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Final stretch of the season; Tampa Bay Lightning versus Toronto Maple Leafs preview

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The last week of the regular season for the Lightning sees them take on a reeling and desperate Toronto Maple Leaf team who are on the brink of elimination from playoff contention.

Where:  Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa, Florida
When: 7:30 PM EDT | Tickets: Check availability
Television: Fox Sports Florida, RDS, Sportsnet Ontario | Radio: 970 AM WFLA
Opponent CoveragePension Plan PuppetsThe Leafs Nation

If you haven't noticed the standings, or haven't paid much attention to the Toronto Maple Leafs directly for the past few weeks, there's an implosion going on.  A promising season has been pissed away via a collapse while things are most important.  It doesn't mean the Leafs have given up or aren't playing worth a damn, it's that their weaknesses have been exploited and they've been sent toward the darkness of the NHL off-season instead of locking in a playoff berth.

Toronto is 2-8-0 in their past 10 and 6-11-2 since the resumption of play after the Olympic break in February.  Coupled with the ascension of the Detroit Red Wings in the Atlantic Division, the Leafs are all but done at this point; they are 3 points behind Columbus for the final wild card spot in the East.  The Blue Jackets and the Red Wings (who have 88 points) also have a game in-hand on Toronto, who plays their 80th game of the season tonight at Times Palace.

Toronto has a 2.1% chance of still making the playoffs according to Sports Club Stats, but you have to think that (making it) would require the Leafs winning their next three games as well as a lot of help by way of Columbus or Detroit falling on their ass and losing all four of their remaining games.

In a way, Toronto's successes can compare to Rocky Balboa in the original "Rocky" movie - no, not the bum-from-the-neighborhood aspect, but the keep-getting-hit-and-enduring aspect of their game.  The Leafs suck and have sucked at limiting shots and opponent opportunities.  You can find a great piece over at Pension Plan Puppets about the flaw in Randy Carlyle's defensive system (the idea he was implementing a defensive system.)  A season worth of proverbial shots-to-the-head and zero use of hand defending themselves has pushed the Leafs to the brink of elimination from playoff contention.

Could it have gone the other way?  Quite easily, really.  I don't think anyone expected the Lightning to end up in a top-three playoff spot; they expected Toronto to go along with Boston and Montreal.  Things changed though, one team played responsible hockey on both ends of the ice while the other relied on goalies and the power play to compete.  It worked, for a time.

Tonight is Tampa Bay's 79th game of the season, they end their hometand late in the week with a back-to-back affair (rare, isn't it? Back-to-back games that take place here in Tampa) with Columbus and Philadelphia.  The question at this point is if the Bolts will once again get caught looking ahead toward the playoffs and forget the contest at hand versus an opponent with dire need of a victory?

Practice on Monday saw the Lightning toying around with different line combinations, but there was no note of changes continuing at this morning's skate, though the last players off the ice today do make me think that some of the changes might actually play out:  Ryan Malone, B.J. Crombeen both may be out tonight along with Keith Aulie, Mark Barberio and Cody Kunyk.

The (potential) scratching of Malone and Crombeen do make me scratch my head as you'd expect the Bolts to be more defensive and ready on the penalty-kill with Toronto's potency with the man-advantage (they're currently ranked 5th in the league in power play percentage.)  Perhaps Jon Cooper has sound reasoning to start Richard Panik and Tom Pyatt over them (and it may be for the exact same reason that I would figure Malone and Crombeen would start - the penalty kill,) but nothing's been formally announced on the lineup at this point.

I think you can guess who the Lightning are starting in goal. He'll be opposed by James Reimer.

One last note:  Joffrey Lupulis done for the season for Toronto. Perhaps losing a major cog in the roster will be a rallying point for the Leafs tonight and going forward?  That or it'll be another revolution of the downward spiral they've been part of the last six weeks or so, perhaps the final revolution.

Other Game Coverage:


Senators Win 4-1, Eliminated from Postseason Play

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A recap of Tuesday night's game between the Ottawa Senators and the New York Islanders

Ottawa faced an Islanders team that essentially ended its playoff hopes last week, on Tuesday night in Long Island. The New York line-up featured 11 rookies, while the Senators took out a rookie (Mike Hoffman) in favour of Matt Kassian, who drew back in to match-up against the heavy-hitters in blue. The game started sluggishly, with Matt Kassian and Brett Gallant disrupting play twice, before Clarke MacArthur took a slashing penalty. Zack Smith had the best chance on the Isles power play, but couldn't beat New York goaltender Anders Nilsson. New York got another chance to take the lead on a Marc Methot penalty late in the period. Ryan Strome had the best chance of the PP but his wrist shot rang off the post. Ottawa got its first power play with less than minute to play in the period, but couldn't capitalize before the end of the first. It was a period with very little flow, but ended with Ottawa being outshot 17-8.

The second period started with Ottawa on the power play. Despite some pressure from Kyle Turris and company, the Sens were unable to break the deadlock. Midway through the period, Marc Methot saved an Islander goal by blocking a wraparound attempt with his stick. Shortly after, Anders Lee took an undisciplined roughing penalty which sent Ottawa to the power play for the second time. Ottawa finally broke through on its third power play of the game, with John Persson in the box for tripping Erik Condra. After some passing between Erik Karlsson and Ales Hemsky, Jason Spezza's slapshot beat the Neil-screened Nilsson five-hole. New York had a few chances in front of Craig Anderson, but the period ended with off-setting penalties to Patrick Wiercioch and Matt Martin. Ottawa entered the second intermission leading 1-0. Shots 32-19 in favour of New York.

Early pressure to start the third resulted in a Frans Nielson goal to tie the game at one. It was the kind of defensive breakdown that has defined Ottawa's season but the goal was also a result of New York's aggressive play. Turris had an excellent chance to restore Ottawa's lead midway through the period after receiving a pass from linemate MacArthur. Turris tried to go top-shelf, but Nilsson was ready with a great glove save. A weak call against the Isles sent Ottawa to the power play again, but New York had the best chances. Karlsson was forced to make several defensive plays before eventually taking a slashing penalty because of the Isles offensive pressure. After a five-minute period of New York pressure, the Captain took over the game. After taking a feed from Ales Hemsky, Spezza fired a wrist shot from a bad angle that went over Nilsson shoulder, into the net, and then quickly out. Play continued but Spezza called for a review immediately and when the officials eventually convened, they quickly called it a goal. After being awarded his second goal of the game, Spezza was right back at it, breaking in alone on the Islanders net, but was denied a five-hole goal. His linemates Hemsky and Milan Michalek then got in on the action and a nice give-and-go passing play left Hemsky all alone in New York's zone. Hemsky's low snip was just as beautiful as Spezza's second goal. Hemsky's goal put the game out of reach and Kassian added an empty-net goal - his first of the season - to seal the victory. Ottawa wins 4-1. Shots 46-31 in favour of New York. Despite the win, Ottawa was officially eliminated from playoff contention tonight when the Columbus Blue Jackets secured a point.

Sens Hero: Craig Anderson

Andy was peppered in the first with 17 shots. I don't think those totals reflect New York's pressure, but when a team gives up that many shots against, things can go sideways quickly. Andy kept the Isles off the scoreboard and gave Ottawa a chance to take the lead. Andy was excellent tonight, making 45 saves and had a .978 SV%.

Sens Hero: Jason Spezza

Ottawa's captain had two goals tonight and the second was a beauty. He looked dangerous, especially in the third period, and could have had a hat trick on a breakaway in the third. He also could have had a hat trick if he had taken a shot at an empty-netter instead of passing it off to Kassian so his teammate could score his first goal of the season. If we are watching the final games of his Ottawa career, he's making sure we enjoy his performances.

Honourable Mention: Ales Hemsky

Hemsky had another three point night with the Senators, registering two assists and a goal. His goal was another beauty and his highlight-reel strikes are becoming something of a convention in Ottawa.

B_T's Doughnut:

Ottvisles20140408_medium

Shot Chart: via ESPN

Shot_chart_april_8__2014_medium

Highlights:


Phoenix Coyotes @ Columbus Blue Jackets recap: nail-biting

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The Phoenix Coyotes need some help as they drop their game against the Columbus Blue Jackets in overtime by a final of 4-3.

With no room for error, the Phoenix Coyotes did just enough to get a point. It remains to be seen whether that will be enough.

The Coyotes veered away from the edge of oblivion thanks to a late third period goal, but overly aggressive overtime play ultimately cost Phoenix, as they fall in overtime 4-3 to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Phoenix would put itself behind the eight ball early on in this game, as a Martin Erat turnover was converted in the low slot by Boone Jenner to give the Columbus Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead at 8:15 in the 1st. This was the third game in a row that Phoenix had conceded the first goal of the game.

Unlike previous games where an early deficit became an insurmountable hole, the Coyotes mounted a tremendous response. Erat atoned for his giveaway by tossing the puck in on Sergei Bobrovsky. The puck eventually found its way in the net, although the referee initially waved the goal off. Video review overturned the call on the ice to tie the score at 1-1.

The Coyotes would score a pivotal second consecutive goal to take a lead at 17:53 in the opening frame. Michael Stone stepped into a shot that bounced off the skate of Shane Doan and into the net. Two of the forwards that desperately needed to start producing for the Coyotes scored in the first period.

Phoenix would not enjoy its lead for very long.

At 5:25 in the 2nd, Mark Letestu would benefit from a mad scramble around the defensive zone. Thomas Greiss got beat on a shot that he probably could have stopped, and the Coyotes were once gain on even terms.

The third period was a lively affair, with Phoenix generating some solid scoring chances against Bobrovsky both at even-strength and on the power play. Columbus dictated most of the 5-on-5 play though, as turnovers in the defensive zone hampered Phoenix's ability to push the puck up ice.

Eventually that inability caught up to the Coyotes. Blake Comeau brought the puck in the zone and took a shot on Greiss that the German netminder simply missed.

With the season literally hanging by a thread, and with the net empty, Oliver Ekman-Larsson took a shot through traffic that found its way past Bobrovsky and into the net to tie the game 3-3 with just 14 seconds remaining. For much of the 2nd half of the season, the goaltending has bailed out the offense. Tonight the offense bailed out an off-night for the goalie.

But the problems the Desert Dogs had with tilted ice would cost them a critical second point. A series of two-on-ones eventually proved too much for the team to handle, and Ryan Johansen would roof a shot over the glove of Greiss to give Columbus the 4-3 victory.

Our Three Stars of the Game

3rd Star - Mark Letestu - A gift wrapped goal to go along with a 58 percent winning percentage in the faceoff circle.

2nd Star - Oliver Ekman-Larsson - OEL gave the Coyotes a point out of this game. Hard to argue that he isn't the second half MVP of this team.

1st Star - Ryan Johansen - The unassisted game winner, a helper on the opening goal and won 59 percent of his faceoffs. An all around excellent performance by Johansen.

Paw Prints

  • Martin Hanzal was scratched from tonight's game with a lower-body injury. No word on how long he will be out.
  • Mike Ribeiro appears to have found his way out of Dave Tippett's dog house, as he logged 16:40 of ice time. He also got the primary assist on Oliver Ekman-Larsson's goal.
  • Phoenix had a terrific first period, outshooting Columbus by a margin of 10-4. They would finish the game up in the shot totals 32-30.
  • Relatively few penalties in this game: Columbus went 0-1 on its power play and Phoenix went 0-2. Kyle Chipchura and Corey Tropp also scrapped after Tropp took exception to a hit Chipchura laid on Jenner.
  • Nathan Horton, a late addition to the Columbus lineup, left the game with an undisclosed injury after playing only 5:21. He did not return.
  • Columbus' perspective.

Looking Ahead

Phoenix's final road game of the season is Thursday night in Nashville, when they play the Predators.  Puck drop is at 5 p.m. Arizona time, if you have the stomach to watch.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are very excited

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Ryan Johansen's overtime goal sparked some real madness in Columbus on Tuesday night.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are so close to the playoffs they can probably taste it right now.

They took another step toward them on Tuesday night with a 4-3 overtime win against the Phoenix Coyotes that was capped off by Ryan Johansen's 32nd goal of the season, and man were they excited about that development, including the coaching staff that simply could not contain themselves.

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And here is more of the scene from Columbus on Tuesday shortly after their win (GIF from @MyRegularFace).

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Why so much excitement? Well, it's quite simple, really.

In their first 12 years the Blue Jackets organization and its fans have known nothing but losing, losing, and even more losing. Even the one year they did make the playoffs (2008-09) they did nothing but lose there, getting swept in four games and outscored 18-7 by the Detroit Red Wings.

But this is a new team, there is new excitement, and even though they're not officially in their magic number is down to just two points. It's a big deal.

Rangers blow past Canes; McDonagh and Kreider skate; Playoff story lines; Staal upset with Neil hit

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Today's New York Rangers notes.

We're about a week away from playoff hockey, and two regular season games away from the end of the schedule. We know the Rangers will be playing in the two-three Metropolitan Division series in the first round, but now, home-ice is on the line. Your morning notes.

Despite a slow start, a pair of power play goals from Brad Richards, and a trio of assists from Martin St. Louis led the Rangers past the Hurricanes Tuesday night. Some recaps of the 4-1 win. [NY Post] [ESPN NY] [Daily News] [The Record] [Newsday] [Blueshirts United]

Both Ryan McDonagh and Chris Kreider skated on Tuesday, as they continue to progress in their recoveries. There's a chance McDonagh could still return before the regular season ends, while Kreider is still in a cast, and remains out indefinitely. [Blueshirt Banter] [Rangers Rants] [Blueshirts Blog]

The Rangers will officially be going to the postseason. Now, the team's focus has turned to locking up home ice in the first round. [NY Post]

And with a first round opponent guaranteed to be the Flyers or Blue Jackets, the Rangers opening postseason series won't be short of story lines. [Rangers Rants]

There was a point this season when Henrik Lundqvist was 10-15-2, and going through the toughest stretch of his career. But the King has since righted the ship, and catapulted the Rangers back into the playoffs. [Daily News]

Marc Staal normally keeps his temper in check, but after retaliating to a Chris Neil hit on Sunday, Staal was clear about the catalyst: he thought the hit was late. [Rangers Rants]

Blue Jackets 4, Coyotes 3 (OT) - Game Highlights

Rangers Vs. Hurricanes: More Of That Please

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Notes from the Rangers' win over the Hurricanes.

- I want to start by congratulating Mats Zuccarello on winning the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award. It might seem like a stupid thing to those outside the fanbase, but we have a very special relationship with the police and firemen in New York, and I've always felt like the Extra Effort Award was a really special accomplishment. Especially because it usually goes to the down-and-dirty player who don't really score goals and who go the extra mile every shift. This year, it went to a player like that who also does everything offensively. Very deserving, and I think it says a lot about Zuccarello that he was able to beat out a player like Ryan McDonagh, too.

- When I think about Zuccarello, I think back to this summer and the offseason when people didn't want him. "He is too small. He isn't a smart enough hockey player. If the Rangers need him to produce they're not winning the Stanley Cup." The Rangers wouldn't be where they are today without him. Seriously, he's been the team's most consistent offensive force this year. His assist on the Benoit Pouliot goal -- freezing the entire defense, moving into a shooting lane and putting a picture-perfect pass on Pouliot's tape -- is a good example of his range. And if he shot the puck a little more this year, he'd have far more than 19 goals.

- The Pouliot - Derick Brassard - Zuccarello line was dominant again. I've seen some suggestions that Alain Vigneault should break up that trio to get some other guys going. I can't disagree more. That line has been a constant for most of the year, and now that Brassard has been back on his game, they can be lethal. No need to mess with that chemistry.

- Martin St. Louis looks a lot like he's becoming himself again. He didn't just have three assists in the Rangers' win, he had two jaw-dropping assists, including a behind the back strike to Brad Richards on the team's first power play goal. His assist on the Derek Stepan goal? Just as pretty with maybe even a higher level of difficulty. I always maintained that when St. Louis started going it would come in bunches. This was the first game we saw that come to life. Hopefully it continues.

- Speaking of Stepan, he had a goal and an assist. Now 21 points in his last 21 games. The Stepan Attack Machine has quieted down significantly, as it should have a long time ago. I'm still not allowed to defend him (Lent is almost over) but I will just leave his 17 goals, 39 assists and 56 points in 80 games here. That includes a slow start to the year. Appreciate what you have in him.

- I thought Rick Nash was good but kind of quiet for most of the game. That's the beauty of St. Louis, though. If he's on his game then quiet games from Nash aren't as noticeable or dangerous. Same goes for St. Louis being quiet if Nash is on his game.

- Richards scoring goals is only a positive for this team. As is the Rangers' power play converting with some form of consistency. The most important thing that happened to the Rangers -- and what helped them break out of their early season struggles -- was the scoring balancing out. The Rangers have 10 players with 14 goals or more. And three players with 20 goals or more. Remove St. Louis from that equation (since he was only here for the tail end of the season) and it's nine players with 14 goals or more and two 20-goal scorers. That's a lot of goal scoring from a lot of players. Hopefully that continues as well.

- Henrik Lundqvist was immense as well. Not much more you need to say there.

- Good news? McDonagh and Chris Kreider skated. Hopefully they're both back sooner rather than later.

- If I'm Glen Sather my biggest off-season signing is Mats Zuccarello. Then he needs to focus on bringing back as much of the fourth line as he can (if not all of it) and Pouliot. Brassard is a priority, too.

- I watched the post-game show last night, which isn't something I do all the time. I really watched it because Vigneault was on and I was curious to see what he had to say. To my surprise (and maybe this speaks to how long it's been since I watched a post-game show) there was joking and laughter in the interview room. It's been a long time since there's been that kind of atmosphere with the team. And that's not a knock on Torts, it really isn't. But the boys look like they're having fun while also pushing each other to win, and that makes a team so much more dangerous. A family goes further than a team, I've always believed that.

- The Blue Jackets and Flyers both won yesterday, so the games are a wash. If the Rangers win out (just two more games to go) they clinch home ice in the first round no matter what happens. Any combination of the Rangers earning two points or Columbus dropping two points locks the Rangers in a Metropolitan Division playoff spot. The Rangers just need to stay on pace with the Flyers (the Rangers hold the tiebreaker) to lock down home ice advantage. So both teams getting the same results helps the Rangers, regardless of what the result is.

- Thoughts?

Game Preview #65 - Really? Another Game Already? Well, At Least It's 1-0!

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Obviously, no malice is intended toward the previous game and what happened (and any perceived is directed at the NHL itself for plopping this game right into the middle of an already-brutal schedule stretch for Columbus), but we finally get to put this game to bed.

Columbus Blue Jackets at Dallas Stars

April 9, 2014 - 8:30 pm EDT
American Airlines Center - Dallas, Texas
Radio - WBNS 97.1 FM -- TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Defending Big D
SBN's Stars vs Blue Jackets coverage

Win and you're in.

It really is that simple.

First and foremost, Godspeed, Rich Peverley. Everyone is still so very thankful that you're OK and that things weren't so, so much worse on March 10. I just wanted to enter that into the record, lest the following two paragraphs are misunderstood in their tone.

Heavenly God, NHL. What the hell were you thinking? When this game was announced, I know many of us in Columbus were a bit flummoxed at what the Jackets had done to piss off the powers-that-be in Toronto. Already playing a stretch of 13 games in 24 days--including four back-to-backs--the schedulers decided that plopping this game right in the middle of that stretch (while also adding ANOTHER back-to-back) and giving Columbus a season finish of four games in five days--in four different cities, no less--was just fine.

Again, I understand that the circumstances surrounding the original game were unique, and I certainly am not directing any anger toward Dallas, Rich Peverley, or anything of that ilk. But, seriously, NHL? Cumong, mannn.

At any rate, here we are. Despite that brutal schedule, the Jackets have actually all but nailed down a playoff spot amidst some turbulence: a 6-4-1 record during the first 11 games of that 14 game stretch--combined with some serious pants-crapping from the likes of Toronto, Washington, and even New Jersey on Monday--has put them in control of their own destiny.

Win--no matter how--and the Jackets punch their ticket to the post-season for just the second time EVER.

Oh, and also, the Jackets start this game with a 1-0 lead, courtesy of Nathan Horton's goal back on March 10. So, Horton's already in the box score from the press box, as I can't envision a scenario in which he plays tonight due to the reinjury of his lower body (for lack of a better term) last night.

Both teams played last night, and both teams went to overtime (with both winning), so while Columbus had to travel, it's not as though Dallas was maxing and relaxing yesterday waiting for them. That said, Dallas will be hungry tonight, as their two points combined with Phoenix only getting one has put them in a position to put the hammer down on the Yotes with two more points tonight.

So, yeah, points tonight will be very important for both teams. It's very interesting how this schedule played out with respect to that race for the final spot in the West and the Jackets' role in it even though they've moved to the East.

Some other changes from the previous iteration of this game: Kari Lehtonen is back in for Dallas, and presumably will start, given the importance of the game. For the Jackets, well, who knows what the actual lineup will look like? Below is my guess, though admittedly it's mostly a copy of last night's lineup with Jared Boll inserted on the fourth line and Jack Skille getting promoted to the top line in Horton's absence.

None of it matters. Win and you're in. It's just. That. Easy.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(41-31-7, 89 Points; 4th division, 8th conference)

Boone JennerRyan JohansenJack Skille
Matt CalvertBrandon DubinskyCam Atkinson
Blake ComeauArtem AnisimovMark Letestu
Corey TroppDerek MacKenzieJared Boll
Fedor TyutinJames Wisniewski
Jack JohnsonDalton Prout
Ryan MurrayDavid Savard
Sergei Bobrovsky
Curtis McElhinney

Dallas Stars
(39-29-11, 89 Points; 5th division, 8th conference)

Jamie BennTyler SeguinValeri Nichushkin
Antoine RousselCody EakinRyan Garbutt
Shawn HorcoffVernon FiddlerColton Sceviour
Erik ColeDustin JeffreyAlex Chiasson
Alex GoligoskiTrevor Daley
Jordie BennBrenden Dillon
Patrick NemethSergei Gonchar
Kari Lehtonen
Tim Thomas

Season Series

03/04/14 - Dallas 2 at Columbus 4
03/10/14 - Columbus at Dallas - PPD
04/09/14 - Columbus at Dallas

Head to Head Stats

DallasColumbus
2.86 (8)GPG2.76 (12)
2.76 (20)GAPG2.63 (15)
15.4% (25)PP%18.6% (13)
81.0% (21)PK%82.2% (14)
Tyler Seguin, 36G leaderRyan Johansen, 32
Tyler Seguin, 46A leaderJames Wisniewski, 42
Tyler Seguin, 82Pts leaderRyan Johansen, 59
Antoine Roussel, 195PIM leaderBrandon Dubinsky / Nick Foligno, 96
22-10-7Home/Road19-16-3
4/8 vs. Nashville, W 3-2 (SO)Last Game4/8 vs. Phoenix, W 4-3 (OT)
7-3-0Last 105-4-1

Dallas Stars, Columbus Blue Jackets Make Up Postponed Rich Peverley Game Tonight

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Game 65 becomes game 80 tonight as the Dallas Stars and Columbus Blue Jackets continue March 10th's contest at the AAC.

Last season the Dallas Stars were eliminated in their second-to-last game, at home, by the... Columbus Blue Jackets. The Blue Jackets scored 19 seconds in to the first period to take a 1-0 lead. Tonight, we know already, isn't far off.

Tonight Columbus will start with the 1-0 lead they earned in the opening minutes of the March 10th contest here at American Airlines Center shortly before Rich Peverley collapsed on the bench, the game postponed. Tonight's contest will be 60 minutes long.

Whatever happens tonight, the Stars will still be in play when the puck drops in Glendale Sunday night. They've earned that much.

The chasing Coyotes are trying to back their way into the playoffs, and you can't say it's not at least partially effective. They've lost five games in a row now, which should spell death for them, but three of them they lost after 60 minutes, of course, and because of it they stay very much in the hunt.

Most importantly they get the Stars on the final day of the season in their (no-doubt) sold out barn. That last change and the right to match-up a powerful card to hold against a Stars team that is obviously tired. Lindy Ruff certainly thinks so.

"I'm a little concerned that our energy was good early [last night] and the energy began just slipping away," Ruff told media Tuesday night. "Shifts were getting really short. These guys are giving it everything they've got, that's the impressive part."

Guaranteed that Sunday will mean something, their best bet is to make sure it doesn't when it arrives. That includes a wide range of scenarios- How about two OTL's to Columbus and St. Louis combined with a Phoenix regulation loss?

Not glamorous, but it would do the job.

Beyond that they can give themselves other kinds of outs with another point earned. Even one more prior to Sunday opens the possibility of an overtime or shootout win still getting the job done in Glendale, and with the Coyotes, the odds are pretty good it's going to need more than 60 minutes.

24 Coyotes games have gone to overtime this season- Over 30% of their games played.

Or imagine leading them by a single point heading into Sunday's game. Imagine just getting to overtime and a loser point keeping them home for the playoffs.

The irony would not be lost on this crowd, that's for sure.

It's all up to the Dallas Stars. It's all in their control. First they have to solve the Blue Jackets.

Columbus basically punched their ticket to the dance last night, but not officially. One more point eliminates New Jersey. Two more points with a win tonight clinches it and eliminates Washington as well. So they have work to finish, and a 1-0 lead to protect right out of the game.

The message from the coaching staff will be to ignore the fact that they're already up in the game. The message will be, aided by Ruff's comments and the video to back it up, that the Stars are tired. The message will be to go out and take their playoff spot tonight. Here in Dallas.

So they'll come out with their hair on fire. The Stars' ability to weather that storm in the wake of an emotional victory last night will likely be tested. They need only look at the video of their six minutes of the Peverley game to know what Columbus can do, because they were running them right out of the rink that night.

Nathan Horton scored the goal that night, and it will be credited to him at 00:00 of the first period tonight. He won't score any more, however, as he'll miss the game due to injury and make NHL history, scoring a goal in a game in which he does not officially participate.

Columbus has been excellent on the second night of back-to-backs this season winning 9 of 15, including one against the Dallas Stars on March 4th.

Tim Thomas is skating this morning. Were this November we'd say that's a sign that Kari Lehtonen will start again tonight. In this time of hockey-war, however, nothing is certain. Except that Rome and Connauton are likely out.

So strap in again tonight, and know those guys down there are feeling it every bit as much (and so much more) than we are.

"We know where we're at," Ruff said last night. "Believe me, we know. We've worked hard for this. We've got to close the deal."

Blue Jackets 3, Stars 1 - Game Highlights

Worst to First: Ranking the Blue Jackets' Sweaters

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John van der Woude stops by The Cannon to offer up his rankings of the Jackets' sweaters. Be sure to check out his site Hockey By Design for more!

This instalment of the Worst to First Jerseys features the Columbus Blue Jackets, and much thanks to The Cannon for letting us guest post on their blog. On our own blog, we talk about about graphic design in hockey and we'll be doing the jerseys for the rest of the league over time, so come by Hockey By Design to check it out. Columbus, which shares the title with Minnesota for being the league's youngest franchise, don't have a ton of different jerseys to their name. But they've got more than one, so if there's a countdown list to be made, then let's make it. And besides, some of the changes that the Blue Jackets have made to their jerseys over their 14 years in the league are among the best and worst in the league. Got your interest? Good…let's get this list going. Here's how this works: I'll count down, from worst to first, all the jerseys the Blue Jackets have ever worn. Homes and aways will be lumped into the same category (so, more of a jersey "era") and I won't worry about small changes (like slightly changed positions of piping for example). Third jerseys will stand on their own. And I'm focusing on the jerseys only, not the entire uniform. The jersey images are compliments of the fine people over at nhluniforms.com. For the Blue Jackets, there's 4 different jerseys/eras. And we'll start with the worst one: 



4. 2003–2007 Third Jerseys Third jerseys have a pretty sordid history, with the earliest thirdBlueJackets04 jerseys being among some of the worst jerseys the league has ever seen. But some third jerseys are also pretty excellent, as the St Louis Blues proved in their recent Worst To First post. These aren't even close to being the worst third jerseys ever, but obviously (as they're in last place) they're not really that great either. As third jerseys go, they're decidedly uninteresting. In that sense, they're a real missed opportunity to do something interesting and play on the Civil War history for which the team is named. Instead, they gave us a slightly modified version of the regular home and away jerseys they wore during this era. Well, hey, at least they didn't put Stinger on the front or anything. The straight cuff-to-cuff shoulder yoke looks dated, as it's mostly a by-product of the NHL in the '80s. What's worse, they made the yoke (and the large stripe at the bottom of the jerseys) black. When sitting right beside the navy blue that takes up the rest of the jersey, there's not a whole lot of difference between the tone of the colours, so really, what's the point as it does nothing to add any interest or contrast to the jersey. And contrast is important. Making the yoke red, white, or even grey, would have been infinitely more interesting. Or, at least, impactful. Other than that, it's a pretty straight-forward jersey. The stripe patterns are relatively simple and consistent, and having a very thin white and red stripe is a solid choice to add some contrast to the jersey. The stars going down the sleeve are a nice touch (and similar to the jerseys for a team that also just got the Worst to First treatment) as it calls on the design of the Ohio state flag, and of course, the Blue Jacket's main logo crest. Collar laces are almost always a good thing, unless they're fake. It's a relatively simple and – because of that – a boring design for a third jersey, feeling more like a cash grab for jersey sales rather than an actual good addition to the can(n)on (get it, double entendre?) of Blue Jacket's jerseys. And this complete missed opportunity is the main reason it's ranked last on the list. Design is not just about design, but also partly about the context around the design. Context is everything. At least they used the better (and current) logo design, which is still not that great. Jersey Recommendation: #9 Vyborny. One of the few players who could really contribute offensively during this era for the Blue Jackets, and since Columbus was the only NHL team he played for before heading to the KHL, he gets the nod here. Hey, he even outscored Rick Nash for a couple seasons.  





#3. 2000–2007 Home & Away Jerseys
BlueJackets02The Blue Jackets' inaugural jerseys share many of the characteristics of the previously discussed jerseys. For one, there's the straight cuff-to-cuff shoulder yoke on the white jerseys. Just like the third jerseys, it looks like delicious dessert squares: very dated. But for the most part, these are a very safe hockey jersey design: a simple solid striping pattern on the bottoms of the jerseys, with coloured shoulder yokes on the white jerseys with some shoulder patches showing an alternate logo. There's a couple stripes around the collar to match as well. It's a pretty standard traditional jersey, so there's not much to like, or not like, about it. But there's still a couple design elements that do make it more distinctive than a classic jersey, and mostly in a negative way. First, the typefaces used on the jerseys. They're very unique in the league for actually using two completely different typefaces for the numbers and the nameplates. Sometimes, being unique is great. This is one of those times when it's not great. It's not that obvious from the image of the jerseys above, but if you look at this image here, you can see the comparison of the numbers and the letters used on these jerseys. The numbers use a typeface that is serifed (it has small pointed elements coming out of the ends of the numbers) while the letters use a slab-serifed font, where the elements coming out of the ends of the letter are thick and of similar thickness as the rest of the letter. And this typeface is very oddly shaped. That M just looks stupid. But not only that, there's almost no similarities in the structure between the letters and numbers. The easiest way to see it is to compare the number 0 with the letter O. The zero is very rounded, the letter O is very squared, and that shows the underlying structure of all the numbers and letters. And yes, that's a problem, because it shows a lack of identity and clarity in the brand. The third jerseys previously discussed have the exact same problem. Enough geeking out over fonts. The other different element on these jerseys is the very thin half-stripe at the cuff of the jerseys, with the stars in them. It's pretty clear why that element is there, again drawing from the design of the Ohio state flag, but it's small and too subtle. It's one of the elements that their third jersey handled better. Overall, it's a very unoffensive jersey, with a few offensive elements. Jersey Recommendation: #8 Sanderson. These were tough times for the expansion franchise, with a contract rotation of players coming in and out and no real stars. But Sanderson stuck around for parts of 5 seasons during this era and was one of the first Blue Jackets ever, taken during the 2000 Expansion Draft. Get it in the white jersey. 





2. 2007–present Home & Away JerseysBlueJackets06Their current primary jerseys are basically a slight re-working of their original jerseys. Some elements have changed slightly, but they took advantage of the introduction of the Reebok Edge jerseys to modernize the design, mostly in positive ways. The cuff-to-cuff shoulder yokes are still there, and also added to the blue jerseys, but they've been given a slight wave to them making them look more modern. The thin striping around the yokes is a great subtle addition to the jersey as well. It was one of the few things that worked on the third jersey already discussed and it works here too. Those thin stripes are also mimicked at the cuffs and along the bottom of jersey, creating a more consistent design that works with the new lines on the Edge jerseys. The star on the sleeve is still there, but it's been reduced to one star and the design is a combination of the previous two jerseys discussed, which makes it more subtle than the third jerseys, but less subtle than the original jerseys. Which becomes the best handling of it yet. You can see it better here. Overall, the jerseys are straight-forward and minimal, like their original ones, but with a more unique and modern approach. Now, about those typefaces (still) being used… Jersey Recommendation: #61 Nash. Okay, maybe he's not so popular in Columbus these days since jumping ship for the Rangers, but he's easily the best player to ever wear a Columbus jersey, holding most of the franchise's offensive records. Get it in the home blues.  





1. 2010–present Third Jerseys
BlueJackets10Remember how the original third jerseys represented a completely missed opportunity? Columbus' second stab at a third jersey represents the exact opposite. They took advantage of the third jersey format to create a jersey that further established the Blue Jackets' historical identity and looked more like an honest attempt at creating something unique and less like a jersey cash grab. Heritage jerseys are all rage these days because of both the Winter Classic and Heritage Classic jersey designs. Columbus, based on their name and chosen identity, is one of the few teams in the league that can actually lay claim to a heritage jersey, and they go full throttle with it here. The creamy off-white automatically makes it look historical. The striping patterns are super-duper-stripey, which is also historical if you look at hockey jerseys from the 1930s. At least it's consistent across the whole jerseys, on the sleeves and along the bottom. The shoulder yokes are simple and classic. And there's laces, which are always a good thing. Again, unless they're fake. Using just two tones of blue (and removing red from the equation altogether) makes it look deceiving simple as well, adding just enough visual interest to keep it from being boring. Being named the Blue Jackets, it also just makes sense. But the real star here is the alternate logo, which is one of the best in the league. It's way too complex and ornate to be used as a primary logo, but as an alternate, it's awesome, using the retro-historical look that's trendy right now, and also being copied by other teams around the league (I'm looking at you Minnesota and St Louis). And using a cannon is both historical and connected to the cannon blast that goes off in the arena. It establishes a brand that Columbus can be proud of. This jersey marks the first time that Columbus actually used a different font for the numbers, one that is at least slab-serifed and more closely matches the font on the nameplates. It's still a mis-step as there's nothing really historical about the typeface at all, making it look more digital and modern. But at least it's a little closer to the other typeface. This is easily Columbus' best jersey and one of the best third jerseys in the entire league as well. Jersey Recommendation: #27 Murray. Celebrate the Blue Jackets' historical jerseys with their future star on defense. By all accounts, he should be a stud and leader on the team in the future.  




We Need Your HelpColumbus-posterWhat do you think is the biggest goal scored in Blue Jackets' history? Or, what's the most memorable play-by-play call made for a big Blue Jackets goal? Let us know in the comments below and it could be epitomized as a poster similar to these ones, available at the Hockey By Design store. Also, now available at the store, made specifically for this post, is a Blue Jackets entry into the Vintage posters series, pictured here. You can buy yourself one right here.

Dallas Stars Coach Lindy Ruff Makes Gutsy Calls In Loss To Columbus Blue Jackets

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Lindy Ruff shows he's focused on the long game rather than the short game in last night's loss to Columbus.

One thing I think all Dallas Stars fans can agree on this morning is that coach Lindy Ruff has some nerves of steel.

Had Dallas won last night, that would have set the Stars up to be able to clinch with a regulation loss by Phoenix tonight and relieve the pressure of a "win-and-in" scenario in the desert on Sunday. They were playing a desperate Columbus Blue Jackets team that could clinch their own playoff spot last night with a win. Both teams had a lot on the line.

So of course Tim Thomas would start this game.

I'm pretty sure every Stars fan scratched their collective heads with the starting of Thomas in net. Surely you would ride your starting goaltender until you clinched, right?

Then I thought about it. It made perfect sense for Thomas to go last night.

A) It's the second half of a back-to-back and the team's fourth game in five nights.
B) Kari Lehtonen started the previous three games.
C) You get the St Louis Blues (a potential first round opponent?) on your home ice the last night of the regular season.
D) You have to play the Phoenix Coyotes on Sunday, quite possibly THE biggest game of the season.

Lehtonen needed the rest; he didn't look the sharpest in his last outing as the game flagged on. So instead of risking the starter getting injured after playing so much in the last week, Ruff went with the logical choice instead of relying completely on Lehtonen down the stretch.

That takes some nerves of steel. Less experienced coaches may have been more reluctant to start the backup with the pressure to make the playoffs and every point needed to achieve that goal.

Ruff has been here before, though. He knew where his team was last night. He also knows they have two big games coming up and that Lehtonen couldn't play in six games in nine nights at the level he needs to play at for the Stars. This was the perfect time to get him rested. The night off last night gives Lehtonen two days without playing before they host St Louis at home, and then he gets a night off before Phoenix.

They're focused on the long game instead of the short gain. That's what an experienced coach brings to the table. It's a perfect focus for a young team in Dallas on the cusp of ending this forsaken playoff-less streak.

His coaching last night was so much more than just the decision on starting goaltender, however.

The team had nothing going the first two periods of the game, and yet somehow they came out in the third with a fire lit under them. The decision to pull the goaltender on the powerplay about midway through the third was not something I've seen here in Dallas in a long time. It was a gamble that had little-to-no risk but a high reward. The reward being that you get your power play (which has been struggling with a capital S lately) on the board and give you some momentum in the game.

It worked like a charm. The Stars scored and the building erupted. The crowd got really into the game at that time (really there wasn't much to cheer after the first so the team and building both were lacking energy). It felt like a playoff game. You could see the change in the Stars demeanor. They started to play their game again. Sure, they fell short of tying things up and getting a point. But if they can play like they did in the third period on any given night this team will make some noise.

That's the biggest thing Ruff's coaching gave this team last night -- the lesson that, when things get down, you can dig deeper and find that little extra and you'll get success from it.

Fresh Links: Takin' Care of Business Edition

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We'll likely see Ryan Spooner in action tonight.

The Bruins are looking to take care of business against the Winnipeg Jets tonight at 8pm.

  • Ryan Spooner was recalled as Chris Kelly is injured, and there were other injury uppdates. The Jets completed a grueling practice. [BostonHerald]
  • The Carl Söderberg fans now see on ice is the one that Peter Chiarelli projected despite Söderberg's initial struggles to adapt to the NHL and his new team. [ESPN]
  • Torey Krug has relied on intelligence and adaptability for his success on defense, as he proved this season that he was not just a one-hit wonder from last season's playoffs. [Boston,CBSLocal]
  • The Bruins were able to learn a lot from the loss in Minnesota, not all of it was pleasant, and it will shape their lineup in the playoffs. [HockeyBuzz]
  • Andy Brickley shared a few opinions on the Bruins defensive corps, who should be in, who is likely out, and why the Bruins should be cautious IF Dennis Seidenberg is cleared to play. [NESN]
  • Got Awards? Take #1: Tuukka Rask is frontrunner for the Vezina Trophy. [NHL]
  • Got Awards? Take #2: An informal poll of coaches sees the above, with Patrice Bergeron raising the Selke Trophy in addition. Zdeno Chara will likely be a Norris Trophy nominee, and Claude Julien and Torey Krug may get nods as well. [NESN]
  • Playoff Picture: As of today, it is looking like the Bruins will face either the Blue Jackets or Red Wings in the first round. [MassLive]
  • Hey Rhode Island fans- now you can now have Boston Bruins license plates for your cars! [Coventry.Patch]
  • New Balance's #LoveBoston campaign features a few familiar faces around Boston... [YouTube]

Elsewhere around the rink:

  • MOAR COWBELL! Enjoy an all-Winnipeg musical interlude, starting with the late guitar virtuoso Lenny Breau, (Video, 3:59) [YouTube] his onetime student Randy Bachman, here with Bachman-Turner Overdrive, (Video, 3:47) [YouTube] and finally Burton Cummings with the Guess Who. (Video, 3:29) [YouTube]
  • As for the rest of the Eastern Conference, here's a look at how the playoffs are shaping up. [SBNation]
  • Coaching is an art, and one available coaching tool is emotional manipulation. [BackhandShelf]
  • Why the eyeball test can be deceiving: A cautionary tale. [mc79hockey]
  • While we're at it, as we approach the playoffs, be cautious of "narrative." [BlackDogHatesSkunks]
  • C'mon, Ref! For a nice change of pace, Kerry Fraser reminisces about meeting Teemu Selanne, and a prank Teemu's twin brother Paavo pulled on him. [TSN]
  • Remember Team Latvia's surprising goalie? The injury to Ben Bishop has resulted in Kristers Gudlevskis being called up from the Syracuse Crunch. [Syracuse.com]
  • The Halifax Mooseheads presented an amazing, if trippy, pregame show. (With video, 3:31) [PuckDaddy]
  • Brooks Laich teaches gentlemen five key social and life skills. (Video, 4:02) [YouTube]
  • Andrew Raycroft is s calling it a career. (In Swedish) [umeåtidning]

After Dallas Stars Make-up Game Against Columbus Blue Jackets, Nearly $2,500 Pledged To AED Fundraiser

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With the game pledges added up, the DBD readers and friends of the blog have pledged enough to donate at least one AED to a place in the Metroplex.

So the Dallas Stars game didn't quite go last night as most in the Defending Big D community were hoping, though despite that result they will control their own destiny in the playoff race until the clock runs out at the end of Sunday's game.

But I have a little bit of good, if not quite hockey-related news to come out of Wednesday night.

With the game pledges tallied and e-mails sent to participants, the DBD community and friends of the blog have combined to raised about $2,500 for Living for Zachary, funds that will be earmarked for the purchase of automatic external defibrillators to be donated to Dallas-area facilities that work with youth.

That breaks down to an astounding $2,125 already donated and another $375 or so in money that was committed based on the results and statistics in last night's game. While the 3-1 loss wasn't the result the Stars were looking for on the scoreboard, it was a good night in the bigger picture.

Considering an AED costs approximately $2,000 to donate, we have already covered our initial goal of being able to donate one and are well on the way to covering at least part of the cost of a second.

If you thought you made a game pledge but did not receive an e-mail from me last night, please comment or contact me on Twitter - as far as I know, all of the notices of donation amounts have been sent.

Also, if you somehow haven't heard about the fundraiser yet and are interested in either donating or just finding out what it's all about, we have a whole post for you here. Obviously the time has past to make a pledge based on the game, but the donations page will remain open until late on the evening of April 19th.

Thank you all so much again for making this fundraiser a success, and a special thanks to our friends from Stanley Cup of Chowder, The Cannon, PensBurgh, Arctic Ice Hockey and On the Forecheck for all jumping on board as well.

The Jackets Are In The Playoffs! - Random Musings

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Somewhere in my brain, I think there might be a coherent, long-winded reflective post about the Jackets making it back to the playoffs two years after a complete implosion. But, I just haven't gotten there yet.

Last night had its share of tense moments in the third period. Despite the 3-0 lead, I kept remembering how they'd led 3-0 against the Stars earlier in the season, only to see Dallas come roaring back in the third period and get it 3-2 and continue to hammer away.

Once the Jackets got under 30 seconds, each passing second lifted the vise-grip from my fragile nerves, as my brain subconsciously did the math of how likely it would actually be for a team to score two goals in 30... 29... 28... 27...

Amidst the mess of jubilation in the Game Thread, my brain started to try to latch on to some semblance of a thread to really expound upon for this team. But, the emotion of seeing this franchise--all but left for dead nationally two years ago--punching their ticket to the post-season was too much. I couldn't hold onto any one thought long enough to really come up with a cogent take to write a longer piece about.

So, here, instead, is my list of random threads and chunks of worthless information. Call it Playoff Stew; it's a recap of all the things that passed through my head.

  • I have a picture frame up in my office here at home with pictures of the opening face-offs from the two playoff games in Nationwide from 2009. I created this cool frame that says: "Columbus Blue Jackets - First Home Playoff Games in Franchise History". I made it in 2009 thinking that, someday, it'd be this cool thing I could show my kids, who by then would have been so used to playoff hockey that they might think it amazing to realize there was a day where my wife and I went to the arena, and it was the first time. Little did I know when I made that frame that the dates--also emblazoned on the frame--of April 21, 2009 and April 23, 2009 would signify the LAST time the Jackets would be in the playoffs until this day. At the moment the horn sounded last night to clinch it for Columbus, April 23, 2009 was 1,812 days ago.
  • Also of note: guess how many current Blue Jackets were on the roster 1,812 days ago for those playoffs. If you guessed THREE players (Jared Boll, Derek MacKenzie, and R.J. Umberger), you were right.
  • When the Jackets lost to the Islanders on Sunday, March 23, I wrote them off. The other writers can tell you that, on our e-mail thread that afternoon, I has basically thrown in the playoff towel. Emotions were running high. Matt was the voice of reason, noting that the Detroit game the following Tuesday was key. Since that loss to the Islanders, the Jackets have gone 6-2-1, good for 13 points in 9 games, and good enough to punch their ticket.
  • Jeff Carter was traded on February 23, 2012. Since that day, the Columbus Blue Jackets have gone 77-59-14, while essentially remaking their entire roster. I'm not a big proponent of karma, but I AM a big proponent of culture change. The day Carter was sent packing was, in my eyes, the very first step toward getting to where the Jackets are today.
  • Speaking of culture, do you remember when the Jackets tried to inject Ethan Moreau and Chris Clark into an existing hierarchy of leaders and expected them to "fix" the culture? This isn't a knock on Moreau or Clark, who are both fantastic guys from everything I know about them. But, their task was impossible in that regard. What this team has taught us the last two years is that leadership isn't something you can buy or manufacture; it just has to be there. Slapping a "C" on someone's sweater just because it's what you're supposed to do doesn't make that person a leader, and it's one reason this club has thrived without a Captain and may continue to play without one for awhile. Aristotle once famously said some representation of the line: "Good habits formed at youth make all the difference." With such a young team now, I truly believe we are seeing the manifestation of that belief.
  • Columbus has two games left to play, and set the following records last night: most wins in a season (42), and most goals in a season (221). They have two games to grab two points and set the all-time franchise mark for points in season (currently 92).
  • Ryan Johansen now has 60 points on the season. It's been three years since a Jacket finished with more than 60 points (Rick Nash, 66 in 2010-2011). Johansen is tied with Nash's goal total from that year at 32, and has a chance to tie or pass Geoff Sanderson for the fourth-most goals in any CBJ season ever (34). Right now he's tied with Rick Nash for sixth-most at 32, and Nash has the fifth-most as well with 33. In fact, other than Sanderson's 34, Nash owns or is tied for the other top five spots on the list. With a goal or two in the final two games, Johansen can climb up that list nicely.
  • More on Johansen - he has 32/28/60 on the season, through 80 games, good for 0.4 g/g and 0.75 p/g. However, in the last 65 of those games, he has 28/24/52, good for 0.43 g/g and 0.8 p/g. Even further down, in his last 57 games, he has 26/21/47, good for 0.46 g/g and 0.82 p/g. I guess what I'm getting at is that Johansen has gotten better... and better... and better... and we're just now finally seeing a glimpse of what his ceiling might be.
  • Speaking of which, the sample size keeps getting bigger and bigger, and thus more and more meaningful. Sergei Bobrovsky has now played in 95 games for the Blue Jackets, and has a 52-31-11 record, a 2.23 gaa, and a.926 sv%. He's already the career leader in both stats, and is third on the list in wins in just two seasons, one of which was shortened by labor strife. At his current pace, he will catch Steve Mason's lead for wins in just over 80 more games played, which would amount to a little over 1.5 full seasons at his current pace of games played. Mason was never as good as Bobrovsky's been over as prolonged a period. Just sayin'.
  • Boone Jenner is just two goals shy of tying the record for goals by a rookie in a season for Columbus (17, held by Nash). He currently sits tied for 6th in goals by a rookie (including being just one behind Chris Kreider, who still qualifies as a rookie somehow). He's also 6th in rookie shooting percentage, and is second in the league among rookies in hits (and tied for 24th overall). I didn't even think he'd last the entire season in the NHL, but he's very quietly put together a solid rookie campaign, and looks to continue to get better.
  • To that end, there are only six players on this roster aged 30 or older, and none over the age of 32: MacKenzie (32), Umberger (31), Nick Schultz (31), Fedor Tyutin (30), James Wisniewski (30), and Curtis McElhinney (30). Conversely, the number of players 25 and under is 11. In other words, this isn't a team at its peak; it's a team just discovering how good it can be, and primed to get better.

All in all, I can only say that, if you'd told me at the moment Rick Nash asked to be traded that this franchise would be in the playoffs just two seasons later with almost an entirely new roster, I don't know how I could have possibly believed you. And now, here we are.

It really is something I just can't trick my brain into holding onto long enough to really, truly reflect on it.

That time will come, and I will enjoy doing so.

But today is a day for celebrating. For putting my feet on my desk for a minute or two every so often, leaning back in my chair, and thinking about how awesome it is that the Blue Jackets are back in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It's a day for looking at those two faceoff photos in that sad, lonely picture frame, for thinking about all of the hills and valleys that have passed from that day to this one, and smiling because the journey was so totally worth it.


Game 80 recap: Lightning beat Flyers, gain ground in pursuit of home ice

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The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 and also got some unexpected help from the New York Islanders to creep within a single point of the Canadiens in the quest for home ice in the opening round of the playoffs.

The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 at the Tampa Bay Times Forum Thursday night.

A pair of playoff-bound teams, both desperately trying to secure favorable berths, met up tonight in downtown Tampa. As if that wasn't dramatric enough, there was an added element of some out-of-town scoreboard watching during the penultimate regular season home game at the Forum. While the Lightning were taking care of business on the ice in Florida, about 1,500 miles away, the New York Islanders (of all unlikely allies) were shutting out the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. As a result, the Lightning now trail the Canadiens by a single point with a game in hand. This morning, the Bolts' prospects of catching and passing Montreal looked bleak and now they actually control their own destiny.

"Naturally you would like to have everything in your control. I suppose right now we do have it in our control but we can't look at it. We have two games left and Columbus in less than 24 hours. If we do win out then home ice comes our way. But more importantly, we are looking at how we are playing." - Lightning head coach Jon Cooper

Right. So let's talk about how the Lightning played tonight, shall we?

This was a physical contest throughout and the Lightning actually jumped out to the early lead when Tyler Johnson scored on assists from Steven Stamkos and Michael Kostka at the 2:00 mark.

Johnson's goal was his 24th of the season, breaking the Lightning record for rookies previously held by Stamkos.

The 1-0 lead held into the first intermission.

Goaltender Anders Lindback, making his second consecutive start with Ben Bishop injured, may have been even better tonight than he was Tuesday when the Lightning shut out Toronto. He was definitely called on to make more spectacular, highlight-reel stops.

"Well, he's been in this league for a while. Ben Bishop has played the load for us this year and Lindback has learned to turn the page and understand that he just has to make the next save. I look at this as a great opportunity for him and he is seizing the moment." - Cooper

Still, with Philadelphia applying pressure and occupying huge chunks of time in the offensive zone, it was pretty apparent that one goal wasn't going to settle this one.

The Flyers tied the game at 18:39 of the second on a power play goal from Wayne Simmonds, getting assists from Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek.

The teams were tied entering the final period.

Tampa Bay regained the lead at 4:33 when Richard Panik backhanded his own rebound past Philadelphia goalie Ray Emery. Victor Hedman and Kostka provided assistance.

Just over five minutes later at 9:43, a wrist shot from Eric Brewer found the back of the net, giving the Lightning a two-goal cushion. Johnson and Ondrej Palat had assists on the play.

It looked like the Flyers would cut that lead in half at 11:20 when a huge scrum in the Lightning net and crease found Lindback prone and the puck loose. Fortunately, defender Radko Gudas was able to fill enough of the net to keep the puck out.

Unfortunately, just a minute later, Philadelphia did get that goal when Palat, attempting to deflect a pass, inadvertently steered the puck past Lindback. Sean Couturier was credited with the goal and Mark Streit was tagged with an assist.

At 14:14, the Lightning posted an insurance marker when Stamkos scored a power play goal, with Valtteri Filppula and Hedman offering helpers, before sweating out the final few minutes..

The Lightning's quest for home ice against Montreal resumes tomorrow when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets, another playoff-bound team fighting for favorable placement in the tournament, in their final home game of the regular season.

"That's what we have been striving for so we can't get ahead of ourselves. We know how big home ice is and how great our fans are so that is something we are really excited to go into here and get back at it tomorrow." - Anders Lindback

Okay, so here are the various simple (ie: not resorting to tiebreakers) scenarios that would see the Lightning catching and passing Montreal for second place in the division and securing home ice during their first round match-up.

  1. Lightning win both games, giving them 101 points for the season (Montreal can finish with no more than 100).
  2. Lightning win one game and lose one in overtime, giving them 100 points while Montreal loses their final game (Saturday vs the Rangers) to finish with 98 or 99 points.
  3. Lightning win one game, lose one in regulation giving them 99 points. while Montreal loses their last game in regulation to finish with 98 points.
Anything else involves tiebreakers (most of which are currently in Montreal's favor) or the Lightning coming up short.

Game notes:

  • The Lightning conclude the regular season series against Philadelphia with a 3-0-0 mark and a four game winning streak going back to last season.
  • Lindback may not get a lot of playing time but he has actually started the Lightning's last five games against Philadelphia and entered tonight's game with a 2.30 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage in his career versus the Flyers
  • Tonight was Teddy Purcell's 400th NHL game..
  • Ondrej Palat has a five game points-scored streak, tallying three goals and four assists.
  • Former Philadelphia Phillies slugger and baseball hall of famer Mike Schmidt was at the game..
  • The Lightning honored Dr. Stephen Parks as the 40th Lightning Community Hero of the year during the first period of tonight's game. Parks, who received a $50,000 donation from the Lightning Foundation and the Lightning Community Heroes program, will donate the money to the Brandon Outreach Clinic. Dr. Parks has dedicated the last 25 years of his life to making the Tampa area a better and healthier place for those less fortunate. Dr. Parks recognized that there was a need to create a clinic in Brandon where hard-working, low income families and individuals could receive basic medical care. After realizing this need, Dr. Parks founded the Brandon Outreach Clinic. The clinic has provided medical care to patients without health insurance since its opening, providing much-needed health care to those who would not have received assistance any place else. Dr. Parks has been widely recognized for his service to the community. He received the 2002 Key Citizen Award presented by the Brandon Chamber of Commerce, the Service to Mankind Award presented by Sertoma, the Bill Frist HCA Humanitarian Award presented by Brandon Regional Hospital, and the Daughters of the American Revolution Award for Community Service.

Recap: Killer B's ignite to lead Panthers past reeling Maple Leafs

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Rookie Nick Bjugstad notches his first NHL two-goal game in 4-2 Cats win.

Nick Bjugstad snapped out of his scoring funk with two goals and an assist to power the Florida Panthers past the Toronto Maple Leafs last night at the BB&T Center.

The Killer B's line of Bjugstad, Brad Boyes, and Sean Bergenheim finished the game with 7 points and combined for 12 of the Cats' 37 shots on goal.

Brandon Pirri opened the scoring at 6:06 of the first period with a quick wrist shot from the left circle after taking a nice feed from Quinton Howden. Brian Campbell collected the secondary helper on Pirri's 13th goal.

The Buds struck back in the second when Tyler Bozak beat Robert Luongo off the post for his career-high 19th goal of the season to complete a 3-on-2 rush.

Boyes restored the Panthers lead with just 3 seconds remaining in the middle frame with a goal from in tight. Boyes and Bergenheim drew the helpers on Boyes' team-leading 21st goal.

Bjugstad put on a show early in the third period to salt the game away for the Panthers. First, he shrugged off Leafs defender Paul Ranger behind the net and powered his way in front to wrap the biscuit around Drew MacIntyre, who was making his first NHL start. Bergenheim and Boyes picked up the assists on the goal. Then, with the Cats shorthanded a couple minutes later, Big Nick ripped a Tomas Fleischmann centering pass by MacIntyre to put Florida up by three. Colby Robak also received an assist on the play.

Ranger redeemed himself somewhat by completing the scoring at 13:57, but Luongo, who finished with 27 saves, shut the door the rest of the way as the Panthers vaulted themselves past the Edmonton Oilers and into 28th place in the overall NHL standings. Oh, what a night!

Odds & Sods

  • Nick Bjugstad's career-best, three-point outburst gave him the club scoring lead (38 points) with one game to go. The rookie had amassed just 4 points in his last 14 games coming into this one. Can he add two more against Columbus to give the Cats a 40-point scorer? Hope so.
  • 30-year-old Toronto goalie Drew MacIntyre finally got his first big-league start, and fittingly, it came in the arena he was drafted in all the way back in 2001, when the Detroit Red Wings selected him in the fourth round.
  • Birthday-boy Brandon Pirri's goal gave him 6 points (4G/2A) in his last 6 outings. Pirri is finishing up the season on a strong note.
  • The Buds dropped their sixth straight decision on the road. The last time they won away from the ACC was against Los Angeles on March 13th, back when they thought they were playoff-bound.
  • The return of Roberto Luongo proved once again the Panthers are much more competitive bunch with him between the pipes. Here's looking forward to a full season with Brother Louie in the cage next year.
  • With Toronto out of the playoff chase, Leafs Nation stayed away in large part, and the game drew yet another disappointing crowd to the BB&T Center.
  • The Panthers will be gunning for their 30th win of the season on Saturday night against the Blue Jackets. Personally, I'd like to see them hit this mark. They are already assured of a top four pick in the draft, no matter what happens in the lottery, but could lock in a guarantee of picking in the top three again with a loss and an Edmonton win (or extra time loss) over Vancouver. Maybe they'll claim the lottery prize and get the top pick they "earned" last year.
  • If you feel like licking up some tears of unfathomable sadness, head on over to Pension Plan Puppets, where they should be raining down all offseason.

Game Preview #81 - In, But (Hopefully) Not Done

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The Blue Jackets did what they had to do early in the week, nailing down a playoff spot. Now, with two games to go, there's still some work to be done if they have designs on moving up in the seedings.

Columbus Blue Jackets at Tampa Bay Lightning

April 11, 2014 - 7:30pm EDT
Tampa Bay Times Forum - Tampa, Florida
Radio - WBNS 97.1 - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponents Blog: Raw Charge

Well, this game isn't as important as perhaps originally thought, since the Jackets did their best hero impression on Wednesday night and clinched their first playoff berth since 2009 with a convincing (for most of the game, anyway) win in Dallas.

And then, well, the Flyers go ahead and lose last night to these same Tampa Bay Lightning, and here we are all over again: this game carries some huge weight! Granted, it's no longer playoff life-and-death, but the Flyers exposed a hole in their defense of the third place Metro spot, and the Jackets have a chance to claw their way up the standings.

Standing in their way tonight are the Tampa Bay Lightning, playing the second night of a back-to-back (man, do we know that feeling, or what?), having played the aforementioned Flyers yesterday evening. They, too, suddenly have a bit more to play for, with Montreal gagging last night against the Isles. Home ice in that playoff series is suddenly very much up for grabs. The Lightning, no doubt, would like to take it.

For the Jackets, Sergei Bobrovsky will get the night off after a string of starts number six (in nine days). Well-deserved, in my opinion. CMac gets the start, and Bob will presumably go tomorrow night in South Florida, especially assuming that game still has some big meaning in the standings.

Columbus has beaten the Lightning twice in two tries already this season, and head coach Jon Cooper referred to the Jackets as "a pain in the ass". Thanks for noticing, Coop! All of that said, the difference tonight is that those two games were in Columbus, and Steven Stamkos didn't play in either of them. Ya know, the guy who has 25 goals in 35 games this season. Over a full season, that would be, umm... carry the one... a lot of [bleep]ing goals (58 or 59, depending on how you round your decimals).

That said, Ben Bishop is also out, which means (most likely) that Anders Linback will get his second straight start, and third appearance in four nights. Lindback played well last night against Philly, and kept Bishop's shutout intact on Tuesday against the Leafs (thanks for that, BTW), but for the season has really not been all that great, sporting a 3.05 gaa and .888 sv%. The Jackets beat Lindback 3-2 back in January.

As for the Jackets' lines, who the hell knows? No word out of morning skate at this point in the day, so I'm just going to throw some darts and see what comes out in the table below.

It's going to be kinda cool, actually. Both teams with something to play for, but not so desperate as to cause liver damage in their fan-bases... I can get on board for that. Meaningful regular season hockey that doesn't carry the weight or agony of missing the playoffs. I could get used to this!

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(42-31-7, 91 Points; 4th division, 7th conference)

Boone JennerRyan JohansenBlake Comeau
Matt CalvertBrandon DubinskyCam Atkinson
Jack SkilleArtem AnisimovMark Letestu
Corey TroppDerek MacKenzieJared Boll
Fedor TyutinJack Johnson
Ryan MurrayJames Wisniewski
Nick SchultzDavid Savard
Curtis McElhinney
Sergei Bobrovsky

Tampa Bay Lightning
(44-27-9, 97 Points; 3rd Division, 4th Conference)

Ondrej PalatSteven StamkosTyler Johnson
Alex KillornValtteri FilppulaRyan Callahan
J.T. BrownTom PyattNikita Kucherov
Richard PanikNate ThompsonTeddy Purcell
Matt CarleRadko Gudas
Victor HedmanAndrej Sustr
Eric BrewerMike Kostka
Anders Lindback
Kristers Gudlevskis

Season Series

12/03/13 - Tampa Bay 0 at Columbus 1
01/13/14 - Tampa Bay 2 at Columbus 3
04/11/14 - Columbus at Tampa Bay

Head to Head Stats

Tampa Bay
Columbus
2.86 (8)GPG2.76 (12)
2.59 (12)GAPG2.60 (14)
18.4% (13)PP%18.8% (12)
80.8% (22)PK%82.0% (15)
Valtteri Filppula / Steven Stamkos, 25*G leaderRyan Johansen, 32
Victor Hedman, 42A leaderJames Wisniewski, 43
Valtteri Filppula / Ondrej Palat, 58*Pts leaderRyan Johansen, 60
Radko Gudas, 152PIM leaderBrandon Dubinsky / Nick Foligno, 96
24-10-6Home/Road20-16-3
4/10 vs. Philadelphia, W 4-2Last Game4/9 @ Dallas, W 3-1
5-3-2Last 106-3-1

*Martin St. Louis actually had 29 goals and 61 points as a Bolt, but plays for the Rangers now

Game Day #81 - CBJ vs. Lightning

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The Blue Jackets did what they had to do early in the week, nailing down a playoff spot. Now, with two games to go, there's still some work to be done if they have designs on moving up in the seedings.

Columbus Blue Jackets at Tampa Bay Lightning

April 11, 2014 - 7:30pm EDT
Tampa Bay Times Forum - Tampa, Florida
Radio - WBNS 97.1 - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponents Blog: Raw Charge

Well, this game isn't as important as perhaps originally thought, since the Jackets did their best hero impression on Wednesday night and clinched their first playoff berth since 2009 with a convincing (for most of the game, anyway) win in Dallas.

And then, well, the Flyers go ahead and lose last night to these same Tampa Bay Lightning, and here we are all over again: this game carries some huge weight! Granted, it's no longer playoff life-and-death, but the Flyers exposed a hole in their defense of the third place Metro spot, and the Jackets have a chance to claw their way up the standings.

Standing in their way tonight are the Tampa Bay Lightning, playing the second night of a back-to-back (man, do we know that feeling, or what?), having played the aforementioned Flyers yesterday evening. They, too, suddenly have a bit more to play for, with Montreal gagging last night against the Isles. Home ice in that playoff series is suddenly very much up for grabs. The Lightning, no doubt, would like to take it.

For the Jackets, Sergei Bobrovsky will get the night off after a string of starts number six (in nine days). Well-deserved, in my opinion. CMac gets the start, and Bob will presumably go tomorrow night in South Florida, especially assuming that game still has some big meaning in the standings.

Columbus has beaten the Lightning twice in two tries already this season, and head coach Jon Cooper referred to the Jackets as "a pain in the ass". Thanks for noticing, Coop! All of that said, the difference tonight is that those two games were in Columbus, and Steven Stamkos didn't play in either of them. Ya know, the guy who has 25 goals in 35 games this season. Over a full season, that would be, umm... carry the one... a lot of [bleep]ing goals (58 or 59, depending on how you round your decimals).

That said, Ben Bishop is also out, which means (most likely) that Anders Linback will get his second straight start, and third appearance in four nights. Lindback played well last night against Philly, and kept Bishop's shutout intact on Tuesday against the Leafs (thanks for that, BTW), but for the season has really not been all that great, sporting a 3.05 gaa and .888 sv%. The Jackets beat Lindback 3-2 back in January.

As for the Jackets' lines, who the hell knows? No word out of morning skate at this point in the day, so I'm just going to throw some darts and see what comes out in the table below.

It's going to be kinda cool, actually. Both teams with something to play for, but not so desperate as to cause liver damage in their fan-bases... I can get on board for that. Meaningful regular season hockey that doesn't carry the weight or agony of missing the playoffs. I could get used to this!

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(42-31-7, 91 Points; 4th division, 7th conference)

Boone JennerRyan JohansenBlake Comeau
Matt CalvertBrandon DubinskyCam Atkinson
Jack SkilleArtem AnisimovMark Letestu
Corey TroppDerek MacKenzieJared Boll
Fedor TyutinJack Johnson
Ryan MurrayJames Wisniewski
Nick SchultzDavid Savard
Curtis McElhinney
Sergei Bobrovsky

Tampa Bay Lightning
(44-27-9, 97 Points; 3rd Division, 4th Conference)

Ondrej PalatSteven StamkosTyler Johnson
Alex KillornValtteri FilppulaRyan Callahan
J.T. BrownTom PyattNikita Kucherov
Richard PanikNate ThompsonTeddy Purcell
Matt CarleRadko Gudas
Victor HedmanAndrej Sustr
Eric BrewerMike Kostka
Anders Lindback
Kristers Gudlevskis

Season Series

12/03/13 - Tampa Bay 0 at Columbus 1
01/13/14 - Tampa Bay 2 at Columbus 3
04/11/14 - Columbus at Tampa Bay

Head to Head Stats

Tampa Bay
Columbus
2.86 (8)GPG2.76 (12)
2.59 (12)GAPG2.60 (14)
18.4% (13)PP%18.8% (12)
80.8% (22)PK%82.0% (15)
Valtteri Filppula / Steven Stamkos, 25*G leaderRyan Johansen, 32
Victor Hedman, 42A leaderJames Wisniewski, 43
Valtteri Filppula / Ondrej Palat, 58*Pts leaderRyan Johansen, 60
Radko Gudas, 152PIM leaderBrandon Dubinsky / Nick Foligno, 96
24-10-6Home/Road20-16-3
4/10 vs. Philadelphia, W 4-2Last Game4/9 @ Dallas, W 3-1
5-3-2Last 106-3-1

*Martin St. Louis actually had 29 goals and 61 points as a Bolt, but plays for the Rangers now

Florida Sunshine -- Playoff Clouds

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Fresh off their clinching victory over the Dallas Stars, the Blue Jackets headed into their regular season ending back-to-back sojourn to the Sunshine State with more than oranges on their minds. Unfortunately, goal-tending . . .at each end . . . would be the difference as the Blue Jackets fell, 3-2.

The Blue Jackets went into Tampa yesterday, knowing a few things. First, they had a playoff slot secured, rendering them perfect in Eastern Conference playoff appearances.  Secondly, they knew that the same Tampa Bay Lightning they faced tonight beat the Philadelphia Flyers last night, putting the 3rd place playoff slot in the Metro firmly in play.  Finally, they knew that they would be soldiering on without forward Nathan Horton for approximately six weeks, as the beleaguered forward had abdominal surgery this morning.  Frankly, this news came as somewhat of a relief, as it largely explains the lack of punch in Horton's game over the past weeks.  Time for Horton to rehabilitate his injuries fully and completely, and come out next season ready to go full throttle from the outset.

Skating Stand-off

This contest was unveiled as a match-up between backup goal-tenders.  Sergei Bobrovsky earned a well-deserved night off for the Blue Jackets, while Tampa Bay selected this evening to debut Kristers Gudlevskis, the Latvian net-minder who wowed observers at the Sochi Olympics.  The 21-year old was making his NHL debut, and has the distinction of having played in Russian Juniors, the Olympics, the KHL and the NHL  . . .in the same season.

Tampa Bay came out with energy and speed, looking to remove any ideas that they were fatigued from their encounter with Philadelphia last evening.  The Bolts put the first three shots on goal, but then Columbus found its legs and began tilting the ice in the other direction.  Though no pucks made it into the nets, the Blue Jackets had the better of the chances, with Boone Jenner and Cam Atkinson each having close-in chances that Gudlevskis managed to stymie.  Predictably, the Tampa Bay defense was collapsing strongly in front of their neophyte goalie, much as a herd of zebra protect the weak and the young.  However, Jenner, Johansen and Anisimov were circling like hyenas, waiting for the weakness to be exposed.  It wasn't during the first, but forty minutes remained.

The Blue Jackets largely did a nice job of protecting the puck, and challenged the Lightning repeatedly in the neutral zone.  That frustrated Tampa, who thrive on the quick transition game.  Columbus did surrender one bad turnover in its own zone, but it came to no harm, as Steven Stamkos missed the net.  McElhinney was solid, if unspectacular, as he faced only eight shots, contrasted to the 14 the Blue Jackets fired in anger.  Columbus earned a single power play, which put four shots on goal and posed a good threat, but did not cash in.

All in all, a good road period that set the stage for more to come.

Right Stage, Wrong Scene

The stage may have been set by the first frame, but not for the Blue Jackets.   From virtually the beginning of the period, Columbus was haunted by that old nemesis . . . the needless penalty.  Columbus took back-to-back-to-back minor penalties (Johnson for elbowing, Dubinsky for slashing, Jenner for holding), which meant that most of the first 6:42 of the period was spent short-handed.  While the PK effectively killed the Johnson & Jenner penalties, they couldn't hold the fort in between.  Tampa took the lead at the 3:55 mark, as the Blue Jackets could not keep the puck on their stick, and Ondrej Palat skittered a wobbler along the ice that bounced off McElhinney's right pad and crept across the line.  Despite the fact that the PK unit should have cleared the puck, this was a softie that Curtis would likely want to have back.

The next ten minutes featured a lot of the same things that we saw in the first.  Up and down skating, some good action, but little in the way of concrete chances.  At the 12:52 mark, the Blue Jackets got their second extra man opportunity when Richard Panik was called for hooking against Jack Skille down low.  The Jackets took possession and put together an impressive display of passing and puck control, surrendering only a brief foray outside the zone.  Less than a minute into the power play, Ryan Johansen took the puck and sent it across to Jack Johnson on the left wing.  Johnson, in turn, zipped the puck toward the net, but found Boone Jenner instead.  Jenner deflected the puck perfectly, and Gudlevskis never had a chance.  Tie game.  Briefly.

Just a minute of clock time later, Eric Brewer took the puck down the left side, and sent a point shot on net.  Nothing particularly evil about it, just a good, hard shot.  No screen.  No tip.  But it found the far corner, as McElhinney had come out, but inexplicably had his hands and arms pinned to his sides.  No glove or blocker attempt, just a shrug of the shoulders, which failed to stop the puck.  2 - 1 Lightning, and keep that name Brewer in your memory.

Fast forward to the 18:06 mark. Brewer again comes down the left wing, and lets loose another shot.  A reasonable strategy, given the success on his last shot.  This one found McElhinney's right shoulder, bounced in a lazy, high arc over his head, landing just shy of the goal line, then creeping into the net.  3 -1.  Enough said.

Truly, the Blue Jackets were not as sharp as they might have been, but they also did not play as badly as the score suggests.  Despite playing a big chunk of the period short-handed, Columbus outshot the Lightning 13-11 in the period.  Through two periods, they led in face-offs, shots and takeaways, and had only one giveaway. They were batting .500 on the power play, and were skating easily with the quick Lightning.  Yet, they trailed on the scoreboard.  That's hockey, and a big uphill battle was in front of them if they hoped to gain ground on Philadelphia.

Close . . . But No Cigar

The Blue Jackets came out for the third, knowing that they needed to put some heat on the young Latvian . . .and keep the heat off of Curtis McElhinney.  They accomplished both, but could not bridge the full deficit.

Officially, the Blue Jackets put 11 shots on net in the third, to only three for the Lightning, but that does not begin to tell the tale.  The bulk of Tampa's 19 blocked shots came in the final stanza, as the entire Lightning squad seemed to be within a foot of the blue paint.  Accordingly, second chances were few and far between.  Still, the Blue Jackets tenaciously persisted with the fundamentals -- getting the puck deep, challenging at the blue line, winning battles in the corners.  In short, they were giving themselves a chance.

The officials, who had been inconsistent during the first two frames in terms of the level of transgression required to merit a whistle, apparently left the whistles in the locker room after the second, as nary a penalty was called in the final period, save for mutual roughing calls to Corey Tropp and Richard Panik at the 2:51 mark (Panik's was a double minor).  To be sure, there were penalties committed, just not called.  To be fair, however, the omissions fell both ways.  It made for a lot of flow and action, which is part of what makes playoff hockey so exciting, provided that dangerous fouls earn box time.

Finally, just when hope appeared to have irrevocably faded, the Blue Jackets scored.  After another prolonged period of possession in the Tampa zone, Boone Jenner floated a perfect pass to David Savard between the circles.  Savard cleanly beat Gudlevskis, and the margin was one.  It was somewhat ironic that Savard would notch the goal, as he had been struggling all game to that point -- getting trapped with the puck, making passes to nowhere ----- generally seeming unnerved. His play had been generally good, so the drop-off was perhaps more noticeable than it otherwise might have been.

Unfortunately, it was too little, too late.  Columbus pulled McElhinney and kept the puck largely in the Tampa zone.  The phalanx of defenders provided no shooting lanes, however, and the Lightning were content to simply engage in serial icing. When the horn sounded, the Blue Jackets had put 38 shots on net (contrasted with 22 for Tampa) and had another 30 that were either blocked or missed.  It was simply one of those nights.

Post Mortem

It would be easy to write this one off to a post-clinch letdown, except that the Blue Jackets did not play bad hockey . . . at all.  They skated, they swarmed and were responsible in all three zones.  Sure, there were periodic lapses, but this is a very good team on the other side of the ice, and they will force some bad plays.

Ultimately, I have to lay this one at McElhinney's feet.  He looked like a fish out of water most of the night, surrendered some bad rebounds that his defense managed to clear, and allowed three goals that really should not have gone in.  That happens, and there was no doubt Bobrovsky needed the rest.  I frankly expected McElhinney to start in Dallas, where he would benefit by a one-goal lead, but Richards apparently had other ideas.  Given the way Bobrovsky has played, it's tough to second guess that strategy.  Go with your best and nail the playoff slot down before the other teams have hope.  Hey, it worked.

The two stars of the evening, in my book, were Boone Jenner and Jack Skille.  There was no quit in either one of them, and Jenner showed much more finesse and puck handling than he has before.  His game is rounding out at an alarmingly fast pace, and it could not be coming at a better time.  Skille has impressed me every time he's been up.  Keep in mind that he is a first round draft pick, and has plenty of skill.  He has demonstrated that he can perform when put in a position to succeed, and tonight was no exception.  Richards needs to find a role for him when Foligno and Umberger return, even (especially?) if Mr. Boll has to sit.

Carolina defeated the Red Wings, 2 - 1, so there was no change to the playoff picture.  Philadelphia plays Pittsburgh tomorrow afternoon, and if the Penguins can win that one, the Blue Jackets will take the ice with a simple mission -- earn as many points as possible.  If Columbus wins, Philadelphia must beat Carolina on Sunday.   Again, it all depends on tomorrow's Pittsburgh game.  If Philly beats the Penguins, they have the third slot.  We'll know the story by the time the puck drops in Miami.

Whatever the situation, this is precisely where we all hoped things would be at this point in the season -- navigating the specific playoff slot, not sitting on the outside looking in.  The Blue Jackets are playing well, will hopefully get their walking wounded back soon, and have elite goal-tending.  That's a recipe for success, no matter who you play.

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