The home stretch is here and people are taking notice.

This weeks power rankings recap is brought to you by CBS Sports, filed under the "Credit: Overdue" department.

Perhaps this move up is a little late for the Blue Jackets but better late than never. Since the calendar turned to 2014 they are 18-7-2, one of the best marks in the league. - CBS Sports

NHL.com: 13th (Last week: 12)

TSN: 12th (Last week: 16)

ESPN: 14th (Last week: 17)

CBS Sports: 9th (Last week: 15)

Fox Sports: 10th (Last week: 16)

Average ranking: 12th (Last week: 15)

Previously: Week 22 | Week 18 | Week 17 | Week 16

If there was any question about how the fans would react to Rick Nash's return, any and all bridges were scorched beyond recognition. Oh, and there was also a hockey game that bordered on the absurd at times with the physical nature of it. At the end, the blow in the standings as well as the sheer physicality just HURT.

"[The emotion ramped up] when we landed in Columbus on Wednesday. It was a lot of fun. But I'm definitely glad that it's over." --Rick Nash, after tonight's game.

With all of the hoopla surrounding Rick Nash's return to Nationwide, it could have been easy to lose the significance of this game in the standings. When announced as a starter, Nash was booed lustily. However, at the first media timeout, the CBJ video board showed a tribute video, and a nice standing ovation was heard.

But, that was the end of it for Nash in terms of fan support. "It was boos right from when I grabbed the puck," Nash said afterward. "I still love the Columbus fans. I stay true to what I say. I appreciate that, because they're passionate; they love their hockey. I wouldn't expect anything less."

Suffice it to say that the feeling is probably a lot less mutual than it was 24 hours ago. Things got, well, they got crazy.

1st Period

The Jackets certainly came out with some heavy legs, as the Rangers drove most of the play early on. It seemed to take Columbus the first 10 or 12 minutes to really get going, but some big hits and a fight seemed to help. Early on, however, it was the Rangers who would have the best chances.

Right off the opening, the Rangers got a golden chance when the line of Mats Zuccarello, Derick Brassard, and Martin St. Louis were buzzing and their speed clearly caught Columbus flat-footed. After a nice zone entry and some crisp passing, they just missed on a cross-ice feed right in front of Sergei Bobrovsky.

Columbus looked a bit jumpy and like they were fighting the puck for the first half of the period, but little by little they worked their way back into the game. 3:48 in, Cam Atkinson worked with Matt Calvert to get the puck deep. Cam wrapped around the net and hit Brandon Dubinsky in the slot all alone, but Henrik Lundqvist was equal to the task.

Columbus would also get the first chance on the Power Play, as Ryan McDonagh would go off for a high stick on Artem Anisimov at the 8:09 mark. But, just like last night, the Jackets' Power Play left a lot to be desired. They did get one solid chance with Nikita Nikitin blasting a one-timer from the right point, but the puck would wing Boone Jenner in the leg in front of the net and carom out of play.

What really seemed to get the Jackets going was a big hit by Blake Comeau on John Moore deep in the Rangers' defensive zone. Benoit Pouliot and Derek MacKenzie would exchange pleasantries and end up in fisticuffs, with neither party really landing any big shots. The series would give the Jackets life, and the line of Ryan Johansen, Jenner, and Nathan Horton would control play in the Rangers zone for a solid stretch with about seven minutes left.

The period would end, however, with the Jackets' PK having to stand tall. Horton was called for roughing behind the Rangers net, continuing a bad trend of penalties 200 feet away from home; on the delay, the Jackets were almost burned by a Derek Dorsett shot off the crossbar and a near-miss on a rebound by Dominic Moore. Despite a solid kill for most of the penalty, Fedor Tyutin would make matters worse by cross-checking Zuccarello with 19 seconds left in Horton's penalty. But the PK and Bobrovsky were up to the task, ending the period with a clean sheet and just 27 seconds left to kill in the second.

End of 1st Period - 0-0 tie

2nd Period

The period started with some solid PK from the Jackets, and they certainly had their legs early. The teams traded chances, but it was an exchange that happened late that would define the period. Let's cut to the chase.

With three minutes to go, Rick Nash made his way to the Jackets' blue line unchecked, and a home run pass sprung him for a breakaway. He collided with Bobrovsky and the puck trickled into the net, but the referee immediately waved it off. As Nash stood up and went to the crease to retrieve his stick, Bob picked it up with his own stick, and fired it away from Nash.

Nash responded in what was probably the most uncharacteristic move from him that I can remember. He shoved Bob with both hands, and to call what broke out next anything other than pure bedlam would be an understatement. It evolved into almost a line brawl of sorts, and the highlight from my view was seeing Dalton Prout literally grab and throw a Ranger by the back of the jersey out of the scrum and off to the side.

"I got two whacks [from Bobrovsky] in the first period," Nash said afterward, "and then I go to pick up my stick and he flings it away. You gotta own up when you do something like that. I did the same thing. I pushed him, and I had to own up to my end of it."

After all was said and done, the Nationwide crowd had completely turned on Nash--if there was any goodwill left, that is--and the boos cascaded from the rafters to the foundation. The no-goal call survived Toronto review, and Nash, Chris Kreider, and Artem Anisimov all went to the sin bin with roughing minors.

The CBJ Power Play was uneventful, with the Rangers probably getting the best chance overall on the PP. The period would end deadlocked at zero still, with the Rangers holding a huge advantage on the shot board at 26-15.

End of 2nd Period - 0-0 tie

3rd Period

If the last three minutes of the second were nuts, the first two minutes of the third tried their best to match. Right from the drop of the puck, it was clear that the 20 minute intermission did nothing to cool anyone's jets. Nash and Matt Calvert became tangled up off the draw, with Nash on the ice holding Calvert's stick. After freeing his stick, Calvert gave Nash a small cross-check, and then another fight broke out, as the two went at it. Nash's reach advantage was the difference, as he was able to deliver some shots to the face. But, Matty Ice got Nash to the ground. They both got matching two-minute roughing calls and five for fighting.

"He took a cheap shot on our goalie, and we didn't get a chance to respond because the linesman jumped in," said Calvert. "One of our guys on the ice would have responded. He had to pay for what he did. It was a gutless move. I'm glad [the fight] happened. You want to put things behind you at times, but we stick up for each other. That was our chance, and I thought I'd take it."

When asked what set him off, Nash responded: "Probably the two cross-checks to the head, the slew foot, and the fact that he said he was going with me no matter what, he doesn't care. That's enough to set me off."

OK, then. No love lost.

After the teams had spent several minutes trading punches, they traded bad defensive plays in the second minute of the period. On a forecheck, a Rangers defender sent the puck to Nick Foligno literally all by himself in the high slot. He curled, fired, and beat Lundqvist to the high blocker side. The building erupted.

1-0 Jackets - Nick Foligno (18th) at 1:12 (unassisted) - EV

But, before the din could even die down, the Rangers tied it, as they got the puck deep, executed a great feed to the slot with a screen on Bobrovsky, and Derek Stepan buried an easy one-timer to tie it up.

1-1 tie - Derek Stepan (14th) at 1:56 from Ryan McDonagh and Anton Stralman - EV

The teams traded chances, but it was an old lightning rod that would all but seal the deal. Anton Stralman won a board battle and sent the puck deep behind the Jackets' net where Derick Brassard was waiting to corral it. He curled around and bounced the puck in off of Bobrovsky's back to make it 2-1.

2-1 Rangers - Derick Brassard (16th) at 11:31 from Anton Stralman and Mats Zuccarello - EV

The Jackets were plagued by near-misses tonight. Foligno beat Lundqvist to the stick side once off a feed from the corner, only to see the puck sit on the post and then trickle across the crease. The goal horn even sounded, though the puck never made it in.

The Jenner--Johansen--Horton line was solid later in the period, with a nice feed from Horton to Jenner in front, who then fed it into the crease between his legs, but the Rangers were there to clear.

Finally, with the net empty, the Rangers won another board battle and Carl Hagelin fired the puck into the open cage from the neutral zone.

3-1 Rangers - Carl Hagelin (17th) at 19:21 from Mats Zuccarello and Marc Staal - EV/EN

Final Score - 3-1 Rangers

Standard Bearers

• The Crowd - you guys get top billing. When Foligno scored, the building was rocking. The crowd was into it from the jump, and with the Nash histrionics it only got crazier. Bravo, Columbus.
• Matt Calvert - I thought he played decently, and being willing to go at one of your old teammates like he did to stand up for Bobrovsky showed heart.
• Goalie Bob - This game could have been ugly without him, and with the sudden disappearance of the Jackets' offense. Bob stopped 30 of 32 tonight.

Bottom of the Barrel

• Rick Nash - Wow, dude. I don't know what happened to Nasher, but that was not the guy I remember. Yes, Bob poked his stick away, but Nash didn't exactly pull up while crashing the net, either. The two-handed shove was... well, I was surprised. If ever there was any goodwill after the trade, it's all gone now. Every trip to Columbus is going to be a circus for the next season or two, methinks.
• The Power Play - Anyone seen it? Just abysmal again tonight, with no real direction or purpose. "I think we went in with a decent game plan," Todd Richards said afterward. "I thought the first two periods we played hard, but we didn't have a lot of energy. We didn't have a lot of juice that we've been playing with. I thought our guys were fighting, trying to do things, but the Rangers came with some pressure. They were playing fast, and we weren't able to handle it or execute because of it."
• Shots - I'm not ever going to be one of those people that yell "SHOOT!!" all the time, because it's ridiculous. That said, the team seems hesitant to shoot at times, and it allows the defense to close up lanes on them. I don't remember the Jackets struggling so much to generate offense as they did tonight.

It was an emotional contest for Rick Nash in his first game back in Nationwide Arena.

Rick Nash has been a member of the New York Rangers for the better part of two seasons now (although his first year was lockout shortened). And while in his tenure for the Rangers has proven Nash possesses an elite skill level, there have been times when it seems like the all-star forward plays without the same level of emotion.

But not on Friday night.

Nash and the Rangers took on the Blue Jackets at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, and besides the major playoff implications at hand, it was Nash's first trip back to the city that drafted him, and where he spent his entire career up until the trade.

And the reactions were mixed. Nash was booed at the onset as soon as he touched the puck, and then cheered for for an extended period after a video montage in the first.

And there was more hockey left to be played, which included a fight early in the third period for Nash (only the seventh of his 11-year NHL career), and a pretty spirited celebration on the bench in the third period after Carl Hagelin sealed the win with an empty net goal.

Again, during his brief career as a Ranger, Nash has been devoid that level of outward, visible fire. On a night where he was challenged both physically and emotionally, it was pure reaction on his part after battling all night, and realizing the Rangers would come away with a key two points.

I should totally be a head coach. Really, though...last night's game was very entertaining. Up and down, lots of scoring, and the guys seemed really aggressive. It helped that Calgary sucks, but still. I did hate to see Pekka get pulled, but these things happen. On the #Grit note, our old friend Brian McGrattan (now playing for the Flames) has twice as many points as Rich Clune this season. Just sayin'.

Nashville Predators News

Terry Crisp envisions 'new avenue' with Predators-Predators Insider

And they should name it "Crispy Boulevard". Or "Crispy Street". Or "Crispy Court".

Matt Cullen Vents Frustration-The Tennessean

Matt Cullen would be a welcome contributor to our OTF community. Would fit right in.

Rookie is last remaining Predator to appear in every game this season | nashvillepost.com

When I see a dumb Seth Jones turnover, I think...HE'S 19 YEARS OLD! And he's gonna be awesome in a year or two.

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

Which NHL teams rely on their top 3 scorers? - CBC

The Preds employ a "balanced" scoring approach.

NHL Grab Bag: Is Ovechkin’s Bracket Busted Yet? -Grantland

Plus, an in-depth discussion on "tanking"

‘It was a gutless move’: Blue Jackets react to Nash shoving Bobrovsky | ProHockeyTalk

Is being gutless a lower or upper body injury?

Say goodbye to the Islanders' black jerseys, the worst in sports - Sporting News

There's no way in the world these were the worst jerseys in sports. I hate when people make wild, overly opinionated statements like this. They're the worst people ever.

ESPN increases coverage of the NCAA Hockey Tournament | Awful Announcing

Baby steps.

Glass-banging hockey fan knocked down by hit in Canadiens game (Video) | Puck Daddy

Hey, you wanted to be involved in the game...now you're involved.

Memorable 'NHL fans gone wild' moments - Sportsnet.ca

Settle down, folks. It's just a game.

Goalie And Ref Try To Save Their Dad, Who Is Fighting In The Stands-Deadspin

Settle down, folks. It's STILL just a game.

Which San Jose Shark is most like Sonic the Hedgehog? - Battle of California

The results may surprise you.

Blues can clinch a playoff berth with a win tonight

There's a lot of history between the two teams that play tonight. Both the Blues and the Flyers were part of the league's expansion of 1967, which doubled the number of teams in the league instantly. Their fates have crossed since, most famously in January of 1972. In a game in the old Philadelphia Spectrum, coach Al Arbour ripped into a referee during intermission, and a Flyers fan dumped his beer on the Blues coach. The Blues players jumped to their coach's defense, and things escalated from there. Blues players, led by all three Plager brothers, jumped into the stands, sticks swinging, to take on the fans and a handful of Philadelphia cops. The Blues were allowed to finish the game, overcoming a 2-goal deficit to win 3-2. The Flyers management didn't like the way the Blues pushed around the Philly players, and decided to toughen the team up during the offseason. In other words, the notorious Broad Street Bullies that dominated the NHL throughout the 70s .... you have the Blues and the Plager brothers to thank for that.

You're welcome, NHL.

The Flyers don't see us here often, but there are some personal histories with this Philly team and Coach Hitch as well. Ken Hitchcock coached the Flyers from 2002 through 2006. Philadelphia's starting goalie Steve Mason and Jakub Voracek both played for Hitchcock in Columbus, including the season Mason won the Calder Trophy for Rookie of the Year. The head coach for the Flyers, Craig Berube, was a player for the Kamloops (BC) Blazers when Hitchcock was coaching there. Later, they worked together when Hitch led the Flyers and Berube was coach of their AHL team the Philadelphia Phantoms. Suffice it to say, they are well-acquainted with each other.

Basically, these two coaches won't be surprising the other during the game. I'd expect that Berube will have a fair amount of Hitchcockian influence in how he runs the game. On top of that, both teams have a lot in stake. The Flyers are currently in 2nd place in the MEH-tropolitan Division, but that is a precarious position. Their 81 points (37-25-7 record) is only 3 points ahead of the last wildcard slot (Blue Jackets at 78 points). Every point is precious, and they're currently riding a 4 game winning streak. They've got to win as many games as they can, to keep another team from rising up to take their spot.  Meanwhile, the Blues can clinch a playoff spot with a win tonight. They are looking to rebound from a humbling game against the Hawks, and need to re-establish their winning ways once again, and learn how to do so without Vladimir Tarasenko. Things fall apart, that's just nature. The significant thing is when you get back up and proceed forward again.

With the game being so early, I'm not going to throw a lot of numbers at you. The Flyers have 4 players over the 40-point mark. The goals and points leader is captain Claude Giroux (24g, 48a) with 72 points. That's the man to shut down, and he's currently riding a 5-game point streak. After that, you have Wayne Simmonds (good Ontario boy with 52 points on 23g, 29a) and Jakub Voracek with 50 points (18g, 32a). Fourth is Scott Hartnell (aka Fartsmell), with 44 points (18g. 26a). The other person to watch out for is Sean Couturier . His 35 points is a career high, and he's having a helluva season. This breakout year comes just as he's turning 21, so he's got a lot of good years left in him. The Flyer goaltenders are Steve Mason (29-16-6, 2.56 GAA / .915 Sv%) and Ray Emery (8-9-1, 2.96 / .900 Sv%). You got me on who's starting, although I'd assume Mason.

Further Reading:

Broad Street Hockey

Extra Skater page for the Flyers

Final Verse: It's an early one, as the opening faceoff is 12 Noon St Louis time. The TV broadcast is back on Fox Sports MW, and the radio call is on KMOX 1120 AM. The GDT should drop just before the puck does. Until then, wrap up the Saturday morning cartoons, make your fast food run, and try not to wake up everybody by yelling at the TV. Also, here's one of the more memorable moments from the Flyers edition of 24/7 on HBO:

LGB!!!

-CrossCheckRaise

The Isles will try to teach the Blue Jackets about the "Rangers hangover."

The vexing and lottery-friendly injury scourge has hit another level for the New York Islanders: Kyle Okposo missed Saturday's practice after a "lower body" injury suffered at Friday's practice, while Lubomir Visnovsky missed both practices, with an "upper body" injury reportedly suffered in Wednesday's calamitous loss to the Minnesota Wild.

Blue Jackets (36-28-6, 4th/Metro) @ Islanders (26-35-9, 8th/Metro)
Nassau [gloriously unsponsored] Veterans Memorial Coliseum
1 p.m. EDT | MSG+ | WRHU
Original blueshirts: Jackets Cannon

With Sunday's game against the Blue Jackets a mid-day 1 p.m. start, and AHL Bridgeport playing Saturday night, this makes potential injury replacements an odyssey befitting this stage of the season. To wit, while Colin McDonald skated in Okposo's slot on the first line, Radek Martinek was skating at wing on the fourth line in practice:

Anders Lee - Brock Nielsen - Colin McDonald
Josh Bailey - Brock Nelson - Cal Clutterbuck
Matt Martin - Ryan Strome - Johan Sundstrom
Mike Halmo - Casey Cizikas - Radek Martinek

Arthur Staple of Newsday suggested potential recalls could be winger John Persson and defenseman Scott Mayfield, though at least the Islanders can dress a full collection of blueliners without a recall.

For a refresher, if Okposo is out then he and Visnovsky would join Brian Strait (broken hand), Michael Grabner (concussion), and John Tavares (knee tears) on the medic's list. Add that to the earlier trades of Andrew MacDonald and Thomas Vanek, and you have the oft-cited nine rookies on the active roster.

Meanwhile, down in AHL Bridgeport the Sound Tigers have their own rotating cast of PTOs and ATOs filtering in, with Saturday's lineup featuring a mix of Mangenes and Roots and such.

Columbus: Now Refreshingly Relevant

The Blue Jackets are coming off a bruising, close loss to the New York Rangers, who are suddenly a potential serious rival now that the two teams are Metropolitan Division neighbors who share several of each other's former players. Rick Nash's homecoming was an unwelcome one, and Friday's loss dropped Columbus two points behind the Smurfs for the third Metro playoff spot.

The Blue Jackets are deep these days, to the point R.J. Umberger -- their power play goal leader -- is coming off two consecutive healthy scratches. Hoping to avoid a letdown after Thursday's emotional game, they're also apparently, ahem, stretching their "loins."

The exciting player to watch is former Nino Niederreiter junior teammate Ryan Johansen, who was drafted one slot ahead of his Winterhawk linemate in 2010 and has officially broken out this season, leading the Blue Jackets with 52 points on 27 goals in 70 games.

Former Islander James Wisniewski is also having a fine season, logging 39 points in 63 games; and of course, if you feel an oddly familiar gravitational pull, that's Blake Comeau's orbit approaching, having carved out a trusted third-line role in Columbus.

The Jackets are also 2-0 against the Islanders so far this season (one regulation, one shootout). They'll meet again on April 6.

The End of None More Black

Staple also confirmed Sunday is the end of the mostly (but not unanimously) disliked black third jerseys, as the outdoor game jerseys -- notably missing the abridged Long Island land mass -- will get the next rotation in the merchandising machine.

FIG Picks

For our site's First Islanders Goal picks race, leave your picks for this game here.

The hosts, Minnesota, get the top seed in the West, and are the top overall seed in the tournament.

The NCAA West regional will take place at the XCel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Regional semifinals will be played on Saturday March 29th, while the regional final will be played on Sunday March 30th.

Here's a closer look at the four teams that will vie for a berth to the 2014 Frozen Four in Philadelphia.

No. 1 Minnesota

Bid: At-Large (Big Ten Regular Season Champions)

Location: Minneapolis, Minn.

Record: 25-6-6 overall, 14-3-3 Big Ten

Past NCAA Championships: 1974, 1976, 1979, 2002, 2003

Head Coach: Don Lucia (Notre Dame '81)

Captains: Nate Condon, Kyle Rau

Leading Scorers: Kyle Rau (12-22-34), Sam Warning (12-19-31), Mike Reilly (8-21-29), Hudson Fasching (12-16-28)

Starting Goaltender:Adam Wilcox (23-5-6, 1.91/.933)

What could have been a rebuilding year after four of last year's top five scorers left early instead turned into Minnesota reloading. Head coach Don Lucia's team, with eight freshmen, adjusted quickly. The Gophers spent most of the year as one of the top two teams in the nation with a high scoring offense (8th in the nation with 3.41 goals per game) and defense (3rd in the nation giving up on average 2.03 goals per game). Goaltender Adam WIlcox (Tampa Bay Lightning), named Big Ten player of the year and Hobey Baker finalist, is the backbone of a blue line that features Brady Skjei (New York Rangers) and leading B1G defensemen scorer Mike Reilly (Columbus Blue Jackets). All 3 have taken large steps in their development in 2013-14.

Offensively, Minnesota does not rely on one player or line. 8 forwards have more than 20 points. The highest of them, Kyle Rau (Florida Panthers), has 34 (12G-22A). It's a number which trails many other teams, but the Gophers are able to find ways to create offense. There are several weapons (including a 6-1 win over Boston College in late October; one of only two games which Johnny Gaudreau failed to register a point) and with the team's speed that no one in college hockey has matched this season, anyone facing Minnesota in the NCAA Tournament has its hands full.

However, the Big Ten regular season champions enter the tournament on just its second two-game losing streak of the season. Throw in last year's first round upset to Yale and you have to think the players feel like there is something to prove. Minnesota, playing 10 miles from campus, has a storied history with five national championships and would like to add to it.

No. 2 Notre Dame

Bid: At-Large

Location: South Bend, Ind.

Record: 23-14-2 overall, 9-9-2 HE

Past NCAA Championships: -

Head Coach: Jeff Jackson (Michigan State '78)

Captains:Jeff Costello

Leading Scorers: T.J. Tynan (8-29-37), Vince Hinostroza (8-24-32), Bryan Rust (16-15-31), Mario Lucia (16-14-30), Sam Herr (14-13-27)

Starting Goaltender: Steven Summerhays (21-13-2, 2.00/.925)

Jeff Jackson's Fighting Irish make an appearance in the NCAA Tournament in their first season in Hockey East. Notre Dame finished in eighth place during the regular season before upsetting No. 1 seed Boston College in three games in the tournament quarterfinals.

Jackson spoke about the difficulty adjusting to a new league, having to learn new playing styles, new officiating styles and different away barns than in the old CCHA. Notre Dame looked terrific at times, including a sweep at Providence, but at other times, the team looked lost.

Notre Dame has the knowledge that it can beat No. 1 Minnesota, having done so in November. The Fighting Irish split with the Gophers in a series, winning 4-1 and losing 5-4.

The other concern that the rest of this region should have is the firepower that Notre Dame has, if it can come together for two games this weekend.

T.J. Tynan, Bryan Rust, Vince Hinostroza and Sam Herr are terrific offensive talents, and Mario Lucia might have the best shot in the tournament, and he could be going up against his father in the second round if both higher seeds win in the first round.

Steven Summerhays has thrived in his senior season, registering seven shutouts, a Notre Dame single season program record. He certainly has the ability to be a game changer.

No. 3 St. Cloud State

Bid: At-Large (NCHC Regular Season Champions)

Location: St. Cloud, Minn.

Record: 21-10-5 overall, 15-6-3 NCHC

Past NCAA Championships: -

Head Coach: Bob Motzko (St. Cloud ‘87)

Captains:Kevin Gravel, Nic Dowd

Leading Scorers: Nic Dowd (21-18-39), Jonny Brodzinski (20-19-39), Kalle Kossila (13-25-38), David Morley (9-22-31)

Starting Goaltender: Ryan Faragher (19-8-4, 2.76/.906)

A year after winning their first regular season league title and making their first run to the Frozen Four, the Huskies were able to maintain that level of success by winning the first ever NCHC regular season title, despite losing last year's Hobey Baker winner Drew Leblanc to graduation, and top defenseman Nick Jensen to the pros.

Leading the way for the Husky offense is senior Hobey Baker finalist Nic Dowd, and sophomore forward Jonny Brodzinski, who reached the 20-goal mark for the second straight year, while also improving his assist total. But this year's Husky team is also more balanced offensively than last year's team, with secondary scorers like Kalle Kossila, Jimmy Murray, Ryan Papa, Joey Benik, and David Morley all capable of creating offense.

The defensive end of the ice may be more of a concern though. Top defenseman Andrew Prochno missed the final six games of the regular season with an injury. He's expected to be back in time for the NCAA tournament, however, and with the extra week to prepare after not playing in the NCHC's Frozen Faceoff, the Huskies should be rested and relatively healthy for the NCAA tournament.

The biggest concern for St. Cloud will be in goal, where goalie Ryan Faragher has really struggled with his confidence in the second half of his junior season. After seeming to turn a corner late in St. Cloud's NCHC title run, he was pulled in St. Cloud's first playoff loss to Miami, and gave up 4 goals on 30 shots in their second loss. St. Cloud will need a better performance out of him to have hopes of making it out of this regional.

No. 4 Robert Morris

Bid: Automatic (Atlantic Hockey Association Tournament Champions)

Location: Moon Township, Pa.

Record: 19-17-5 overall, 13-9-5 AHA

Past NCAA Championships: -

Head Coach: Derek Schooley (Western Michigan '94)

Captains: Colin South

Leading Scorers: Cody Wydo (30-22-52), Zac Lynch (18-27-45), Scott Jacklin (15-21-36), Greg Gibson (15-16-31)

Starting Goaltender: Dalton Izyk (5-1-0, 2.73/.922)

The Colonials are making their first ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament after a terrific run through the Atlantic Hockey Association Tournament. After taking care of Army in the first round, Derek Schooley's team upset UConn in two games to advance to Rochester.

RMU skated past Niagara, 5-4, in overtime in the semifinal before finishing off the league's defending champions from Canisius by a score of 7-4 in the championship game.

The Colonials have an interesting situation in goal, having handed the reins to freshman Dalton Izyk late in the season. He was terrific in his first four games of the AHA Tournament, but gave up four in the final.

Junior sniper Cody Wydo could be the best scorer in the country that no one has heard about. The Allen Park, Mich. native has 51 goals over the past two seasons, including 30 this year.

Jeff Cox and Nathan Wells contributed to this report.

The much-lampooned black third jerseys go out as winners. Of course.

Evgeni Nabokov notched his 58th NHL career regular season shutout (he has seven playoff shutouts) as the New York Islanders frustrated the playoff-chasing Columbus Blue Jackets in front of an announced Sunday afternoon crowd of 15,008 at Nassau Coliseum.

The 2-0 final score was almost ironic in itself, that being the margin of so many blown third-period leads this season, to the point that Islanders broadcasters Howie Rose and Butch Goring were speaking of the "dreaded" kind of lead at the very moment Travis Hamonic rushed the puck 170 feet to establish it in the final minute of the second period.

Hamonic's goal doubled the lead started by Cal Clutterbuck, on a nifty top-corner shot from the slot after Johan Sundstrom had tried to stuff the puck after the dump-in. That was good for Sundstrom's first NHL point, a second assist before Frans Nielsen fought off a defender to leave the opening for Clutterbuck.

Game Sum | Event Sum | Adv. Stats (Extra Skater) | Shift Charts | PBP | TOI | Faceoffs | Recaps: NHL | Isles |

Nabokov made 41 saves, 17 of them in the third period as the Islanders played prevent and actually, you know, prevented. For the Blue Jackets, who weren't sharp, it represents one of those disheartening failures in a "gotta have that" game against a weaker opponent. The Islanders, without some of their top forwards and top defenseman, iced a fleet of rookies that Columbus should have reasonably expected to beat.

But as always in the NHL, the margin is narrow enough that you go in expecting to win, you're already at risk of taking just enough off to lose.

Game Highlights

Notes of This and That

• Every once in a while, but particularly on special teams, players get caught cheating because they expect an opponent to do the usual thing: Power play players cheat when they expect penalty killers to peel off when deep in their zone, penalty killers cheat when they expect the last man to pass the puck rather than carry it all the way.
• The Blue Jackets were guilty of latter when Hamonic carried the puck from behind his own net, taking it all the way up the middle to rifle his goal over Sergei Bobrvosky's shoulder. Each Blue Jacket peeled off on the play, expecting either a pass or help from the next teammate.
• Mike Halmo fought Blake Comeau after Comeau hit Ryan Strome behind the net, and that altercation went about exactly as you'd expect: Halmo landed punches to Comeau's helmet, while Comeau found the most expedient way to end things, by steadily crashing to the ice.
• Comeau's hit wasn't actually much of a run at Strome, but Strome hit the boards awkwardly and lost his stick in his reaction. Halmo served an extra for instigating.
• In his second NHL game, until-recently-Lake Superior State defenseman Kevn Czuczman logged 18:26 and, to my eyes, looked more comfortable this time around.
• Czuczman's minor late in the game was one of four minor penalties the Islanders took in the third period. The Islanders did well to keep Columbus from cashing in, though the Jackets' struggling power play also had to be partly to blame there.
• Matt Donovan took one of the minors too, his second infraction of the game (one of which came off his turnover too). It's something to monitor, since a high number of minors marked his AHL career, and the turnovers seem to be what draw the coaching staff's scratch-happy attention.
• Nabokov, in the post-game, asked if he ever thought he'd have 58 shutout sin his career: "I'm not done yet."
• Good bye, black alternates. (They were available for 50% off in the team store today, their last official on-ice use.)

The Islanders play every other day this week, with stops in Carolina and Tampa Bay before returning home to meet the Devils on Saturday.

Your open thread for the day, including some great quotes from Subban, an encouraging picture of Tim Bozon, Carey Price being awesome, and more.

Montreal Canadiens news

News and notes from around the league

• Oilers fans are losing patience in their pitiful team. A fan once again threw his jersey onto the ice, but this time Ben Scrivensthrew it right back into the crowd.
• One of the most touching stories of the season, Matt Stajan's reaction to scoring after the loss of his infant son was a great sight to see.
• In his usual style, Eric T examines how age starts to affect shot attempts among hockey players.
• As the playoffs approach Harrison Mooney debates whether or not this is the worst year in terms of results for Canadian NHL teams.
• The NCAA college hockey tournament seeds & bracket were announced this weekend. Boston College, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Union are the top seeds. Chris Dilks takes an in-depth look at the match ups.
• Silver Sevens took a look what what most season ticket holders received in terms of perks for supporting their team. Predictably, Habs season ticket holders don't receive much compared to other fan bases.
• Some dirtbag Leafs fans have been harassing James Reimer's wife on twitter, although it's worth noting it's definitely just a dumb minority. The moral of the story is that twitter is a great outlet to express your frustrations about your favourite player, but attacking their relatives/loved ones is not only cowardly, but downright pathetic

The Evansville IceMen, Columbus' ECHL affiliate, have seen their playoff chances dim due to an extended slump. But the recent return of Jackets defensive prospect Thomas Larkin has given Evansville new hope for the stretch run.

As the Evansville IceMen (29-25-10) battle for a playoff spot in the ECHL's final month, they have just one Columbus Blue Jackets prospect on the roster - rookie defenseman Thomas Larkin, who recently began his third stint with the team this season.

Born in London and raised in Italy, Larkin became the first Italian-trained player ever chosen in the NHL Draft when the Blue Jackets selected him in the fifth round in 2009. The product of Colgate University is now completing the first year of his two-year entry-level contract with Columbus.

Larkin has spent most of his time with AHL Springfield during his rookie campaign, though he has actually played fewer games with the Falcons (18) than the IceMen (25). While in Springfield, he has generally been a healthy scratch or used in a limited role - but that should not be viewed as a poor reflection of his potential.

While in Evansville, Larkin has been a top-pairing blueliner in every sense of the term. He logs big minutes at even-strength, kills penalties, and sometimes quarterbacks the power-play. He brings a physical presence in the defensive zone, and isn't afraid to fight when the situation warrants. And he also contributes on offense, leading all IceMen defensemen at 0.56 points-per-game.

Larkin spent essentially the first two months of the season in Evansville, then was summoned to Springfield in early December. He was briefly returned to the IceMen for about a week in January, but has otherwise been with the Falcons since his initial recall - until last Friday, when the Blue Jackets reassigned him to Evansville again.

The defenseman's return was apparently just what the ailing IceMen needed. Evansville was mired in a 6-16-2 skid overall and had lost 3 straight, all at home. The prolonged slump had dropped the IceMen from 2nd in the Eastern Conference all the way down to 10th, on the outside looking in at the post-season.

To put it mildly, Evansville's playoff hopes were fading fast. But on Friday, the returning Larkin had an assist and was +1 in a 4-3 victory over the Wheeling Nailers, a likely playoff team that had won 5 straight.

Then on Saturday, the red-hot (12-2-1 in their last 15) conference-leading Reading Royals came to Evansville and jumped out to a 3-1 first-period lead. But just 33 seconds after the Royals gained that edge and deflated the throng of 8719, Larkin scored a huge goal - his first of the season - to re-energize the crowd and spark a monstrous comeback for the IceMen. He later added an assist and was again +1 in what turned out to be a 5-3 victory for Evansville.

It was the first time the IceMen had won back-to-back games in over two months, since a 3-game winning streak from January 14-20.

Larkin is now +9 on a team that has a season-long goal differential of -6. In 25 games, he has been a "minus" just 5 times, and he's never been worse than -1.

The IceMen are 15-6-4 (.680) with Larkin in the lineup, and just 14-19-6 (.436) without him.

Evansville is still 10th in the East, and the IceMen now face the daunting task of finishing the regular season with 8 straight road games.

On Friday, one IceMen fan opined on Facebook that Larkin's return was merely "a band-aid on a bullet hole."

Perhaps. Or maybe, just maybe, the big blueliner's return will stop the bleeding altogether and help the IceMen finish just well enough to climb back into the ECHL playoffs.

It won't be easy, but you've got to like Evansville's chances just a bit better if Thomas Larkin remains with the IceMen down the stretch.

BABY BIRDS

The current IceMen roster features 3 players who are under AHL contract to Springfield...

• G Mike Clemente: Stats have taken a hit as the IceMen have struggled, particularly in the realm of team defense. Just 3-4-0 in his last 7 starts, with a 3.85 Goals-Against Average and an .878 Save Percentage. On the season, he's 18-15-4 with a 2.71/.906 line. Before Saturday's regular season home finale, Clemente was named Team MVP in a vote conducted by his teammates.

• F Alex Aleardi: Has played 15 games with Evansville since being sent down by Springfield in February. Started a bit slow (3 points in his first 8 games) but has heated up with 10 points in his last 7 games, including a 4-point night (1 goal and 3 assists) in Saturday's comeback victory over Reading. Possesses amazing hands and plenty of raw skill, but sometimes attempts to do too much by himself - eschewing an easy pass in favor of trying to make a more difficult play on his own.

• F Peter Sakaris: Promising rookie season was derailed by a groin injury sustained on January 29. Had 13 points in his last 17 games prior to the injury, but has played only 5 games since. Finally fully healthy again, Sakaris will look to make an impact as the IceMen conclude the regular season on the road. On Saturday, he assisted on the critical Larkin goal that began Evansville's comeback.

DEARLY DEPARTED

Springfield-contracted rookie forward Jeremy Langlois spent most of the season on assignment in Evansville, but was dealt by the Falcons at the AHL trade deadline on March 12.

Langlois finished with 52 points in 49 games for the IceMen, and may still be the team's leading scorer by season's end.

At the time of the trade, he was leading all ECHL rookies in scoring, and had served as IceMen interim captain for 16 games while original captain Josh Beaulieu was on the shelf with a broken foot.

Langlois was traded to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, who have thus far kept him in the AHL. In just his third game with Bridgeport on March 16, Langlois was +3 with 2 goals (including the game-winner) and 1 assist, and was named the game's 1st Star.

A GENEROUS MAN(NY)

Longtime NHL netminder Manny Legace, a 2002 Stanley Cup champion and 1994 Olympic silver medalist, began and ended his playing career in the AHL with Springfield. He is still the 20-year old franchise's all-time leader in wins by a goaltender (64).

These days, he works for the Falcons as a goaltending consultant. On March 12, he visited Evansville in an effort to work with Clemente. But that afternoon, Clemente was recalled to Springfield due to a minor injury sustained by Falcons goaltender Jeremy Smith.

No matter. Legace decided to stay in Evansville an extra day, in order to work with IceMen rookie goalie Garrett Bartus. Mind you, Bartus is not Springfield property - he's only under ECHL contract with Evansville. Legace had zero obligation to stick around and tutor Bartus, but he did so anyway.

The following day on March 14, with Clemente still in Springfield, Bartus started for the IceMen against Orlando, a sure playoff team with the #3 offense in the ECHL's Eastern Conference.

The IceMen won 7-1 as Bartus made 35 saves, arguably his second-best game of the season. (His lone shutout came via a 42-save effort on New Year's Eve.)

Suffice to say, the rookie's sparkling performance probably made Manny proud.

Game 72

7:30p ET, Nationwide Arena

Columbus, OH

TV: Fox Sports Detroit, NBCSN, TSN2

Radio: 97.1 The Ticket

Jackets Blog: The Cannon

Crazy how much a difference a week makes. Just like that the Red Wings went from being on the outside looking in to being in the driver seat. Us fans went from talking top 10 draft picks to first round match-ups. But let's not count our eggs before they hatch. We witnessed how fast things can change. As fast as the Wings climbed, they could fall even quicker.

Nothing is clinched.

Nothing is set in stone.

Nothing is guaranteed.

Two weeks ago the Red Wings got blown away by the Blue Jackets in Columbus. It was a 4-1 final. A catastrophic 3rd period for Detroit. That period alone shows just how quickly things can fall apart. The Wings have to continue to be at their best with their depleted roster. We've seen everything turn our way and fall perfectly into place. The Maple Leafs have fallen. Regulation games everywhere. Pretty much everything the Wings have needed to happen the last week… did happen. It's not always going to feel so easy. There's still more mountain to climb. There's still more battles to conquer. There's still more points that need to be won.

Two teams enter the rink tonight desperate for a win.

Only one team can leave with two points.

The Expected Lineup

Forwards

Defensemen

Goaltenders

Scratches: Mitch Callahan

Injuries:Jonathan Ericsson (finger), Justin Abdelkader (cut leg), Tomas Jurco (ribs), Daniel Cleary (knee), Pavel Datsyuk (zest), Stephen Weiss (groin), Henrik Zetterberg (back) &Mikael Samuelsson (who cares)

Opponent Outlook

Player to Fear:Sergei Bobrovsky.

X-Factor: Nathan Horton.

Familiar Faces: None

Thumbs up (One Thing to Like About Columbus): They supposedly have a nice zoo.

Thumbs down (One Thing to Dislike About Columbus): Home of Ohio State.

Bullets of Knowledge

• The Red Wings are 51-17-1-7 (W-L-T-OTL) all-time against the Blue Jackets.

• Last 10 games: Columbus 5-4-1. Detroit 5-3-2.

• Howard is 10-3-2 with a 2.00 GAA, .926 SV% with 1 shutout in 17 career apperances against Columbus.

Prediction: Kicked in the buckeyes.

That might be a bit much, but this game--if the Jackets want to continue having playoff aspirations--is absolutely huge.

Detroit Red Wings at Columbus Blue Jackets

March 25, 2014 - 7:30 pm EDT
Nationwide Arena - Columbus, Ohio
Radio - WBNS 97.1 FM -- TV - NBC Sports Network
Opponent's Blog: Winging It In Motown
SBN's Red Wings vs Blue Jackets coverage

So, mathematically, my headline isn't correct. I know this. But, let's be honest: this game is kind of it. Look at the rest of the schedule. Points are going to be tough to get, and anytime you can get two points and beat a team in a playoff spot that you're fighting for... well, this is another one of those huge four-pointers.

Lineup changes. Compressed schedule. Emotional loss on Friday. Flat loss on Sunday. Power Play drought. None of it matters. The Jackets, quite simply, just HAVE to win tonight.

That's all I can say.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(36-29-6, 78 Points; 5th division, 10th conference)

Detroit Red Wings
(33-24-14, 80 Points; 4th Division, 7th Conference)

Season Series

10/15/13 - Columbus 1 at Detroit 2
03/11/14 - Detroit 1 at Columbus 4
03/25/14 - Detroit at Columbus

Head to Head Stats

Detroit		Columbus
2.59 (19)	GPG	2.75 (14)
2.70 (16)	GAPG	2.70 (15)
18.1% (17)	PP%	16.8% (18)
83.5% (11)	PK%	81.9% (16)
Gustav Nyquist, 23	G leader	Ryan Johansen, 27
Niklas Kronwall, 37	A leader	James Wisniewski, 33
Henrik Zetterberg, 48	Pts leader	Ryan Johansen, 52
Kyle Quincey, 80	PIM leader	Brandon Dubinsky, 94
18-13-4	Road/Home	19-13-3
3/23 vs. Minnesota, L 4-3 (OT)	Last Game	3/23 @ NY Islanders, L 2-0
5-3-2	Last 10	5-4-1

In their second and last nationally televised game of the regular season, the Blue Jackets needed everything that Sergei Bobrovsky AND Curtis McElhinney could give them, but clutch goals from Cam Atkinson and Ryan Johansen would help push them past the Red Wings in regulation.

Some of Columbus' most fascinating and meaningful games this season included a goalie change. Some were emotional roller coasters, some were humangous, and a few were just plain fun.

Tonight was very much a roller coaster, and not just for the lucky season ticket holders who won yearlong passes to Cedar Point.

It started like most coasters do, with a rapid rise to the top - in this case coming from Todd Bertuzzi giving James Wisniewski a little bit of stickwork in the opening minute of the first period, which put the Jackets on the power play.

However, unlike most of the times we've been saying that for the past month, this time they actually made it count!

Ryan Johansen did the lion's share of the work, picking the puck up at the blue line after Boone Jenner carried it into the offensive zone, then driving to the net and whacking the puck down low, finding a gap in Jimmy Howard's coverage to put the Jackets ahead 1-0.

In fact, Columbus spent most of the first half of the period on the attack, forechecking aggressively, and that finally shook loose with another Blue Jackets power play...which short circuited ten seconds later due to Nathan Horton taking a holding call....until Darren Helm hooked down James Wisniewski as he tried to clear the zone, which finally put Columbus on a 4-on-3 power play for about 1:15 when the dust settled.

Not exactly a situation you practice for, but the Jackets spent the majority of the odd man advantage taking cracks at Howard, finally breaking through when Brandon Dubinsky went to the side of the net and tried a goal mouth pass to a wide open Cam Atkinson.

Cam didn't get a piece of it, but that's because the puck hit Danny DeKeyser's skate and went into the net, and the Jackets suddenly had a 2-0 lead.

Unfortunately, every roller coaster eventually crests the rise and starts plunging downhill, and this game was no exception. Minutes after Dubinsky's goal, the Red Wings would break into the Columbus zone, and somehow Jack Johnson decided it wasn't really important to cover the guy who's scored 18 goals since coming back from Sochi.Dalton Prout tried to take out Riley Sheahan before he could move the puck, but the pass made it across the crease to Gustav Nyquist, who had nothing but net to shoot on.

The goal put some extra life in Detroit, and that left the Jackets and Sergei Bobrovsky in "survival mode" for the final five minutes of the first period, but they managed to pull themselves into the intermission with a lead.

Which meant it was quite surprising to see Curtis McElhinney leading the Jackets out for the second period.

It would be announced relatively early on that Bob (who had been experiencing flu-like symptoms this morning, hence the emergency recall of Mike McKenna) had become ill during intermission and would not return. To their credit, the Jackets found the step they had lost late in the first period, and spent most of the early second period pressuring hard on Jimmy Howard, but couldn't quite find what they needed to extend their lead.

That meant that it was almost required for Detroit to tie things up, and boy, did they get it in the most ridiculous way possible.

Tomas Tatar picked off a pass from Ryan Johansen in the Detroit zone, and raced up ice against Fedor Tyutin, with Nyquist joining him to make it a 2 on 1.

Tatar took a hard shot that rebounded off C-Mac's leg as he came out to challenge, and flew back towards NyQuil and Johansen as they headed towards the goal. The shot hit Nyquist's stick and skipped back into Ryan Johansen's skate...where his momentum and the angle combined to kick it into the net.

The goal would be reviewed and eventually upheld, leaving us with a tie game.

The Wings threatened, but somehow C-Mac found the saves to keep Columbus in the game through 40 minutes, and despite being outshot 20-16 the Jackets were doing a lot of things right - including pretty solid control of the faceoff dot.

That set the stage for a wild third period, and this game did not disappoint.

Once again, the Jackets attacked to start the period, pushing the Wings and using the speed of guys like Cam Atkinson, Matt Calvert, and Boone Jenner to give the Detroit defense problems.

That appeared to finally pay off about a third of the way through the final period when Calvert and Atkinson forced a turnover and headed up ice on a 2 on 1 rush. Calvert looked off Atkinson for the pass, then decided to take his shot. Howard made the initial stop, but then two different and very important things happened:

1. Cam took a shot from the side of the net using the rebound, with Howard out of position and no players or objects blocking the puck's path to the goal.
2. Brendan Smith drove into Atkinson with no attempt to stop, knocking both players into the net, which was dislodged by the impact

Despite the net coming off the mooring before the puck crossed the goal line, referee Chris Rooney was emphatic about signaling a goal.

Why?

Because, as the beautiful and talented Lori Schmidt points out, Rule 63.6 states that when the goal post has been displaced by the actions of a defending player, and the puck has been shot (or is in the act of being shot) before the goal post is dislodged, the referee is to award the goal if the puck would have entered the net had it not been dislodged.

The goal did go to Toronto for review, but it came back that the goal would stand, and the (quite vocal!) crowd in Columbus went from booing to cheering in the middle of the explanation as they realized exactly what had happened.

That left the Jackets with about 13 minutes between them and a desperately needed regulation win, and a very pissed off Red Wings team looking to even things back up.

Anyone who didn't already have some form of stress induced stomach or heart condition should consider making an appointment with their GP after watching this game, because the Jackets bent over pretty severely in the face of Detroit's counteroffensive, but to their credit neither the defense nor C-Mac actually broke. (Though a few of those rebounds - oye!)

Fans nearly got the chance to exhale when a dump in from David Savard hit the stanchion and bounced off of Howard's back, but unfortunately the puck bounced just past the post and stayed out. Alas. Midway through the period, Mark Letestu would spring loose on a near breakaway towards the end of a penalty kill, but David Legwand knocked Test Tube's stick away before he could take a shot. (Though he did draw a power play, which forced Detroit to go on the defensive for two valuable minutes.)

There would be just under two minutes left in regulation when Mike Babcock took his time out and called Howard to the bench, and that's when most of the hockey fans in Columbus took a deep breath. Despite having the extra attacker, the Wings struggled at holding the zone thanks to some excellent forechecking work, and Derek MacKenzie nearly picked Brian Lashoff's pocket in front of the open cage to seal the deal, but didn't quite manage the trick.

Fortunately, as time ran down, Wisniewski would take the puck off of the boards and flip it up to Johansen, who skated past the red line before hammering his 29th of the season into an empty net to seal the deal, and sending that roller coaster soaring one last time before gliding to a stop as the final horn sounded.

Final Score: Jackets 4 - Red Wings 2

Standard Bearers:

• Curtis McElhinney - Yeah, ok, his rebound control wasn't, but "McBackup" walked into a nasty situation and made every save he absolutely had to (especially in the final minutes of regulation), to bring home a win.
• Ryan Johansen - With his bookend goals, the Johan is on the doorstep of being a 30 goal scorer.
• James Wisniewski - Three assists tonight, bringing him to a career high 36.

Bottom of the Barrel:

• Nathan Horton - Not a strong night for #8. He had a couple of "ooh, so close" moments, but he also had some pretty weak defensive plays and a horrible offensive zone penalty during a power play.
• Evgeny Kuznetsov - The Russian Rookie notched his first NHL goal with :42 seconds to go in Washington, tying the game and giving the Capitals a point against LA.
• Slumping - Still a bit too much lacksadaisical in the Jackets' game for my liking, especially late in games. I'd really like to see this team dictate more to their opponents, especially when holding a lead.

Aside from the Capitals forcing a shootout, things broke about as well as Columbus could hope for on the out of town scoreboard. With Toronto and Detroit both losing in regulation that puts Columbus back into the WC1 spot, AKA 7th place in the Eastern Conference.

The bad news is that with a couple days off before playing the Penguins on Friday, the Jackets aren't going to stay there, but they've got a couple valuable games in hand. The challenge now is to make the most of their opportunities as they head down the final stretch. 91 points is looking like the target in the Eastern Conference. If they can scrap their way to 92 or 93, they're virtual locks for the postseason.

A lot of people wondered if this team was done after last weekend's painful losses. Tonight was a defiant objection on a nice big stage thanks to NBC, and they took their odds of making the postseason from a coin flip to just shy of 75%. Every win jacks that number higher. Every loss slides that finish line a bit further away, and it's likely that every game left down the stretch is going to be just as much of an emotional wringer.

Ten games left. Time to put up, or shut up.

I hate watching the Wings play the Jackets. Columbus is an annoying team that somehow both aggressively forechecks and effectively traps in the neutral zone. Once again, the Wings went into the third period tied and ended up losing by multiple goals as the Blue Jackets claimed one of a very small number of losses this team can afford to give away.

If the Jackets' style of play isn't bad enough, it's worse to watch when the refereeing standard allows a much higher percentage of interference and flatly dirty roughing plays to go uncalled. The Wings hooked and held a bunch too and the refs called penalties based on a narrative arc more than an objective standard. Columbus went 2/4 on the power play while Detroit was 0-for-2. Shots were 33-28 in favor of Columbus.

CSSI Methodology Explanation here

Box score here

Goaltending

Howard allowed two power play goals and gave one up on a 2-on-1. Under the rules of elite goaltender expectations, the Wings lost, so he should have stopped at least one of those and probably two, otherwise he's an overpaid schmuck.

The Goals

1st Period 01:35 - Columbus Goal (PP): Ryan Johansen (wrist shot) from Boone Jenner and James Wisniewski
The Jackets get an early power play goal on a crease-crashing play as a couple Jackets find room between the defenders to get in on Howard. After three clears in the first 45 seconds of the power play, the Jackets get it back in on the right wing side with a quick turn on a PK change. Johansen takes advantage of a soft spot in the defense up the boards as a cut by Horton forces Quincey to back off and the threat of the man at the point gives Helm pause. Boone Jenner takes up the slot position and Horton the back door with Lashoff watching in front as Johansen makes a cut to the front of the ice. As Quincey stands his ground low in the circle, Johansen shoots it from a sharp angle and follows up stepping around Quincey. Lashoff has backed off too close to the far post when Howard knocks the puck down in front of him. Both Jenner and Johansen are there to get whacks at the rebound and Johansen is the one who puts it in. This is a well-executed play to put pressure on the goalie to hold a hard shot and to take advantage when he can't. Quincey and Lashoff need to make stronger plays, but the quick movement of the zone re-entry, combined with the dropped puck mitigates their blame. Quincey and Lashoff will each get a half-minus.

1st Period 12:46 - Columbus Goal (PP):Brandon Dubinsky (deflected shot) from Jack Johnson and James Wisniewski
Columbus gets a 4-on-3 power play and makes it 2-0 as Dubinsky bounces it in off a defenseman's stick. Sheahan wins a defensive zone faceoff, but Atkinson wins a race to the puck behind the net and resets it to the point. Wisnieski goes to Johnson, who pulls to the middle to drag the defenders away from the edges. This makes room to hit Dubinsky low to the net-side. As Quincey reaches in to keep Dubinsky from walking to the front, DeKeyser posts up just atop the crease between Dubinsky and Atkinson on the far post. Dubinsky tries the cross-crease pass and is rewarded when it hits DeKeyser's stick and goes in. It's a tough break, but DeKeyser is going to get a half-minus for deflecting it into his own net. This is kind of a no-no.

1st Period 14:55 - Detroit Goal:Gustav Nyquist (wrist shot) from Riley Sheahan and Tomas Tatar
Detroit cuts it down to one with a strong rush play that ends with clever passing and a good finish by Nyquist. Brendan Smith takes a puck behind his own net and escapes being caught behind his own net by squeezing it out up the middle where the Wings can start a rush up ice with Nyquist hitting Kronwall in stride for the outlet. Kronner gets up ice and crosses the Columbus blue line up the middle with Tatar on his right and Sheahan crossing just behind him to take up the left wing lane. Kronwall tries a backhand pass to Kronwall, but Jack Johnson gets a stick on it to block it. Kronwall quickly recovers and lifts the stick of the backchecking Nathan Horton, allowing Tatar to take it and patiently wait for Horton to overskate him before ripping a shot on net. Bobrovsky stops it, but Sheahan is on the doorstep with position on Prout. Quickly, Sheahan blindly backhands the puck across the crease where Nyquist is following up the rush to kick it up to his stick and slam it into the open net. I'm going to give Smith back the plus he loses to DeKeyser on the line change behind a rush he helps create. Kronwall and Tatar will also each get a half-plus for smart plays in helping this rush both develop and continue.

2nd Period 10:58 - Detroit Goal: Gustav Nyquist (soccer) from Tomas Tatar
The Wings tie it on a quick counterattack with Tatar and Nyquist driving to the front and Nyquist having a rebound bounce in off both his and Ryan Johansen's skates. The Wings lose the zone as Nyquist tries to bounce it to the point too hard and instead pushes it all the way up ice. Kronwall gets it and starts angling around behind his own net, but he's caught on a perfect forechecking angle run by Johansen, who falls over Kronwall to knock them both over. Kronwall loses the puck to Johansen, who tries to make space skating it away from the Wings' goal, but to the center of the ice. As he does this, Boone Jenner pinches above the top of the dot, but this complicates things for Johansen, who is already being beset by Tatar and Nyquist at the top of the circle. Both Kronwall and Nyquist get their sticks on Johansen's, which causes him to lose control of it as it goes through Jenner's legs and slides to center. Both Nyquist and Tatar are already heading the right way with enough speed to escape Johansen and create a 2-on-1 against Fedor Tyutin. The lone D-man senses Johansen will be able to handle Nyquist, so he plays more aggressively on Tatar, stepping up as he enters the high slot. Tatar releases a wrister before Tyutin can establish contact, aiming it smartly at the low far side. This pays off when McElhinney kicks the rebound straight back out to exactly where Nyquist and Johansen are headed. Nyquist slide-stops to get his skate on it and Johansen kind of spin-stops as he hooks Nyquist. The puck bounces off one skate then the other before settling in the net. The turnover by Kronwall is going to cost him the bonus half-plus he would have gotten for a good play on Johansen's stick in the defensive zone. Nyquist and Tatar will each earn a bonus plus for the good backchecking and transition work.

3rd Period 06:58 - Columbus Goal: Cam Atkinson (backhand) from Matt Calvert and Brandon Dubinsky
Columbus catches a pinch and then a break as Atkinson puts a loose puck on a goal that isn't atop it's moorings. The Wings get what is their first good shift of the third period about six and a half minutes in as the Legwand line creates a few scoring opportunities. This comes crashing down when a loose puck in the slot gets bounced out to the top of the circle to McElhinney's left. Brendan Smith pinches in, but loses the gamble as Matt Calvert is there first to tip the puck up over Smith's stick and head to center ice with Atkinson joining him in a 2-on-1 against Kronwall. With Smith well behind the play, Kronwall plays much heavier to the pass than Tyutin did on Nyquist's 2nd goal. Still, Calvert tries a very similar shot from a very similar position as he aims low on the goalie from the top left side of the slot. This one is aimed five-hole instead of far post though. Howard gets down on top of the puck before it gets through him, but doesn't maintain complete control of it. Atkinson follows up the shot by crashing into the crease and knocking the puck loose. As the momentum of the play takes Atkinson to the far post, Smith comes across and tries to clear him out, knocking him into the post. Just after Atkinson bumps the goal off its moorings, he slides it across the goal line. The ref declares that Smith pushes Atkinson enough to knock the net off and the goal counts. It's a judgment call and a lot of people are unhappy with it, but I agree that it should have counted, even though I would rather the refs had simply gotten the call wrong. This is a tough break for the forwards, as Franzen, Legwand, and Alfredsson will be cleared. Smith is never in position to make a pinch here. This will cost Smith an extra minus. Kronwall plays the 2-on-1 as he should and will be cleared for being the victim of a bad pinch .

3rd Period 19:54 - Columbus Goal (EN): Ryan Johansen (wrist shot) from James Wisniewski
Atkinson hits the empty net on a zone clear with under six seconds left and I have to write up a meaningless goal because Columbus is full of assholes. This one happens as the Jackets win a defensive zone faceoff and try to clear it hard around the boards. Smith keeps it in on the far side point and dumps it back behind the net. Bertuzzi goes back to play it, but doesn't do so effectively as Tyutin bodies him off the puck, allowing Letetsu to come in and bounce it off the corner boards around an on-rushing Joakim Andersson. Perhaps the memory of the last disastrous pinch fresh in his mind, Brendan Smith hesitates before stepping up on the play, allowing Johansen to get it around him to center ice where he mails it into the net from distance. Even with the lost faceoff, that's not an important part of this play, so Helm will be cleared, along with Legwand and DeKeyser. Andersson will have his minus halved. With time running out, he's playing where he should be and then has to hustle to try and get into the battle that Bert has already lost behind the net. This turnover will earn Bert an extra half-minus while Smith letting Johansen by will get him a half-minus as well.

Penalty Adjustments

1st Period 00:42 - Todd Bertuzzi (high sticking): Behind the play, Bert isn't paying attention to his stick and catches Wisniewski in his ugly face. Bert gets a minus.
1st Period 05:42 - Nick Schultz (hooking): Helm drives the zone and pulls up on Schultz, drawing a hook as the D-Man panics. Helm will get a plus.
1st Period 10:50 - Brendan Smith (interference): I honestly have no idea what happened here thanks to the complete lack of replay. Just to be safe, Smith will get a minus. I'm going this was based on the odds that an interference call is valid. Most of them are. I'll happily accept evidence to the contrary.
1st Period 11: - Nathan Horton (holding): Horton takes the Jackets off a power play by cheating on a board battle against Andersson. This is a good battle by Joker, who will earn a plus.
1st Period 11:30 - Darren Helm (hooking): Helm tries a stick lift on Wisnieski as the play threatens to move up ice and the Columbus D-Man sells it by complaining. This is a very weak call, but Helm's stick gets high on the shaft. Helm will get a half-minus.

3rd Period 08:21 - Nick Foligno (slashing): Detroit earns the losing team power play as Sheahan fights through interference through center and gets a zone entry only to receive a slash from Foligno for his trouble. Sheahan will get a half-plus.
3rd Period 10:23 - David Legwand (slashing): The Wings end their own power play early as Tatar turns the puck over at center to give Letetsu a potential breakaway. Legwand gives him a chop *near* the hands to stop the chance and goes to the box on the type of play that the refs are looking to call anything soft. This is the definition of a good penalty. Legwand will get away with making the right choice while Tatar will get the minus.

Bonus Ratings

None

Honorable Mentions:

I thought the ratings came out where they should have. That's rare.

Current Game Chart

Season Totals Chart

Screener's Assist Totals

Today's New York Rangers notes.

Don't have a lot to say in this intro, except, the Rangers are on a roll, and now in a pretty good spot when it comes to the postseason. Here are your morning notes.

Five in a row. A dominating performance from the fourth line. Another superb game from Ryan McDonagh and Henrik Lundqvist. Need I say more? Here are some recaps from Wedensday night's win over the Flyers. [Blueshirt Banter] [ESPN NY] [NY Post] [Daily News] [The Record] [Newsdsay] [Blueshirts United]

McDonagh in the Norris conversation? His coach and a teammate think so. [ESPN NY] [Rangers Rants]

Chris Kreider missed Wednesday night's game against Philadelphia, and here's what we know right now:

- Kreider will not travel with the team on an upcoming its upcoming road trip, and will miss at least five games. [NY Post] [Daily News] [Newsday]

- Although it's certainly a big loss, Kreider's absence isn't a death blow for the Rangers. [Blueshirt Banter]

- Sans the speedy winger, the Rangers recalled J.T. Miller to take his place. [Blueshirt Banter] [Rangers Rants]

With his concussion symptoms subsiding, John Moore skated on Wednesday for this first time since going down against the Blue Jackets. [Rangers Rants]

In a potential playoff matchup, Brad Richards wanted the Rangers to set the tone against Philadelphia. [Rangers Rants]

Going on a 1-3 slide will start to make the doubters think they were right.

Power rankings are a fun distraction, conversation piece, and even validation through the end of March. But as the calendar will soon flip to April, they become functionally irrelevant as a piece of discussion. Right now, what matters is winning. Another two points. Another step up the ladder.

Securing a second or third place finish in the Metropolitan Division is still in sight, albeit much harder now than it was a week ago. But if the Blue Jackets keep winning, they control their own destiny. No tiebreakers or hoping someone else loses to let us in the playoffs. Just win and you're in. You can't ask for much more than that.

NHL.com: 13th (Last week: 13)

TSN: 14th (Last week: 12)

ESPN: 17th (Last week: 14)

CBS Sports: 16th (Last week: 9)

Fox Sports: 19th (Last week: 10)

Average ranking: 16th (Last week: 12)

Previously: Week 23 | Week 22 | Week 18 | Week 17 | Week 16

The regression is coming on strong.

It's not as though there there was a shortage of stats folks predicting the downfall of the Leafs, but this 7-game losing streak is still a stunning collapse. I've been doing my best not to get my hopes up that Carlyle will be fired, but it's hard not to think of it, now. Heck, it's hard not to hope for a good draft pick, too.

The fat lady hasn't sung yet on the Leafs' season, but she's getting warmed up. The team sits tied for the first wild card spot with 80 points, but having played two more games than each of Columbus, Detroit, and Washington doesn't bode well. Furthermore, the Leafs having fewer ROW than both of the Blue Jackets and the Wings means Toronto fans are facing long odds of taking in any playoff action this season. Sports Club Stats now has the odds at just over 20%.

The loss to Philadelphia was only the latest in a string of must-win games, where the Leafs looked bad early on, gave up the opening goal, and never took a lead. James van Riemsdyk tied things up for the Leafs just 4 seconds into the second period, a feat that tied a club record for fastest goal to start a period, but the Leafs' penalty killing faltered for the second time in the night just under 11 minutes later to restore the Flyers' lead.

It's kind of refreshing to see the Leafs having out-shot an opponent, but the fact that the team was trailing for most of the game probably goes the furthest towards explaining that. In fact, the Leafs haven't been brutally out-shot in a few recent games (if we forget about the game vs. the Blues) but it's almost always been a matter of score effects.

In the third period, the Leafs had stretches of sustained pressure, but in the end it was a series of defensive lapses that were their downfall. it was actually van Riemsdyk who gave the puck away in the neutral zone to Claude Giroux for the Flyers' third goal and a funny bounce that eluded Phaneuf's glove and Kadri's backchecking that cost them the fourth. Dave Bolland brought the team to within one when he swatted home a Mason Raymond rebound for his first goal since returning from injury.

As usual, it was a night where it was impossible to really blame the Leafs' goaltending. Jonathan Bernier got beat on 4 very good chances, and the Leafs can be happy that the Flyers didn't score more, especially given the two glorious shorthanded chances the Leafs afforded them during a Scott Hartnell penalty with just four minutes left in the contest.

The blame game is going to be crazy this summer.

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