

The ice was level for most of the latter half of the final frame, but Anisimov scored a huge goal to regain the two-goal lead.

4-2 Jackets: Anisimov - Prout, Gaborik

With Ellis on the bench, the Stars poured it on, with Bob slamming the door shut.

Final Score: 4-2 Jackets

Standard Bearers:

• Artem Anisimov was terrific again tonight.

• With Ryan Murray and Fedor Tyutin out with injuries, I thought Cody Goloubef looked solid and poised out there.

• Boone scored a goal, led the team with 5 hits and blocked a shot. A good night for the rookie.

Bottom of the Barrel:

• In what could be his final game as a Blue Jacket, Marian Gaborik was generally ineffective.
  
• The Jackets' play in the second and most of the third period should have cost them, but their fast start and Bob's play between the pipes allowed them to hang on for the win. We'll chalk it up to the second night of a back-to-back.

The Jackets return to action on Thursday in Chicago.

This game was a study in outplaying, out-possessing and out-chancing a team and still managing to lose.  The Blackhawks dominated the game from puck drop to the final horn.  Despite all of this dominance, the Blackhawks managed to shoot a lot of pucks into Seymon Varlamov's deft glove hand.

The first period ended scoreless. Maxime Talbot opened the scoring in the second period giving Erik Johnson one of his three assists on the night. Ben Smith scored a lovely goal late in the second as well. The Avalanche capitalized on bad penalties with Tyson Barrie scoring on the power play in the third period and Paul Stastny adding the empty netter as regulation closed.

The line blender was working on full speed with Brandon Saad double shifting on the first and second lines for part of the second period. Other lines were constantly juggled so it was difficult to keep track of who was on any given line. Peter Regin looked much better in this game than he has since he became a member of the Blackhawks. He will have company in the new guy club when defenseman David Rundblad, acquired today from the Phoenix Coyotes, joins the team.

As you can see from the Fenwick shot chart from www.extraskater.com the Blackhawks controlled this game. (the additions are mine) The Avs have spent this entire season getting out-possessed and relying upon a high shooting percentage and strong goaltending. This is exactly what happened here.

Varlamov was first star of the game with Johnson taking the second and Jonathan Toews the third. The Blackhawks play the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, same time, same channel. Here are the stats for the teams on the night.

*all data collected from www.nhl.com and www.extraskater.com

Awwww shit it's about to go down! It's the mother f***ing trade deadline ya'll. Let's do this shit.

My list of Leaf's potentially on their way out:

1. Kulemin
2. Holland
3. Kadri
4. Reimer
5. Gardiner
6. Your mom

Links and shit

Dudline

LOL LUONGO GOT TRADED DAWG

Dos and Don'ts of the NHL Trade Deadline

Don't take the day off of work you dork.

To Beat St. Louis You're Going to Have to Score

Good luck with that.

Where the IIHF is Wrong

It's not the IIHF's fault that North America doesn't take the WC seriously.

LFR7 Game 63

Dangle talks the Blue Jackets loss.

Also Luongo got traded and so did some other less important people.

What a night! The Jackets lept back into a playoff spot... for the time being.

Metropolitan Division Standings - Wednesday, March 5

Eastern Conference Wild Card Standings - Wednesday, March 5

Division Playoff Odds

Courtesy of Sports Club Stats:

Pittsburgh - 100.0% (even)
NY Rangers - 70.6% (down)
Columbus - 69.9% (up)
Philadelphia - 60.9% (down)
New Jersey - 49.2% (up)
Washington - 29.3% (down)
Carolina - 6.5% (up)
NY Islanders - 0.0% (even)

If The Season Ended Today...

Round 1 Matchups

Who Helps Us Tonight

Philadelphia vs Washington (both technically help and hurt; Washington helps slightly more according to the SCS model)
NY Rangers vs Toronto (both technically help and hurt; NY Rangers helps slightly more according to the SCS model)
Calgary vs Ottawa
Anaheim vs Montreal

So yes, it's been awhile. We know that. We have tons of excuses, but none of them is really any good. So, Dan decided to play around with the intro and outro as a bonus for having made you wait so long for another podcast.

Whereas last season's deadline saw a pretty big move (Gaborik), this year's might see the same player moving the other direction. Mike and Dan sit down and hash out some scenarios across the league. In addition, they talk a bit about the Jackets' current three-game winning streak, what the upcoming schedule looks like, and toss around some ideas for players the Jackets might be looking at going after on deadline day.

Enjoy!

If the player above isn't working, you can download this episode (right click and save) as well. Also, the podcast is available in iTunes. If that's your bag, simply search for us in iTunes and subscribe!

Marian Gaborik is on his way to the Los Angeles Kings.

When the Los Angeles Kings need a late-season offensive upgrade for a playoff run they turn to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

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Los Angeles Kings

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Two years after acquiring Jeff Carter in a pre-deadline deal that helped propel them to their first Stanley Cup, the Kings completed a deadline day trade with Columbus on Wednesday that nets them forward Marian Gaborik, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie. In return, the Kings are sending forward Matt Frattin, a second-round pick and a conditional third-round pick to Columbus.

According to McKenzie, the Blue Jackets are also picking up a significant portion of Gaborik's remaining salary. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season.

For as good as Los Angeles has been defensively this season, and for as much as they dominate puck possession, they simply have not been able to find the back of the net entering Wednesday averaging just 2.32 goals per game, 27th in the league. It's pretty much been a mirror image of their 2011-12 season.

Typically, that sort of offensive production is not anywhere near good enough to win the Stanley Cup.

That's where Gaborik comes in. Injuries have limited him to just 22 games this season, and he has just six goals in the games he's played for the Blue Jackets, but the talent and ability are certainly there and he's just one year removed from scoring 40 goals in the league.

For Gaborik, it's the second year in a row that he has been part of a deadline day trade. Last year the New York Rangers sent him to Columbus for Derek Dorsett, Derick Brassard and John Moore.

Marian Gaborik has been traded to the Kings.

The Marian Gaborik era is over. When Gaborik was acquired last season, it was a bold move for the Jackets, a move that gave them a shot in the arm for their run to the playoffs. The Jackets fell just short, and Gaborik was looked to for offensive and veteran leadership this season, as the Jackets looked to make another run.

Unfortunately, this has been a season to forget for Gaborik due to injury, and his tenure with the Jackets will be looked at as unsuccessful. Given his unrestricted free agent status at year's end, it was wise for the Jackets to gain something for him instead of simply losing him to free agency. It was clear that he was not a right fit for the Jackets going forward.

The reported return for Gaborik is forward Matt Frattin, a second round pick, and a conditional third rounder. The picks are the core of this deal. Frattin is more or less a warm body, as he is a restricted free agent at season's end. The second round pick was originally Leafs property, while the third round pick will be included in the deal if the Kings either re-sign Gaborik or win a first round series.

The Jackets retained about 50% of Gaborik's contract, but with only weeks left in the season Columbus isn't on the hook for much.

This was a classic salary dump, and it was good for JD and Jarmo to pick up potentially two picks in the process. And who knows, maybe Frattin will surprise.