Quantcast
Channel: SB Nation - Columbus Blue Jackets
Viewing all 1677 articles
Browse latest View live

Month in Review: Stuck

0
0

November proved unkind to the Blue Jackets as the team now sits in 30th place. There is not much hope as the injury string continues, and more fans are now turning their sights to the draft already.

Woo boy.  November was craptastic, am I right?

If you remember back to the start of the month, the Blue Jackets actually entered November *just* 4-6-0, although they came into the month on a four-game losing streak.  The McElhinney / Forsberg stopgap in net did not work out as Bobrovsky was mending a broken finger.  Bob came back, perhaps a bit early, but it made no difference.  The losses have piled up, and now a promising young team pegged to compete in the top half of the Metro Division sits in last.  Dead last.  In the entire league.  Let's take a quick look at how things got to this point over the last 30 days.

On the first of the month, Anton Forsberg made his NHL debut in New Jersey and the CBJ looked solid going into the 3rd period, but a couple late goals by the Devils spoiled the party.  It is almost impossible to keep track of the injuries at this point, but I believe this is the game Cody Goloubef left with a knee injury.

The Jackets followed this up with losses in a back-to-back against the Carolina Hurricanes.  This is probably when some panic set in amongst the fans as the Canes were near-unanimous picks to finish last in the division.  Columbus did manage an overtime loss in Carolina to get a point out of a bad situation.

This was followed up by a 7-4 home thrashing at the hands of the Lightning, though the team showed life fighting back late in that one.  Washington jumped out early to win 4-2 the following game as the Jackets tied the franchise record winless streak of nine games.  The team was 4-10-1 at this point and it was becoming clear just how much the injuries were hampering the CBJ.

Then, surprise, a couple wins!  In Scott Hartnell's return to Philadelphia, the Jackets managed to pull off a 4-3 win against a scuffling Flyers team.  The team flew home and Bobrovsky was huge in his return the following day as Columbus beat San Jose, also struggling at the time, 2-1.  Things were looking up, right? Just 6 points out of the playoffs, remember those days?

The wheels promptly fell off, because of course.  Detroit dominated 5-0.  Boston came back to win 4-3 in a lengthy shootout, though Dalton Prout delivered perhaps the KO of the Year.  Philadelphia got revenge 4-2 and Winnipeg won by the same score a few days later.  Another 5-0 shutout came at the hands of Vancouver before Nashville finished off the month with a 2-1 victory.

All in all, the month came out to 2-9-2.  Six points over 13 games.  Record for the entire season is 6-15-2.  That is 14 points through 23 games.  Yikes.  The Jackets now own a two point "advantage" on 30th place and are trending towards the worst goal differential in the league.

While the power play (7th overall at 22.5%) remains a strength, that is about all there is to talk about on the plus side.  The team is struggling to score goals (26th overall at 2.3 per game), especially 5-on-5.  Want a depressing statistic?  The team has scored just 31 even-strength goals in the 23 games so far (last in the NHL), 24 of which came in the 13 November games.  You can see more stats about how much the team is struggling at even strength here.

It has been difficult in goal as well, and that's putting it nicely.  Regardless of who has been the goaltender, the Jackets simply have not been good enough in net to win very many games.  One might complain about the inconsistent defensive play (and inconsistent defensive pairings, largely due to injuries, suspensions, and transactions) but outside of a game or two the CBJ goalie play has been disappointing.  At 3.6 goals against per game, the Jackets rank worst in the league in that statistic now.

The month was busy with transactions as well.  As I mentioned, Forsberg made his first NHL start.  Kerby Rychel also debuted against Nashville as he and Michael Chaput were called up and the struggling Alexander Wennberg was sent to Springfield.  Chaput of course was assigned to Springfield earlier in the month.  Jordan Leopold was acquired from St. Louis for a 5th round pick and Kevin Connauton was picked up off waivers.  With the two new defensemen joining the team, Frederic St. Denis was sent back to Springfield.  Matt Calvert and Jack Skille were out, then back in on the injury front.  Fedor Tyutin was sidelined as well and Ryan Murray was moved to "week to week" status with his knee apparently not 100% yet.  The news today is that Artem Anisimov will be out two to three months.  Guess that will put to bed those trade rumors.

There is very little positive to say about the month.  The top line continues to produce, both Joey and Foligno around a PPG pace (read more about the duo here), but the "depth scoring" has been nearly non-existent.  After more than a quarter of the season completed, it has become clear that the "hard to play against" and "forechecking" identity forged the last couple seasons is not part of this team right now.  The "wait until the team is healthy" mantra never materialized.  Brandon Dubinsky is "close" and perhaps Mark Letestu will return just after Dubi.  Maybe Ryan Murray makes a return this month, but a 2-13-2 stretch has nearly killed the season.  Unless the Jackets can pull together something like a .700 winning percentage over the final 59 games, the playoffs will be but a dream.  I guess there is the All-Star Game to look forward to? (Reminder: don't forget to vote!)

With that, the season moves on December, and one month closer to the Draft.


Game Day #22 - Blue Jackets vs. Canucks

0
0

The calendar hasn't even flipped to December but the Jackets need to start stringing together some wins. Does it start tonight?

Vancouver Canucks at Columbus Blue Jackets

November 28, 2014 - 7:00 pm EST
Nationwide Arena - Columbus, Ohio
Radio - CD 102.5 - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Nucks Misconduct

Not entirely sure what good news to give you heading into this one.  The Canucks are a bit of a surprise in the West as they are near the top of the standings at the quarter point of the season.  The Sedin twins both have posted 20 points thus far and their linemate Radim Vrbata leads the team with 10 goals.  Vancouver just dispatched Chicago and New Jersey at home, and now start a season-long seven-game road trip over the next 12 days.

For the Jackets, tonight marks three games in four nights against some pretty good competition (although, sitting in last place, every team seems like good competition).  Tomorrow night, the Jackets travel to Nashville where the Predators are 9-1-1 at home and they have Pekka Rinne, the early odds-on-favorite to win the Vezina.  There is some positive news this holiday weekend - Brandon Dubinsky took part in his first full practice.  Though he's not expected to play tonight or tomorrow, he *should* be back soon.  Mark Letestu is also skating as is Cody Goloubef and Jeff Rimer thinks Ryan Murray is close, though there is less available information on his status.

There are a couple of lineup tweaks from Todd Richards.  Kevin Connauton will be the healthy scratch on the blue line, meaning we will see Tim Erixon reunited with James Wisniewski most likely.  Boone Jenner will center the Atkinverts as Jack Skille moves to Anisimov's wing opposite of Brian Gibbons.  For some reason, Alex Wennberg will continue to see minutes centering the fourth line.

It is not even December, but it is getting close to the tipping point.  Debates among the fanbase are raging as to whether or not to Tank for McDavid.  Opinions are flying over the Anisimov for Perron rumors (or were those Erixon + Anisimov for Eberle rumors?).  This team is 2-11-2 over the last 15.  The hopes of making the playoffs, however slim, still exist, but these next nine periods are critical.  It starts tonight.

Here are a couple keys - 1) Bob needs to become BOB again.  And fast.  His GAA is threatening to cross the 3.00 mark.  Without a stable force in net, this team has no chance.  2) Secondary scoring.  The top line plus Atkinson are the only forwards with double digit point totals.  The next closest?  Boone Jenner has six points in his ten games played.  That tells you all you need to know about the forwards that have been playing and why HCTR is almost forced to play the top line 20 minutes a night.  Someone else needs to show up on the scoresheet.  Oh, and a Boll/Dorse fight would be kind of cool.

BONUS - Great Event taking place today at 3:00 P.M. down at the Ice Haus if you are recovered from your Thanksgiving food comas and/or Black Friday shopping.

Projected Lineups

Vancouver Canucks

(15-6-1, 31 points; 2nd Division, 3rd Conference)

Daniel SedinHenrik SedinRadim Vrbata
Chris HigginsNick BoninoAlex Burrows
Shawn MatthiasBrad RichardsonLinden Vey
Derek DorsettBo HorvatJannik Hansen
Alexander EdlerChris Tanev
Luca SbisaKevin Bieksa
Ryan StantonYannick Weber
Ryan Miller
Eddie Lack

Columbus Blue Jackets

(6-13-2, 14 Points; 8th division, 15th conference)

Scott HartnellRyan JohansenNick Foligno
Matt CalvertBoone JennerCam Atkinson
Brian GibbonsArtem AnisimovJack Skille
Corey TroppAlexander WennbergJared Boll
Jack JohnsonDalton Prout
Jordan LeopoldDavid Savard
Tim ErixonJames Wisniewski
Sergei Bobrovsky
Curtis McElhinney

Game Day #23 - Blue Jackets at Predators

0
0

Columbus travels to Nashville looking for confidence and consistency against a club that has found both.

Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Nashville Predators

November 29, 2014 - 8:00 pm EST
Bridgestone Arena -- Nashville, Tennessee
Radio - 97.1 The Fan - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: On the Forecheck

On the heels of a third period collapse against the Vancouver Canucks -- putting the "Black" in "Black Friday" --  the Blue Jackets journey to Nashville firmly caught in the vortex of a crisis in confidence.  The early losses -- largely attributable to injury -- put the club behind the eight ball, creating pressure for players unused to the roles they were in.  That breeds lack of confidence, which results in hesitation and tentative play, which in turn breeds lack of offensive opportunities and an excess of opportunities for the opposition.  That breeds further bad results, which increases pressure, decreases confidence, causes more tinkering with lines, reducing chemistry . . . you get the idea.

Bridgestone Arena -- the former "Death Star" in the Darth Vader days of the Preds-Jackets rivalry in the West -- would seem an unlikely place to begin the emergence from the slide, but stranger things have happened.  Peter Laviolette has the Predators hitting on all cylinders, combining efficient scoring  -- a new concept in Nashville -- with the traditional stingy defense, led by the resurgent Pekka Rinne.  The Preds have allowed only 45 goals in 22 games, and with the improved offense, the club now has a margin for error that they previously lacked.  That promotes confidence, which maximizes results.  At this early point in the season, Nashville would easily qualify as the surprise club in the difficult West.  Oh, yeah . . . they are also 9 -1 at home this season, including wins in their last five home tilts.

While the recent Dark Ages for the Blue Jackets have spawned thousands of armchair coaches and general managers, the solution offered here is  . .  simplicity.   Pick some lines, put them together, and keep them for two or three games, with the simple assignment of "Seek & Destroy".  Let the skaters skate, the scorers score, the hitters hit.  Let the players use the instincts and talent that got them to the NHL, and not have to think about the systems.  Thinking breeds more hesitation, which is the last thing Columbus needs. If there is no effort (as distinguished from results), there is no ice time.  Reward for what is done.  Period.  Three guys have carried the bulk of the load on offense , with Atkinson making a periodic contribution, and Jenner showing good play since returning from injury.

This just in:  Kerby Rychel and Michael Chaput have been recalled from Springfield, and Alexander Wennberg has been sent down -- presumably to find his scoring touch.  Wennberg was doing a lot of the little things well, but was increasingly showing signs of frustration at the offensive end.  Rychel has been playing very well in the "A", and with the streak the Falcons have enjoyed of late, he can bring some much-needed confidence to the roster.  Chaput has underwhelmed at the NHL level this season, but with Brandon Dubinsky and Mark Letestu still out, he is the most readily available choice for the 4th line center role.   Will we see Austin Madaisky anytime soon, in an effort to shake up the blue line?

There is nothing to lose by simply letting the dogs loose and saying "Sic 'em!"   Teams tend to break out of streaks like this with a bang, and Columbus is certainly overdue for a few breaks and some nets, rather than posts.

No morning skate in Nashville today, so had to consult my crystal ball for the Columbus lines for tonight.  Candid admission:  these lines may be equal parts prediction and desire, so treat accordingly.

BONUS - The Blue Jackets  broadcast will be making a rare guest appearance on 97.1 The Fan  -- the "flagship station".  Who knew?

Projected Lineups

Nashville Predators

(15-5-2, 32 points; 1st Division, 3rd Conference)

Filip ForsbergMike RibieroJames Neal
Colin WilsonCalle JarnkrokCraig Smith
Olli JokinenMike FisherGabriel Borque
Eric NostrumPaul GaustedTaylor Beck
Roman JosiShea Weber
Mattias EkholmRyan Ellis
Anton VolchenkovSeth Jones
Pekka Rinne
Carter Hutton

Columbus Blue Jackets

(6-14-2, 14 Points; 8th division, 15th conference)

Scott HartnellRyan JohansenNick Foligno
Matt CalvertBoone JennerJack Skille
Kerby RychelArtem AnisimovCam Atkinson
Brian GibbonsMichael ChaputAdam Cracknell
Jack JohnsonDalton Prout
Jordan LeopoldDavid Savard
Tim ErixonJames Wisniewski
Sergei Bobrovsky
Curtis McElhinney

Game Preview #24 - So Many Curse Words

0
0

What's the point? Seriously.

Florida Panthers at Columbus Blue Jackets

December 1, 2014 - 7:00 pm EST
Nationwide Arena - Columbus, Ohio
Radio - WBNS 97.1 - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Litter Box Cats

Arty's gone for essentially the rest of the year. He probably won't be back until March, and at that point, what will be the point? If a tree falls in the forest and such...

At any rate, welcome back DMac. I know I was one of many who understood the logistics of it, but who misses the MAN that is DMac. I'm only sad that it's December 1st and thus the Fu Mac Chu might not be there anymore. :-(

At any rate, I actually feel like if the Jackets play like they did Saturday night, they can win this game. The Panthers are not a high-scoring club, but they play a solid defensive game. The Jackets get backup goalie Al Montoya, who has been asked to play more of late due to injury for Roberto Luongo. Losing Anisimov hurts, for sure, but if the Jackets can just avoid the 15-minute lapses they've had lately they can hang around with Florida.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(6-15-2, 14 Points; 8th division, 16th conference)

Scott HartnellRyan JohansenNick Foligno
Kerby RychelBoone JennerCam Atkinson
Matt CalvertMichael ChaputJack Skille
Brian GibbonsAdam CracknellJared Boll
Jack JohnsonDalton Prout
Jordan LeopoldDavid Savard
Kevin ConnautonJames Wisniewski
Sergei Bobrovsky
Curtis McElhinney

Florida Panthers
(9-6-6, 24 Points; 6th Division, 9th Conference)

Jonathan HuberdeauNick BjugstadBrandon Pirri
Sean BergenheimAleksander BarkovBrad Boyes
Tomas FleischmannVincent TrocheckJimmy Hayes
Tomas KopeckyDerek MacKenzieShawn Thornton
Brian CampbellAaron Ekblad
Willie MitchellDmitry Kulikov
Dylan OlsenErik Gudbranson
Al Montoya
Roberto Luongo

Season Series

12/01/14 - Florida at Columbus
12/04/14 - Columbus at Florida
01/29/15 - Columbus at Florida

Head to Head Stats

FloridaColumbus
2.10 (28)GPG2.26 (26)
2.38 (8)GAPG3.56 (30)
14.7% (22)PP%22.5% (7)
80.0% (17)PK%75.9% (26)
Nick Bjugstad, 8G leaderNick Foligno, 10
Jussi Jokinen, 10A leaderRyan Johansen, 16
Nick Bjugstad / Jussi Jokinen, 12Pts leaderRyan Johansen, 25
Shawn Thornton / Scottie Upshall, 20PIM leaderJared Boll, 42
4-2-5Road/Home3-8-1
5-3-2Last 102-7-1
11/28 vs. Ottawa, W 3-2Last Game11/29 @ Nashville, L 2-1

Game Day #24 - Blue Jackets vs. Panthers

0
0

What's the point? Seriously.

Florida Panthers at Columbus Blue Jackets

December 1, 2014 - 7:00 pm EST
Nationwide Arena - Columbus, Ohio
Radio - WBNS 97.1 - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Litter Box Cats

Arty's gone for essentially the rest of the year. He probably won't be back until March, and at that point, what will be the point? If a tree falls in the forest and such...

At any rate, welcome back DMac. I know I was one of many who understood the logistics of it, but who misses the MAN that is DMac. I'm only sad that it's December 1st and thus the Fu Mac Chu might not be there anymore. :-(

At any rate, I actually feel like if the Jackets play like they did Saturday night, they can win this game. The Panthers are not a high-scoring club, but they play a solid defensive game. The Jackets get backup goalie Al Montoya, who has been asked to play more of late due to injury for Roberto Luongo. Losing Anisimov hurts, for sure, but if the Jackets can just avoid the 15-minute lapses they've had lately they can hang around with Florida.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(6-15-2, 14 Points; 8th division, 16th conference)

Scott HartnellRyan JohansenNick Foligno
Kerby RychelBoone JennerCam Atkinson
Matt CalvertMichael ChaputJack Skille
Brian GibbonsAdam CracknellJared Boll
Jack JohnsonDalton Prout
Jordan LeopoldDavid Savard
Kevin ConnautonJames Wisniewski
Sergei Bobrovsky
Curtis McElhinney

Florida Panthers
(9-6-6, 24 Points; 6th Division, 9th Conference)

Jonathan HuberdeauNick BjugstadBrandon Pirri
Sean BergenheimAleksander BarkovBrad Boyes
Tomas FleischmannVincent TrocheckJimmy Hayes
Tomas KopeckyDerek MacKenzieShawn Thornton
Brian CampbellAaron Ekblad
Willie MitchellDmitry Kulikov
Dylan OlsenErik Gudbranson
Al Montoya
Roberto Luongo

Season Series

12/01/14 - Florida at Columbus
12/04/14 - Columbus at Florida
01/29/15 - Columbus at Florida

Head to Head Stats

FloridaColumbus
2.10 (28)GPG2.26 (26)
2.38 (8)GAPG3.56 (30)
14.7% (22)PP%22.5% (7)
80.0% (17)PK%75.9% (26)
Nick Bjugstad, 8G leaderNick Foligno, 10
Jussi Jokinen, 10A leaderRyan Johansen, 16
Nick Bjugstad / Jussi Jokinen, 12Pts leaderRyan Johansen, 25
Shawn Thornton / Scottie Upshall, 20PIM leaderJared Boll, 42
4-2-5Road/Home3-8-1
5-3-2Last 102-7-1
11/28 vs. Ottawa, W 3-2Last Game11/29 @ Nashville, L 2-1

Game Recap #24: R-E-L-I-E-F

0
0

The Blue Jackets entertained the Florida Panthers on Monday, with the visitors likely salivating over the prospect of a home-and-home feast against a club that was 2 - 9 - 2 in November. At the end of the day, the Panthers needed the Rolaids, with Columbus claiming a 2 -1 victory.

Monday heralded a new month for the Blue Jackets, who were undeniably glad to see November pass into the ether. Meanwhile, the Florida Panthers, with former Blue Jackets Gerard Gallant and Derek MacKenzie in tow, came into this one with a 9-7-6 record, good for ninth in the Eastern Conference, and squarely within the playoff hunt.   Could the Jackets reverse the trend and find the win column?  Though it didn't look like it early, Columbus found both its game and its nerve, and pulled out a well-deserved 2-1 victory.

Period 1 -- Same Tune, Different Day

Stop me if you've heard this one.  Eleven minutes into the first period, the Blue Jackets had more penalties (2) than shots on goal (0).  It was the same story that has been told countless times this season -- players holding sticks so tightly that pucks bounced off and over the blades, defensemen who consistently became trapped on their backhand with the puck, and inevitably surrendered the puck, and ill-advised penalties.  Fortunately, the defense was quick enough with sticks and bodies to limit Florida opportunities, and Sergei Bobrovsky was classic BOB.  Thus, the Blue Jackets' channeling of their inner Keystone Cops did not have adverse consequences on the scoreboard.

Then, just when the disgust level was about to redline for the assembled 12,309, it all changed.  (Digression: Note the attendance for a club that has lost much of its roster to injury, and has 9 and 6 game losing streaks in the first 24 games. It was greater than any Florida home game this year.  The Panthers have cracked the 10,000 mark only twice in their first ten home games, including 11,419 for their home opener. End Digression.)  The home team began skating, providing support, and pulling their heads up.  It's amazing how much more accurate passes become when you actually look at your target, rather than your stick.

Columbus got on the board first.  Yes, they had a lead.  Go ahead, savor that for a moment. . .   At the 15:07 mark, Jack Skille moved the puck to  Jordan Leopold at the  left point. Leopold rimmed the puck around the boards, toward Michale Chaput, camped behind the net to Al Montoya's left.  (It appeared to me that Skille got a blade on the puck and pushed it to Chaput, but the official scorer disagreed.) Chaput wasted no time in centering the puck to Matt Calvert at the top of the blue paint.  Calvert proceeded to put on a forehand-backhand move that placed Montoya somewhere in Section 106. While he could have waited for the Earth's rotation to carry the puck in, Calvert calmly chipped it in for the 1 - 0 lead. Chapati and Leopold earned the assists, and the energy was back in the building.

The final few minutes were relatively uneventful, and the Blue Jackets went off with the lead, despite playing subpar hockey for 3/4 of the period.  Shots were 6 - 4 in Florida's favor, signifying some good defensive work by the Blue Jackets.  As for the offense . . . let's just say that quality trumped quantity for this period.

Period 2 -- Medication Time

If you dawdled in getting your Bacon on a Stick at the intermission, you missed most of the action.  Kerby Rychel took a high sticking penalty just 29 seconds into the frame.  54 seconds later, it was a tie game.  Aaron Ekblad took the puck at the right point, and made a couple of moves on Matt Calvert, who had lost his stick in the proceedings, but did his best to keep himself between Ekblad and the goal. The ensuing shot missed Calvert, but found the back of the net, as Dalton Prout was fully engaged with Sean Bergenheim directly in front of Bobrovsky.  The triple screen provided by Calvert, Prout and Bergenheim ensured that Bobrovsky never saw the puck.  He sensed a shot was coming, and guessed left, but the puck went right.  Tie game. Brad Boyes and Bergenheim earned the helpers.

For the next 17 minutes, the teams traded opportunities, in the loosest sense of the word.  Scott Hartnell had a couple of prime chances, but could not cash in.  Still, the pace was good and the Blue Jackets did not go into the funk that some might have expected after the tying goal was scored.  Hartnell was one of the reasons, as he was at his gritty, annoying best all night long, taking antagonism to the brink, but no further.  Jack Skille was another.  While others were toying with the puck, he grabbed it and headed north, gaining the zone and creating havoc.  He did that repeatedly for sixty minutes, and really deserved to be rewarded.  Kerby Rychel provided similar effort, in all three zones, and played with the kind of freedom that all of his teammates need to emulate.  Ditto for Brian Gibbons, who used his speed to maximum advantage at every opportunity.

If you left your seat early to return your bacon intake to therapeutic levels, you missed the other excitement of the period. Just after the one minute mark, Florida had a flurry in Bobrovsky's crease, and Bob put on one of his patented shows -- getting his body to the right to fend off the first shot, and his goal stick to the left post, negating what looked to be an open net opportunity.  It was a fitting end to the period, which re-energized the crowd.

Shots were 10 - 7 for Florida in the period, and the anxiety level in the crowd was considerable.  A 1 - 1 tie heading into the third is a scenario seen more than once in the recent past, and those did not turn out well. How would the club respond on this night?

Period 3 -- Effort Vindicated

This story has a happy ending, boys & girls.  The Blue Jackets came out for the third period and played responsible, but aggressive hockey.  The forecheck was present, and they challenged in the neutral zone.  Fewer instances of being trapped along the boards were seen in the defensive zone, and contributions were received from all four lines.  The Blue Jackets outshot the Panthers 12 - 9 for the period, confirming the visual sense that they kept getting stronger as the game progressed.

The seminal moment came just past the midpoint of the period, and it was a microcosm of all of the things the Blue Jackets did well on this evening.  Boone Jenner came in hard on the forecheck against Ekblad, forcing a weak pass behind the net.  Jenner pursued the puck, and when it took a strange bounce of the end boards, Jenner nudged it into the slot.  Rychel was waiting, and patiently took the puck to the base of the circle to Montoya's left, where he let loose with a hard shot on net, which Montoya stopped.  However, Jenner had positioned himself squarely at the edge of the crease, and when the rebound emerged, he battled the puck across the line for the deciding tally.  Both the crowd and the bench erupted, and the smiles were evident, both for the late lead, and Rychel's premier NHL point.

Columbus did not go into a shell after gaining the lead, but remained disciplined. There were few turnovers, no stupid penalties, and only a couple of serious chances surrendered.  When Montoya was pulled with time running down, the discipline remained, with the iconic image being the puck rolling on edge all the way down the ice, seemingly headed for the clinching goal, when it veered left and missed the net by a foot.  The resulting icing call put the face-off in the Blue Jackets' zone with just ten ticks left in the game.  The draw was won, and the puck frozen against the end boards by a horde of bodies until the final horn.  The crowd sounded like a gathering twice its true size, and the players themselves were bordering on giddy, providing a series of body checks to Nick Foligno as he attempted to work his way toward Bobrovsky for the ceremonial hug.  He eventually got there, and there was more joy than usual in that hug.  As it should be.

Summing It Up

It's easy to write this one off, but I think that would be a mistake.  This is not your father's Florida team, and the cumulative impact of the injuries and losses on the team psyche cannot be over-emphasized.  The squad lapsed into old habits at the beginning, but found a way to change course and right the ship.  The old standards -- Foligno, Hartnell, Johansen -- were very good, but the stars just did not align for them tonight.  The important thing is that others were there to step in -- Calvert, Jenner, Rychel, Skille, Gibbons.  That's been lacking, and the speed, enthusiasm and tenacity that those guys brought became contagious.

Equally important was the discipline and responsibility that took over after the 11th  minute of the game.  Only one penalty came after that point, and the Blue Jackets surrendered only 25 shots for the game.  Consider that they allowed 20 to Nashville . . .in the first period alone . . .just a few nights ago, and the progress is apparent. With a more consistent effort in front of him, Bob was able to leverage his uncanny ability to see the play developing and be where he needs to be before the other guys.

Still, it was not a sixty minute effort, and the tendency to play cautious, heads-down, "Please God, don't let me make a mistake" hockey remains a danger.  Hopefully this win loosens the grips . . . and the attitudes.  A good sign came with the 12 shots in the third -- duplicate that every period and you'll win more than you lose.  Tonight, that total represented more than half the total shots of the game for the Blue Jackets.

At the end of the night, it was a baby step, but an important one nonetheless.  It took a chunk out of that psychological wall that the club has built over the past six weeks or so, and provided a glimpse of what lies on the other side.  After seven consecutive weeks with a back-to-back sequence, there are none in December.  Of the twelve games this month, only four are on the road -- Florida, Tampa Bay, Detroit & Washington.  Opportunity knocks.  Stay tuned.

Flyers 4, Blue Jackets 2 - Game Highlights

Jets 4, Blue Jackets 2 - Game Highlights


Predators 2, Blue Jackets 1 - Game Highlights

Rangers falter against Lightning; St. Louis honored; Hot Takes; Lundqvist one win shy of 23rd all-time; Boyle; Duclair should play for Team Canada

0
0

Morning Bantering Points for December 2nd, 2014.

Mercy!

Another week, another loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. This time 6-3. Ben Bishop is now 8-0 in his career against the Blueshirts. Lucky for the Rangers, they won't face them again for the rest of the regular season. The beat writers LOVED the "Lightning Strike Thrice" headline. Oh they loved it. Had it all queueueued up and ready to go.

The Rangers actually outplayed the Lightning for large portions of the game last night. Glaring gaffes in the defensive zone and an off night from Henrik Lundqvist did them in. When playing a team that scores just a tick under 3 goals per game at even strength, you really don't have much room for error. And that is why the Lightning are true contenders.  [Blueshirt Banter]  [Raw Charge]  [Ledger]  [North Jersey]  [NY Post]  [Newsday]  [NY Daily News]

Martin St. Louis was honored at MSG last night. It was nice. He is good. I hope he keeps playing here for a few more seasons. [USA Today]

Steven Stamkos went in for the smooch. Marty did not look pleased. I love Marty.

The Lightning provide a harsh barometer for the Rangers' success. [NY Times]

Henrik Lundqvist is one win shy of tying Miikka Kiprusoff for 23rd all-time on the wins list. He will have to wait until Saturday to try again.  [The Hockey Writers]

Larry Brooks says that Henrik Lundqvist's "regression" is "head scratching." [NY Post]

Let's stop for a second right here. First and foremost, you regress toward an existing average or mean over a sample. So regressing to a better version of himself would be the connotation of using that word there. Doing so, also, would not be very "head-scratching."

Now that we have that in order, go ahead and read the article, I guess. Basically, Lundqvist hasn't been as good as he can be. But his numbers will be there at the end of the season. From October 16th until last night he was sitting at ~93% SV% for that span of time. That tells you he had a few blowup games outside of those dates. Last night was one of them. That's all. It is simple math in a small sample size. So stop panicking. He is still the King, and will be there to bail out NYR's incredibly porous defense more often than not.

Keeping with the NY Post, who apparently was on a roll last night and this morning, Dan Boyle is still out with a "mysterious illness." Or, call me crazy, he has the flu and went to the hospital to get checked out, and...uhm...has the flu.  [NY Post]

Team Canada's junior team is hoping for some NHL-caliber help to fill its roster spots. One name high on that list is Anthony Duclair. Could the young winger be loaned to them for the World Juniors, which Canada opens on December 26th? Yes. And it would be a great experience for him to participate.  [North Jersey]  [The Hockey News]  [Daily News Blog]

Just as old friend Brandon Dubinsky is readying for a return from injury, the Columbus Blue Jackets lose former Ranger Artem Anisimov for several months due to a torn triceps. Ouch. I guess the silver lining is...Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel.  [The Hockey News]

And Tanner Glass still has the mumps. Good morning, folks.

Blue Jackets continue dominance over Panthers with 2-1 win

0
0

Nationwide not on Florida's side as club drops ninth in a row to Columbus.

The Florida Panthers inexplicable woes against Columbus continued last night, as the reeling Blue Jackets edged the Cats 2-1 to snap a six-game losing streak. It was Florida's ninth straight loss against the Central Division squad.

Boone Jenner notched the deciding goal midway through the third period after Aaron Ekblad's errant attempt to pass back behind the net to Brian Campbell ended up on his stick. Jenner threw the puck out in front and eventually banged home the rebound of rookie Kerby Rychel's shot.

Following up on Friday's excellent effort against Ottawa, the Panthers got off to a fast start, taking the game's first six shots on goal, but after failing to score on two early power plays, it was Columbus who got on the board first.

Michael Chaput found a  wide-open Matt Calvert in front of the net, and he schooled Florida keeper Al Montoya, who finished with 21 saves, with a slick move for his third goal of the season.  An out-of-position Nick Bjugstad was a couple strides behind Calvert on the play.

Ekblad would equalize with the Panthers on the power play early in the second period. The rookie defender took advantage of a stick-less Calvert and fired the puck past Sergei Bobrovsky with Sean Bergenheim providing the screen. Brad Boyes and Bergenheim collected the assists on the rookie's third goal. Ekblad is now tied for the team lead in points with 12.

Tomas Kopecky had a glorious chance to give the Cats the lead later in the frame, but was denied by Columbus netminder. "Bob" stopped the initial Kopecky shot and turned away Jimmy Hayes' rebound before quickly foiling Kopecky again with his stick.

Bobrovsky went on to stop all nine Panther shots in the third to make Jenner's second of the campaign stand up as the winner.

That was a pretty frustrating game to watch. The Panthers looked like the same team that was all over the Senators for the first ten minutes or so, but they couldn't finish and instead, let the Blue Jackets open the scoring and gain confidence. Columbus dominated the suddenly disinterested Cats physically, outhitting them 31-21. The Jackets also won the war in the faceoff dot, 31-25. Despite some of the imbalances on the stat sheet, the Panthers were just a goal away from claiming a point or two in this one. Unfortunately, they just didn't do enough to earn it. When you are trying to climb into a playoff spot and playing a depleted team at the bottom of the conference, the killer instinct has got to be there. Instead, the catatonic Cats chose to play down to the Blue Jackets level and let crucial points slip away. Now, the success of this mini road trip depends on coming out of Joe Louis Arena with a win tonight.

Odds & Ends

  • After coming up with a season-high 46 shots against Ottawa, the Panthers only mustered 25 against the usually giving Columbus defense.
  • Al Montoya had a solid outing starting for the second straight time in place of Roberto Luongo. Luongo should be back in the net tonight against the Red Wings.
  • Kerby Rychel's helper on Boone Jenner's game-winner was his first NHL point in just his second career game. Rychel took the penalty that lead to Florida's only goal.
  • The 2-1 final should not come as much of a surprise. The Panthers are 29th in goals scored this season, while the Blue Jackets were holding down the 28th spot entering the game.
  • Jussi Jokinen returned to the lineup after a one-game absence and finished with two shots on goal and -1 rating.
  • With 20 blocks, Columbus did plenty to help out their goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who raised his record to 6-8-1.
  • Former Panther Jack Skille led all skaters with five shots on goal.
  • If you're feeling a bit like fodder this morning, then jump in The Cannon.

Breaking The Whammy

0
0

After the worst start to a season in franchise history, the Blue Jackets finally broke the losing streak that dominated the month of November. So how do we work on clearing out the rest of their bad luck?

Some say the Blue Jackets have incredibly bad luck because of Nationwide Arena's construction on top of the old Ohio Pen.

Some say it's a strange karma thing with Ohio State. (After all, this team didn't get hot last year until the Buckeyes blew it in the Big Ten title game.)

Some say that the Hockey Gods were offended by someone putting holy water in the zamboni, once upon a time, and some say that it's just Ohio Sports, and that's what happens in Ohio Sports.

No matter what the cause, when you look at the Blue Jackets, it's pretty clear that they've been laboring under an incredible streak of bad luck, and the hits just keep on coming.

Going off the theory that the team may, in fact, be cursed, I decided to take a look around for some answers.

The definition of a curse is some form of spell that is directly targeted at a person or place and is meant to cause harm.  The specific one that sounds about right is an "entropy curse." Supposedly, the trademark of this curse is that there is no rhyme or reason to the harm caused, it just results from things generally "going wrong."

Boy, that sounds familiar.

After doing a little research, there's a few ways that The Internet suggest breaking a curse, particularly related to bad luck, so let's take a look at a few, and see what might be possible.

  • Salt is considered a "cleansing" element in many cultures, with methods ranging from surrounding a building with a ring of salt (possible, but messy!), bathing in saltwater (easy enough for the players, though getting the building itself may require the assistance of the fire department and a few pump trucks), or burying the cursed object within a box of salt. (Leaving aside the fact that we'd need a new building to play in after that, I don't see Franklin County going for this one, either. Plus, where would we find a box that size?)
  • Incense or sage are frequently burned to "smudge" a place. While I'm not opposed to the idea of some sage in the locker room (it smells a lot better than sweaty gear!), there's a lot of logistical issues with trying to fill the entire arena (and perhaps the whole arena district!) with smoke, no matter how nice it might smell.
  • While I doubt a broken mirror was involved, I did find a lot of suggestions to take the pieces of a broken mirror, grind it down, and scatter the dust. If anyone happens to have a broken mirror, a grinder, and access to the roof level of the arena parking garage, well...it couldn't hurt, could it?
  • Some traditions suggest creating a "mojo bag". The idea is that you put several "ingredients" into a bag (seeds, crystals, herbs, and hair clippings are common), then keep it with you at all times. If attached to the fight strap on the jersey, it might just work...
  • Good deeds and alms are the last "common" solution to a curse - something the team has already been engaged in, but perhaps it isn't a coincidence that last night's win came on a night where the club was collecting coats for those in need?

As fun as these ideas are, the real answers are likely to be at the heart of what makes someone lucky (or unlucky) in the first place. Stop focusing too much on the things you can't control. Don't let a focus on "the game plan" keep you from spotting chance opportunities. Adjust your thinking, focus on the positives (how about Kerby Rychel?), and break out of routines.

Combine that with guys like Brandon Dubinsky, Mark Letestu, and Ryan Murray hopefully returning to the lineup soon, and perhaps we'll see this team's luck finally turn around.

Groundhog Day: Mark Letestu Out At Least Six More Weeks

0
0

Letestu underwent groin/abdominal surgery in Philadelphia, and will be out until at least mid-January.

Well, the Blue Jackets won a game last night. So, if you thought this was a complete affront to whatever hockey deity we have angered, well, you were right. The team announced today that Mark Letestu underwent surgery to repair a groin and abdominal injury, and is on the shelf at least six more weeks.

Letestu hadn't played since the team's ninth game of the season against Ottawa on October 28.

His injury at that time was listed as a two- to four-week injury. It has been five weeks to the day since then, and only now has he had surgery, resulting in six additional weeks' recovery. If you're scoring at home, Letestu is the second player to have this kind of surgery this year, and as we've seen with Brandon Dubinsky the recovery time is an estimate at best. Groins, as they say, are tricky.

It's gotten to the point with these injuries to abdomens and groins that one has to wonder what might be going on with the team's strength and conditioning program, as Letestu is just another in a long line of Jackets players to need this kind of surgery over the past 18 months or so.

The Report - Episode 9: SOLO JACK!!

0
0

I suck at this.

Aww, geez. Would ya look at the time?

As I'm sure you've heard me state many times, I've always had the best of intentions in doing the podcast regularly. In the pre-season, I even had a pretty good run there where I cranked out eight episodes in two months' time. Then the season started, and our focus turned to actual hockey. And jobs, families, and game coverage ate up a lot of my "free Cannon time". And then the team started eating shit.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

There's no real "good" reason I haven't done a podcast in over two months, other than it just kinda sucked to think about. What guest could I book that wouldn't just want to talk about injuries and what the hell happened to Columbus? It just seemed daunting.

So, I instead elected to plug in my microphone and just talk. For, like, a half hour. Hence, the title. This is me going solo, trying my best to swing for the fences and hit a solo jack to make the score look a little more respectable. Not sure how far this ball went, but you can't blame a guy for trying.

Enjoy!

If the player above isn't working, you can Download this episode (right click and save) click here to download as well. Also, the podcast is available in iTunes. If that's your bag, simply search for "Cannon The Report" in iTunes and you should be able to find it and subscribe!

Cannon Blasts - December 3, 2014

0
0

Is Neon making an appearance on the ASG jerseys?, finding silver linings in this season, and we check in on a familiar face in Philly.

Well, it's going to be a late edition of Cannon Blasts this fine Wednesday given the game content coming up on the site for the end of the week.

ICYMI, I used the November Review article to drop in some handy links.  Look for them carefully, I linked on the words "here" and "vote" and...yeah, those were it.

  • WTF is this, NHL?? Hopefully someone is trolling and those aren't the actual ASG jerseys to be worn.
  • Speaking of All Star Game and bizarre, check out who's leading the fan voting.  Unfortunately, we have a ways to go vote Joey, Bob, or Jack into the game (Reminder: you can submit ten ballots per day.  Do it).
  • The Hockey Writers try to look on the bright side of things this season.
  • Shout out to FFMorgan for dropping this link previously.  Jake Voracek is emerging as a star in the league and the Blue Jackets traded him for (dies)...

The CBJ are in the Sunshine State this weekend taking on Florida tomorrow and Tampa Bay on Saturday.  There is an outside chance Dubi returns against the Lightning.  Time to climb out of the cellar?


GameDay Caterwaul: Columbus Blue Jackets at Florida Panthers Open Forum

0
0

Winless in past nine vs Jackets, does 'Lumbus qualify as Cats' arch rival yet?

  • WHO:Columbus Blue Jackets (7-15-2 16P) at Florida Panthers (10-7-6 26P)
  • WHEN: 7:30 p.m. ET (LBC GameThread at 7ish)
  • WHERE: BB&T Center - Sunrise, FL (single game tickets here)
  • HOW TO WATCH: Fox Sports Florida (FLA); Fox Sports Ohio (CBJ)
  • HOW TO LISTEN: WQAM 560 (FLA); WBNS 97.1 (CBJ)
  • ENEMY INTEL:The Cannon
  • FLA IN SEASON SERIES: Game 2 of 3 (0-1)
  • ALL-TIME VS CBJ: 4W-8L-0T 3OTL 1SOL 34GF 47GA
  • PLAYER STATS:FloridaColumbus

*

Last game for Florida: 4-3 regulation victory in Detroit. Henrik Zetterberg logged an assist en route to finishing with 11(!) shots on Roberto Luongo (38 saves) in a Wings' home loss Tuesday. Aaron Ekblad notched his 4th goal of the season while Vincent Trocheck continued his current hot streak with a goal and two assists.

Last game for Columbus: Yeah, about that.

Update: The Panthers have dealt defenseman Colby Robak to the Anaheim Ducks for Jesse Blacker and a future conditional draft pick. Welcome to the fold Jesse!

NHL Preview:

Thursday in the Atlantic Division

MatchupRecord / PointsAtlantic RankStart (ET)
New Jersey9-12-4 / 22PMetro7:30
Toronto13-8-3 / 29P4th
NY Islanders18-7 / 36PMetro7:30
Ottawa10-9-5 / 35P7th
Dallas9-11-5 / 26PCentral7:30
Detroit14-6-5 / 33P3rd
Buffalo9-14-2 / 20P8th7:30
Tampa Bay17-6-3 / 37P1st
Boston14-11-1 / 29P5th10:30
San Jose12-10-4 / 28PPacific

Panthers, SoFla Media & Opposition on the Tweets

*

Game Preview #25 - Second Verse, Same As The First

0
0

The Blue Jackets complete the home-and-home with Florida in Miami.

Columbus Blue Jackets at Florida Panthers

December 4, 2014 - 7:30 pm EST
BB&T Center - Sunrise, Florida
Radio - WBNS 97.1 - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Litter Box Cats

First of all, how bad is the Metro division? Well, four of the six worst teams in the league in terms of points thus far reside in the Metro. That should tell you how much stringing a few wins together could change the Jackets' fortunes in what has been a crap season thus far. New Jersey is currently fifth in the division, just six points ahead of Columbus while having also played one more game. They are 25th in the league. The Rangers are 19th in the league in total points. They also currently hold a divisional playoff spot right now.

This is a bad division, outside of the top two right now, folks. As much as we may want to (and probably should), completely writing off the Metro's third playoff spot just can't be done yet.

That having been said, it's up to the Jackets to do something about it. The last two games have seen better defensive efforts in terms of goaltending as well as forcing opponents into tougher shot selection. Columbus had been allowing over three and a half goals per game, and held to decent opponents to three goals TOTAL in the last two games. This would be a sign of improvement if they could show it was sustainable.

Not much to say about Florida, other than they may have been looking past Columbus last time around as they went into Detroit the next night and hung a loss on the Wings. Safe to say they won't be looking past Columbus tonight. Roberto Luongo gets the start in goal after stopping 38 of 41 shots the other night in Motown. No apparent changes for the Jackets.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(7-15-2, 16 Points; 8th division, 16th conference)

Scott HartnellRyan JohansenNick Foligno
Kerby RychelBoone JennerCam Atkinson
Matt CalvertMichael ChaputJack Skille
Brian GibbonsAdam CracknellJared Boll
Jack JohnsonDalton Prout
Jordan LeopoldDavid Savard
Kevin ConnautonJames Wisniewski
Sergei Bobrovsky
Curtis McElhinney

Florida Panthers
(10-7-6, 26 Points; 6th Division, 8th Conference)

Jonathan HuberdeauNick BjugstadTomas Fleischmann
Sean BergenheimJussi JokinenBrad Boyes
Brandon PirriVincent TrocheckJimmy Hayes
Tomas KopeckyDerek MacKenzieShawn Thornton
Brian CampbellAaron Ekblad
Willie MitchellDmitry Kulikov
Dylan OlsenErik Gudbranson
Roberto Luongo
Al Montoya

Season Series

12/01/14 - Florida 1 at Columbus 2
12/04/14 - Columbus at Florida
01/29/15 - Columbus at Florida

Head to Head Stats

FloridaColumbus
2.13 (28)GPG2.25 (26)
2.39 (8)GAPG3.46 (29)
15.3% (22)PP%22.0% (7)
80.2% (16)PK%75.6% (26)
Nick Bjugstad, 8G leaderNick Foligno, 10
Jussi Jokinen, 11A leaderRyan Johansen, 16
Aaron Ekblad / Jussi Jokinen, 13Pts leaderRyan Johansen, 25
Shawn Thornton / Scottie Upshall, 20PIM leaderJared Boll, 42
5-4-1Home/Road3-7-1
5-3-2Last 103-6-1
12/2 @ Detroit, W 4-3Last Game12/1 vs. Florida, W 2-1

Game Day #25 - Blue Jackets at Panthers

0
0

The Blue Jackets complete the home-and-home with Florida in Miami.

Columbus Blue Jackets at Florida Panthers

December 4, 2014 - 7:30 pm EST
BB&T Center - Sunrise, Florida
Radio - WBNS 97.1 - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Litter Box Cats

First of all, how bad is the Metro division? Well, four of the six worst teams in the league in terms of points thus far reside in the Metro. That should tell you how much stringing a few wins together could change the Jackets' fortunes in what has been a crap season thus far. New Jersey is currently fifth in the division, just six points ahead of Columbus while having also played one more game. They are 25th in the league. The Rangers are 19th in the league in total points. They also currently hold a divisional playoff spot right now.

This is a bad division, outside of the top two right now, folks. As much as we may want to (and probably should), completely writing off the Metro's third playoff spot just can't be done yet.

That having been said, it's up to the Jackets to do something about it. The last two games have seen better defensive efforts in terms of goaltending as well as forcing opponents into tougher shot selection. Columbus had been allowing over three and a half goals per game, and held to decent opponents to three goals TOTAL in the last two games. This would be a sign of improvement if they could show it was sustainable.

Not much to say about Florida, other than they may have been looking past Columbus last time around as they went into Detroit the next night and hung a loss on the Wings. Safe to say they won't be looking past Columbus tonight. Roberto Luongo gets the start in goal after stopping 38 of 41 shots the other night in Motown. No apparent changes for the Jackets.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(7-15-2, 16 Points; 8th division, 16th conference)

Scott HartnellRyan JohansenNick Foligno
Kerby RychelBoone JennerCam Atkinson
Matt CalvertMichael ChaputJack Skille
Brian GibbonsAdam CracknellJared Boll
Jack JohnsonDalton Prout
Jordan LeopoldDavid Savard
Kevin ConnautonJames Wisniewski
Sergei Bobrovsky
Curtis McElhinney

Florida Panthers
(10-7-6, 26 Points; 6th Division, 8th Conference)

Jonathan HuberdeauNick BjugstadTomas Fleischmann
Sean BergenheimJussi JokinenBrad Boyes
Brandon PirriVincent TrocheckJimmy Hayes
Tomas KopeckyDerek MacKenzieShawn Thornton
Brian CampbellAaron Ekblad
Willie MitchellDmitry Kulikov
Dylan OlsenErik Gudbranson
Roberto Luongo
Al Montoya

Season Series

12/01/14 - Florida 1 at Columbus 2
12/04/14 - Columbus at Florida
01/29/15 - Columbus at Florida

Head to Head Stats

FloridaColumbus
2.13 (28)GPG2.25 (26)
2.39 (8)GAPG3.46 (29)
15.3% (22)PP%22.0% (7)
80.2% (16)PK%75.6% (26)
Nick Bjugstad, 8G leaderNick Foligno, 10
Jussi Jokinen, 11A leaderRyan Johansen, 16
Aaron Ekblad / Jussi Jokinen, 13Pts leaderRyan Johansen, 25
Shawn Thornton / Scottie Upshall, 20PIM leaderJared Boll, 42
5-4-1Home/Road3-7-1
5-3-2Last 103-6-1
12/2 @ Detroit, W 4-3Last Game12/1 vs. Florida, W 2-1

Game Recap #25: A Volkswagen Victory

0
0

If this game was a fish, you'd throw it back. But somehow the Blue Jackets managed an ugly shootout win over the the Panthers, gaining two points in the ledger.

At the end of the 1960's, Volkswagen ran a series of ads featuring pictures of the Apollo Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) and the front of a Volkswagen Beetle.  The tag line was "It's ugly, but it gets you there."  That line applies to this game in spades, as the Blue Jackets surrendered a three goal lead, allowed more shots than in some wars, and still managed to prevail.  Strap in, this is a scary ride.

Period 1: Fast & Loose

Recall the last game, when the Blue Jackets came out with a stilted, stop & go game that resulted in zero shots on goal for the first twelve minutes of the opening period?  I'm not sure, but I suspect that Todd Richards may have had a thing or two to say about that, as Columbus came out with speed and fury, moving the pace up and down the ice.  One such exchange resulted in an odd-man rush for Florida, which David Savard stymied by a sprawling snow angel.  The Blue Jackets took the puck and stormed north once again, working the puck to Nick Foligno low behind Roberto Luongo's left post.  Foligno quickly reversed course to the right, and parked a crafty wraparound off a Florida skate and into the back of the net.  1 - 0 Blue Jackets, and just 1:07 had ticked off the clock.  Scott Hartnell broke a bit of a slump by earning the primary assist, with Dalton Prout gaining the additional helper.

Just two minutes later, the Blue Jackets were on the power play, but spent too much time attempting fancy entries, instead of simply entering the zone with speed, and the opportunity was squandered.  Still, the Blue Jackets put six shots on goal before Florida notched their first.  A tripping penalty to Michael Chaput at the 5:27 mark gave Florida a chance to pull even, but Sergei Bobrovsky and the PK unit were easily up to the task.  No damage done.  Then , just before the halfway mark of the period, Florida attempted to rim the puck around the zone from left to right.  Kerby Rychel was having none of it, as he crowded the boards, grabbed the puck, and cleared it to the neutral zone.  Cam Atkinson, lurking high in the zone, jumped on the errant puck and the race was on.  Cam has had trouble cashing in on these chances of late, but did not miss this night. He zipped one high over Luongo's glove, and the Jackets had a 2 - 0 advantage.  Rychel earned the lone assist, and now has a two game scoring streak.

The clubs traded chances for the balance of the period, with a possible odd man situation favoring the Blue Jackets negated by a strange fight between Dalton Prout and Shawn Thornton.  Whatever . . . It seemed that the period was going to end calmly, when Florida suddenly got a flurry going down low, generating several point blank chances, and enabling them to ultimately win the shots battle for the first, 13 - 11.  However, a calm, cool Bobrovksy nullified every chance, and the period ended without further damage.

A solid start for Columbus, getting double digit shots on Luongo, earning two goals, and looking more confident than they have in weeks.  Probably a bit too loose for Todd Richards' taste, but you can't argue with results.  Special kudos to Jeff Rimer for a terrific first intermission interview with Bobby Orr, who was hanging out with Nathan Horton in the sparsely populated stands (7,788 was the official tally, but many of them were apparently camouflaged)

Good start, but could they keep the pressure up, and not let down?

Period 2: Relapse

At the beginning of the period, the Blue Jackets gained possession of the puck, moved it into the offensive zone, and cashed in when Boone Jenner tickled the twine just 51 seconds in.  Cam Atkinson and Kerby Rychel had the assists, and suddenly the visitors had a 3 - 0 lead.  That was apparently the worst possible thing that could have happened.

The last 19:09 of the second period were a House of Horrors for the Blue Jackets.  They took four penalties (3 hooking, 1 tripping), with none for Florida.  Thus, they spent almost half of the remaining ice time on the PK.  However, almost immediately, the skating stopped, the players reacted rather than created, the coaches went into panic mode by switching lines, and the house of cards came tumbling down.  At 2:54, Thomas Fleischmann parked a nice slap shot behind Bobrovsky on the odd man rush,  with Jonathan Huberdeau and Nick Bjugstad (remember that name) garnering the assists.

Just over two minutes later, the Panthers took advantage of a slow defensive response, and Bjugstad scooted a backhand into the far corner, through a sea of legs and sticks. Fleischmann returned the favor with the primary assist, joined by Aaron Eckblad, and it was a one goal game.  Not for long, however, as Bjugstad again cashed in, this time on the power play.  On this one, he used his long reach to generate a shot that was half slapper, half wrap-around from low to Bobrovsky's right.  It promised to be harmless, except that the puck caromed almost vertically off the skate, zipping over Bobrovsky's right ear and into the net. Tie game, with all three goals scored in less than a five minute interval. Have you heard this one before?

The Blue Jackets mounted absolutely no credible offense after the Jenner goal, as evidenced by the 19 - 3 shot total for the period.  Of course, Columbus had to kill three more penalties after the Panthers scored their third goal, which they did deftly,  However, the reconstructed lines could not gain consistent possession, and the horrific ice conditions were not conducive to offensive consistency as the period wore on.

In short, it was a stunningly horrific reversal of fortune for Columbus, with the only solace being the fact that the mind-numbingly awful play still resulted only in a tie game. What would the third period possibly hold?

Period 3 & Beyond: A Choppy Standoff & Brilliant Vindication

The Blue Jackets had a better offensive period in the third.  They managed four shots on goal, instead of three.  Florida? They peppered Sergei Bobrovsky with another 19 pellets, and Bobrovsky stopped them all.  The tinkering with the Blue Jackets lines had destroyed any semblance of chemistry by this point, and it showed.  In truth, while Florida had some true threats, a lot of the shots were from the perimeter, with clear sight lines to the goal.  Perhaps the Panthers were fatigued from all that shooting . . .    Florida put four shots on net in the overtime frame, to two for Columbus, with neither side generating any appreciable chances.

The numbers at the end of regulation and OT were truly jaw-dropping. Florida put 55 shots on net, had another 27 blocked by Blue Jackets, and missed the net 17 times.  That is 99 attempted shots, compared to just 35 for Columbus. For those keeping score at home, that amounts to an all-situations team Corsi number of just 26.12%.  That is astoundingly bad.  Only slightly better was the 37% face-off winning percentage they managed to compile.  Still, despite the numerical domination, they had managed to salvage at least a point and were just a shootout away from two.

Florida elected to go first, and Jonathan Huberdeau missed wide right.  Cam Atkinson was denied by Luongo.  In Round 2, Bob stuffed Jussi Jokinen and Luongo made the save on Matt Calvert.  Neither Brad Boyes nor Nick Foligno could find the net in the final scheduled round, so the shootout when to extra time.  With two goals and an assist already on his card, Nick Bjugstad got the call for Florida, and he almost delivered.  He put Bob down with a crafty move, then moved to his right to gain a clear angle.  Somehow, Bobrovsky flashed his glove on the same trajectory as the puck, denying Bjugstad in spectacular fashion.   Enter Ryan Johansen, who sat on the bench for the entire OT.  He came in calmly on Luongo, and just as calmly zipped a high wrister into the back of the net for the game winner.  Mission accomplished, but you'll be hard pressed to find an uglier win.

Wrapping It Up

First, Sergei Bobrovsky deserves every accolade he can be provided for this one.  A franchise record for saves in a game, a perfect shootout, and really the only reason the Blue Jackets were in this one.  The Jenner, Atkinson, Rychel line was terrific . . . until Richards broke them up.  Johansen struggled in the face-off circle, but played hard in all three zones. Nick Foligno was an iron man, pulling 22:00 of ice time (compared to only 16:45 for Johansen -- only 12:15 at even strength).  Michael Chaput had some solid moments as well.  Curiously, Kerby Rychel got only 10:26 of ice time, making his two assists and +2 even more impressive.

The numbers are the numbers, but those are the symptoms, not the disease.  I'll have more on this in an article later this weekend, but there is an issue with the psyche of the team that allows such manic depressive swings in performance over such a short time span.  Add to that some questionable personnel utilization by the coach, and an evening that started like a dream ended as a nightmare from which you suddenly awaken, with that uneasy sense of relief.

In his post-game comments, Todd Richards appeared to suggest that the Blue Jackets did not take their foot off the gas, but that the issues started by trying to get the fourth goal.  First, that was directly contrary to assistant coach Brad Larsen's characterization of the situation from behind the bench during the second period, and really defies the patent logic that the television screen and the statistics showed.  Richards admits he doesn't see much of the game on the ice, because he is paying attention to "other things".  Perhaps that needs to change, as he is apparently allocating ice time and making key decisions based upon impressions gleaned from incomplete information.  The Blue Jackets were a loose, confident bunch in the first, and during the first minute of the second.  Then it changed, and the makeshift adjustments appeared to only make the situation worse.

So, while the two points is welcome, there are some things that need to be done with the leadership situation, both for the guys with the skates and the guys with the suits.  They escaped this time, but won't have that luxury Saturday against Tampa Bay, who beat Buffalo 5 - 0 tonight.  That's when the Blue Jackets will try to make this a three game winning streak.  Stay tuned.

Game 27 recap: Bolts shut out Sabres 5-0

0
0

Things got kind of heated at the end, but it was all Lightning, all the time at the Amalie Arena Thursday night as the Tampa Bay Lightning beat what had been a recently resurgent Bufalo Sabres squad 5-0.

The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-0 in front of a crowd of 17,767 at the Amalie Arena in Tampa Thursday night.

The Buffalo Sabres entered the season as the pre-determined doormat of the NHL's Eastern Conference, if not the entire league, an assignment they posted effective arguments against recently by winning six of seven games, including their 2-1 shootout win over the Lightning on Tuesday. While a poor start had kept them from moving up in the standings, they had shown themselves to be a team that opponents took lightly at great peril. Until tonight.

"We just got off our game a little bit. We were a little bit unlucky on some of those goals and it was just about us not doing the things we've done. We didn't get the pucks out. That's what happens when you spend that much time in your own zone." - Buffalo's Zemgus Girgensons

A fairly even back-and-forth opening period saw the Lightning tally the only marker, and eventual game winner, early on, when Radko Gudas scored, a goal originally credited to Nikita Kucherov. Tyler Johnson chipped in with the lone assist.

Things changed dramatically and decisively in the second when Buffalo suddenly and inexplicably took a much more passive approach to defending against Tampa Bay skaters, allowing them to spend long stretches in the offensive zone and move the puck around almost at will.

"Hard to say right now, we have got to watch the video, but I think they were starting to come harder and they were pinching so hard, so we didn't even have time to put the puck in the neutral zone or even in their zone." - Buffalo's Nikita Zadorov.

This cost them at 4:28 when Steven Stamkos scored in close on assists from Ryan Callahan and Alex Killorn.

Just over a minute later at 5:39, it cost them again. This time, Brenden Morrow converted on helpers from Jonathan Drouin and Andrej Sustr.

And yet again at 13:40 on a goal by Jason Garrison, with Stamkos and Sustr providing assistance.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the nice, Lightning goalie Ben Bishop was probably getting lonely. He only faced five shots in the first period and didn't see his first one in the second period for the first 16:37 of it. He would go on to stop a mere 13 shots on the night in recording his first shutout of the season.

It was a different story for Buffalo's Jhonas Enroth, who had more than he could handle in facing 35 shots, turning away 30 of them on the night.

The second period ended with the Lightning in full command at 4-0.

The Lightning had been called for a hooking penalty on Victor Hedman in the first while the Sabres Nikita Zadarov was called for the same in the second, and that was it in terms of penalties... until the third period.

Things got nasty, as they sometimes do when teams face each other two times in a row and/or when there's a blowout, This was both and the combination of slashing, roughing, interference, fighting, cross checking, tripping, and game misconducts (plus one little old delay of game) that started about seven minutes and lasted until the end of the game, resulted in the Lightning accruing 50 penalty minutes while the Sabres piled up 56 of their own.

"Well, if teams are going to play like that and kind of test us physically, our guys aren't going to back down. Obviously, the strength of our game is utilizing our speed and skill and playing the game. When things get out of hand like that, it's obviously because the other team is frustrated and we've been doing something right all game." - Stamkos

"They're a proud team. They came out, they battled, they were hitting hard. I'm sure they got challenged a bit in between the second and the third (periods). They came out really hard and stuff like that sometimes happens. I thought we responded extremely well." - Lightning head coach Jon Cooper

Brett Connolly tied a bow on the proceedings on a five-on-three power play at 18:55, getting help from Valtteri Filppula and Stamkos.

"I'm proud of the guys how we stuck together in the third. Not one guy backed down. We had everyone's back. The second period was one of the better periods we've played this year. I think in regards to puck possession, making smart plays. I think that kind of set the tone for the game." - Stamkos

This was the first game of a four-game homestand and the Lightning will be in action again on Saturday when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets.x

Game notes:

  • In addition to it being Bishop's first shutout, it's the first shutout that the Lightning have been involved in this season.
  • The Lightning now have a five-game home winning streak.
  • This was the second of five meetings between Buffalo and the Lightning this season. The teams split decisions in two match-ups last season. They meet again on December 31 in Buffalo.
  • Tyler Johnson has three goals and three assists in his last six games vs the Sabres.
  • Johnson also has a five-game (two goals, four assists) point streak.
  • Steven Stamkos is now just one goal shy of the 250 mark.
  • Nikita Kucherov had his four-game scoring streak snapped.
  • This was easily the most penalty minutes in one game for the Lightning this season, surpassing the 16 they picked up on October 18 at Vancouver.
  • Air Force Tech Sergeant Sonya Bryson, who frequently sings the National Anthem at Lightning home games, was recognized prior to the start of tonight's game for her 1,000th performance of The Star Spangled Banner (not all at Amalie Arena, obviously).
  • The Lightning honored Keith Babb as the 14th Lightning Community Hero of the year during the first period of tonight's game. Babb, who received a $50,000 donation from the Lightning Foundation and the Lightning Community Heroes program, will donate the money to 2nd Chance Center 4 Boyz and Devreux Kids. Babb dedicates his time helping delinquent young men get a ‘second chance' at life and find their life's purpose. He is the founder of the 2nd Chance Center 4 Boyz, a non-profit organization geared toward helping at risk boys and young men in the Tampa Bay community prevent encounters with the department of juvenile justice through gender specific programming including: character development, community service, academic enrichment, mentoring, and extra-curricular activities. Having been raised in an impoverished, single parent household, Babb understands the struggling circumstances that relate to many at risk young men. This experience coupled with the countless reports of killings and arrests of young males in Tampa Bay are driving forces behind Babb's efforts. While maintaining a full time occupation, Babb selflessly makes the time to serve as Executive Director of 2nd Chance Center 4 Boyz and does so without compensation. To date he has been the touch of grace to over 150 young men and has helped turn hopeless souls to positive contributors of the Tampa Bay community.
Viewing all 1677 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images