The Tampa Bay Lightning suffered a myriad of injuries in holding off the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 in the NHL debut of goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis. In the process, they passed the Montreal Canadiens to take over second place in the Atlantic Division.

The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 at the Tampa Bay Times Forum Friday night.

The victory yields the two points the Lightning needed to overtake the Montreal Canadiens for second place in the Atlantic Division in the quest to secure home ice in their first-round playoff series next week, at least for now, but the Lightning might feel like it was more like surviving than winning. Entering the game without the services of defenseman Sami Salo and goaltender Ben Bishop, the Lightning would also find themselves without forwards Valtteri Filppula (lower body injury) and Teddy Purcell (flu) at faceoff. By the time the game ended, defenseman Victor Hedman and forward Ondrej Palat would also be unavailable. At the same time, goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis and forward Cedric Paquette, both freshly called up from the Syracuse Crunch, made their NHL debuts.

"I don't know if you can ever fully prepare for injuries. The way you prepare for this is to bring guys up like Paquette and throw him in some games. We bring guys up who we feel are going to help our team win. There's a potential that these guys could get into the playoffs and help us." - Cooper

Gudlevskis, who drew worldwide attention with his performance for Latvia versus Canada in the winter Olympics, did not disappoint in his history-making debut. He turned away 36 of the 38 shots he faced in becoming the first goaltender to ever play in the East Coast Hockey League, American Hockey League, Olympics and the National Hockey League in the same season.

"If Gudlevskis needed to play, we didn't want his first game to be a playoff game. We wanted him to feel the environment, get this out of the way, and he was up to the task. He was outstanding." - Cooper

His teammates did their best to assist, keeping Columbus from registering a shot until nearly six and a half minutes had been played, although they would go on to outshoot the Lightning 38-22.

After three shifts, Hedman left the game with what was classified as a "lower body injury". At the time, his return was deemed "questionable".

The first period ended with the teams tied at zero.

The Lightning got on the board at 3:55 of the second when Palat converted on the power play, getting an assist from Alex Killorn

A little more than ten minutes later, it was Columbus' turn to cash in on the power play with Bone Jenner scoring with help from Jack Johnson and Ryan Johansen.

Just over a minute later, the Lightning regained the lead at 14:54 with Eric Brewer's wrist shot getting past Blue Jackets netminder Curtis McElhinney. Paquette was credited with the assist, his first point in the NHL.

The Lightning stretched the lead to two at 18:06 when Brewer scored what would be the eventual game winner, this time assisted by Michael Kostka.and Richard Panik.

The score was 3-1 Lightning at the end of two periods.

Columbus dialed up the physical play and cut the lead in half at 16:37 when David Savard scored, getting help from Jenner and Blake Comeau.

That was as close as they got as the Lightning successfully fought off the late charge, including a nerve-wracking fonal 45 seconds when shots at the Blue Jackets empty net turned into icing calls.

"This was as entertaining of a hockey game as we have seen in a while. It had everything and it was very playoff-esque. We were a little bit under siege there in the third period but we didn't give up a ton of chances. And when we did, Gudlevskis was there. Ultimately, we got three and when you only give up two, it really increases your odds of winning." - Cooper

The Lightning will head out on the road for their final regular season game at Washington on Sunday. An announcement regarding the playoff schedule will not be made until that day at the earliest and the Lightning are not expected to play, either home or at Montreal, before Wednesday, the 16th,

Game notes:

• The Lightning finish the season series against Columbus with a 1-2-0 record. Prior to tonight's game, only Hedman and Kilorn had scored against the Blue Jackets this season.
• The Lightning are now 7-1-0 all time at home against the Blue Jackets.
• Palat's points-scored streak is now six games (4 goals, 4 assists).
• For those looking to add to their sweater collections, Gudlevskis is wearing number 37 while Paquette has number 54.
• With this win, the scenarios for locking up home ice get considerably easier. A loss in regulation by the Canadiens tomorrow clinches it for the Lightning. If they manage to salvage a point with a loss in overtime, the Lightning would just need a single point in their game on Sunday. And of course, if the Lightning beat Washington, that will certainly do the job as well.
• The Lightning honored Glen Schubert as the 41st Lightning Community Hero of the year during the first period of tonight's game. Schubert, who received a $50,000 donation from the Lightning Foundation and the Lightning Community Heroes program, will donate the money to Instruments of Change, Ruth Eckerd Hall, and the Boys and Girls Club. Schubert realized the need to bring musical instruction to underfunded schools in the Tampa Bay Area. To fulfill this need, Schubert founded Instruments of Change. In partnership with the Boys and Girls Club, Instruments of Change helped bring piano instruction to more than 150 inner city students. In addition, the elementary band program has brought flute, clarinet, and trumpet lessons to 5th grade classes in local elementary schools. In the past five years, the program has reached over 500 local area students. Schubert has been widely recognized for his service to the community. He, his work, and those he has assisted have had articles and stories about them in the Tampa Bay Times, WFLA.com, and BayNews9.com.
• Once again, it has been an honor, thrill and privilege to serve as your eyes and ears in the press box at the Tampa Bay Times Forum this season. Raw Charge is a community for Lightning fans and we are here for you. That's a responsibility I take very seriously (and if you've seen my lawn, you know I don't take all my responsibilities that seriously). Every year is a combination of ups and downs and we really had some severe mood swings this season. But you know what? All that matters is that we all got through it it together and now we get to prepare for the insanity that is the postseason. That's actually a pretty fair trade, if you ask me. Best of all, It's nice to be able to say "see you next week" instead of "see you in the fall." Thanks, Lightning fans, for making this "job" possible and for letting me be a part of your experience.

The Panthers final game this season is against the playoff-bound Columbus Blue Jackets, winners of six of their last ten games.

After 82 games, the Florida Panthers proved many pundits this season that they were in fact right, that Florida would finish at or near the bottom of the NHL's standings. The Panthers, if they lose against the Blue Jackets tonight, would finish with 66 points, which could be the second-lowest total in the league. The Cats are once again looking at a top three draft selection in the upcoming NHL draft this June, but at this point one would surmise that GM Dale Tallon had hoped not to be in that spot yet again. Regardless, the Cats showed very little organizational progress this season beyond some continued development for the wave of the future, albeit in a losing environment and with two different coaching staffs.

On the other side of the coin are the Columbus Blue Jackets, a team that has seen nearly as much futility as the Florida Panthers. Columbus' fortunes seem to have been turned however, as the continued development of their top picks combined with trades and signings of solid veterans have vaulted the Jackets into a playoff spot in the East. There's no question that the realignment helped Columbus, who would be fighting the Dallas Stars for the final wildcard spot in the West this year. But that's no knock on the Jackets, who have played very well at times this season behind a balanced attack and the excellent goaltending of Sergei Bobrovsky.

This is it folks: the final game of yet another dismal season. Yes, there is much hope for the future in the hands of many of the talented, young players that have passed through the revolving doors of the Florida locker room. However, there is still a ton of work to do here and another offseason, this one marked by wheelbarrows of cash available for Tallon to spend courtesy of new owners Vincent Viola and Doug Cifu, should be the first step towards one of two outcomes: the resurrection of the Florida Panthers, or the timely demise of Tallon as general manager.

Join the LBC Game Thread for the season finale tonight at 7 PM EST, and go congratulate the awesome CBJ fan base at The Cannon on their postseason berth. Enjoy the game, and we'll see you at the lottery... again.

The Jackets are still alive for any of the three possible playoffs spots, provided Philly continues to struggle and, well, provided the Jackets can beat the lowly Panthers.

Columbus Blue Jackets at Florida Panthers

April 12, 2014 - 7:00 pm EDT
BB&T Center - Sunrise, Florida
Radio - WBNS 97.1 - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Litter Box Cats

So, thanks to the Canes beating Detroit last night (and hopefully Philly tomorrow if it matters), and Philly's early game today with the Pens, the Jackets still hold on to the top WC spot and will know if they're still alive for third in the Metro by the time the puck drops. If Philly wins in regulation or overtime, they lock up that third spot. If Philly loses or wins in a shootout, the Jackets still have some life.

But, last night's loss hurt their chances to pass Philly, no doubt.

Before anyone gripes about sitting Bob (and yes, he probably stops at least one or two of those rough goals scored by Tampa last night), I am totally in support of resting him. Catching Philly would be nice, but blowing out your starting goaltender would not. Last night would have been seven games in 11 days for Bob had he played. Instead, there's not much pressure on him tonight and he can (hopefully) tune up for the playoffs.

For the Jackets, no news at the moment about the lineup, with the game last night and thus no morning skate. Frankly, it shouldn't matter. The Panthers are not good, and all that sits between them and golfing/laying on the beach is this one, meaningless game.

The Jackets should dominate them on Special Teams, and frankly should dominate them even strength as well. This is the game you should dominate if you truly want to go into the playoffs on a high note.

Let's get it done, and then let the seeding cards fall where they may.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(42-32-7, 91 Points; 4th division, 7th conference)

Florida Panthers
(29-44-8, 66 Points; 7th Division, 15th Conference)

Season Series

02/01/14 - Florida 1 at Columbus 4
03/01/14 - Florida 3 at Columbus 6
04/12/14 - Columbus at Florida

Head to Head Stats

Good thing he's not retiring after this game.

Since Ed Jovanovski has spent 17 years in the NHL, it was reasonable to assume he would retire after this season. But the Florida Panthers defenseman squashed those rumors last week, saying he intends to play one more season.

It's a good thing he is. Otherwise his NHL career would've ended in unceremonious fashion.

Jovanovski was given a five-minute major for elbowing and a game misconduct on Saturday. Let's just say he violently disagreed with Blue Jackets forward Corey Tropp's hit on him in the first period.

Not very veteran-like, Jovo. Thankfully that's just the end of his season and not his 17-year career.

Poor guy can't catch a break.

It's been a rough season for Roberto Luongo, but things have turned around since being traded from Vancouver to Florida. No more trade rumors, goalie controversies or overly-critical media members to worry about. Everything is just great.

Except that his water bottle sprays in two different directions.

And so the sad tale of Bobby Lu continues.

The Blue Jackets dropped the curtain on the regular season with a 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers, securing the first wildcard slot in the playoffs and a date with the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was an inconsistent effort, but the club now gets some well-deserved rest and healing time, in preparation for it's first visit to the post-season in five years.

The Columbus Blue Jackets did it. They withstood an 82 game schedule, featuring a five game losing streak, an eight game winning streak, some dramatic shifts in levels of performance and enough tension to keep psychologists busy for years.  They ended with a grueling gauntlet of eight games in twelve days -- which they ultimately turned to their advantage, going 5-2-1 over that stretch, clinching the first wild card slot in their inaugural year in the Eastern Conference.   The final installment --  a 3 - 2 victory over a belligerent Florida Panther squad -- seemed an appropriate coda for a symphony that had put the fan base through the emotional wringer.

Guns Blazing

By the time the Blue Jackets took the ice in sunny Miami, they knew that their hopes of gaining the third slot in the Metro had been dashed by virtue of a soft overtime goal of epic proportions allowed by Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury in their game against the Flyers.  That clinched the final automatic berth for Philadelphia, meaning that the contest against the Panthers was to clinch top wild card slot, and a first round draw against those same Penguins.  More on that later.

If the Blue Jackets were disappointed by the developments in Pittsburgh, they did not show it in their performance on the ice.  They came out with speed and tenacity.  Just 47 seconds in, Matt Calvert, Brandon Dubinsky and Cam Atkinson entered the Florida zone three abreast, with speed.  Calvert, on the left wing, forced the play, drawing a delayed penalty in the process.   He then dumped the puck to Dubinsky in the middle, who immediately found Atkinson gliding in toward Roberto Luongo's left post.  Atkinson snuck behind Ed Jovanovski and quickly deflected the puck into the net.  A 1 - 0 lead before the patrons found their seats.  Just the start the club wanted/needed.

Columbus truly dominated virtually the entire first period.  They showed speed and possession, and only some nice saves by Luongo and some missed nets by the Blue Jackets kept it from being a rout.   To be honest, however, the club was a bit schizophrenic, as the cogent effort in the offensive zone was not duplicated in the defensive end.  Columbus welcomed back Nikita Nikitin, but sat Ryan Murray.  The swap was not beneficial, as the Panthers were given far too much time and space in the offensive zone, creating some anxious moments, which Sergei Bobrovsky managed to handle with alacrity in the early going.

After the clubs spent most of the middle portions of the period swapping chances, with the Blue Jackets having the better of the exchange, one of the more bizarre sequences I've witnessed on NHL ice transpired.  With just over three minutes left in the frame, Corey Tropp placed a good solid check on Jovanovski in the corner.  As the play moved down to the Columbus offensive end, Jovanovski apparently lost his mind, as he proceeded to bludgeon Tropp to the ice in between the circles.  The referee's hand went up immediately, so Jovanovski apparently decided to get his money's worth.  He continued the assault, driving Trop head first into the ice.  That triggered a general melee, and when the ice chips cleared, Jovanovski had a five minute major for elbowing, and a game misconduct.  It was the most blatant such event of the night, but there was an element of thuggery to Florida's game, apparently engendered by the belief that the final game would bring no consequences.  That remains to be seen.  At one point, Brandon Dubinsky came out of a corner hit, apparently nursing his hand or wrist, and left the ice and went down the tunnel.  The gulps from the coaching staff could be heard on television, but Dubinsky returned, apparently no worse for the wear.  Whew.

The Blue Jackets have been stellar on the power play of late, and even when they have not tallied, they have been dangerous.  Presented with a five minute, score-at-will opportunity, however, they climbed into their shell and displayed none of the seamless puck handling and movement that had characterized the extra man chances of late.  Halfway through the power play, Cam Atkinson lost possession of the puck up high -- a cardinal sin -- and Vincent Trocheck took the gift and was off to the races.  His backhand effort found the smallest of gaps between Bobrovsky's legs, and the puck trickled through the opening, and into the net.  Tie game on a shorthanded effort -- not one to be proud of, on any level.

Still, the period ended with Columbus holding an 18-9 shot advantage, and 1:26 left in the Jovanovski major.  That had to be good, didn't it?

Guns Holstered

Unfortunately, the second period began inauspiciously, as Columbus did nothing with the remaining portion of the power play.  Feeling generous, they then embarked on a series of gift penalties -- Tyutin for holding at 4:19, Atkinson for tripping at 13:41 and Boll for tripping at 18:00 minutes.  Although the Blue Jackets killed each of these opportunities, the combined momentum from the extra man situations and the successful killing of the Jovanovski major gave Florida palpable energy, and Columbus found itself on its heels for most of the period, as evidenced by the 17-6 shot deficit in the frame.

A perfect storm of mistakes gave the Panthers the lead at the 6:35 mark.  Derek MacKenzie brought the puck up ice with speed, just as Fedor Tyutin exited the penalty box and joined MacKenzie and Letestu in an offensive rush.  However, as the three entered the zone, MacKenzie lost the puck, which caromed off of Tyutin and  directly to the Panthers.  Behind the play, Jack Johnson and Nikita Nikitin were trying to change, and had to reverse course as Brandon Pirri shoveled the puck ahead to Jimmy Hayes for an odd man rush.  Bobrovsky fell for Hayes' eye fake, suggesting pass, and opened up a narrow short side gap, which Hayes found for the go-ahead goal.  Overall sloppiness.

However, the Blue Jackets were quick to respond, as they have done so often this year.  At 8:19, Brad Boyes went off for holding, and the Blue Jackets showed the power play acumen that had eluded them earlier.  In what was undoubtedly the last rush of the extra man situation, Jenner, Johansen and Tyutin entered the zone as a unit, with Letestu trailing.  Jenner dumped the puck to Johansen, then continued right down the middle to the crease, perhaps encroaching a touch in the blue paint, but certainly attracting Luongo's attention.  As Luongo went to cross check the trespasser, he dropped his stick, which may or may not have found its way under Jenner's skate.  Johansen had found the charging Letestu with a laser cross-ice pass, and Letestu wasted no time in beating the distracted Luongo. For his part, Luongo put on a brief emotional protest for goaltender interference, but the officials were having none of it.

So, as the second wore down, it was a tie game, which was frankly better than the Blue Jackets deserved in this frame.  The third period would determine whether Columbus could relax on Sunday, or follow the Detroit scoreboard to see whether they would face Pittsburgh or Boston.

Mission Accomplished

Just as a horse will frequently break into an unanticipated gallop when it catches sight (or sniff) of the barn, the Blue Jackets apparently sensed that some R & R was only twenty minutes away -- if they played their game.  They did just that in the third -- tightening up the defense, providing support in all three zones, and doing the little fundamental things that eventually pay off.  Together, these elements put pressure on a Florida squad that suddenly seemed less interested in engaging and more interested in booking tee times.

Just 4:58 into the final period, Tomas Fleischmann was whistled for tripping against Matt Calvert.  Once again, Columbus relied upon the power play to provide the margin of victory.  Halfway through the power play, Ryan Johansen moved the puck from his position along the left half wall,   up to James Wisniewski at the right point.  Wisniewski faked the point shot, attracting Luongo's full attention, then zipped a perfect pass back to Johansen, who hand inched low to Luongo's right.  Johansen went to his knee to deliver the one-timer, which cleanly beat Luongo for his 33rd goal of the season, and the margin of victory in this one.

True, three-quarters of the final period remained, but the Blue Jackets refused to surrender control.  Bobrovsky made a few nice saves, and the Panthers predictably pulled Luongo for the extra attacker late.  However, Columbus was not about to allow some late game heroics from the opposition in this one, and clamped down tight.  In a fitting climax to the game, the Jackets fired the puck the length of the ice, squarely into the empty net as time expired.  Fractionally too late to count on the scoreboard, but an apt metaphor for their ability to close this one out.

Savoring the Season

The Blue Jackets posted 93 points, 43 wins, 231 goals and a +15 goal differential in the course of the 82 game regular season -- all franchise records.  It's impressive enough as is, but when you consider this is only Year 2 of the "brick by brick" campaign, that Columbus had to deal with more than their fair share of injuries -- including the loss of their top goaltender for a month, and that Nathan Horton could not contribute to the extent anticipated when the year began.  There will be plenty of time to look back at the season and digest all of the fine points . . . when the season is over.

Fortunately, the days to come are not going to be filled with exit interviews and recriminations over what went wrong.  For only the second time in franchise history, the Blue Jackets will be meaningful participants in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  More to the point, while they are certainly underdogs, they are not the sacrificial lambs that many might have thought.  They have balanced scoring -- seven players with 15+ goals, six with 39 points or more, two with 50+ points and Johansen hitting the sixty point threshold.  They have solid goaltending, and a quixotic blend of skill and brawn that tends to make clubs very competitive in the playoffs.

Nobody knows how things will go in the NHL's Second Season.  However, one thing is certain -- you can't make an impact unless you get in the playoffs.  The Blue Jackets have cleared that hurdle, and can now focus on the road ahead. That's just a beautiful thing to say.  Stay tuned.

Cats end their twentieth anniversary season with a thud in 3-2 loss to Columbus.

A season that started off with some degree of promise in Dallas back in October, ended with the Florida Panthers dropping a 3-2 decision to the Columbus Blue Jackets in front of a crowd of 14,241 at the BB&T Center last night.

Ryan Johansen (maybe we should have drafted this kid back in 2010) scored the winning goal on a Columbus power play early in the third period. The goal was Johansen's 33rd, a new best career-best for the 21-year-old.

The Blue Jackets jumped the Cats early, no surprise there, when Cam Atkinson scored just 47 seconds after the opening face-off on a tap-in. Columbus ended up with an 18-9 advantage in shots after the first twenty minutes.

Ed Jovanovski finished his season early by getting tossed at the 16:26 mark for elbowing Corey Tropp in the coconut. The Jovo-Cop racked up an impressive 17 PIM in his not-quite one period on the beat.

The Panthers made the most of Columbus' five-minute major when Vincent Trocheck scored an unassisted shorthanded marker 2:33 later. Trocheck finished with 5 goals and 3 assists in 20 games after being recalled from San Antonio on March 5.

Florida took the lead at 6:35 of the middle frame when Jimmy Hayes bagged his 11th goal by firing home from the right circle. Brandon Pirri and Brian Campbell collected the assists on the even-strength tally..

Mark Letestu even things up a few minutes with a power-play goal set up by Johansen and impressive rookie Boone Jenner. Tomas Fleischmann, who had just a nightmarish season, gave the Jackets the man-advantage with a tripping minor.

Sergei Bobrovsky stopped all nine Panther shots in the third period to make Johansen's game-winner stand up, giving Columbus a franchise-record 43rd win and ending Florida's season on, fittingly, a sour note.

Flotsam & Jetsam

• The Blue Jackets beat the Panthers for the eighth straight time. That number is somewhat surprising as Columbus has been just as bad, for the most part, as Florida during that spell.
• Brandon Pirri finished the season with a five-game scoring streak. Signing Pirri to a new deal should be one of many priorities facing GM Dale Tallon this summer.
• Nick Bjugstad's 38 points set an NHL record (the bad kind) for the lowest amount for a team-scoring leader. That is just downright embarrassing. The Cats must address their scoring woes somehow, some way during the offseason.
• Roberto Luongo finished the game with 35 stops. Luongo went 6-7-1 with a 2.46 GAA and one shutout after the deadline deal from Vancouver. Pretty impressive stuff, considering the depleted lineup playing in front of him. A full season with Louie between the pipes gives me hope for a much better 2014-15 campaign.
• Columbus will be making only their second playoff appearance when they face the Pittsburgh Penguins next week. With the Panthers and Oilers out yet again (sometimes I think I am now paying the price as a fan karmically for all that Oilers glory I got to enjoy back in the 80's), I will be adopting the Blue Jackets as my team for the postseason this year. Troubled markets got to stick together.
• The loss combined with Edmonton's 5-2 win over the Canucks last night, means the Cats (29th overall in NHL) are assured of having either the second or third pick in the upcoming draft, depending on the outcome of Tuesday's lottery.
• For more on last night's season-finale, fire up The Cannon, where things will be much giddier.
• Finally, just wanted to thank everyone for stopping by LBC to contribute or just to read the articles and commentary. It is an absolute pleasure writing for you all. Even though we are sick of hearing this, better days are ahead. I truly believe that.

Let's Do This.

According to Andrew Gross the Rangers will have daily practices starting tomorrow and leading up to the first game of their series against the Flyers on Thursday. The last time these teams met in the postseason was 17 years ago. As we all know, the first two games of the series will be played at Madison Square Garden. Can you believe that we're less than a week away from Rangers playoff hockey?

Some quick notes:

Depth Scoring

We've all been pleased with the noted improvement in the Rangers depth scoring this year. However, the Rangers depth scoring is outmatched by Philadelphia's. They Flyers have seven 20 goal scorers, the Rangers have two. Obviously the Rangers are going to need production from their big names; Stepan, Nash, St. Louis, and Richards, but they are also going to need the Brassard line to continue to mystify the opposition. Playoff heroes are often role players that elevate their games in the playoffs. Look for heart-on-their-sleeve guys like Dominic Moore, Derek Dorsett, and Brian Boyle to elevate their games and play a big role in the series.

Special Teams

A key to the Rangers success in the series will be staying out of the box. The Flyers have the 8th best power play in the league this year (19.5%). The Rangers have the 4th best penalty killing unit in the league (85.3%). Special teams play may very well decide who wins the series. We all know what kind of game the Flyers are known for playing. The Flyers were the second-most penalized team in the league this year and have received more penalty minutes than any other team. The Rangers are going to have to keep their composure and not let the Flyers bully their way into taking over the series.

"One thing is they (the Flyers) have a dangerous power play so discipline is going to be one key.  They've played a certain way to get into the playoffs, they're not going to change." -Brad Richards

The Rangers need their power play to be a weapon again. Since the Olympic break the Rangers power play has been toothless. The Flyers will take penalties in this series because they're the Flyers, and the Rangers need to make them pay for it.

Goaltending

There's no doubt which team has the edge in goaltending but it would be a mistake to underestimate Steve Mason. Mason is hardly elite but he's been rock solid for the Flyers this season and is one of the main reasons they find themselves in the playoffs this year. Mason is currently injured though it is unclear just how injured he truly is. Craig Berube has said he expects Mason to start in Game 1 for the Flyers.

Giroux

Claude Giroux is scary good at hockey. Despite a miserable start to the 2013-14 campaign (Giroux didn't score a goal until November 9^th) the Flyers captain finished third in NHL scoring with 85 points in 81 games. This series could well be decided on how well McDonagh and Girardi contain the Giroux line. Giving Giroux time and space is like giving a literate man-eating tiger a list with the addresses of your friends and family... or something.

So what do you guys think? Are you nervous about this match-up for the Rangers? Would you have preferred facing the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round? Other than Giroux, which Flyers make you nervous? Are you ready for Thursday? Let me know what you think in the comments.

We'll have a lot of previews and coverage leading up to the series so keep an eye out for all of that good stuff.

Let's go Rangers.

Let's go Playoffs.

p.s. How do you guys like the picture I chose for this thread?

The Blue Jackets will begin their series against the Pittsburgh Penguins this Wednesday at 6:30. It will be a tough test against a good team - and perhaps it's just what they need.

We've known since Saturday evening that the Jackets would face the Penguins, but thanks to an announcement by NBC, we've also learned that game one of their playoff series will be televised Wednesday, the 16th, at 6:30. (Puck drop at CONSOL Energy Center is actually set for 7:30, so it looks like there will be a pre-game special that likely covers all of the games on the slate that night.)

There are a lot of reasons that the Jackets will be considered the underdog - starting with five losses this year in the regular season. But this is a team that despite everything, won three games in four nights. That found ways to win more times than they lost, and ended the season with a 6-3-1 run. (Pittsburgh has yet to play their final match against Ottawa, but at this moment they're 5-4-1.) Edit: The Pens lost to Ottawa in a shootout, making their record over their final ten regular season games 5-3-2.

The Penguins didn't really get a chance to see Sergei Bobrovsky - the one game he played, admittedly, he got run up early, but that was also the same game that Bob was revealed to have been coming down with the flu.

A healthy, energized, and confident goaltender can be a very, very dangerous thing going into the playoffs, and Bob has been excellent - four wins in a row, with a 1.5 GAA and .955 save percentage over that span.

It's hard to predict what will happen in the postseason - on paper, after all, the Los Angeles Kings should have been dead meat in 2012. But even with the disadvantages they face, the Blue Jackets feel like a much different club than the team who were swept out the door in 2009. They've seen adversity, and overcome it. They have experience, energy, and young players like Mark Letestu, Ryan Johansen, and Matt Calvert who have all been getting hot lately.

Besides, if the last two weeks have taught us anything, this team responds to being challenged.

It will be tough - despite the jokes about Marc-Andre Fleury's playoff history, he still has a ring on his finger, and not counting the game against Ottawa tonight, he's posted a 3-0-1 record in the same span where Bob posted his own 4-0 record. His stats may not be quite as impressive (a 2.75 GAA and .887 save percentage), but he has a team in front of him with the ability to score their way out of a hole.

What's interesting is the fact when you look at those final four games, three were OT / Shootout matches, while the Jackets were generally taking care of business in regulation. (Phoenix notwithstanding.) We're reaching the time of the year where everyone has some wear and tear, and those extra five or six minutes a night start to add up as time goes on. Every little advantage in that department helps. Zatkoff was in net for their final shootout loss to Ottawa, but a significant chunk of their roster, particularly on D, found themselves in another extended battle. When every game you play over the final week of the regular season ends up going to extra time, that can't be fun - and with only two real days of rest, it might just be a balance against the Jackets' own grind of three games in four nights to wrap things up.

Finally, there's the fact that this series will have a lot of psychological weight to it.

The Blue Jackets have been erasing a lot of old, bad history. They've started to make a name for themselves as an organization doing things the right way, and as a team on the rise. Now they're being tested at the ultimate level. You don't earn respect by picking on the little guy. You don't make a name for yourself by walking your way through a footrace.

They've got a fight on their hands against one of the biggest, toughest guys in the whole damn place. Take him down a notch, make him bleed a little, maybe even put his lights out, and suddenly everyone gives you a little more room when you walk in the door.

If things go well, if they get a few bounces, and if they work like hell, they've got an opportunity to go places that this franchise has never been before.

It's an exciting time.

A quick look at the full slate of games in round 1.

The Pittsburgh Penguins lose in overtime to Philadelphia on Saturday and then in a shootout to Ottawa on Sunday to close out the 2013-14 regular season.

In a weekend summed up by resting key players and with an eye towards the playoffs, the Pittsburgh Penguins dropped their last two games of the regular season in extra time. First a 4-3 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, followed up by a 3-2 shootout loss to the Ottawa Senators on Sunday.

Strategically, the Pens took their foot off the gas- resting two of their most physical players in Chris Kunitz and Brooks Orpik for the game against Philly and then giving three workhorses this season in Sidney Crosby, Brandon Sutter and Matt Niskanen the night off on Sunday. Evgeni Malkin did not play in either game as he looks to come back from a foot injury.

Beyond that, there's not a ton to say- the Pens main goal was health and they seemingly accomplished that this weekend, when they found out they'd be facing the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round of the 2014 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs.

One bright spot for the Penguins was the play of defenseman Kris Letang. In just his second and third games back from a stroke, Letang scored 1 goal and 2 assists on the weekend and generally appeared to be his "good" old self- leading rushes, making smart plays with the puck, eating a ton of ice-time (with a game high 26:52 last night). It's about impossible to imagine a better case scenario for the Pens than how Letang played given the circumstances, which hopefully will lead to playoff play.

Other than that, it's about time to put the regular season in the rear-view mirror and get prepped for the Blue Jackets series, which will begin on Wednesday.

A bigger picture look at the Rangers' first round matchup with the Flyers.

I think it's funny the two teams who struggled the most out of the gate in the Metropolitan -- or at least the two teams with the highest expectations coming into the year -- ended up finishing second and third in the conference. The Penguins, obviously, locked up first early, but the Rangers and Flyers needed a big surge to get from where they were to where they are now.

The Rangers ended up locking down home ice advantage through the first round of the playoffs, which would have been a ludicrous thought to most when the season was still 10 games old. But the Rangers fought their way through their lumps this year, and have earned a huge card in their back pocket (Game 7 at home) if the series gets that far. Don't discount home ice at all. I know we joke a lot about how terrible the Rangers are at home, and how it might have been better if they were forced to play four games on the road (again, if it gets that far), but the team is far more comfortable having that home ice advantage.

I also know there's been talk about how quiet The Garden has been this year. And for most of the season I think it was. Some of that, I believe, has to do with the fact that the Rangers have been so bad at home this year. But I will say MSG got louder and louder as the year went on, and when the Rangers were playing well at home the place was rocking. I expect the playoffs to be that "747 getting ready to take off" loud we're all used to.

Moving back to the actual teams themselves, I think each team the Rangers could have potentially faced brought something different (read: a difficult aspect to overcome) to the table. The Flyers are obviously the big and mean team from down the road who are going to initiate a very tough and physical series paired with their offensive threats. The Blue Jackets would have been physical too (although not at the Flyers' level) but they bring a much steadier defensive corps and goaltender to the table. If you ask me which team I want to play against, the high-flying offense or the lock-it-down defense and goalie, I take the offense every time. A hot goaltender can drag a team kicking and screaming through the playoffs, more often than not, a high-flying offense can't do it alone.

That doesn't mean the Rangers won't have their issues with the Flyers. Ryan McDonagh -- who is hopefully fully healed from his shoulder injury -- and Dan Girardi are going to be tasked with shutting down the Claude Giroux line all series. Which means Marc Staal, John Moore, Anton Stralman and Kevin Klein are going to be responsible for everyone else. The Flyers have offensive weapons up and down their lineup, it's not a one-line show, so the Rangers' defense is going to have to be up to the task outside of McDonagh and Girardi.

And, of course, the Rangers' offense/power play is going to be a big factor as well. If guys like Rick Nash and Martin St. Louis find their game this spring, the Rangers are going to be happy camper. Both of those guys can win a game by himself, so having two on the roster is nothing but a benefit. Add in guys like Derek Stepan, Mats Zuccarello, Derick Brassard and even, yes, Benoit Pouliot, and the Rangers don't exactly have an offense to take lightly, either. Especially if they start converting with the man advantage.

The big question right now is whether or not the Rangers are going to go with Dan Carcillo or Jesper Fast while Chris Kreider is injured. It's an interesting debate, since Carcillo does add some toughness in a series that will probably warrant some, while Fast brings the speed and offense (not on Kreider's level but obviously above Carcillo's level) the team is missing with Kreider in the press box.

And, finally, the goaltenders. I take Henrik Lundqvist over any other goaltender in the NHL, period. I go to war with him every time. Sure, Tuukka Rask is pretty friggin good up in Boston, but I still take my chances with Lundqvist. And with the way the Rangers' defense has been playing of late -- even without McDonagh -- it's an added edge.

This is more of an overview of things, we're going to get more in depth as the week flies towards Thursday. So what are your thoughts on the series?

For part of our preview of the Penguins vs. Columbus Blue Jackets series, we profile a couple of important but perhaps lesser known players that may be the difference between winning and losing.

Name: Cam Atkinson

Height: 5'8

Weight:174 pounds

Born: 6/5/1989 (24 years old)

Drafted: 6th round (158 overall) by Columbus in 2008

2013-14 stat line: 79 games played, 21 goals, 19 assists, 40 points, 18 penalty minutes, -4 (+/-)

2013-14 stats vs Penguins: 5gp, 0g, 0a, 0p, 2 PIMs, -1 (+/-)

Player detail (via The Hockey News player page)

2013-14 Blue Jackets player usage, via Extra Skater

Analysis: Decent to above-average possession numbers for an above average possession team team. One thing that jumps out is that Atkinson is the only forward to get 50%+ zone starts in the offensive zone. Given his lack of size (and abundant skill) it would make sense to skew starting this player more in the offensive zone to try an generate a scoring chance, rather than start him the defensive zone, where he could be out-muscled and possibly contribute to Columbus getting pinned in their own end for a while.

Most common linemates: Brandon Dubinsky (who's been attached at the hip for on the ice for 677 of Atkinson's 991 5v5 minutes) and Matt Calvert. The trio are expected to be the second line for Columbus at the start of the series.

Why you should know who he is: In just his first full-time NHL season, the former Boston College star finished 3rd on the team in goals and 4th in points, with an impressive knack for scoring goals. Atkinson has played 15:47 per game this season, 13:23 at even strength and then 2:13 on the PP with minimal PK duties. He's an offensive weapon, and for a team that traded Marian Gaorbik (and has lost Nathan Horton for 6 weeks to another injury) will be an important part for the Penguins / Jackets series.

How the Pens can stop him: Body up the smaller player and don't let him get any time and space. Pittsburgh blanked Atkinson this season, and if the Brooks Orpik / Paul Martin pair matches up with the #1 line (Ryan Johansen) then it'll likely be up to either the Kris Letang/ Rob Scuderi pair or the Olli Maatta/ Matt Niskanen unit to play against Atkinson. None of those defensemen are necessarily known for their physicality, but it won't take a lot to contain a 5'8, 174 pound player. The challenge will be attention to detail and focus, to make sure that he doesn't buy himself some space in the offensive zone.

The Blue Jackets and Penguins take their Metropolitan Division rivalry to the playoffs.

.m-sbnation-2014-nhl-playoff-coverage img {
max-width: 100%;
}

The Columbus Blue Jackets are in the playoffs for just the second time in their existence, and they'll take on a team that's been a thorn in their side for most of their existence; a team that packs Nationwide Arena with its own fans when the teams get together; a team that's one of the best in the Eastern Conference -- the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Here's the full first round schedule for Blue Jackets vs. Penguins, which begins Wednesday, April 16 at CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh.

For full coverage from the Columbus perspective, check with The Cannon. For the Pittsburgh perspective, Penguins blog Pensburgh has you covered.

As the Blue Jackets gear up to face the Penguins in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, we endeavor to compare the two teams as completely as possible. First up? Offense!

Just two years removed from a 30th-place finish, the Blue Jackets have earned their way back into the Playoffs. And, having played nemesis Detroit in their first ever playoff series in 2009, it almost seems like the Franchise would *have* to face the Penguins in their second trip to the post-season.

While the Jackets' first foray into the playoffs was over quickly and with a whimper, this year's Jackets feel a bit different. And, while on paper the Penguins look formidable, there may be some cracks in the armor. Let's look at the offenses, and see how they stack up, shall we?

The Numbers

Goals
PIT - 242, 2.95 gpg
CBJ - 226, 2.76 gpg
Each team also scored eight empty net goals on the season, so those numbers stay equaled out over the full season.

EV Goals
PIT - 165, 2.01 gpg
CBJ - 153, 1.87 gpg

PP Goals
PIT - 65, 0.79 gpg (65-for-278, 23.4%)
CBJ - 54, 0.66 gpg (54-for-280, 19.3%)

SH Goals
PIT - 2 
CBJ - 8

Leading Scorers
PIT
Sidney Crosby - 36
Chris Kunitz - 35
James Neal - 27
CBJ
Ryan Johansen - 33
Artem Anisimov - 22
Cam Atkinson - 21

The Trends - Goals

Those numbers above paint a picture in Pittsburgh's favor, and obviously no sane person would disagree that the Penguins come into the series with the better offense, especially given that they beat Columbus all five times while scoring 16 goals in the process.

I would counter, however, that the first two games were a bit different. They happened in early November, before the Jackets had really found the stride that would get them into the playoff hunt later in the season. The final three games were much, much closer, with the Penguins winning two one-goal games and a two-goal game. And, I would argue that the Jackets got a little bit closer each and every time the teams played.

Let's look more closely at the offense since the Olympic Break, however.

The Jackets scored 60 goals in 24 games, and adjusting for overtime minutes, they registered 2.46 goals-per-game. Obviously, that's a downward trend from their overall season numbers, as they had been scoring over three goals per game for quite a long stretch through December and January.

How about the Penguins? Well, if the Jackets have been under-performing since the Olympic break offensively, the Penguins are actually underperforming worse. They also scored 60 goals in 24 games, and adjusting for overtime minutes (they went to overtime A LOT), they come in at 2.44 goals-per-game.

Obviously, for Pittsburgh, a lot of that has to do with injuries. Evgeni Malkin (23/49/72 in 60 games) hasn't played since March 23, and missed 11 of those final 24 games. Kris Letang (11/11/22 in 37 games from the blue line) just came back for the last three games, having previously not played since late January after suffering a stroke. Both of those players are huge factors in the Penguins' offense, especially on the Power Play.

Letang is back, and Malkin *might* be back for the series. Add in to that the Columbus will be without Nathan Horton, and most likely R.J. Umberger and Nick Foligno, for the bulk of the series, and that might just even out those numbers. Those three players for Columbus account for 41 goals and 51 assists. In addition, those three account for 86 combined games of playoff experience.

That won't go un-felt for the Jackets, unfortunately.

The Trends - Power Play

This, on paper, is where the Penguins have a huge advantage. The Jackets' Power Play has been a total feast-or-famine unit this season, having endured an 0-for-36 stretch before getting super-hot to end the season. Overall, though, since the Olympic Break, the Blue Jackets' Power Play has been, well, decent. In 24 games, the Jackets have gone 17-for-81, good for 21%. That's actually pretty good, and it includes that abysmal 0-for-36 stretch. If we look at just the last 11 games since that skid was broken, Columbus is converting at a 13-for-36 clip, good for 36.1%. That is, how you say, GOOD.

For the Penguins, as noted, the injuries to Letang and Malkin have had an effect on their league-best Power Play. And, when you think about that, it tells you how scary that Power Play can be if everyone's healthy and they're firing on all cylinders. Since the Olympic break, they've been down a bit from their season average, converting 17-for-89, good for 19.1%. For a comparison's sake, over the stretch that Columbus has been very hot on the PP, Pittsburgh has been a bit worse than their overall post-break clip, cashing in at a 6-for-33 rate, good for just 18.2%.

Again, Letang just got back and Malkin may or may not play. We can only guess as to what they might do to the unit if they have both guys back. That said, the Jackets are certainly playing better on the Power Play of late, and can hopefully carry that over to the series to negate what otherwise might be a rather large advantage for the Penguins.

Overall

So, what have we learned here?

Well, a lot and nothing at all, really. As we know (or, well, as we can speculate based on watching every year), the playoffs are a different animal. Teams tighten up, and scoring goes down. That *should* favor the Jackets, as they're not built to be a high-flying wide-open scoring machine like the Penguins have shown themselves to be at their best, and Columbus has been playing those kinds of games for a month or so now.

And, if we look at the overall trends since the Olympic Break (which, one could argue, signaled the beginning of "the playoff push" where teams start that tightening up process), the Jackets match the Pens for offense and have been the better team on the Power Play.

BUT, there are mitigating factors/caveats there: the Penguins have been battling a TON of injuries to some very important players, and they have also had the division all but locked up since December, and have been trailing Boston for a long enough spell to have perhaps taken their foot off the gas just enough to skew those numbers. To say they haven't needed a full effort for the last few weeks would be an understatement.

So, the final questions will be these: are the Jackets physical enough and hungry enough to slow down the Pens, and to make it difficult for them to flip that switch back on? Can they get in Marc-Andre Fleury's head enough to rattle him and perhaps get some "easier" goals? And, frankly, can they stop being so impressed/scared of the Pens to actually try to beat them instead of just trying to hang on?

The answers to those questions will go a long way toward determining the outcome of this series, and whether the Jackets can hang in.

The Blue Jackets find themselves with 20/1 odds to win the Eastern Conference and 50/1 odds to win the Stanley Cup in 2014.

No one said it was going to be easy.

Jeff sketched out a roadmap of the Blue Jackets best chance to make it to the Stanley Cup finals. Although everything didn't fall into this team's favor, at some point, to be the best... well, you know what they say.

The Blue Jackets opportunity to make some noise in the playoffs comes in the first game of the post-season. A soft goal past Marc-Andre Fleury could snowball into a win in Pittsburgh. Taking home ice advantage could allow the Blue Jackets to do what the Islanders could not last year: Pull an upset.

The Jackets need to take a note from the Philadelphia Flyers playbook. The Penguins don't like to be hit. When you get under their skin, they get off their game. When they're not on their game, they can be beat. I don't think it's any coincidence that a player like Matt Calvert has scored two late goals against the Penguins. If this team is going to win, it's going to be following the lead of Calvert, Boone Jenner, Brandon Dubinsky, and Derek MacKenzie.

This team was just as good on the road, and sometimes better, than at home this year. And when the Los Angeles Kings won the Cup in 2012, who really picked an 8 seed to run the table, never once seeing home ice advantage? Well, aside from fans in Southern California.

Jackets fans, the thing to remember is that anything is possible. When you have an elite, Vezina-winning goalie who has just rounded back into his award-winning form and a power play that's been scoring at a better than 30% pace, you can beat anybody. The games will be tough. They will be ugly.

Here's the thing: No one cares if you won your games 6-5 or 1-0 if at the end of the battle, you're hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup.

Columbus has wanted to show people what they're made of -- that this team is real. That we are a hockey town. Screw you and your "non-traditional market."

Now's our chance.

The Blue Jackets are a young team. This much is true. The Penguins have more playoff experience, obviously. But, the Jackets aren't as green as it might appear.

It's true that playoff experience means something. It's definitely a thing that can tip the scales in an even playoff series. And, no one would argue that the Blue Jackets have a deficit in that area to the Penguins.

Columbus is one of the youngest--if not THE youngest--team in the league. But, that doesn't mean that their dressing room doesn't have some playoff experience in it. Let's take a look.

Playoff Experience - 250 Total Games

Nathan Horton - 43 games
Brandon Dubinsky - 31 games
Fedor Tyutin - 28 games
R.J. Umberger - 26 games
Artem Anisimov - 26 games
Nick Schultz - 24 games
James Wisniewski - 18 games
Nick Foligno - 17 games
Jack Johnson - 12 games
Mark Letestu - 11 games
Sergei Bobrovsky - 7 games
Matt Frattin - 6 games
Jared Boll - 1 game

No Playoff Experience (NHL Games Played)

Blake Comeau - 422 games
Derek MacKenzie - 307 games
Nikita Nikitin - 206 games
Jack Skille - 194 games
Ryan Johansen - 189 games
Matt Calvert - 153 games
Cam Atkinson - 141 games
David Savard - 105 games
Corey Tropp - 87 games
Dalton Prout - 82 games
Boone Jenner - 72 games
Ryan Murray - 66 games

Obviously, a big chunk of that playoff experience may not be playing for Columbus. Horton definitely isn't playing, Umberger probably won't play in the series, and Foligno is day-to-day at best. That said, it's not as if the entire Jackets' roster is completely green when it comes to the playoffs. In fact, the big chunk of their leadership group has been to the Dance before.

Nathan Horton has played on a Cup team, though his Finals ended just three games in. He played on a Finals team last year, as well. Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov played on a team that went to the Eastern Conference Finals just two years ago. James Wisniewski has played on playoff teams in two different organizations before coming to Columbus. Mark Letestu got his playoff feet wet with this very Penguins team the Jackets match up against.

So, yes, the Pens hold the edge. But, let's not completely write off the Jackets as having no idea what to do in a playoff series. They have some players--and some voices--that have been there before.

Alain Vigneault was brought in to lead the Rangers to their first Stanley Cup since 1994. That mission officially begins on Thursday.

No one can say the Rangers haven't been a perennial playoff team: that's just a matter of semantics. Making trips to the postseason eight out of the last nine years, the team's trouble hasn't been cracking the conference's top eight, but delivering on the pressure of a franchise playing in New York: bringing home a championship.

When he was brought on this past offseason as the Rangers new head coach, Alain Vigneault had one main objective: reenergize an anemic offense that proved to be the team's kryptonite in it's last few not-so-quite Cup runs.

The Rangers are back in the postseason (again) so now is the time Vigneault's effectiveness will truly be measured.

Let's first get one thing out of the way: Statistically, the Rangers are no better off a goal-scoring team currently than they were under John Tortorella. The team's 2.61 goals per game this season was its lowest output since 2008-2009, the year Tortorella took over the Rangers midseason. Still, something feels different about this Rangers team.

Maybe it's the system Vigneault has installed, geared more toward puck possession, movement, and fluidity in transition. The Rangers are still one of the strongest teams in the league from the blue line down, but there's a different feel to the offense this year. A team 5v5 shooting percentage of 6.7 ranks them 28th in the league. Some of that is a lack of finishing ability, but some of that is also a lack of luck. While it's not quantifiable to cry "puck luck," if that number regresses in the playoffs, while the team keeps imploring Vignealt's system, results will come.

It also could be that the "depth starved team" that sacrificed its core for Rick Nash has suddenly re-found depth. Losing Chris Kreider can't be downplayed, but neither can putting Nash on a line with Derek Stepan and Martin St. Louis. The second line may be an area of concern sans Kreider, but the Rangers bottom six is as good as its been in recent memories, which bodes well for any deep postseason run.

Everything Vigneault has done up to this point hasn't been meaningless, but now is when everything is truly magnified. If the Rangers fizzle out again and fail to find the back of the net consistently again—similar to postseason's past—it will be an audit of his system, and its efficiency.

All season, it's seemed as if Vigneault has pushed the right buttons. He's helped develop Ryan McDonagh's game to improve it offensively. He grouped the trio of Mats Zuccarello, Derick Brassard, and Benoit Pouliot, one of the biggest reasons the team is in the position it is. And he used the perfect amount of Cam Talbot to light a fire under Henrik Lundqvist, and, more importantly, give him some much needed rest in an Olympics year. But none of that will matter if the Rangers falter in the first round against the Flyers. No one will laud him for navigating the team through early regular season adversity, and staying the course despite every signpost not to.

In New York, success is measured by Stanley Cups, and by that count, the Rangers have been unsuccessful since 1994. It's worth referencing the St. Louis trade here, which has a conditional second draft pick that becomes a first if the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference Finals. That is the expectation, and that will require getting through the Rangers biggest rival in Philadelphia, and then either the Penguins or the Blue Jackets. If the Rangers reach hockey's final four, they'll likely be greeted by the Bruins, a team Vigneault is familiar with, and a potential matchup he'd like nothing more than to exact revenge in.

The Rangers are doing other things under Vigneault that would encourage hope in the form of deeper playoff run. They're a strong 5v5 possession team, and a team that's still getting strong goaltending. The power play is improved (while it's regressed over the past two months or so), and the penalty kill is still a stalwart. It's also a team that has found a formula to winning on the road, a necessary piece past the first round in a championship equation.

Too much blame will be placed on Vingeault if the Rangers do not hoist hockey's grandest prize, and too much praise will be applied to him if they do. But either way, there will be a verdict for the first-year head coach in the coming weeks or months, and in New York, the slant will be loud and clear.