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Jackets Acquire Nick Schultz from Oilers

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In a move to add some veteran depth to the blueline, the Jackets have acquired Nick Schultz from the Oilers.

The Jackets have added some defensive depth and experience as the team marches toward the playoffs. With Fedor Tyutin and Ryan Murray on the sidelines due to injury, the Jackets were able to acquire veteran Nick Schultz from the Edmonton Oilers for a fifth round pick.

The price is minimal for a player who will shore up the defense. Aside from strong goaltending, depth is the most important component to a winning team in the playoffs, and Schultz adds just that.

It remains to be seen if he sees action over the likes of Cody Goloubef or Dalton Prout, but the one intangible he brings is experience.

Schultz is a UFA at season's end, with a cap hit of $3.5 million.


Nick Schultz

# / Defenseman / Columbus Blue Jackets

6-1

203

Aug 25, 1982



GAP+/-PIM
2013 - Nick Schultz044-1124


This deal may seem underwhelming, but it fits a requirement for the Jackets, at a very fair price. I've personally been saying for a few weeks now that this kind of move was the extent of what I thought the Jackets should do, so color me satisfied.


NHL Trade Deadline: Blue Jackets get Nick Schultz for draft pick

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After trading Ales Hemsky earlier today, the Oilers made another move, sending Nick Schultz to Columbus for a TK round pick.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have been on a tear since Nathan Horton returned from shoulder surgery, and have been busy in the hours leading up to the trade deadline tooling with their roster. After trading Marian Gaborik earlier and clearing cap space, the Blue Jackets have acquired defenseman Nick Schultz from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a fifth round draft pick.

After trading Ales Hemsky earlier in the day, the Oilers turned their attention to trying to move Schultz and Ryan Smyth. The Blue Jackets, seeking to add another defenseman, and afforded that extra cap space by sending Gaborik to the Kings, were able to pull off the deal. Columbus is currently sitting in the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Edmonton continues to stockpile draft picks, as the Oilers have accumulated four future selections over the past two days from dealing Schultz, Ilya Bryzgalov, and Ales Hesmky, although Edmonton sent two picks to Anaheim to acquire Viktor Fasth.

Tampa Bay Lightning trade Taormina, Tyrell to the Columbus organization in exchange for a pair of forwards

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Jonathan Marchessault and Dalton Smith are expected to join AHL Syracuse, while Tyrell and Taormina will join the Springfield Falcons. Springfield is in second place in the Eastern Conference; Syracuse is in 11th.

Crunch fans have been demanding moves. They've wanted action. They've said, practically yelled, that they needed something to happen.

It's happened.

One thing is clear: Springfield is gearing up for the playoffs while Syracuse is, in effect, waving the white flag on what has been a very frustrating season. As expressed by the tweet, the Columbus Blue Jackets (CBJ) organization has acquired  Dana Tyrell and Matt Taormina from the Tampa Bay organization in exchange for Jonathan Marchessault and Dalton Smith. It's expected that Tyrell and Taormina are headed for the Springfield Falcons, Columbus' AHL affiliate. Marchessault and Smith are expected to be assigned to Syracuse.

Springfield is currently second in the Eastern Conference with 74 points on the season. Syracuse is 11th with 53 points. The Falcons are clearly looking for some defensive depth to carry them into the post season. Taormina, despite his struggles with back problems, has been one of the most dependable Crunch players this year when in the line up. He has 18 points (6g; 12a) and did work on the Crunch's power play. Tyrell, who has struggled in the past with knee injuries but has not had many troubles this season, was also one of the more dependable players for the Crunch this year. He has 21 points (9g; 12a) and saw a lot of time on the Crunch's penalty kill. Both Taormina and Tyrell were often cited by the coaching staff, their fellow players, and Crunch fans as being two of the hardest working guys on the ice every single night.

Both players have also seen time with Tampa Bay this season. Tyrell played in 7 games with the Lightning, as did Taormina. Neither registered any points during their time up.

Marchessault is 23 years old. He's 5'9 and has played in 56 games this year for Springfield. Prior to the trade he was the Falcons' top goal scorer with 41 points (14g; 27A). He has played in two NHL games. Both of those games occurred during the 2012-2013 season and he registered zero points in those two games.

Smith has played in 117 games with the Springfield Falcons. During those 117 games, he's registered 18 points. However, it's clear that Smith's game is more on the pugilist side of things - he has 227 total penalty minutes. To put that into perspective, current Crunch player Eric Neilson has played in 71 games for Syracuse and has 235 total minutes. Philippe Paradis has played in 49 games and has 83 minutes. So, it looks like Smith is along those lines.

Marchessault is clearly the gem here for Syracuse, although one player probably won't make too much of a difference at this point. The signing of Smith, even though he is a former second-round pick, is a complete head-scratcher. Syracuse has plenty of grit in Neilson, Paradis, P.C. Labrie, and Mike Angelidis. If the over-all plan is to get Syracuse into the playoffs, it isn't clear at all how Smith fits.

From Syracuse's perspective, there's also this little problem:

Yes, yes it does.

Nick Schultz Was Traded For Things

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Final tally: Tom Gilbert for a 5th round pick. It's not as bad as Joni Pitkanen for nothing, but...

Two years ago, the Edmonton Oilers' inept front office traded Tom Gilbert for Nick Schultz for some awesome (in the literal sense of the word) reasons:

  1. "I was speakin’ to Stevie Yzerman today who had him also at the world championships and his comment was ‘If you’re lookin’ for someone who is a true professional, extremely fit and very dependable, you’re gonna get someone like Nick Schultz that your coaches are gonna enjoy having." So a nice comment from someone I have great respect for."
  2. "Like I said, he has a vast experience as far as NHL play, international play, so he’s seen a lot of different things and comfortable in a lot of different aspects of the game of where we need to get better."
  3. During "Oil Change", Stu MacGregor commented "we liked him in his draft year" referring to 2000, when Wild drafted him out of Prince Albert of the WHL.

The move was lauded by fans and widely praised by sports writers in Edmonton.

Nick Schultz then did what all Oilers do when they're brought in to replace superior players: he stunk.  For a month in 2012, four months in 2013 and five months in 2013-14, Schultz moved up and down the depth chart, babysitting Justin Schultz, getting caved against top four competition, losing the possession battle against bottom pairing competition all while struggling to get the puck, then struggling to move the puck up the ice when he did have it.

Today he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a fifth-round pick.

Metro Update - 3/6/14

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Weird... the games didn't really help us, but according to Sports Club Stats we're in the driver's seat for the moment.

Metropolitan Division Standings - Thursday, March 6

TeamGPPTSWLOTLROWGDL10Streak
Pittsburgh61864116437+455-3-2W1
Philadelphia63723324630-48-2-0W3
NY Rangers63703326429+46-3-1OT1
Columbus62693225528+126-3-1W3
Washington636829241021-45-3-2L1
New Jersey636727231327-45-3-2W1
Carolina62632726926-213-7-0W1
NY Islanders64562432818-413-7-0W1

Eastern Conference Wild Card Standings - Thursday, March 6

TeamGPPTSWLOTLROWGDL10Streak
Tampa Bay62733423528+193-7-0L2
Columbus62693225528+126-3-1W3
Detroit616828211224-75-3-2L1
Washington636829241021-45-3-2L1
New Jersey636727231327-45-3-2W1
Ottawa636527251124-294-5-1L2
Carolina62632726926-213-7-0W1

Division Playoff Odds

Courtesy of Sports Club Stats:

Pittsburgh - 100.0% (even)
Columbus - 69.5% (down)
Philadelphia - 69.3% (up)
NY Rangers - 66.7% (down)
New Jersey - 48.6% (down)
Washington - 19.0% (down)
Carolina - 6.4% (down)
NY Islanders - 0.0% (even)

If The Season Ended Today...

Round 1 Matchups

RoadHome
Columbus (WC2)Pittsburgh (M1)
NY Rangers (M3)Philadelphia (M2)
Tampa Bay (WC1)Boston (A1)
Toronto (A3)Montreal (A2)

Who Helps Us Tonight

Chicago vs Columbus (+8.7)
Detroit vs Colorado (+1.3)
Boston vs Washington (+0.7)
Phoenix vs Montreal (+0.2)
Tampa Bay vs Buffalo (+0.3)

Blackhawks vs Blue Jackets, Complete Coverage

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Complete coverage of the Blackhawks vs Blue Jackets, from the morning bag skate to the final whistle.


56_mediumJhepegs329pc7ugyypebl28wg_medium

Chicago Blackhawks (86 pts, 36-13-14) vs Columbus Blue Jackets (69 pts, 32-25-5)

7 pm CDT, United Center - Chicago, IL

TV : CSN Chicago

Radio : 720 AM WGN

Blackhawks last game : 2-4 L vs Avalanche

Blue Jackets last game : 4-2 W vs Stars

Enemy Territory : The Cannon

Season Series/Schedule

DATESCOREW. GOAL
Apr 04 '14@CBJ
Mar 06 '14@CHI

2109 : The total number of shots on goal for the Blackhawks this season, only San Jose has more.

1884 : The number of hits credited to the Blue Jackets this season, the third most in the NHL. The Blackhawks have the least amount of hits with 1032.

496 : The number of takeaways credited to the Blackhawks this season, the third most in the NHL.

78.6 : The Blue Jackets penalty kill percentage on the road this season, the fifth worse road PK in the NHL.

60 : The number of 1st period goals by the Blue Jackets this season, the third most in the NHL.

43-34-2-5 : The Blackhawks all time record versus the Blue Jackets.

23 : The number of power play goals given up by the Blue Jackets on the road this season, the 5th most in the NHL.

8 : The number of major penalties assessed to the Blackhawks this season, tied with Detroit for the least in the NHL.

5 : The number of 5 on 3 goals scored by the Blue Jackets this season, tied for the league lead.

2.90 : The goals per game average for the Blue Jackets this season, ranked seventh in the NHL.

Probable Blackhawks Lineup

Forwards

Patrick Sharp - Jonathan Toews - Brandon Saad
Kris Versteeg - Michal Handzus - Patrick Kane
Bryan Bickell - Peter Regin - Andrew Shaw
Brandon Bollig -Marcus Kruger - Ben Smith

Defensive Pairings

Duncan Keith - Brent Seabrook
Johnny Oduya - Niklas Hjalmarsson
Nick Leddy - Michal Rozsival

Goaltender

Corey Crawford (23-11-10, 2.33 GAA, .916 save %, 1 SO)

Injuries

Marian Hossa (upper body) out, Nikolai Khabibulin (rotator cuff) out

Leading Scorers

PLAYERGPGAP+/-PIMPPGW
P. Kane62273764+718106
P. Sharp63293261+183482
J. Toews63223759+222843
M. Hossa57242650+251644
D. Keith6234649+171621

Probable Blue Jackets Lineup

Forwards

Boone Jenner - Ryan Johansen - Nathan Horton
Nick Foligno - Artem Anisimov -
R.J. Umberger - Brandon Dubinsky - Cam Atkinson
Matt Calvert - Derek MacKenzie - Mark Letestu

Defensive Pairings

Jack Johnson - David Savard
Nick Schultz- James Wisniewski
Nikita Nikitin - Dalton Prout

Goaltender

Sergei Bobrovsky (23-15-3, 2.52 GAA, .917 save %, 2 SO)

Injuries

Fedor Tyutin (ankle) out, Jared Boll (ankle surgery) out, Ryan Murray (knee) day-to-day

Leading Scorers

PLAYERGPGAP+/-PIMPPGW
R. Johansen62242448+03041
B. Dubinsky56122638+68832
J. Wisniewski5553237-14720
N. Foligno56161834+28335
C. Atkinson62181533-11444



Blackhawks vs Blue Jackets, Game Day Numbers

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The Blackhawks welcome back their former divisional foes, the Blue Jackets, as they look to rebound from Tuesday night's loss.


56_mediumJhepegs329pc7ugyypebl28wg_medium

Chicago Blackhawks (86 pts, 36-13-14) vs Columbus Blue Jackets (69 pts, 32-25-5)

7 pm CDT, United Center - Chicago, IL

TV : CSN Chicago

Radio : 720 AM WGN

Blackhawks last game : 2-4 L vs Avalanche

Blue Jackets last game : 4-2 W vs Stars

Enemy Territory : The Cannon

Season Series/Schedule

DATESCOREW. GOAL
Apr 04 '14@CBJ
Mar 06 '14@CHI

2109 : The total number of shots on goal for the Blackhawks this season, only San Jose has more.

1884 : The number of hits credited to the Blue Jackets this season, the third most in the NHL. The Blackhawks have the least amount of hits with 1032.

496 : The number of takeaways credited to the Blackhawks this season, the third most in the NHL.

78.6 : The Blue Jackets penalty kill percentage on the road this season, the fifth worse road PK in the NHL.

60 : The number of 1st period goals by the Blue Jackets this season, the third most in the NHL.

43-34-2-5 : The Blackhawks all time record versus the Blue Jackets.

23 : The number of power play goals given up by the Blue Jackets on the road this season, the 5th most in the NHL.

8 : The number of major penalties assessed to the Blackhawks this season, tied with Detroit for the least in the NHL.

5 : The number of 5 on 3 goals scored by the Blue Jackets this season, tied for the league lead.

2.90 : The goals per game average for the Blue Jackets this season, ranked seventh in the NHL.

Probable Blackhawks Lineup

Forwards

Patrick Sharp - Jonathan Toews - Brandon Saad
Kris Versteeg - Michal Handzus - Patrick Kane
Bryan Bickell - Peter Regin - Andrew Shaw
Brandon Bollig -Marcus Kruger - Ben Smith

Defensive Pairings

Duncan Keith - Brent Seabrook
Johnny Oduya - Niklas Hjalmarsson
Nick Leddy - Michal Rozsival

Goaltender

Corey Crawford (23-11-10, 2.33 GAA, .916 save %, 1 SO)

Injuries

Marian Hossa (upper body) out, Nikolai Khabibulin (rotator cuff) out

Leading Scorers

PLAYERGPGAP+/-PIMPPGW
P. Kane62273764+718106
P. Sharp63293261+183482
J. Toews63223759+222843
M. Hossa57242650+251644
D. Keith6234649+171621

Probable Blue Jackets Lineup

Forwards

Boone Jenner - Ryan Johansen - Nathan Horton
Nick Foligno - Artem Anisimov - Matt Frattin
R.J. Umberger - Brandon Dubinsky - Cam Atkinson
Matt Calvert - Derek MacKenzie - Mark Letestu

Defensive Pairings

Jack Johnson - David Savard
Nick Schultz- James Wisniewski
Nikita Nikitin - Dalton Prout

Goaltender

Sergei Bobrovsky (23-15-3, 2.52 GAA, .917 save %, 2 SO)

Injuries

Fedor Tyutin (ankle) out, Jared Boll (ankle surgery) out, Ryan Murray (knee) day-to-day

Leading Scorers

PLAYERGPGAP+/-PIMPPGW
R. Johansen62242448+03041
B. Dubinsky56122638+68832
J. Wisniewski5553237-14720
N. Foligno56161834+28335
C. Atkinson62181533-11444



Game Preview #63 - Windy City Showdown

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The Jackets come out of the trade deadline entering their toughest remaining stretch of games (in one man's opinion). A win tonight would be, how you say, huge.

Columbus Blue Jackets at Chicago Blackhawks

March 6, 2014 - 8:00 pm EST
The United Center - Chicago, Illinois
Radio - WBNS 97.1 FM -- TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Second City Hockey
SBN's Blackhawks vs Blue Jackets coverage

Marian Gaborik is gone. This is the team we have, and frankly, I'm OK with it. As I noted on Twitter, I don't think the team got "better" yesterday, but I also don't think they got "worse". They played their best hockey over a stretch in December and January, and Gaborik did not play during that time period. Over the team's last 47 games, they're scoring goals (3.05 g/60), and have a record of 27-15-5; Gaborik played in just eight of those games, and in one of those eight games he left after four shifts with a broken collar bone.

A white flag trade this was not.

Losing Gaborik is a loss of potential scoring. I can't argue that. But, the Jackets haven't needed more scoring, to be honest. Now, past performance doesn't indicate future growth. Gaborik could light it up in LA, and the Jackets could go ice-cold shooting the puck. These things are possible. But are they likely? Is one more likely than the other? Who knows.

Jarmo and JD knew they weren't re-signing Gaborik, so they pulled the eject handle and got what they could. It's potentially two second round picks, and Jarmo probably feels that the potential of those two picks down the road is higher than the potential impact of Gaborik over the final 20 games.

On defense, however, one has to wonder if the injuries changed the team's focus. They simply HAD to get another defenseman without appearing desperate or overpaying, and that severely limited their options. Fedor Tyutin and Ryan Murray are going to be out for awhile, with rumblings now coming from guys like Porty that Murray might be done for the year based on things he heard after the Toronto game. I think Porty's speculation that those injuries forced them to shift gears, and prevented them from going as big as maybe they'd have liked, is correct. C'est la vie. Thanks, Olympics and random freak Toronto dashers!

OK, all of that aside, let's look at tonight's game. The Jackets technically didn't get a lot of help in the Metro last night, though they have tonight's game in hand over the Rangers: a win for Columbus puts them back into third place. Also, given the upcoming run of Western Conference opponents, overtime isn't a killer. Just get points, baby. The Jackets are going back to the top three lines that drove them through January and into February, and the fourth line has a tiny question mark on the right side. I'm leaving it blank below because it could literally be one of three guys: Corey Tropp, Blake Comeau, or>Matt Frattin. UPDATE: per coach Richards, it's Frattin.

On defense, well, who knows? Nick Schultz is supposed to arrive this afternoon, but no word on whether he'll play or not at this time. I'm leaving the pairings as they were from the other night, though the team's site hints as shuffling on blue-line. So, we'll know when we know, I guess.

I'm going to say something that probably doesn't sound right, but I believe it somewhat: the Chicago Blackhawks are good, but are they *that* much better than Columbus right now? The big difference in their records is that Chicago has managed to get to OT in more of their losses than Columbus; just four wins separate the two teams. Look at the head-to-head numbers below. Chicago is absolutely a better team than Columbus. But, are they really *that* much better? I don't think as much as in years-past, for sure.

Marian Hossa is out. The Hawks have a pedestrian record since the break (1-2-0), but that win was against Pittsburgh. They've been tough to beat at home, but lost the other night at home. They've lost three of four going back to the last game before the break. They've scored just eight times in their last four games, and five of those came in one game.

The Jackets' defense is banged up, to be sure. That said, this is a good time to be catching the Hawks, as they're scuffling a bit on offense, and are missing Hossa.

A win tonight would be huge. I submit that now is as good a time as any to be playing these guys. Let's get it done, boys!

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(32-25-5, 69 Points; 4th division, 8th conference)

Boone JennerRyan JohansenNathan Horton
Nick FolignoArtem AnisimovR.J. Umberger
Matt CalvertBrandon DubinskyCam Atkinson
Derek MacKenzieMark LetestuMatt Frattin
Jack JohnsonDavid Savard
Nikita NikitinJames Wisniewski
Cody GoloubefDalton Prout
Sergei Bobrovsky
Curtis McElhinney

Chicago Blackhawks
(36-13-14, 86 Points; 2nd division, 3rd conference)

Brandon SaadJonathan ToewsAndrew Shaw
Patrick SharpMichal HandzusPatrick Kane
Bryan BickellPeter ReginKris Versteeg
Brandon BolligMarcus KrugerBen Smith
Duncan KeithBrent Seabrook
Johnny OduyaNiklas Hjalmarsson
Nick LeddyMichal Rozsival
Corey Crawford
Antti Raanta

Season Series

03/06/14 - Columbus at Chicago
04/04/14 - Chiacgo at Columbus

Head to Head Stats

ChicagoColumbus
3.33 (1)GPG2.90 (7)
2.57 (13)GAPG2.76 (17)
21.5% (3)PP%19.6% (13)
80.2% (23)PK%81.8% (16)
Patrick Sharp, 29G leaderRyan Johansen, 24
Duncan Keith, 46A leaderJames Wisniewski, 32
Patrick Kane, 64Pts leaderRyan Johansen, 48
Brandon Bollig, 69PIM leaderBrandon Dubinsky, 88
19-5-7Home/Road14-14-3
3/4 vs. Colorado, L 4-2Last Game3/4 vs. Dallas, W 4-2
4-4-2Last 106-3-1

Game Day #63 - CBJ vs. Blackhawks

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The Jackets come out of the trade deadline entering their toughest remaining stretch of games (in one man's opinion). A win tonight would be, how you say, huge.

Columbus Blue Jackets at Chicago Blackhawks

March 6, 2014 - 8:00 pm EST
The United Center - Chicago, Illinois
Radio - WBNS 97.1 FM -- TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Second City Hockey
SBN's Blackhawks vs Blue Jackets coverage

Marian Gaborik is gone. This is the team we have, and frankly, I'm OK with it. As I noted on Twitter, I don't think the team got "better" yesterday, but I also don't think they got "worse". They played their best hockey over a stretch in December and January, and Gaborik did not play during that time period. Over the team's last 47 games, they're scoring goals (3.05 g/60), and have a record of 27-15-5; Gaborik played in just eight of those games, and in one of those eight games he left after four shifts with a broken collar bone.

A white flag trade this was not.

Losing Gaborik is a loss of potential scoring. I can't argue that. But, the Jackets haven't needed more scoring, to be honest. Now, past performance doesn't indicate future growth. Gaborik could light it up in LA, and the Jackets could go ice-cold shooting the puck. These things are possible. But are they likely? Is one more likely than the other? Who knows.

Jarmo and JD knew they weren't re-signing Gaborik, so they pulled the eject handle and got what they could. It's potentially two second round picks, and Jarmo probably feels that the potential of those two picks down the road is higher than the potential impact of Gaborik over the final 20 games.

On defense, however, one has to wonder if the injuries changed the team's focus. They simply HAD to get another defenseman without appearing desperate or overpaying, and that severely limited their options. Fedor Tyutin and Ryan Murray are going to be out for awhile, with rumblings now coming from guys like Porty that Murray might be done for the year based on things he heard after the Toronto game. I think Porty's speculation that those injuries forced them to shift gears, and prevented them from going as big as maybe they'd have liked, is correct. C'est la vie. Thanks, Olympics and random freak Toronto dashers!

OK, all of that aside, let's look at tonight's game. The Jackets technically didn't get a lot of help in the Metro last night, though they have tonight's game in hand over the Rangers: a win for Columbus puts them back into third place. Also, given the upcoming run of Western Conference opponents, overtime isn't a killer. Just get points, baby. The Jackets are going back to the top three lines that drove them through January and into February, and the fourth line has a tiny question mark on the right side. I'm leaving it blank below because it could literally be one of three guys: Corey Tropp, Blake Comeau, or Mike Frattin.

On defense, well, who knows? Nick Schultz is supposed to arrive this afternoon, but no word on whether he'll play or not at this time. I'm leaving the pairings as they were from the other night, though the team's site hints as shuffling on blue-line. So, we'll know when we know, I guess.

I'm going to say something that probably doesn't sound right, but I believe it somewhat: the Chicago Blackhawks are good, but are they *that* much better than Columbus right now? The big difference in their records is that Chicago has managed to get to OT in more of their losses than Columbus; just four wins separate the two teams. Look at the head-to-head numbers below. Chicago is absolutely a better team than Columbus. But, are they really *that* much better? I don't think as much as in years-past, for sure.

Marian Hossa is out. The Hawks have a pedestrian record since the break (1-2-0), but that win was against Pittsburgh. They've been tough to beat at home, but lost the other night at home. They've lost three of four going back to the last game before the break. They've scored just eight times in their last four games, and five of those came in one game.

The Jackets' defense is banged up, to be sure. That said, this is a good time to be catching the Hawks, as they're scuffling a bit on offense, and are missing Hossa.

A win tonight would be huge. I submit that now is as good a time as any to be playing these guys. Let's get it done, boys!

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(32-25-5, 69 Points; 4th division, 8th conference)

Boone JennerRyan JohansenNathan Horton
Nick FolignoArtem AnisimovR.J. Umberger
Matt CalvertBrandon DubinskyCam Atkinson
Derek MacKenzieMark Letestu
Jack JohnsonDavid Savard
Nikita NikitinJames Wisniewski
Cody GoloubefDalton Prout
Sergei Bobrovsky
Curtis McElhinney

Chicago Blackhawks
(36-13-14, 86 Points; 2nd division, 3rd conference)

Brandon SaadJonathan ToewsAndrew Shaw
Patrick SharpMichal HandzusPatrick Kane
Bryan BickellPeter ReginKris Versteeg
Brandon BolligMarcus KrugerBen Smith
Duncan KeithBrent Seabrook
Johnny OduyaNiklas Hjalmarsson
Nick LeddyMichal Rozsival
Corey Crawford
Antti Raanta

Season Series

03/06/14 - Columbus at Chicago
04/04/14 - Chiacgo at Columbus

Head to Head Stats

ChicagoColumbus
3.33 (1)GPG2.90 (7)
2.57 (13)GAPG2.76 (17)
21.5% (3)PP%19.6% (13)
80.2% (23)PK%81.8% (16)
Patrick Sharp, 29G leaderRyan Johansen, 24
Duncan Keith, 46A leaderJames Wisniewski, 32
Patrick Kane, 64Pts leaderRyan Johansen, 48
Brandon Bollig, 69PIM leaderBrandon Dubinsky, 88
19-5-7Home/Road14-14-3
3/4 vs. Colorado, L 4-2Last Game3/4 vs. Dallas, W 4-2
4-4-2Last 106-3-1

Blue Jackets: 20 for 20

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An interest stat of note: the Jackets are on pace to have the most 20-goal scorers in a season in the team's history.

The other night, something odd occurred to me, and so I did some digging through the archives. Throughout the team's history, the Blue Jackets have never finished a season with more than four players having scored 20 or more goals. They've had four players do it on two different occasions:

2002-2003:
Geoff Sanderson (34)
Ray Whitney (24)
Andrew Cassels (20)
David Vyborny (20)

2009-2010:
Rick Nash (33)
Antoine Vermette (27)
Kristian Huselius (23)
R.J. Umberger (23)

Why do I bring this up, you might ask? Well, because as the Jackets head into their final 20 games, they sit at seventh in the league in goals-per-game. How does that translate into the random stat I unearthed above? Let's look:

2013-2014:
Ryan Johansen (24)
Cam Atkinson (18)
Artem Anisimov (18)
R.J. Umberger (17)
Nick Foligno (16)

Yes, there's a legitimate chance that the Jackets will end this season with FIVE 20-goal scorers for the first time in the team's history. How likely? Let's look at their goals-per-game rates and extrapolate:

Atkinson: 18 goals in 62 games = .29 gpg - five goals over last 20 games - 23 goals
Anisimov: 18 goals in 62 games = .29 gpg - five goals over last 20 games - 23 goals
Umberger: 17 goals in 62 games = .27 gpg - five goals over last 20 games - 22 goals
Foligno: 16 goals in 56 games = .29 gpg - five goals over last 20 games - 21 goals

So, yeah, it's entirely possible. With the lineup shifting back to the lineup that seemed to be the best generator of offense over the last several weeks, I like their chances.

This holds no bearing what-so-ever about anything. I just thought it was cool. :-)

NHL schedule: New look Lightning fall to Sabres

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The Blackhawks had no issues against the Blue Jackets on Thursday, meanwhile the new-look Lightning dropped a 3-1 decision to the Sabres.

1. How will the new-look Lightning play?

When the Tampa Bay Lightning take on the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night, they're going to have a different look. Steven Stamkos is back. Martin St. Louis is gone. Ryan Callahan has arrived. What will they look like on the ice?

2. What will Marian Gaborik do for the Kings?

The Kings needed offense and hope they found some on Wednesday by acquiring Marian Gaborik from the Columbus Blue Jackets. He spent Thursday morning skating on a line with Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams, and is set to make his debut with his new team against the Winnipeg Jets. What sort of impact will he make?

3. What will Braden Holtby do after being pulled on Wednesday?

Braden Holtby is scheduled to be back in the net for the Washington Capitals against the Boston Bruins just one night after being pulled for giving up four goals on 18 shots against the Philadelphia Flyers. Can he bounce back?

4. Will the Canucks keep losing?

It's been an interesting week for the Vancouver Canucks, having finally traded Roberto Luongo and keeping Ryan Kesler. The bigger issue remains the fact this team is currently fading fast in the Western Conference and has won just five of its past 24 games. Can they get a win in Dallas?

5. Will Nathan MacKinnon continue his point streak?

It's currently at 12 games for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 draft. Will he keep it going against the Detroit Red Wings?

Blackhawks vs Blue Jackets, Post Game

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VISITOR
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS1
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
Game 63 Away Game 32
Event Summary
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Attendance 21,179 at United Center
Start 7:08 CST; End 9:32 CST
Game 0942
Final
HOME
6CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
Game 64 Home Game 32
SHOTS SUMMARY (Goals-Shots On Goal)
EVPPSHTOT
1-200-31-23
5v55v45v34v54v44v33v53v43v3
1-190-30-1
EVPPSHTOT
5-271-50-16-33
5v55v45v34v54v44v33v53v43v3
5-271-50-1
FACE-OFF SUMMARY (Face-offs Won-Face-offs Total / Percentage)
EVPPSHTOT
16-50/32%1-3/33%2-9/22%19-62/31%
EVPPSHTOT
34-50/68%7-9/78%2-3/67%43-62/69%
TEAM SUMMARY
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETSGAP+/-PNPIMTOISA/BMSHTGVTKBSFWFLF%
TOTSHFAVGPPSHEV
6DNIKITIN, NIKITA07:16900:4800:0700:0007:09
7DJOHNSON, JACK-129:312901:0104:2101:5923:1122232
8RHORTON, NATHAN-31215:112200:4100:0000:0215:091211
11LCALVERT, MATT16:472300:4303:2500:1913:03211
13RATKINSON, CAM11-110:081400:4300:0000:0010:0811
15DSCHULTZ, NICK-21215:272500:3700:3200:5214:031113
17CDUBINSKY, BRANDON-11217:412400:4403:2500:3313:431191141225
18CUMBERGER, RJ16:192200:4401:3401:2613:19111
19CJOHANSEN, RYAN11-112:561700:4500:0000:0912:4713538
21DWISNIEWSKI, JAMES-21223:402600:5404:2700:5818:1521321
23RFRATTIN, MATT13:171800:4401:3100:0011:461
24CMACKENZIE, DEREK-113:271900:4200:0201:5511:303415838
38CJENNER, BOONE-313:571900:4400:0000:0013:57131
42CANISIMOV, ARTEM-114:462000:4401:2501:2811:531141225
47DPROUT, DALTON11-119:362400:4900:0401:1618:1623
55CLETESTU, MARK-113:572000:4101:5401:4810:15123633
58DSAVARD, DAVID-224:362800:5200:3402:3521:274121
71LFOLIGNO, NICK15:061900:4701:3400:0013:32152
31GMCELHINNEY, CURTIS
72GBOBROVSKY, SERGEI
TEAM TOTALS123-20482368364512194331
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKSGAP+/-PNPIMTOISA/BMSHTGVTKBSFWFLF%
TOTSHFAVGPPSHEV
2DKEITH, DUNCAN11+41220:212800:4302:1600:3217:3334
4DHJALMARSSON, NIKLAS20:442700:4600:0003:2517:1911
7DSEABROOK, BRENT22+321:192900:4402:0802:0917:0231121
8DLEDDY, NICK1118:192200:4901:3400:0016:45231
10RSHARP, PATRICK11-118:132200:4901:2900:0016:44111
12CREGIN, PETER10:171500:4100:5100:0009:2616460
16CKRUGER, MARCUS22+315:132300:3900:2702:0112:45117464
17DBROOKBANK, SHELDON11+119:082100:5400:2201:5216:541122
19CTOEWS, JONATHAN22+21216:182400:4001:4500:0014:3331110759
20LSAAD, BRANDON11+215:002100:4201:0300:3713:205112
23RVERSTEEG, KRIS11+11211:341800:3801:3400:0709:533130100
26CHANDZUS, MICHAL14:302200:3900:0902:2112:00112410283
27DODUYA, JOHNNY1218:532800:4000:0002:0016:5311
28RSMITH, BEN+116:052200:4301:0002:4112:24217188
29LBICKELL, BRYAN11+109:591500:3900:5600:0009:0321
52LBOLLIG, BRANDON11+214:072000:4200:2202:0111:443131
65CSHAW, ANDREW22+314:482100:4201:4500:0013:0341311010
88RKANE, PATRICK11-117:462200:4801:2900:1016:071111
31GRAANTA, ANTTI
50GCRAWFORD, COREY1
TEAM TOTALS61117+214833127191146431969
G=Goals A=Assists P=Points +/-=Plus/Minus PN=Number of Penalties PIM=Penalty Minutes TOI=Time On Ice SHF=# of Shifts AVG=Average Time/Shift S=Shots on Goal A/B=Attempts Blocked MS=Missed Shots HT=Hits Given GV=Giveaways TK=Takeaways BS=Blocked Shots FW=Faceoffs Won FL=Faceoffs Lost F%=Faceoff Win Percentage PP=Power Play SH=Short Handed EV=Even Strength OT=Overtime TOT=Total
© Copyright 2014, National Hockey League  2014-03-06-21.41.48

Game 63 Recap: Blackhawk Downed

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The Blue Jackets came off of a somewhat underwhelming trade deadline day looking to keep their momentum going against the Blackhawks, but a horrific second period sent them spiraling into a horrific 6-1 defeat.

Well, here's the good news: The Jackets don't play these guys again until April.

....yup, that's about it.

Normally we try to break these down a bit more, but this game was a horror show. The attempts to shuffle the lines and defense pairings to insert Nick Schultz and Matt Frattin didn't sound so bad on paper, but it seems like the entire team lost their chemistry in the aftermath.

Things started reasonably well - even though the Hawks opened the scoring thanks Brandon Bollig tipping in a long shot from Marcus Kruger, but the Jackets responded a few minutes later when Dalton Prout poked the puck out to Cam Atkinson, who dashed up the ice with Ryan Johansen. Passing off as they entered the offensive zone, Joey walked to the net and simply hammered his shot home to tie things back up.

Andrew Shaw was able to get in alone thanks to a well executed stretch pass late in the period, putting the Jackets down a goal after 20 minutes, but it wasn't bad - particularly facing the reigning cup champions. The only real "bad news" was the loss of Nikitin after being crosschecked in the face by Jonathan Toews.

Unfortunately, that's where the good news ends.

With the team announcing that Niki 6 wasn't going to return due to an upper body injury, an already hurting D-corps was stretched to the breaking point, and the Hawks took advantage.

Toews would extend the lead to 3-1 when he conducted a puck handling drill around all five Jackets on the ice, then deked Bob right out of his shoes before scoring into a wide open net.

A few minutes later, the Hawks came up on an odd man rush. Kris Versteeg drove deep and got the defense to buy that he intended to shoot, then passed it off to Brian Bickell, who finished the job - and Sergei Bobrovsky's evening.

That was basically the lid going onto the coffin, but the Hawks would hammer two more nails through Curtis McElhinney to finish the job.

There really isn't much else to say - about the only positive things I can take out of this game are the fact that every other Metro team lost, we're still right there in the Wild Card race, and Nikitin did travel with the team to Nashville for further evaluation rather than staying in hospital overnight or being sent back to Columbus.

Everything else was crap, and the team just needs to flush it. Put it behind them, get ready to face the Predators on Saturday, and hope for some good news on the injury front, because our D is starting to look like an episode of M*A*S*H.

Blackhawks 6, Blue Jackets 1 - Game Highlights

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Ya know, if you really want to watch this again...

Metro Update - 3/7/14

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Jackets catch a tiny break, in that the same night they get smoked no one else in the Metro did anything and Tampa Bay also lost. That said, so long, Wild Card, game-in-hand, and double-digit goal-differential...

Metropolitan Division Standings - Friday, March 7

TeamGPPTSWLOTLROWGDL10Streak
Pittsburgh62864117437+435-3-2L1
Philadelphia63723324630-48-2-0W3
NY Rangers63703326429+46-3-1OT1
Columbus63693226528+76-3-1L3
Washington646829251021-75-3-2L2
New Jersey636727231327-45-3-2W1
Carolina62632726926-213-7-0W1
NY Islanders65572432918-423-6-1OT1

Eastern Conference Wild Card Standings - Friday, March 7

TeamGPPTSWLOTLROWGDL10Streak
Tampa Bay63733424528+173-7-0L3
Detroit626928211324-85-3-2OT1
Columbus63693226528+76-3-1L3
Washington646829251021-75-3-2L2
New Jersey636727231327-45-3-2W1
Ottawa636527251124-294-5-1L2
Carolina62632726926-213-7-0W1

Division Playoff Odds

Courtesy of Sports Club Stats:

Pittsburgh - 100.0% (even)
Philadelphia - 72.2% (up)
NY Rangers - 70.3% (up)
Columbus - 60.8% (down)
New Jersey - 52.1% (up)
Washington - 14.3% (down)
Carolina - 7.5% (up)
NY Islanders - 0.0% (even)

If The Season Ended Today...

Round 1 Matchups

RoadHome
Detroit (WC2)Pittsburgh (M1)
NY Rangers (M3)Philadelphia (M2)
Tampa Bay (WC1)Boston (A1)
Toronto (A3)Montreal (A2)

Who Helps Us Tonight

Carolina vs NY Rangers (+0.9)
Detroit vs New Jersey (both help and hurt; SCS says that Detroit helps slightly more, but I think we'd rather have Jersey win. JUST NO OT!!)


Nashville Predators vs. Columbus Blue Jackets Preview: From Blues to Blue Jackets

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Ye Olde Central punching bag makes a now rare stop in Music City.

This could be just what the doctor ordered. Not that a win would get this team closer to the playoffs, but it would make us all feel pretty good. We all know how much success the Nashville Predators have had against the Columbus Blue Jackets in recent memory. Here's a hint: the most success.

The Jackets are coming off a 6-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, which is even more encouraging. However, the team is squarely in the middle of a playoff race in the Metropolitan division, and are going to claw for every single point they can possibly get. Even though the career stats look it, this is not going to be an easy game to win.

The Stats

Columbus Blue JacketsNashville Predators
Record32-26-515th26-27-1025th
GF/Game2.878th2.4024th
GA/Game2.8119th2.9022nd
5-on-5 Close SF/6028.322nd29.714th
5-on-5 Close SA/6027.910th27.14th
Fenwick Close50.8013th50.7014th
5-on-5 Close Save %.91922nd.90429th
5-on-4 GF/606.413th6.611th
# of PP's/Gm3.3813th3.0827th
4-on-5 GA/606.420th7.025th
# of PK's/Gm3.5623rd3.053rd


The Columbus Blue Jackets

There is one name in Columbus that the Predators aren't familiar with: Nathan Horton. The 28-year-old came back from major shoulder surgery and has been instrumental in making Columbus' first line one of the most dynamic in the league. Horton has only played eight games against the Predators, but has scored six points against them. He's been helping Ryan Johansen (who has shattered his previous scoring record) and Boone Jenner (same, but he's a rookie) thrive on the first line.

With a forward corps supported by Brandon Dubinsky, Nick Foligno, and Cam Atkinson, the Blue Jackets have found themselves as a top 10 offensive team. They're currently scoring 2.87 goals a game.

Couple that with the great play of Sergei Bobrovsky, and it gives Columbus a serious chance to make the postseason for only the second time in franchise history. The Metro is a dogfight right now, but they are more worried about the teams ahead of them (New York and Philadelphia) then they are the teams behind them (Washington and New Jersey). Still, they aren't going to roll over tonight just because Nashville has a penchant for destroying them on the scoreboard.

The Nashville Predators

There isn't a whole lot to be said about this squad that hasn't been said already. They are about to miss the playoffs for the second-straight season, and are still adjusting to life without David Legwand. Personally, while I think it doesn't make much sense to call up all of the forward prospects in Milwaukee, they should definitely give some of them a look for a few games at a time. At this point in the season, the organization needs to start showcasing the players in the pipeline that could be helping them down the road.

So I'm curious: short of a coaching/management change, what do you all want to see done in the last 19 games of the season?

It's been so long since I've written a game preview, I almost forgot to write something witty and catchy to tell you the game starts at 7 p.m. CST on FS-TN tonight. Wait, did I do that right?

Game Preview #64 - Cue The Imperial March...

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...it's DARTH VADER!!

Columbus Blue Jackets at Nashville Predators

March 8, 2014 - 8:00 pm EST
Bridgestone Arena - Nashville, Tennessee
Radio - WBNS 97.1 -- TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: On The Forecheck
SBN's Predators vs Blue Jackets coverage

Well, this could get interesting. Todd Richards is not just tinkering with his lines; this is a full-on shake-up. We'll see how it goes. Portzline is reporting that Cam Atkinson is most likely going to be a healthy scratch, and Corey Tropp and Blake Comeau get back in tonight. Matt Frattin will also sit. But, it's more than that: the forward lines have been completely rearranged. I just... wow.

On defense, the same thing is happening, though it's due to the fact that now ALL THREE normal starting left defensemen are out. The good news is that Nikita Nikitin appears a possibility for Monday in Dallas. The bad news? Well, Frederic St. Denis might play tonight. Yep.

The Preds, thankfully, are still on their way back after last season's crater-job. They traded away noted Jacket-killer David Legwand, and though Pekka Rinne is back in goal, their overall team defense has been pretty bad this season, giving up almost three goals per game.

The one area in terms of raw stats in which the Preds are dangerous is still the Power Play; Shea Weber is a difference-maker. So, the Jackets need to stay disciplined and keep this game 5-on-5, or to work over the Preds' weak PK unit.

Either way, this defense is going to probably take some years off of our collective lives until (if?) it gets healthy. Let's hope the Jackets can bury Thursday night and start over from scratch to get on the winning side of the ledger again.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(32-26-5, 69 Points; 4th division, 9th conference)

Matt CalvertBrandon DubinskyNathan Horton
Nick FolignoRyan JohansenBoone Jenner
R.J. UmbergerArtem AnisimovCorey Tropp
Blake ComeauDerek MacKenzieMark Letestu
Jack JohnsonDavid Savard
Nick SchultzJames Wisniewski
Cody GoloubefDalton Prout
Sergei Bobrovsky
Curtis McElhinney

Nashville Predators
(26-27-10, 62 Points; 7th division, 12th conference)

Nick SpalingMike FisherPatric Hornqvist
Gabriel BourqueColin WilsonCraig Smith
Eric NystromMatt CullenViktor Stalberg
Rich ClunePaul GaustadPatrick Eaves
Roman JosiShea Weber
Mattias EkholmSeth Jones
Michael Del ZottoRyan Ellis
Pekka Rinne
Carter Hutton

Season Series

11/27/13 - Nashville 4 at Columbus 0
03/08/14 - Columbus at Nashville

Head to Head Stats

NashvilleColumbus
2.40 (24)GPG2.87 (8)
2.90 (23)GAPG2.81 (19)
20.1% (11)PP%19.2% (14)
79.7% (26)PK%81.7% (16)
Craig Smith, 18G leaderRyan Johansen, 25
Shea Weber*, 25A leaderJames Wisniewski, 32
Shea Weber*, 40Pts leaderRyan Johansen, 49
Rich Clune, 122PIM leaderBrandon Dubinsky, 90
15-15-4Home/Road14-15-3
3/6 vs. St. Louis, L 2-1Last Game3/6 @ Chicago, L 6-1
3-5-2Last 106-3-1

*David Legwand has 30 assists and 40 points, but now plays for Detroit

Game Day #64 - CBJ vs. Predators

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Cue The Imperial March... it's DARTH VADER!!

Columbus Blue Jackets at Nashville Predators

March 8, 2014 - 8:00 pm EST
Bridgestone Arena - Nashville, Tennessee
Radio - WBNS 97.1 -- TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: On The Forecheck
SBN's Predators vs Blue Jackets coverage

Well, this could get interesting. Todd Richards is not just tinkering with his lines; this is a full-on shake-up. We'll see how it goes. Portzline is reporting that Cam Atkinson is most likely going to be a healthy scratch, and Corey Tropp and Blake Comeau get back in tonight. Matt Frattin will also sit. But, it's more than that: the forward lines have been completely rearranged. I just... wow.

On defense, the same thing is happening, though it's due to the fact that now ALL THREE normal starting left defensemen are out. The good news is that Nikita Nikitin appears a possibility for Monday in Dallas. The bad news? Well, Frederic St. Denis might play tonight. Yep.

The Preds, thankfully, are still on their way back after last season's crater-job. They traded away noted Jacket-killer David Legwand, and though Pekka Rinne is back in goal, their overall team defense has been pretty bad this season, giving up almost three goals per game.

The one area in terms of raw stats in which the Preds are dangerous is still the Power Play; Shea Weber is a difference-maker. So, the Jackets need to stay disciplined and keep this game 5-on-5, or to work over the Preds' weak PK unit.

Either way, this defense is going to probably take some years off of our collective lives until (if?) it gets healthy. Let's hope the Jackets can bury Thursday night and start over from scratch to get on the winning side of the ledger again.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(32-26-5, 69 Points; 4th division, 9th conference)

Matt CalvertBrandon DubinskyNathan Horton
Nick FolignoRyan JohansenBoone Jenner
R.J. UmbergerArtem AnisimovCorey Tropp
Blake ComeauDerek MacKenzieMark Letestu
Jack JohnsonDavid Savard
Nick SchultzJames Wisniewski
Cody GoloubefDalton Prout
Sergei Bobrovsky
Curtis McElhinney

Nashville Predators
(26-27-10, 62 Points; 7th division, 12th conference)

Nick SpalingMike FisherPatric Hornqvist
Gabriel BourqueColin WilsonCraig Smith
Eric NystromMatt CullenViktor Stalberg
Rich ClunePaul GaustadPatrick Eaves
Roman JosiShea Weber
Mattias EkholmSeth Jones
Michael Del ZottoRyan Ellis
Pekka Rinne
Carter Hutton

Season Series

11/27/13 - Nashville 4 at Columbus 0
03/08/14 - Columbus at Nashville

Head to Head Stats

NashvilleColumbus
2.40 (24)GPG2.87 (8)
2.90 (23)GAPG2.81 (19)
20.1% (11)PP%19.2% (14)
79.7% (26)PK%81.7% (16)
Craig Smith, 18G leaderRyan Johansen, 25
Shea Weber*, 25A leaderJames Wisniewski, 32
Shea Weber*, 40Pts leaderRyan Johansen, 49
Rich Clune, 122PIM leaderBrandon Dubinsky, 90
15-15-4Home/Road14-15-3
3/6 vs. St. Louis, L 2-1Last Game3/6 @ Chicago, L 6-1
3-5-2Last 106-3-1

*David Legwand has 30 assists and 40 points, but now plays for Detroit

Ryan Murray Out for Remainder of Regular Season

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Ryan Murray out 4-6 weeks after undergoing knee surgery.

The Jackets were dealt a huge blow this afternoon, when it was announced that stud rookie defender Ryan Murray will be out for the rest of the regular season after having knee surgery:

With Fedor Tyutin and Nikita Nikitin also out of the lineup, the bulk of the defensive load will be taken up by Jack Johnson, James Wisniewski and David Savard. Holes will be plugged by recent callups Dalton Prout, Cody Goloubef and Frederic St.Denis, while deadline addition Nick Schultz will be looked at to provide a steadying influence on the young players.

The timing couldn't be worse, as the Jackets are in a dogfight for an Eastern Conference playoff berth. Murray was having a terrific rookie season prior to the injury, playing a calm, measured game that allowed defense partner Wisniewski to raise his game.

Here's to a rapid recovery.

Columbus Blue Jackets 1, Nashville Predators 0: The Preds are League Leaders Again! (in getting shut out)

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After the Nashville Predators played a strong 1st period, they simply ran out of gas against the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight and wasted Pekka Rinne's strongest game since returning from his long absence, losing 1-0. A furious scramble in the final minute saw Mike Fisher ring a shot off the post and Colin Wilson misfire on a wide-open opportunity to tie the game, but they couldn't connect for the score.

Tonight's result ties Nashville with Edmonton, Calgary and Buffalo for being shut out the most often in the NHL (8 times).

A series of penalties played no small role in the Preds' stall, as they spent 10 minutes on the penalty kill, and although they didn't allow the Blue Jackets to score with the man advantage, it took away from Nashville's ability to roll the lines and keep the top forwards out there.

Tonight's game also wraps up the "critical" post-Olympic home stand with a 1-4-0 record. If anybody talks to you about playoff chances for this team, feel free to laugh (or cry). Next up, the team heads off to Ottawa for a Monday night game against the Senators.

Random Observations

  • I can't remember who right now, but somebody was selling the line recently that they didn't know if the Predators were better or worse off without David Legwand for the remainder of this season. What a load of hogwash. Leggy's no superstar but the Predators have nobody at his level ready to step in right now.
  • That's all I've got tonight, folks - not sure if I'm just in a pissy mood or what, but that was a rough game to watch. My giveadamn's on the fritz.

Boxscore - Game Summary - Event Summary - Fancy Stats

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