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Kings Gameday: Help Wanted

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The Kings are in Columbus for a game. OR are they there to try and recruit some help?

It's the point in the year again where the Kings actively look for some help. Specifically, help from the Columbus Blue Jackets. The ol' BJs have given the Kings the likes of Jeff Carter for Jack Johnson (ouch) and Marian Gaborik in exchange for draft picks and Matt Frattin (even more ouch). Now the Kings require some aid yet again, what with still being out of a playoff spot. Columbus is sitting well out of the hunt, and since the two teams are bestest bros, they can spot Los Angeles another star.

The Kings' depth up front is a little shaky right now with the dependence on Nick Shore, Trevor Lewis on the third line, and using Andy Andreoff at all. But the real issue has been their defense. Jamie McBain is okay in case of emergencies, and Brayden McNabb still seems tentative at the NHL level with everything being asked of him this season. Also, I have my severe doubts Slava Voynov is coming back this season. So...what can ya set us up with Columbus?

Jordan Leopold

Veteran defenseman. Expiring contract. He's been traded at every deadline for the past decade. The downside: He's a seventh defenseman on a draft lottery team. He also looks like old Carol Channing.

Scott Hartnell

A former Flyer AND on the Blue Jackets? Okay, this trade is probably happening whether or not the GMs even know it. It's simply nature's course. However his contract goes on for another four seasons at a hit of 4.75 million per. He also is a more natural fit with Anaheim because he looks like Rahzar from the Ninja Turtles, and his buddy Tokka is the captain of the Ducks.

David Savard

He's a defenseman that is right handed. I know nothing else about him. Good enough for me! Trade two first round picks and Pearson for him. He appears to be related to Chip and Dale from the Rescue Rangers. Side note: Apparently, people really have a thing for Gadget from that show. We live in a sick, sick world.

Artem Anisimov

He's only got one year after this season on his contract and is a big guy. The Kings like big guys. The problem is he is Russian, and I don't know if the Kings are ready to get back into another relationship with one. Anisimov looks like a young Stalin.

James Wisniewski

He is a shit stain. An expensive shit stain. He also is a big right handed defenseman. He looks like a Nazi. He did almost kill Brent Seabrook a while back, so he could be useful if the Kings run into the Blackhawks in the playoffs again.

Ryan Johansen

The heir apparent to Mike Richards. The Kings will have to get creative to land him, possibly by including a fifth round draft pick along with Derek Forbort and Richards. The Blue Jackets will definitely do thit trade. Trust me. His only downside is that his name is Ryan and all Ryans are naturally insufferable, arrogant assholes because they are better than everybody else. He also looks like older, emo-y Dean Venture.

Jack Johnson

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha fuck no. He looks like Robert Z'Dar. One more note, I don't know what Jack Johnson's dad looks like but I always figured he was pretty much Monterey Jack from Chip and Dale also.

Anyways, here's what the Kings can offer!

Mike Richards!

He has valuable Cup winning experience?

Derek Forbort!

Is he good? Does he have a future in the NHL? Does he have a future, period? We don't know either! It's a mystery! He could possibly be the next Bobby Orr. C'mon don't be a pussy. Take a shot.

Slava Voynov!

Will you have to pay his salary? Can he even be traded? Shut up and take him.

More draft picks!

The Kings still have some laying around somewhere, right?

preview 10/26

Since the Kings are back to being completely unbeatable I don't know why everyone thought they were doomed in the first place. Clearly, the Stanley Cup is theirs already. The league should just cancel the remainder of the season and give it back to the Kings now. See ya next season, losers!

Prediction: Someone starts posting a lot of inappropriate Gadget pictures.


Monday's Dump & Chase: Why You Should Worry About John Klingberg

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If you haven't noticed a lot of people in the national media have gotten bored with #PrinceFilip being the obvious (this is a non-negotiable point, if you disagree, leave) Calder Trophy leader. Admittedly Aaron Ekblad, as we saw last night, may be having the best rookie season of any 18 year old defenseman ever, and Johnny Hockey has brought his team new hope, but Filip Forsberg's play has redefined his team, not to mention he is still chugging long at about a point per game. No, the man we should all be worried about is John Klingberg. Voters love a late season push, and the Dallas Star has been a solitary bright spot on an otherwise wonderfully dysfunctional team. The 22 year old has nine points (four goals, five assists) in his last five games and shows no signs of slowing down, and suddenly seems like the ‘sexy pick’ for #Cal9er. But who cares, this season is perfect, forget all of this, it doesn't matter in the end we know only one person can win. Oh, in other news, we are back in first:)

Nashville Predators News

Aaron Ekblad impresses Filip Forsberg-The Tennessean

Yeah, he's ok I guess.

Mike Fisher's Far-Reaching Impact - Nashville Predators

Doesn't really mention his handsomeness at all, though.

The Chatterbox, Vol. 64 | Admirals Roundtable

Admirals won a wild one this weekend.

Stålberg’s Hat Trick Headlines A Rowdy 7-5 Win in Rockford | Admirals Roundtable

I have so much respect for his attitude through all this.

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

NHL Roundtable: Rick Nash's legacy, Calder Trophy Race, more - SI.com

#Cal9er #Cal9er #Cal9er (you get the idea).

Edmonton Oilers player grades — 11-game losing streak? Who ya gonna call? SLUMP BUSTERS | Edmonton Journal

Good to know we can still count on them for something.

Lessons from the Red Army - 30 for 30's Of Miracles And Men - Puck Drunk Love

It's weird to think of the opposite side of a miracle...

Wild are still really good at shutting out the Avs | ProHockeyTalk

Aren't we all, aren't we all.

The 10 worst free agent signings of 2014-15 | The Hockey News

No Preds, I'll take it!

Watch Leafs' Morgan Rielly go coast-to-coast for gorgeous solo goal (Video) | Puck Daddy

Whew...

Henrik Lundqvist injury: 'If I kept playing I could have had a stroke' - NHL - SI.com

That is just honestly terrifying.

Blue Jackets: Scott Hartnell thankful a thousand times over | BlueJackets Xtra

That's a lot of games.

WATCH: Adorable little Maple Leafs fan brings team good luck - CBSSports.com

Awww.

Watch Steve Mason injure himself during TV timeout (Video) | Puck Daddy

It would be far too easy to make a joke here...

Gotta See It: Tarasenko dekes & scores on Crawford - Sportsnet.ca

He does it again, but they lost..to the Hawks...so ugh.

AHL center Colin Smith scores jaw-dropping overtime winner | The Hockey News

A weekend of highlight real goals.

Ryan Murray and the increased risk of injury

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This is about more than bad luck.

Let's start at the beginning.

There was a very real fear behind that. The idea that such a talented young player, the Blue Jackets best defenseman as far as I'm concerned, could be in a situation where he may find himself back on the injured reserve list sooner than we'd all like was hard to swallow.

Eventually, that very real fear was realized.

First, I want to say that I know no one is more disappointed right now than Ryan Murray. Right after that has to be Jarmo Kekalainen and Todd Richards. They only want what they feel is the best for this team, its players, and the city of Columbus. I honestly, truly believe that. But I have some problems, and I believe when you're talking about the 25th place team in the league, nothing is sacred.

Murray returned to action and all was well, until his third game back, when...

And then...

Which culminated in this attempt to make a point, that led to a bit of a rant, and some back-and-forth.

In an effort to share a more nuanced argument than I can with Twitter's 140 character limit, I wanted to clarify my point. What was meant as a joke-y tweet, led to a mini-rant in attempt to try to make a nuanced point in a space where one could not be made.

I've deleted the rest - I simply didn't do a good job making my point, and that doesn't need to represent the rest of the contributors here.

A fairly common response seemed to be along the lines of, "Conditioning had nothing to do this."

Which, to be frank, is a misunderstanding of my point at best, or a straw man at worst.

Yes, players go on a "conditioning" stint in the American Hockey League, but it's often used when a player returns from a long-term injury. At no point did I mention his conditioning level, but many seemed to feel that was the point of my comments. Instead, I was suggesting what I've seen in the comments around here before: Let him play a game or two, take a game off. With his injury history, with this team so far out of the playoff picture, there's zero reason to add him to the roster (with eight other defenseman) until you're sure he's 110%. Man, let him get to 120%! This season is lost - let's reload for next year.

Sending Murray to Springfield for a couple weeks could've allowed them to keep Josh Anderson on the roster, eliminating the need to play Jordan Leopold on the 4th line - a move that put extra stress on the remaining 11 forwards in the lineup. It may have even given Jarmo time to work out a trade involving someone like Leopold or Cody Goloubef while still allowing the coach to ice a complete roster.

The idea that the competition level in the AHL isn't quite at the level of the NHL shouldn't be a radical thought. Or maybe not. The next set of responses hammered that home, "This could've happened in the AHL. Competition is competition."

I'm not sure if I can make my point much clearer here. Again, I never mentioned conditioning. I do believe he may not have been up to game strength, which I think is a fair assumption to make after missing the better part of a year. Getting checked in a game is different than taking a bump in practice. Is he more likely to get hit harder by someone in the NHL or the AHL?

You can't cover him in bubble wrap and you can't prevent the inevitable, but you can give him the best chance at success. This is common theme lately, in my opinion.

What I was trying, and clearly failed, to voice is my frustration with how the team utilized the player with a well-documented injury history. This team, with less than a percentage point of a chance to make the playoffs, puts that player right back into the mix once he's cleared. That's borderline infuriating to me.

No one wanted this to happen. That much, I know. But this is coming in a year following a half a dozen guys having the same groin surgery. This is following Mark Letestu being injured, only to later learn he needs that same surgery. And where is Brian Gibbons? He was expected to miss "2-3 weeks" eight weeks ago. Beyond Murray, Letestu, Gibbons, and others, there's also this strange bit of news that seemed to fly under the radar: Anton Stralman went misdiagnosed until he landed in New York. All I could think of after reading that was Matt Calvert's ongoing bout with illness.

That's one too many "coincidences" for me to stomach.

Finally, there's one more thing I'd like to address here, fitting with the themes of the day.

I don't like the idea that you can only be a fan of a team if you're only 100% supportive of every single move (or non-move). Disagreeing is good! It sparks debate and discussion. It's why we're here, to be honest. If I don't have an opinion, then I'm wasting your time. I'm not a reporter that's only here to present the facts.

All that's to say, here's my point: I'm frustrated with this season. I'm concerned about Ryan Murray. The fact that it's a different injury, something like a high-ankle sprain that is notoriously tough to shake, doesn't comfort me. It's too early to say he's fragile, but it's not too early to say he has a history. Multiple players have come back or pushed themselves too hard too soon and re-aggravated an injury or later needed surgery. Why is that happening?

And am I the only one who has a problem with that?

Game Preview #52 - Mr. 1000

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The Jackets look to win their third straight as Scott Hartnell reaches a milestone very few NHLers ever get to.

Los Angeles Kings at Columbus Blue Jackets

February 9th, 2015 - 7:00 PM EST
Nationwide Arena - Columbus, Ohio
Radio - WBNS 97.1 - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Jewels From The Crown

If this game had more impact on a playoff push, it would be easy to overlook the obvious:

Tonight is Scott Hartnell's 1000th NHL game.

Only 294 players in league history have ever done that. Only 26 of them currently play in the league. Hartnell's feat is a testament to his work ethic, as the physical style he plays might lend itself to repeated bouts with injury. For him, it just hasn't happened that way, as he's never missed more than 23 games in a season. In fact, since moving to Philly for the 2007-2008 campaign, he's missed just 28 games. Out of a possible 591 games. He's played in 95.3% of the games over that time. It's amazing.

And, it's not like he's just out there going through the motions. One of the other reasons a player is able to get to a milestone like this is that he is producing over that long period of time. Hartnell has 262 goals and 309 assists in his 999 games, or a .57 points-per-game slate. He's been held under 20 goals just one time (in a full 82-game season) since 2005-2006. That's consistency.

And, he's done it any and everywhere. He's played all over the lineup wherever he's been, playing with many different linemates. And he just keeps getting it done. Assuming he plays the rest of the season, he'll essentially match his last season's total, despite coming over to a new team that has underperformed across the board. He's on pace to score 20 goals--again--and notch 35 assists in 77 games. He had 20/32/52 last season in 76 games. That, too, is consistency.

So, congrats Scotty! While you have only been a Jackets for 46 of those 999 games, I think it's quite fair to say you've endeared yourself here quite well in this one season, and we're honored to have you join the ranks of Sergei Fedorov and Vinny Prospal as guys to find themselves suiting up for the 1000th time as a Blue Jacket.

Lost in all of that is that the Jackets have won two in a row in fairly convincing fashion--on the scoreboard, at least--combining to win two games 11-2. It's come from everywhere in the lineup, with Nick Foligno and Cam Atkinson re-discovering the back of the net as well as guys like Corey Tropp and Mark Letestu proving the elusive "secondary scoring" that has been so lacking this season. Not to mention the performance of Curtis McElhinney, who turned in probably his best overall performance as a Blue Jacket on Saturday in Ottawa.

The Kings don't yet look like they've flipped the switch that we all know they have, so the Jackets are catching them at a good time: since reaching their high water mark of 18-11-7 in late December, they've gone just 4-7-5 in their last 16, which has them on the outside looking in at the moment. That said, as this game marks the final game in a five-game road trip, it's important to note that their previous game was a solid win in Tampa Bay, though it was just their fourth win in 2015 (which includes winning on New Year's Day). In addition, even with that win in Tampa, the Kings have been abysmal on the road all season, with just six wins in 24 contests away from Staples.

They're a good team that may either just be going through the motions or genuinely struggling. The Jackets beat St. Louis at the top of their game the other night, so anything is possible. The guys just have to want to do it again.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(23-25-3, 49 Points; 7th division, 13th conference)

Scott HartnellRyan JohansenCam Atkinson
Nick FolignoBrandon DubinskyCorey Tropp
Alexander WennbergArtem AnisimovJack Skille
Matt CalvertMark LetestuJared Boll
Fedor TyutinJack Johnson
Kevin ConnautonDavid Savard
Jordan LeopoldCody Goloubef
Curtis McElhinney
Anton Forsberg

Los Angeles Kings
(22-18-12, 56 Points; 5th Division, 10th Conference)

Marian GaborikAnze KopitarDustin Brown
Dwight KingJeff CarterTyler Toffoli
Trevor LewisJarret StollJustin Williams
Kyle CliffordNick ShoreJordan Nolan
Jake MuzzinDrew Doughty
Robyn RegehrJamie McBain
Brayden McNabbMatt Greene
Jonathan Quick
Martin Jones

Season Series

LAK - 1-0-0
CBJ - 0-1-0

10/26/14 - Columbus 2 at Los Angeles 5
02/09/15 - Los Angeles at Columbus

Head to Head Stats

Los AngelesColumbus
2.67 (19)GPG2.51 (23)
2.58 (15)GAPG3.06 (26)
19.5% (12)PP%22.9% (5)
78.0% (26)PK%80.1% (20)
Marian Gaborik, 16G leaderNick Foligno, 21
Anze Kopitar, 29A leaderRyan Johansen, 29
Anze Kopitar, 40Pts leaderNick Foligno / Ryan Johansen, 49
Kyle Clifford, 52PIM leaderScott Hartnell, 69
6-12-6Road/Home11-13-2
3-5-2Last 105-5-0
2/7 @ Tampa Bay, W 4-2Last Game2/7 @ Ottawa, W 4-1

Game Day #52 - Blue Jackets vs. Kings

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The Jackets look to win their third straight as Scott Hartnell reaches a milestone very few NHLers ever get to.

Los Angeles Kings at Columbus Blue Jackets

February 9th, 2015 - 7:00 PM EST
Canadian Tire Centre - Kanata, Ontario
Radio - WBNS 97.1 - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Jewels From The Crown

If this game had more impact on a playoff push, it would be easy to overlook the obvious:

Tonight is Scott Hartnell's 1000th NHL game.

Only 294 players in league history have ever done that. Only 26 of them currently play in the league. Hartnell's feat is a testament to his work ethic, as the physical style he plays might lend itself to repeated bouts with injury. For him, it just hasn't happened that way, as he's never missed more than 23 games in a season. In fact, since moving to Philly for the 2007-2008 campaign, he's missed just 28 games. Out of a possible 591 games. He's played in 95.3% of the games over that time. It's amazing.

And, it's not like he's just out there going through the motions. One of the other reasons a player is able to get to a milestone like this is that he is producing over that long period of time. Hartnell has 262 goals and 309 assists in his 999 games, or a .57 points-per-game slate. He's been held under 20 goals just one time (in a full 82-game season) since 2005-2006. That's consistency.

And, he's done it any and everywhere. He's played all over the lineup wherever he's been, playing with many different linemates. And he just keeps getting it done. Assuming he plays the rest of the season, he'll essentially match his last season's total, despite coming over to a new team that has underperformed across the board. He's on pace to score 20 goals--again--and notch 35 assists in 77 games. He had 20/32/52 last season in 76 games. That, too, is consistency.

So, congrats Scotty! While you have only been a Jackets for 46 of those 999 games, I think it's quite fair to say you've endeared yourself here quite well in this one season, and we're honored to have you join the ranks of Sergei Fedorov and Vinny Prospal as guys to find themselves suiting up for the 1000th time as a Blue Jacket.

Lost in all of that is that the Jackets have won two in a row in fairly convincing fashion--on the scoreboard, at least--combining to win two games 11-2. It's come from everywhere in the lineup, with Nick Foligno and Cam Atkinson re-discovering the back of the net as well as guys like Corey Tropp and Mark Letestu proving the elusive "secondary scoring" that has been so lacking this season. Not to mention the performance of Curtis McElhinney, who turned in probably his best overall performance as a Blue Jacket on Saturday in Ottawa.

The Kings don't yet look like they've flipped the switch that we all know they have, so the Jackets are catching them at a good time: since reaching their high water mark of 18-11-7 in late December, they've gone just 4-7-5 in their last 16, which has them on the outside looking in at the moment. That said, as this game marks the final game in a five-game road trip, it's important to note that their previous game was a solid win in Tampa Bay, though it was just their fourth win in 2015 (which includes winning on New Year's Day). In addition, even with that win in Tampa, the Kings have been abysmal on the road all season, with just six wins in 24 contests away from Staples.

They're a good team that may either just be going through the motions or genuinely struggling. The Jackets beat St. Louis at the top of their game the other night, so anything is possible. The guys just have to want to do it again.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(23-25-3, 49 Points; 7th division, 13th conference)

Scott HartnellRyan JohansenCam Atkinson
Nick FolignoBrandon DubinskyCorey Tropp
Alexander WennbergArtem AnisimovJack Skille
Matt CalvertMark LetestuJared Boll
Jack JohnsonDavid Savard
Fedor TyutinDalton Prout
Kevin ConnautonJordan Leopold
Curtis McElhinney
Anton Forsberg

Los Angeles Kings
(22-18-12, 56 Points; 5th Division, 10th Conference)

Marian GaborikAnze KopitarDustin Brown
Dwight KingJeff CarterTyler Toffoli
Trevor LewisJarret StollJustin Williams
Kyle CliffordNick ShoreJordan Nolan
Jake MuzzinDrew Doughty
Robyn RegehrJamie McBain
Brayden McNabbMatt Greene
Jonathan Quick
Martin Jones

Season Series

LAK - 1-0-0
CBJ - 0-1-0

10/26/14 - Columbus 2 at Los Angeles 5
02/09/15 - Los Angeles at Columbus

Head to Head Stats

Los AngelesColumbus
2.67 (19)GPG2.51 (23)
2.58 (15)GAPG3.06 (26)
19.5% (12)PP%22.9% (5)
78.0% (26)PK%80.1% (20)
Marian Gaborik, 16G leaderNick Foligno, 21
Anze Kopitar, 29A leaderRyan Johansen, 29
Anze Kopitar, 40Pts leaderNick Foligno / Ryan Johansen, 49
Kyle Clifford, 52PIM leaderScott Hartnell, 69
6-12-6Road/Home11-13-2
3-5-2Last 105-5-0
2/7 @ Tampa Bay, W 4-2Last Game2/7 @ Ottawa, W 4-1

Game Day #53: Kings @ Blue Jackets

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Time to keep a winning streak going

Columbus Blue Jackets v Los Angeles Kings (Nationwide Arena)

Time: 4:00 PM PST

TV: Fox Sports West

Enemy Reading: The Cannon

Lineups:

Los Angeles Kings

Gaborik–Kopitar–Brown
King–Carter–Toffoli
Lewis–Stoll–Williams
Clifford–Shore–Nolan

Doughty–Muzzin
Regehr–McNabb
Greene–McBain

Quick
(Jones)

Scratched: Andreoff; Injured: Pearson, Martinez; Suspended: Voynov

Columbus Blue Jackets

Hartnell–Johansen–Atkinson
Foligno–Dubinsky–Tropp
Anisimov–Wennberg–Skille
Calvert–Letestu–Boll

Johnson–Savard
Connauton–Tyutin
Goloubef–Leopold

McElhinney
(Forsberg)

Scratched: None; Injured: Horton (back), Murray (ankle), Bobrovsky (groin), Jenner (back), Gibbons (knee), Morin (heart), Wisniewski (lower body), Prout (upper body)

Notes:

  • First, an appreciation of what Robyn Regehr did on Saturday...
  • No.PlayerPosGAP+/-PIMSHitsBkSPP TOISH TOITOI
    44R. RegehrD022200220:272:1729:00
  • Regehr, along with Matt Greene, should get a whole bunch of ice time today with Alec Martinez out of the lineup. We still don't know the defense pairings, though.
  • I could have just written "STOP FEELING SORRY FOR YOURSELVES, KINGS FANS" in place of the Blue Jackets' injury list. My goodness.
  • Curtis McElhinney has a .915 save percentage this season, and stopped 34 of 35 on Saturday against Ottawa, so he's not a total disaster in net. Never forget, though, that he played 21 games for Anaheim in 2010-11 and put up an .890 save percentage. Ouch.
  • That Saturday game was a strange one. McElhinney and Robin Lehner combined to stop all 46 shots they faced in the first two periods, but the game finished 4-1 after a Columbus outburst.
  • Weirder than that? Their prior game, a 7-1 romp over the actually-good St. Louis Blues.
  • That doesn't mean LA shouldn't win today. The Columbus bottom six and defensive corps are extremely thin thanks to injuries, and the Blue Jackets have a mere 49 points this season. The Kings aren't going to get the six points we humbly requested on this trip, but winning this game will salvage the journey. A loss will be incredibly discouraging.
  • PREDICTION: Jack Johnson and Robyn Regehr go head-to-head a lot, amusing us all.

Kings @ Blue Jackets Recap: LA Dominates AND Survives

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A creative way to earn the two points, but we'll take it.

A crazy first, a dominant second, and a comfortable-then-really-uncomfortable third period added up to a 4-3 win for the Los Angeles Kings over the Columbus Blue Jackets. LA hasn't had consecutive wins since December 20, so enjoy this one, yeah?

[Box Score]

Just as I was looking for the right phrase to describe the first period, Bob Miller described it as a "firewagon first," which is why he gets paid to describe things for a living. Things got off to a regrettably quick start when Jack Skille scored inside two minutes, though... stop me if you've heard this one... it wasn't Jonathan Quick's fault! Skille's pass was on the rush, and Jamie McBain succeeded in getting in between his man and the puck. With his skate, specifically.

The Kings responded extremely well to this bad break, as they capitalized on the very next shot. 32 seconds later, it was Jeff Carter turning on the jets and feeding across to Dwight King, who was there for the tap-in.

Tyler Toffoli scored as King turned provider with a cross-ice pass of his own at 8:01 of the first period, and the race was on. There were no more goals in the opening frame, though we did get to see King-Carter-Toffoli bringing even more pressure and Kyle Clifford bringing, um, a boarding penalty and a lopsided defeat fighting Jared Boll. All in all, a really solid period after an unfortunate break.

The second period was even better, all in all, as LA outshot Columbus 16-7. Journeyman goaltender Curtis McElhinney was giving it his all to keep his team in it, and he withstood the charge long enough for Columbus to tie things up. Scott Hartnell, he of the 1000 career games, tucked one through the seemingly nonexistent five hole of Jonathan Quick, and for an agonizing 1:18, we were really worried about the Kings letting this one slip. Thankfully, that dynamic second line got Jeff Carter his traditional back-in-Columbus goal, as Brayden McNabb slid a perfect pass behind McElhinney for a Carter tip-in.

The first line did a nice job setting up Marian Gaborik for an unmarked shot from the slot early in the third, and with Anze Kopitar camped in front, Dustin Brown scored on the rebound to make it 4-2. It wasn't close on the scoreboard, and it wasn't close on the ice. In fact, the Kings were still doubling Columbus in shots as late as the eight-minute mark of the third. At that point, they still needed a few spectacular saves to maintain their two-goal edge. One was at that eight-minute mark, when Quick denied Brandon Dubinsky at point-blank range. The wildest, though was when Jack Johnson had an open look at the net. Until Jarret Stoll appeared, that is.

Stoll Game Saver

Quick finished with 23 saves... and 3 goals allowed, after David Savard hit the far side of the net with Quick heavily screened. Columbus had to be aggressive with their goalie pull and did, getting a sixth man out with over two minutes left and scoring on that Savard shot with 1:53 to go. They got the extra man one more time and kept it for the final minute and a half, which lasted about five minutes of real time as faceoffs were re-done, whistles were blown, and pucks were covered by Quick. At long last, Drew Doughty cleared the puck with three seconds left, and all was well.

LA earned this one, even if that eternally long ending stretch made it feel like an escape. The Kings now play eight of their next nine games in Calfornia, with only two true road games in that set. The path is clear, if LA can stay on it.

Game 52 Recap: Jackets comeback falls just short against Kings

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The Jackets were not the better team tonight, but they put up a scrappy effort, falling to the Kings.

The Jackets, playing their third game in four nights, were at home to take on the Los Angeles Kings in Scott Hartnell's 1000th game. The goaltending matchup featured Curtis McElhinney against Jonathan Quick.

Columbus opened the scoring just 1:40 into the game, when Jack Skille carried the puck over the right wing blueline, shrugging off Robyn Regehr before sending a pass cross-crease. The puck deflected off a Kings defender, sliding behind Quick.

1-0 Jackets: Jack Skille - Artem Anisimov, David Savard

As has been the case far too often this season, just seconds after scoring, the Kings tied the game. Public enemy number one Jeff Carter carried the puck into the Columbus zone, then fired it toward the front of the net. Dwight King was there to redirect the puck behind McElhinney.

1-1: Dwight King - Jeff Carter, Robyn Regehr

The pace was fast and loose in the first period, but the Kings dominated in the shot department. Midway through the period the Jackets started to get sloppy, and it bit them in the rear end. After a failure to clear the defensive zone, King found the puck on his stick, and he feathered a pass to Tyler Toffoli, who was left alone in front of the net. He made no mistake in depositing the puck behind McElhinney.

2-1 Kings: Tyler Toffoli - Dwight King

Alexander Wennberg had himself a solid night. He showed serious creativity with the puck, and at one point in the opening period he rang the puck off the crossbar, causing the goal horn to briefly go off. I'd love to see Wennberg play on a line with Johansen and Atkinson, to see what the trio can do together.

Speaking of Wennberg, he drew the game's first penalty after getting boarded by Kyle Clifford. The Jackets could not convert while up a man, however.

With seconds left in the period, Jared Boll wanted to exact some revenge on Clifford for his hit on Wennberg. The two dropped the mitts, and after a spirited bout Boll skated away with the decision, while Clifford sported some new cuts and bruises.

The pace was decidedly slower in the first half of the second period. Wennberg came close to another goal, this time just missing on a backhand chance.

For the Jackets, the second period was highlighted by poor passing, scrambled play, and huge saves from McElhinney. CMac kept his team in the game, despite the chaos in front of him.

The Jackets were able to pull it together in the latter half of the second period, and managed to tie the game off a tic-tac-toe play between Ryan Johansen and Hartnell. Hartnell was the shooter, beating Quick five hole for a goal he won't soon forget.

2-2: Scott Hartnell - Ryan Johansen

Stop me if you've seen this movie before- just over a minute after the Hartnell goal, the Kings responded with a goal of their own to retake the lead. McElhinney made a stick save, but the rebound went right to the stick of Brayden McNabb, who slid the puck toward the front of the net, where it was redirected by Carter.

3-2 Kings: Jeff Carter - Brayden McNabb, Jamie McBain

Just 1:49 into the final period, the Kings scored again. After a defensive zone faceoff loss, there was a scramble in front of McElhinney. The puck was shot on-net, and though McElhinney made the initial save, Dustin Brown was there to pot the rebound.

4-2 Kings: Dustin Brown - Marian Gaborik

The Kings were content with playing the prevent defense for most of the third period. Nick Foligno was called for high-sticking, but the Kings could get nothing going.

Jack Johnson had a terrific opportunity to cut the lead to one later in the period. With Quick out of position and the net wide open, Johnson received a pass, but as he shot the puck Jarret Stoll made a huge defensive play to break up the shot.

Midway through the period Jared Boll missed a check, and got tangled with his intended target. It looked like he tweaked something low, perhaps his knee. He skated to the bench, and attempted to walk the injury off down the tunnel. We'll probably know more tomorrow.

The Jackets had yet another great chance moments later off the stick of Brandon Dubinsky, but Quick made a highlight-reel save to maintain the score.

With a little more than two minutes remaining, McElhinney was pulled. The Jackets peppered the Kings' net, with David Savard eventually breaking through with 1:53 left on the clock.

4-3 Kings: David Savard - Nick Foligno, Jack Johnson

The Jackets continued to press for the tie, but ran out of time.

FINAL SCORE: 4-3 Kings

The Good:

- Big congrats to Hartnell on his 1000th game. Too bad it couldn't have been a "W"

- McElhinney made 40 saves, and was the only player keeping this from being a blowout.

- As I mentioned, Wennberg was very good tonight, doing the little things right and showing creativity with the puck.

- I thought Jack Johnson was a beast tonight.

The Bad:

- The Jackets were playing their third game in four nights, and it showed at times. Passes were far from crisp, players were often out of position, and overall their game was sloppy.

- Jeff Carter, because Jeff Carter.

For the advanced stats for this game, be sure to check out War on Ice.

The Jackets are back in action on Friday, where they are home against the Flyers.


Loving the Game: An Object Lesson

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Every now and then, we are reminded why the game of hockey and the people around the game are simply the best. Over the past two weeks, the All Star Game and a sojourn to Ottawa drove the point home for me.

As we go through the twists and turns of an NHL season, our focus inevitably is drawn to the minutiae -- wins, losses, Corsi, Fenwick, cap numbers, trades, injuries, injuries, injuries . . . sorry, I digress.  We agonize with each loss and start playoff projections sometime around November 1.  All of that is terrific and part of being a fan.  However, sometimes the tunnel vision we all develop keeps us from appreciating the larger scenario.  You can certainly put your nose to the canvas of Starry Night , with magnifying glass in hand, in orderto assess the brush strokes.  However, to really appreciate the work as a whole, you need to step back several paces, lose the magnifying glass, and rely on your eyes.

As fortune would have it, over the past two weeks I've had the chance to step back a bit from the statistical assault we regularly perpetrate on the game of hockey, and regain my attraction to the game itself -- and all that surrounds it.  This opportunity came in the form  NHL All Star Game in Columbus, as well as an ensuing road trip to Ottawa to see the Blue Jackets take on the Senators.   Each experience provided a slightly different perspective, and drove home some of the core elements that make the game of hockey so special.

Of course, All Star Weekend confirmed the fact that the skill required to play the game of hockey at the NHL level is other-worldly.   Sure, the game itself is a "dumbed down"  hockey exhibition, with the speed and physical elements surgically removed.  However, even at the glacial pace the game was played, you could gain some appreciation for the ability of these guys to do things on ice that most of us could not do on the sidewalk.  The Skills Competition merely served as further affirmation of those facts, again tinged with the elements of humor and silliness that pay tribute to the celebratory nature of the event.   While baseball fans will argue that hitting a baseball is the single most difficult feat in sports, and football fans will tell you that their game represents the supreme test of athleticism, neither can compete with the unique combination speed, skill, finesse and toughness that is played out on hockey rinks around the world every night.

The physical attributes of a given game can always be debated, and aficionados of given sports will always find compelling arguments supporting the supremacy of their favorite game.   What the last two weeks have demonstrated to me, however, is that the hockey community at large -- the players, fans, etc. -- is unique in the combination of  enthusiasm, dedication, grace and class consistently demonstrated throughout the sport.  (For clarity, I'm talking team sports here -- the individual sport counterpart would most likely be golf, but that's another article).  Let me share a few anecdotes to help illustrate the point.

During All Star Weekend, I spent three days taking in the sights and sounds -- watching the passing parade and speaking with scores of fans, media and players about the game they love.  The fans were predictably enthusiastic, of course, but what was more impressive was the enthusiasm and presence of the players themselves.  The best players in the world were uniformly gracious in manner, generous with their time, and fully adopted the celebratory nature of the event.  From rookie like Filip Forsberg to veterans such as Patrik Elias and Alexander Ovechkin, the players were well-spoken, demonstrative and freely shared their enthusiasm for the game, and their appreciation for the event itself and the fans in attendance.  Even the jaded media were effusive in their praise of Columbus as a host, of Nationwide Arena as a facility, and of the event as a celebration of hockey.  Everyone was willing to share their favorite hockey stories, from Charlie Finley introducing white skates for the California Golden Seals to their favorite Wayne Gretzky on-ice miracle.  I've had the opportunity to spend a fair amount of time around professional athletes from other sports over the years, and have never seen anything quite like it.

Of course, one would expect a certain amount of decorum and perhaps some orchestrated enthusiasm at an event such as the All Star Game.  So, let's fast forward two weeks, right after the Blue Jackets' 7 - 1 shellacking of the Blues. My wife and I joined 45 other marginally sane Columbus fans as we climbed aboard the bus for the 13 hour journey to Ottawa, all orchestrated by the Jacket Backers.  The wisdom of spending a total of 28+ hours in a bus over a 50 hours span, simply to see a hockey game that was just Game 51 on the schedule may seem suspect, but that's really part of the point.  Hockey fans do that stuff.   Several years ago, we were at a hotel in St. Louis, waiting to go see the Blue Jackets take on the Blues, when a contingent of four bleary-eyed young men entered the lobby, donning hockey sweaters of various allegiance, and bearing a few severely depleted cases of beer, which they promptly deposited on the lobby tables.  The explained that they were from Winnipeg, and drove down for the game.  So, these gentlemen were willing to drive 850 miles to watch two teams to which they had no allegiance, and were frankly not very good.  Got it.  In comparison, this venture was the epitome of sanity.

To be sure, there are some terrific hockey cities in the United States.  Boston, New York, Detroit and Chicago comprised two-thirds of the Original Six.  Minnesota is a hockey mecca, and cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have become emblematic of NHL hockey.  However, just as American sports fans would not want others to judge baseball or (American) football without having attended a game in the U.S.,  I submit that your hockey experience is incomplete until you have attended a game in Canada.  In 2013, my wife and I did a tour of QMJHL venues in Sydney (Cape Breton), Halifax, Charlottetown and Quebec City, catching a game between the Remparts and Moncton there.  However, this was our first NHL-level experience, and it proved to be one that brought home everything good about hockey -- in spades.

Canadians have a well-earned reputation for politeness, and those affiliated with the game of hockey.  It begins with a phalanx of sleep-deprived Blue Jackets fans plodding across the parking lot in single digit temperatures toward Canadian Tire Arena.  As we near the front doors, a cheerful gentlemen nods at our Columbus jerseys, and says "Welcome to Ottawa.  We hope you have been treated well on your visit so far."   Now, this guy didn't have to say a word, and by all rights should have been seeking a warmer location, but instead was there to cheerily greet the advocates for the opposition.

Once inside, we were not greeted by even the good-natured ribbing you customarily encounter as a visiting fan at U.S. arenas.  Instead, it was a repeated chorus of "Welcome to Ottawa!"  "Do you live here?"  "Oh, you came all the way from Columbus?"   "Oh, you drove all the way from Columbus?  Just for the game?"   Keep in mind that with the Blue Jackets being only in their second season as an Eastern Conference team, Ottawa fans are not yet fully accustomed to regular visits by the team, much less the fans.  What we found, though, was a universal level of appreciation for the fact that we made the effort to come all the way to Ottawa for a hockey game.  It is the same response we saw in our tour of the "Q" -- an appreciation and respect for the fact that we are taking time to appreciate their game, on their soil.  For most, the love of the game -- in any form -- transcends the love of a specific team, no matter how ardently you might root for that team.

Whether it be hockey specifically, or curling -- or just skating -- there is a distinct sense of family about the entire community.  As we walked around Ottawa, entire families were making an afternoon of skating the canal, frequently hauling toddlers behind them on plastic sleds.  Judging by the skates and sticks carried by the guests at the hotel, many traveled some distance to share in the experience.  As Ottawa is situated within easy driving distance of Montreal, there was a robust blend of French and English along the canal and throughout the city.

That sense of family translated into the arena.  As Blue Jackets fans well know, it can be really annoying when you are surrounded by opposition fans at your home rink.  While the fifty of us hardly represented an invasion, there were a few unlucky locals that had the misfortune to be seated among us.  Among those was a father of two boys and a girl, seated directly in front of us.  The father immediately introduced himself and his children to us, and we conversed about Columbus, the All Star Game, Daniel Alfredsson and a wide spectrum of other topics as the evening progressed.  There were good-natured exchanges of thumbs-up or thumbs-down when our respective clubs did something good or bad, and the boys made an effort to outshout the "C-B-J" chant whenever it began. During sixty minutes of hockey, including the period breaks, nary a cross word or menacing glare was directed at us. Instead, it was more of "Wow, you came all the way from Ohio to see the game?  That's great."

The highlight of the evening for many came after the game, when Nick Foligno came out to sign autographs, take pictures and express his appreciation for our attendance.  Two of our group had won a contest, receiving the trip free, and the meet and greet was intended just for them. However, Foligno expanded it to include the whole group.  Now, consider the fact that Foligno was coming off of an All Star Weekend were he spent more time on camera and behind microphones than on the ice, had just played back-to-back games, and probably wanted nothing more than to get on Blue Jackets Air and get home to his wife and daughter. Yet, he went out of his way to put on a tie and come out and spend some real time with the assembled throng.  That's class.

As great as that act of kindness was, the most memorable moments for me came after the game as we were crossing the concourse.  Not once -- but twice -- I was stopped by fans who shook my hand, saying "Thanks for visiting us. Congratulations. Well played."   Wow.  When was the last time you heard that after an OSU/Michigan game?  When was the last time you said that to a visiting fan after a home loss in any sport?  It was simultaneously rewarding and humbling.  Would I have the class to do that?   I probably need to try.

As we departed after the Blue Jackets' 4 - 1 we shook hands with our new friends, and the father said "I hope you can visit us again . . .under more favorable circumstances."   We agreed that we would come up again to see the Senators play Toronto. After all, everybody hates the Leafs.  You gotta love this game.

Bruins Trade Targets: Cam Atkinson

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The latest forward in the rumor mill who could be headed (back) to Boston.

After a laundry list of underwhelming choices, including Chris Stewart and Zack Kassian (please no), the latest forward to be linked with the Bruins is 25-year-old Cam Atkinson of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

CBJ have had a weird, frustrating year where injuries have essentially torpedoed their chances of making the playoffs for their second straight season. Atkinson is a pending RFA, not a true rental, but it's reasonable to think that, from the CBJ view, Atkinson may be more of a guy you like in your Top 9 if he's cheap rather than a guy you place a priority on re-signing. Columbus isn't really close to the cap, mind you, but dealing Atkinson and giving younger players a shot would give them even more financial flexibility.

Atkinson's usual position is RW, which is an area the Bruins have had a wee bit of trouble nailing down good options this season, which is a plus. And while he's not a super-efficient shooter--he's converted 9.5% of SOG into goals in his career--he is an impressive triggerman in terms of pouring shots on net. Atkinson had 216 SOG last season, which would've put him second on the Bruins behind only Patrice Bergeron (and slightly ahead of the much more efficiently-converting Jarome Iginla). His stat profile and the scouting report I was given by one of the CBJ blogs make his acquisition an interesting idea for the B's, who could use a shoot-first winger to play with David Krejci or Patrice Bergeron.

Atkinson had something of a breakout year last season for Columbus, scoring 40 points (21 goals in 82 games). The former BC player (no one's perfect) scoring rate was around 1.9 P/60 last season, rating him as a solid second line option when taking into account his TOI. His CF% was an impressive 51.3% last season as well, and he's been both a solid depth scorer and slight above average possession player (50.5 CF% at 5s for his career) since making his entrance into the league.

Atkinson's rates have fallen off slightly this season, as he's at 48.0 CF% and 1.6 P/60 this season. He's posted 21 points in 48 games this year, which arguably doesn't represent much of a drop off when you consider the injuries to linemates early in the year. Put simply, while he's no world-beater, he seems to be fair a pretty decent Top 9 forward who's making less than Greg Campbell et al this season. That's not to pick further on Campbell et al, rather to point out that Atkinson's salary is not much of an issue. Regardless, even with this year's possession drop overall, he's still outperforming your average Blue Jacket in Relative Corsi, so maybe it's Todd Richards' system that's breaking a bit more than Atkinson.

I confess, of course, that I wouldn't know about that from firsthand experience, though. So here's that scouting report from the nice folks at theunionblue.com:

Atkinson is a strong offensive player, and was a Hobey Baker finalist at BC (you probably already know that). his skill is best realized when he's put in a line that gives him the time and space he needs to snipe. HIs size is the most obvious disadvantage - the club lists him at 5'8" - but, with the injuries the Jackets have faced this season he's found a way to add a physical side to his game. He does not see a lot of time on special teams but isn't a liability on the power play.

There seems to be some difference of opinion between the current Jackets system and Atkinson. He was benched late last season and was challenged by head coach Todd Richards to play more physically. It's a compliment to Atkinson that he's added that to his game.

Atkinson is a standard go-to on shootouts and actually leads the Jackets in GWG this season. Many are high on him, believe his potential isn't yet truly realized - but it's about fit in an organization.

Off the ice, he's obviously a fit for the NE, big into music - he picks the team win song - and is known (jokingly) for his love of his (small) dogs.

Finished? Here's what I get out of that: according to the people who watch him on a regular basis, he's injected more of a physical edge to his game to go along with the shot-pouring. Seems like he's also a good player to have on the PP2 unit if you're short a trigger man. He's not a penalty killer, but I sort of doubt the Bruins are prioritizing that given Kelly, Marchand, Bergeron, Paille, and Campbell all already log PK minutes (and Krejci/Eriksson can do it in a pinch).

The coaching thing isn't something I'm going to go heavy on, since 1, plenty of players excel with a change of scenery and 2. Atkinson has still played well once you grade on the CBJ curve; there's no way to tell if Atkinson would like playing under Julien's system more than Richards', of course, but it is worth mentioning that if the Bruins like what they see, Atkinson is only 25 and he could very well still improve.

The line about needing space to snipe makes me think he could be good with Bergeron, who already has one winger who excels at creating space, or even on the third line with Carl Soderberg and David Pastrnak if the Bruins decide that Louiiii will log more minutes on one of the Top 2 lines.

My thoughts on this is that, for the right price, he'd make a nice addition to the B's forward corps. Of course, this wouldn't do much to address the B's current issues with their defensive pairing behind Z/Dougie, but that doesn't mean the FO can't improve the team in other ways. I'm not married to the Atkinson idea, but it's the first rumor that actually seems to be about a worthwhile player, and I wonder if Chiarelli might be able to get him on the relative cheap given CBJ's questionable trade history and the lack of guaranteed years on his deal.

This seems like a case where the Bruins might be able to buy relatively low on a solid player who could help the Top 9 and power play. Hard not to subjectively like the dude who picks the team's "win song," by the way...

Your thoughts?

Poll
Should the Bruins target Cam Atkinson if he's available?

  195 votes |Results

Game Preview #53 - The Plunge Begins

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The Jackets have 30 games left, and they have them all in a row, basically.

Philadelphia Flyers at Columbus Blue Jackets

February 13th, 2015 - 7:00 PM EST
Nationwide Arena - Columbus, Ohio
Radio - WBNS 97.1 - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Broad Street Hockey

If the Blue Jackets truly had designs on making the playoffs, Monday night's rather listless loss to the champs was probably a huge nail in the coffin. But, that doesn't mean you can't play spoilers just a bit! I mean, if the Jackets are done, I want them to be as bad as they can for drafting purposes. Except against the Flyers.

Philly is currently 10th in the East, and isn't out of striking distance. That said, they just suffered their own goalie injury, and will need to go a solid run themselves to get back into things. For some reason, anything that helps keep them out of the playoffs would make me happy.

But, maybe the flip side is this: if the Flyers win and sneak in, maybe they'll continue to believe that their defensive core is decent, and they won't make changes.

At any rate, the Jackets had their last big break this week, with three full off days between games. The Jackets now have 30 games left, and those 30 games happen in 58 days. In other words, not much time to rest and get/stay healthy between games. Their schedule is Metro-loaded, too, so they will play a role in the playoff picture one way or the other.

The team tonight will honor Scott Hartnell's 1,000th game played from Monday, and as many have noted it's fitting that the Flyers are in the house for the celebration. There's some talk that James Wisniewski would like to play, but we'll have to wait and see.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(23-26-3, 49 Points; 7th division, 14th conference)

Scott HartnellRyan JohansenNick Foligno
Matt CalvertBrandon DubinskyCam Atkinson
Alexander WennbergArtem AnisimovJack Skille
Corey TroppMark LetestuJared Boll
Jack JohnsonDavid Savard
Fedor TyutinCody Goloubef
Kevin ConnautonJordan Leopold
Curtis McElhinney
Anton Forsberg

Philadelphia Flyers
(23-22-9, 55 Points; 5th Division, 10th Conference)

Brayden SchennClaude GirouxJakub Voracek
Matt ReadSean CouturierWayne Simmonds
R.J. UmbergerScott LaughtonRyan White
Chris VandeVeldePierre-Edouard BellemareVincent Lecavalier
Nicklas GrossmannMark Streit
Michael Del ZottoNick Schultz
Andrew MacDonaldLuke Schenn
Ray Emery
Anthony Stolarz

Season Series

PHI - 1-1-1
CBJ - 2-1-0

11/14/14 - Columbus 4 at Philadelphia 3
11/22/14 - Columbus 2 at Philadelphia 4
12/09/14 - Philadelphia 2 at Columbus 3 (OT)
02/13/15 - Philadelphia at Columbus
02/17/15 - Columbus at Philadelphia

Head to Head Stats

PhiladelphiaColumbus
2.67 (19)GPG2.52 (23)
2.80 (23)GAPG3.08 (26)
23.6% (3)PP%22.8% (5)
75.7% (28)PK%80.2% (19)
Wayne Simmonds, 19G leaderNick Foligno, 21
Jakub Voracek, 41A leaderRyan Johansen, 30
Jakub Voracek, 59Pts leaderNick Foligno / Ryan Johansen, 50
Zac Rinaldo, 75PIM leaderJared Boll, 70
8-15-5Road/Home11-14-2
6-2-2Last 105-5-0
2/10 @ Montreal, L 2-1 (OT)Last Game2/9 vs. Los Angeles, L 4-3

Game Day #53 - Blue Jackets vs. Flyers

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The Jackets have 30 games left, and they have them all in a row, basically.

Philadelphia Flyers at Columbus Blue Jackets

February 13th, 2015 - 7:00 PM EST
Nationwide Arena - Columbus, Ohio
Radio - WBNS 97.1 - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Broad Street Hockey

If the Blue Jackets truly had designs on making the playoffs, Monday night's rather listless loss to the champs was probably a huge nail in the coffin. But, that doesn't mean you can't play spoilers just a bit! I mean, if the Jackets are done, I want them to be as bad as they can for drafting purposes. Except against the Flyers.

Philly is currently 10th in the East, and isn't out of striking distance. That said, they just suffered their own goalie injury, and will need to go a solid run themselves to get back into things. For some reason, anything that helps keep them out of the playoffs would make me happy.

But, maybe the flip side is this: if the Flyers win and sneak in, maybe they'll continue to believe that their defensive core is decent, and they won't make changes.

At any rate, the Jackets had their last big break this week, with three full off days between games. The Jackets now have 30 games left, and those 30 games happen in 58 days. In other words, not much time to rest and get/stay healthy between games. Their schedule is Metro-loaded, too, so they will play a role in the playoff picture one way or the other.

The team tonight will honor Scott Hartnell's 1,000th game played from Monday, and as many have noted it's fitting that the Flyers are in the house for the celebration. There's some talk that James Wisniewski would like to play, but we'll have to wait and see.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(23-26-3, 49 Points; 7th division, 14th conference)

Scott HartnellRyan JohansenNick Foligno
Matt CalvertBrandon DubinskyCam Atkinson
Alexander WennbergArtem AnisimovJack Skille
Corey TroppMark LetestuJared Boll
Jack JohnsonDavid Savard
Fedor TyutinCody Goloubef
Kevin ConnautonJordan Leopold
Curtis McElhinney
Anton Forsberg

Philadelphia Flyers
(23-22-9, 55 Points; 5th Division, 10th Conference)

Brayden SchennClaude GirouxJakub Voracek
Matt ReadSean CouturierWayne Simmonds
R.J. UmbergerScott LaughtonRyan White
Chris VandeVeldePierre-Edouard BellemareVincent Lecavalier
Nicklas GrossmannMark Streit
Michael Del ZottoNick Schultz
Andrew MacDonaldLuke Schenn
Ray Emery
Anthony Stolarz

Season Series

PHI - 1-1-1
CBJ - 2-1-0

11/14/14 - Columbus 4 at Philadelphia 3
11/22/14 - Columbus 2 at Philadelphia 4
12/09/14 - Philadelphia 2 at Columbus 3 (OT)
02/13/15 - Philadelphia at Columbus
02/17/15 - Columbus at Philadelphia

Head to Head Stats

PhiladelphiaColumbus
2.67 (19)GPG2.52 (23)
2.80 (23)GAPG3.08 (26)
23.6% (3)PP%22.8% (5)
75.7% (28)PK%80.2% (19)
Wayne Simmonds, 19G leaderNick Foligno, 21
Jakub Voracek, 41A leaderRyan Johansen, 30
Jakub Voracek, 59Pts leaderNick Foligno / Ryan Johansen, 50
Zac Rinaldo, 75PIM leaderJared Boll, 70
8-15-5Road/Home11-14-2
6-2-2Last 105-5-0
2/10 @ Montreal, L 2-1 (OT)Last Game2/9 vs. Los Angeles, L 4-3

Game Recap #53 : Breaking the Hex

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The Blue Jackets overcame some bad luck, some bad calls and Friday the 13th itself to notch a hard-fought 4 - 3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.

Friday the 13th.  Legend holds that bizarre things are supposed to happen on this day, and the events at Nationwide Arena did nothing to dispel that notion.  Crazy bounces. Pucks in the stands. Inexplicable calls. Jared Boll scoring a goal. The Blue Jackets coming back from a two-goal deficit in the third period.  It all happened.  Let's see how the whole story unfolded.

Period One:  Cannon Shot

After pre-game ceremonies honoring Scott Hartnell's 1000th NHL game, the Blue Jackets were obviously pumped up. Coach Todd Richards returned to some tried and true line combinations for this one -- Hartnell-Johansen-Foligno to start, Calvert - Dubinsky - Atkinson next, followed by Skille - Wennberg -- Anisimov and Tropp -- Letestu -- Boll.  The top line came out of the gate hard, notching two shots on goal in the first 15 seconds of the game -- a pace of 480 SOG for the game.  Alas, they could not maintain it . . .   I jest.

If it were not for the truly outstanding play of Ray Emery in goal, this one would have been put away early by the home team.  They buzzed, they battled, they controlled the puck and gave the Flyers precious little breathing room -- at either end of the ice.  It was again reminiscent of the victories over St. Louis and Ottawa, with the club relying on speed and skill, using the body where appropriate, and exerting constant pressure.

Unfortunately, the only real lapse in effort came over about a six minute stretch in the middle of the first period.  Perhaps frustrated that their pressure and speed had not yet borne fruit, the Blue Jackets lost just a bit of an edge.  At the 10:33 mark of the first, Jack Johnson carried the puck into the offensive zone at the right point, and shoveled the puck ahead to Hartnell.  Hartnell took the puck a bit deeper, then sent a backhand behind him, in the air, to nobody in particular.  Matt Read picked up the puck and came hard down the boards.  James Wisniewski and Artem Anisimov challenged Read in the neutral zone, but had no defensive help in the middle, as Columbus was caught in a defensive change.  Read lobbed the puck to Wayne Simmonds, who outraced the on-coming Kevin Connauton and Anisimov to the net, where he parked a backhand behind Curtis McElhinney.   McElhinney appeared unsure of what posture to take, and got caught in a bad position -- halfway back in the crease, not square to the shooter.  1 - 0 Flyers, with Read earning the lone assist.

Columbus regained its form over the final third of the initial stanza, but still could not find a way to solve Emery, who has taken over the starting duties while Steve Mason recovers from arthroscopic knee surgery for an injury he sustained during a time-out last week.  Yep. A time out.  It seemed to be shaping up as another one of those games where the Blue Jackets outplayed the opposition, but came up short on the scoreboard.  They outshot the Flyers 11 - 7 for the period, and optically were the better and faster team.  All of that effort would have to be rewarded in the 2nd.  Right?

Period Two:  Getting Closer

The second period saw a reprise of the Blue Jackets' performance in the opening frame. They skated, carried the puck into the zone, provided support in their own zone and in general looked like a complete team.  Again, however, Emery was the there to dampen the Columbus spirits.  He made spectacular saves on Brandon Dubinsky, Cam Atkinson and Nick Foligno -- in no particular order -- and the assembled crowd of 16,403 was wondering when and how the club might catch a break.

The crack in the armor came at the 8:09 mark of the period. Philadelphia turned the puck over high in their zone as they tried to move out.  Kevin Connauton grabbed the puck, moved down the left wing, and fired a centering pass to the crease, where Brandon Dubinsky had found clear ice.  Dubinsky kept his stick on the ice and deflected the puck over Emery, who had no chance.  Tie game, and the Friday the 13th spell appeared to be broken.   Or was it?

With 2:13 left in the period, Wayne Simmonds again brought the puck into the Blue Jackets' zone, trying to maneuver past Connauton and drive toward the net.  Connauton maintained just enough position to force Simmonds wide, but Simmonds still managed to put a one-handed shot toward the side of the net.  McElhinney missed the effort, which clanged off the side of the post and up in the air.  Sean Couturier was crashing the crease, and batted the puck out of the air, off the front of the right post.  That puck caromed off of James Wisniewski's chest, and Couturier again whacked the puck out of the air as his body moved below the goal line, and behind McElhinney.   It was called a goal on the ice, with the officials also seemingly missing Couturier's high stick to Wisniewski's face in the process. The Toronto review could not conclusively establish that his stick was above the crossbar when he made contact.  A bizarre goal on a bizarre night, but it was 2 -1 Flyers, with Simmonds getting the lone helper.  A bizarre To be fair, Simmonds was a beast all night, and was a constant irritant to McElhinney.  At one point in the second, he crashed the crease, fell on top of McElhinney, but drew no interference call.

The Blue Jackets kept up the pressure through the end of the period, but again could not beat Emery, despite again outshooting Philadelphia 11- 8  for the period.  That left them a goal down entering the final period, a situation from which the Blue Jackets had not recovered thus far in the season.  Entering this contest, they were 0 - 20 - 0 when trailing after two.  It seemed an unlikely night to break the hex, but hope springs eternal.

Period Three:  Friday the What?

Unbeknownst to most of the crowd, Cam Atkinson had been whistled for a holding penalty at the closing horn in the second period, so the Blue Jackets started on the penalty kill.  This was not only killed -- it was destroyed.  The puck spent the majority of the two minutes in the Philadelphia zone, due to the incessant pressure from Foligno, Anisimov and Calvert, among others.

When play resumed at even strength, so did the Columbus pressure.  However, with just 4:32 gone in the period, Corey Tropp was whistled for goaltender interference. It was a play where Tropp and the defender battled to the edge of the crease, but Emery actually stepped forward, out of the blue paint, to initiate contact.  It was a relatively minor collision, compared with the Simmonds/McElhinney encounter in the 2nd, but arm went up here, to the very vocal displeasure of the crowd.  This time, it took the Flyers only 32 seconds to cash in, as Claude Giroux fired a shot from the left circle that McElhinney saved, but surrendered a big rebound directly in front, where Simmonds was camped.  Simmonds parked it in the net, with Jakub Voracek gaining the second assist.  3 - 1 Flyers, and the mood in Nationwide was befitting a Friday the 13th.  To make matters worse, McElhinney was very slow to get up after Simmonds' second tally, and though he stayed in the game, seemed to struggle for the balance of the contest.

Fortunately, the Blue Jackets did not resign themselves to a 21st consecutive loss when trailing after two.  The impetus would come from the unlikeliest of sources.  At the 8:38 mark, Columbus reprised their first goal, with Corey Tropp playing the role of Kevin Connauton, and Jared Boll standing in for Dubinsky.  Tropp was just a bit lower in the zone, and was circling from low to high, when he fired a centering pass to the crease, where Boll deflected it home. Mark Letestu had the second helper.  It was Boll's first goal since 2013, and it could not have come at a better time.  Now it was a one-goal game, with more than half the period remaining.  Could it happen?

It took another seven minutes of pressure, but the affirmative answer came at 15:20.  David Savard caromed a pass off the side boards to Atkinson at the blue line, who carried it into the zone with speed, with Dubinsky in the middle and Hartnell to his left.  Atkinson nudged the puck to Dubinsky, who found Hartnell with a step on his defender.  Hartnell tipped the puck for what seemed like a certain goal.  However, true to form, Emery had come across and managed to get a pad on the puck.  He couldn't prevent the rebound, however, and Atkinson followed up on the play, backhanding the puck home for the tie.  What seemed implausible just a few minutes earlier had become reality.

The oddness was not over, however.  Kevin Connauton was whistled for a phantom interference call at the 16:18 mark, and the Blue Jackets once again had to kill a penalty with the game on the line.  They managed to do that, and then again exerted some pressure of their own. With time winding down, Matt Calvert was blatantly held, hooked and otherwise manhandled as he went after the puck in the offensive zone, but drew no call.  Still, the club had managed to erase a two -goal deficit and take the game into extra time.

OT:  Simple Vindication

It had been a while since the Blue Jackets had played an overtime contest on home ice, and the early moments were a bit ragged.  They soon found their stride however, after allowing the Flyers what would be their only shot of the extra stanza.  At the 2:17 mark, Nick Foligno took the puck hard to the blue line, chipped it past the defender, and raced to gain control of the puck deep behind the goal line to Emery's left.  He spotted Wisniewski up high, and put the puck in a perfect spot for a Wisniewski one-timer.  Emery made the save, but Artem Anisimov was right in front.  His initial effort was stymied, but he maintained his composure, collected the rebound, moved to the backhand, and bounced the puck into the back of the net.  The "trailing after two" hex was broken, two points were in hand, and the crowd was going berserk.  Claude Giroux went a bit berserk himself, shattering his stick and flinging it across the ice.

Epilogue & Fun Facts

This was a total team victory and one that used a little bit of the entire team repertoire.  Speed and skill created many of the opportunities, but that good old net-front presence cashed in three of the four goals.  Everyone contributed to this one, from top to bottom.  Dubinsky played his finest game of the season, and finally seems to be back from this injury.  Seeing Anisimov get the game winner was poetic justice, as he has been playing some great hockey, despite obviously being somewhat limited by his triceps injury.  He provides that calm, all-around, puck handling presence that is the perfect complement to Foligno, and gives a defense much to think about.

By breaking the hex, the Blue Jackets are no longer the worst team in the NHL when trailing after two.  Buffalo is just 1-for-27 in that category, but two clubs have yet to win a game when trailing after two.  Winnipeg has failed to do it 15 times. The other club -- which is 0-10-3 when trailing after 40 minutes?  Wait for it  . . . . the Pittsburgh Penguins.  You'll win some money with that trivia question.

As they head to their plane on this Friday the 13th, the Philadelphia Flyers might consider hiring their own exorcist to cast out their own spell.  This was the sixth consecutive home victory for the Blue Jackets agains the Flyers, who have not won in Columbus since December 13, 2005.   No, that wasn't a Friday . . .it was a Tuesday.  Still, it's pretty spooky.  A five game road trip begins tomorrow.  Stay tuned.

Islanders Gameday News: Of Lees, from Anders to Harper

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The freezer's broke, the food is off, the GPS has died...

The next visitor in the Islanders' "every other day is gameday" February run is the Columbus Blue Jackets, who mounted a two-goal third-period comeback (their first successful one of the season) last night at home to beat the Flyers in overtime.

Leave your First Islanders Goal picks for tonight here.

Islanders Literature
  • To be clear, the Isles play a lot of games this month, but hey this grind is part of the job. [Isles]
  • This may have been Dan's best: Harper Lee's next novel is actually "To Kill A Penalty," starring the Islanders. [LHH]
  • Anders Lee is doing just lovely on the first line. [Islanders Insight]
  • The New York Times praises Colin McDonald with a quintessential Times-ian headline.
  • Steve Valiquette shares his view on why the Isles have owned the Rangers, with heavy reliance on his red shot-green shot lens. [MSG video]
  • A poor third period took down the Sound Tigers in Providence. [CT Post]
  • The craziest but most Isles-appropriate way to announce a pregnancy? Yes! [FanShot]
  • Oh, just another two goals and two assists for Michael Dal Colle, this time in a 7-1 win over Kingston. [Durham Region]
  • Josh Ho-Sang anticipates his first return to Windsor since the trade. No bitterness. [Windsor Star]
  • Son of (Steve) Thomas has scored his first NHL goal. [THN]
Beyond Yes! Isle
  • The Stars won last night but lost Tyler Seguin, Ales Hemsky and Ben Eaves to varying serious injuries. [DMN] Seguin was taken out by a Dmirtri Kulikov clipping.
  • Some hilarious quotes in this week's 30 Thoughts, including "How will Maloney counter Buffalo's moves?" and (regarding summer moves) "Teams that lose in the first round are the most pissed off." [Sportsnet]
  • Old friend Sean Bergenheim was scratched, had his effort questioned by Gerard Gallant, and had already requested a trade to somewhere his "style of play is appreciated and valued." [Miami Herald]
  • If the Leafs deal Kessel, it's an opportunity lost. [Sportsnet]
  • New rich guys are aligning to bring the NHL, NBA to Seattle. [Seattle Times]
  • Ville Leino is a Flyers again! But not that kind of Flyer. [BSH]
  • The crazy story of Glen Metropolit's rise from the "mean streets" to a really long pro hockey career. [CBC]
  • Where in the NHL is Mark Arcobello this week? [CBS]
  • John Tortorella says he would've fired himself last year too. Also, he and his running mate Mike Sullivan are developing their own analytic of every 5-on-5 goal this season. [Puck Daddy]

Game Preview #54 - No Rest

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The Jackets came back big-time in the third period last night and stole two points from Philly. Can they crank it up again just 24 hours later on The Island?

Columbus Blue Jackets at New York Islanders

February 14th, 2015 - 7:00 PM EST
Nassau Veterans' Memorial Coliseum - Uniondale, New York
Radio - WBNS 97.1 - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Lighthouse Hockey

Every single time I write this team off--every time there's a loss where I go, "OK, that's the one that's going to start the death spiral," they find a way to keep me guessing. We can debate the overall "strategy" for lack of a better word, but it's clear that this team isn't going to go all Buffalo on it and try to tear a rift in the hockey space-time continuum with its play. It would have been very easy to pack it in during the third period once a silly penalty led to a 3-1 deficit, but they didn't quit. They didn't go away. And then they stole points for themselves--and a badly needed second point--from Philadelphia.

I don't even know what to think about this team any more. I'll sum it up this way: they have 29 games left. Two years ago, when they had 29 games left, they went on a 19-5-5 run to *almost* get into the playoffs. A 19-5-5 run for this team would get them to 94 points, which one would hope would be good enough. Obviously, there hasn't been much of late that would tell you this team is about to go on a 19-5-5 run, but ask yourself: two years ago, what about the 5-12-2 start said, "This team is about to go 19-5-5?" Nothing. They've won three of four, and through the ups and downs are still 18-11-1 since the beginning of December, which projected over an entire season is a 101 point team. They haven't always looked good doing it, but they've also never been close to healthy all season, either.

Look, I'm not saying it's going to happen. I don't really think it could. But, the guys in Union Blue seem to feel like they're not done playing meaningful hockey yet, and as a fan that's all I can really ask for.

The schedule is going to be tough, but if they really want to make a move they have a chance with a long string of games before the deadline against Eastern Conference--and Metro Division, more specifically--opponents. Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'. That's God damn right.

The Islanders are good. I concede that when we made our picks (which, it should also be noted was before they picked up Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy), I was not on the Islanders' band wagon At. ALL. I had them 7th. I can admit that I didn't appreciate how much goal tending would help them, as well as those defensive acquisitions. They're fast. They're not fading. Kudos to them for proving many of us wrong.

The weird thing is, though: their defense hasn't been great. They're still in the bottom half of the league in goals-against, but they're improved from last year. And they're healthy up front, and the lift in scoring has been the biggest boost. They can outscore teams now, whereas last year they didn't have an answer for the gaping hole on the back end.

/pauses for you all to make jokes

But, the Islanders are an example of how a team with expectations getting healthy as well as making just a few savvy moves in the off-season can go from worst to first in a division. The Jackets (and we fans) should take note.

All of that is a fancy way of saying: the Jackets have a tough, tough task on the second night of a back-to-back if they want to keep the train moving. The Isles are missing Kyle Okposo which helps, and they haven't been quite the juggernaut of late. But, they just keep finding ways to win.

Lineups below are my assumptions based on last night and on the fact that CMac has gotten into a groove.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(24-26-3, 49 Points; 6th division, 12th conference)

Scott HartnellRyan JohansenNick Foligno
Matt CalvertBrandon DubinskyCam Atkinson
Alexander WennbergArtem AnisimovJack Skille
Corey TroppMark LetestuJared Boll
Jack JohnsonDavid Savard
Fedor TyutinCody Goloubef
Kevin ConnautonJames Wisniewski
Curtis McElhinney
Anton Forsberg

New York Islanders
(36-18-1, 73 Points; 1st Division, 3rd Conference)

Anders LeeJohn TavaresJosh Bailey
Mikhail GrabovskiFrans NielsenRyan Strome
Nikolay KuleminBrock NelsonCal Clutterbuck
Matt MartinCasey CizikasColin McDonald
Nick LeddyJohnny Boychuk
Brian StraitTravis Hamonic
Thomas HickeyLubomir Visnovsky
Jaroslav Halak
Chad Johnson

Season Series

NYI - 1-0-0
CBJ - 0-1-0

01/10/15 - NY Islanders 5 at Columbus 2
02/14/15 - Columbus at NY Islanders
04/02/15 - NY Islanders at Columbus
04/11/15 - Columbus at NY Islanders

Head to Head Stats

NY IslandersColumbus
3.02 (5)GPG2.55 (23)
2.76 (22)GAPG3.08 (26)
19.5% (10)PP%22.6% (6)
72.8% (30)PK%80.0% (20)
John Tavares, 24G leaderNick Foligno, 21
Kyle Okposo, 30A leaderNick Foligno / Ryan Johansen, 30
John Tavares, 51Pts leaderNick Foligno, 51
Matt Martin, 82PIM leaderJared Boll, 70
19-6-0Home/Road12-12-1
6-4-0Last 105-5-0
2/12 vs. Toronto, W 3-2Last Game2/13 vs. Philadelphia, W 4-3 (OT)

Game Day #54 - Blue Jackets at Islanders

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The Jackets came back big-time in the third period last night and stole two points from Philly. Can they crank it up again just 24 hours later on The Island?

Columbus Blue Jackets at New York Islanders

February 14th, 2015 - 7:00 PM EST
Nassau Veterans' Memorial Coliseum - Uniondale, New York
Radio - WBNS 97.1 - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Lighthouse Hockey

Every single time I write this team off--every time there's a loss where I go, "OK, that's the one that's going to start the death spiral," they find a way to keep me guessing. We can debate the overall "strategy" for lack of a better word, but it's clear that this team isn't going to go all Buffalo on it and try to tear a rift in the hockey space-time continuum with its play. It would have been very easy to pack it in during the third period once a silly penalty led to a 3-1 deficit, but they didn't quit. They didn't go away. And then they stole points for themselves--and a badly needed second point--from Philadelphia.

I don't even know what to think about this team any more. I'll sum it up this way: they have 29 games left. Two years ago, when they had 29 games left, they went on a 19-5-5 run to *almost* get into the playoffs. A 19-5-5 run for this team would get them to 94 points, which one would hope would be good enough. Obviously, there hasn't been much of late that would tell you this team is about to go on a 19-5-5 run, but ask yourself: two years ago, what about the 5-12-2 start said, "This team is about to go 19-5-5?" Nothing. They've won three of four, and through the ups and downs are still 18-11-1 since the beginning of December, which projected over an entire season is a 101 point team. They haven't always looked good doing it, but they've also never been close to healthy all season, either.

Look, I'm not saying it's going to happen. I don't really think it could. But, the guys in Union Blue seem to feel like they're not done playing meaningful hockey yet, and as a fan that's all I can really ask for.

The schedule is going to be tough, but if they really want to make a move they have a chance with a long string of games before the deadline against Eastern Conference--and Metro Division, more specifically--opponents. Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'. That's God damn right.

The Islanders are good. I concede that when we made our picks (which, it should also be noted was before they picked up Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy), I was not on the Islanders' band wagon At. ALL. I had them 7th. I can admit that I didn't appreciate how much goal tending would help them, as well as those defensive acquisitions. They're fast. They're not fading. Kudos to them for proving many of us wrong.

The weird thing is, though: their defense hasn't been great. They're still in the bottom half of the league in goals-against, but they're improved from last year. And they're healthy up front, and the lift in scoring has been the biggest boost. They can outscore teams now, whereas last year they didn't have an answer for the gaping hole on the back end.

/pauses for you all to make jokes

But, the Islanders are an example of how a team with expectations getting healthy as well as making just a few savvy moves in the off-season can go from worst to first in a division. The Jackets (and we fans) should take note.

All of that is a fancy way of saying: the Jackets have a tough, tough task on the second night of a back-to-back if they want to keep the train moving. The Isles are missing Kyle Okposo which helps, and they haven't been quite the juggernaut of late. But, they just keep finding ways to win.

Lineups below are my assumptions based on last night and on the fact that CMac has gotten into a groove.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(24-26-3, 49 Points; 6th division, 12th conference)

Scott HartnellRyan JohansenNick Foligno
Matt CalvertBrandon DubinskyCam Atkinson
Alexander WennbergArtem AnisimovJack Skille
Corey TroppMark LetestuJared Boll
Jack JohnsonDavid Savard
Fedor TyutinCody Goloubef
Kevin ConnautonJames Wisniewski
Curtis McElhinney
Anton Forsberg

New York Islanders
(36-18-1, 73 Points; 1st Division, 3rd Conference)

Anders LeeJohn TavaresJosh Bailey
Mikhail GrabovskiFrans NielsenRyan Strome
Nikolay KuleminBrock NelsonCal Clutterbuck
Matt MartinCasey CizikasColin McDonald
Nick LeddyJohnny Boychuk
Brian StraitTravis Hamonic
Thomas HickeyLubomir Visnovsky
Jaroslav Halak
Chad Johnson

Season Series

NYI - 1-0-0
CBJ - 0-1-0

01/10/15 - NY Islanders 5 at Columbus 2
02/14/15 - Columbus at NY Islanders
04/02/15 - NY Islanders at Columbus
04/11/15 - Columbus at NY Islanders

Head to Head Stats

NY IslandersColumbus
3.02 (5)GPG2.55 (23)
2.76 (22)GAPG3.08 (26)
19.5% (10)PP%22.6% (6)
72.8% (30)PK%80.0% (20)
John Tavares, 24G leaderNick Foligno, 21
Kyle Okposo, 30A leaderNick Foligno / Ryan Johansen, 30
John Tavares, 51Pts leaderNick Foligno, 51
Matt Martin, 82PIM leaderJared Boll, 70
19-6-0Home/Road12-12-1
6-4-0Last 105-5-0
2/12 vs. Toronto, W 3-2Last Game2/13 vs. Philadelphia, W 4-3 (OT)

New York Islanders 6, Columbus Blue Jackets 3: Chaos at the Coliseum

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Four wins in a row since that last three-game skid, you say?

The Columbus Blue Jackets would be a far more dangerous threat in the Metropolitan Division standings this season if they hadn't been slaughtered by injuries, and they appeared to want to deliver that message to the first-place New York Islanders Saturday night.

The Isles would have none of it.

They opened 2-0 (Josh Bailey with both goals) and 3-2 leads, only to cough them up in the last minute of the first and second periods, respectively. They stood up for each other without crossing the line when agitators like Scott Hartnell and Nick Foligno tried to get all playoff-y.

And most importantly, they recovered from those lost leads to surge away in the third period to a 6-3 win, Frans Nielsen scoring the go-ahead goal and John Tavares providing both insurance goals.

[Box | Game Sum | Event Sum | Fancy/Shifts: War-on-Ice - Natural Stat Trick - HockeyStats.ca | LHH stats|| Recaps: | Isles | NHL |

Game Highlights

The Blue Jackets are a good, feisty team (particularly when healthy) and disabused the Isles of the notion that they might run away with the game after the 2-0 lead. Things were looking great when Tavares and Anders Lee got the assists on both of Bailey's goals, with Tavares turning Jack Johnson around in circles behind the net before feeding Bailey for the second.

The Isles got a power play with a chance to make it 3-0 when Hartnell took out Travis Hamonic on an interference along the boards. Colin McDonald stepped into stick up for Hamonic, but before McDonald and Hartnell could fight Hamonic rose and hog-tied Hartnell to the ice. Hartnell got four minutes, Hamonic got two.

The Isles couldn't convert on the power play (neither team converted on four opportunities), and ... well then the final five minutes of the first belonged to Columbus. The Blue Jackets erased the lead with Brandon Dubinsky sniping top shelf past Jaroslav Halak, and Cam Atkinson slipping one by Halak after a bouncing puck at the Isles blueline slipped by Brian Strait.

After Ryan Strome regained the lead in the second period, Hamonic and Hartnell found each other again. Foligno took crosschecks at Brock Nelson after the whistle, then Hartnell stepped into deliver his own shot. That's when Hamonic took the opportunity to intervene, and he and Hartnell exchanged a rain of punches.

The Isles outshot Columbus 17-7 in the second -- that period accounts for the 46-37 shot advantage overall -- but Foligno's goal with 32 seconds left meant the teams would again go to the intermission tied.

But just two minutes into the third, Nielsen converted a bouncing puck on the back door after a brilliant pinch and pass from the left wing boards by Thomas Hickey. Tavares would get his two goals first by fishing a puck out from skates in the slot, then by leading a rush and give-and-go with Bailey at the blueline before freezing the Blue Jacket defense and potting a wrist shot past Columbus goalie Anton Forsberg.

Lost in the four-point night for Tavares and three-point night for Bailey -- the Isles had him double-shifting in the last minute to try for the hat trick -- was a four-assist night for their linemate Anders Lee, who came into the night with a "Cy Young" 18-6 stat line on the season but left it to the chorus of "Yes! Yes! Yes!" with a more balanced 18 goals and 10 assists.

The win leaves the Isles with 75 points, 37 wins, and an absurd 17-2 record against the rest of the Metro, with the next two games also coming against division foes.

Quote of the Night

"Too many Polish guys tonight."

--Butch Goring, on calling a game that involves ex-Isle James Wisniewski and current Isle Lubomir Visnovsky

Islanders 6, Blue Jackets 3 - TD>FG [Game #56 Stats Review]

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The New York Islanders looked to continue a winning streak against the Columbus Blue Jackets.  The Blue Jackets were without their Vezina winning goalie and were on the second night of a back to back and starting a third string caliber goalie.  The Islanders were the rested team and at looked like it in the first period. They quickly went up two to nothing on two goals by Josh Bailey and were dominating early on.  Unfortunately for Islander fans, multiple goal leads are the devil for the Islanders and the Blue Jackets stormed back to tie it late in the period.  They would get another one goal lead in the second period on a goal by Ryan Strome only to relinquish it later on a defensive lapse that looked something like this.

Fortunately the team was able to come alive in the third period.  Goals by Frans Nielsen and another by John Tavares had fans reaching for their antacids at the thought of yet another two goal lead, but Tavares was able to net a second goal 11:15 into the third period to put the team up six to three and the Islanders were able to hang on for the victory.  Here's how it worked out statistically.

The Corsi Table

#Period OnePeriod TwoPeriod ThreeTotal
CFCACF%CF REL%CFCACF%CF REL%CFCACF%CF REL%CFCACF%CF REL%
1110.50.0100.0%45.5%5.53.859.1%6.7%7.25.457.1%11.1%23.29.271.6%21.3%
127.21.087.8%25.7%5.71.975.0%28.0%8.35.759.3%14.7%21.28.671.1%19.9%
1411.50.0100.0%47.5%3.75.838.9%-24.2%7.23.666.7%23.0%22.49.470.4%19.5%
2710.31.091.2%34.0%7.41.880.4%38.7%5.27.540.9%-11.1%23.010.468.9%17.6%
919.31.189.4%30.3%6.61.878.6%34.4%6.78.544.1%-7.4%22.611.366.7%14.5%
138.34.962.9%-8.4%1.82.839.1%-18.8%7.72.873.3%31.4%17.810.562.9%8.4%
176.34.956.3%-17.4%0.92.923.7%-36.1%8.82.776.5%36.5%16.010.560.4%4.9%
27.32.971.6%4.9%7.81.980.4%39.7%7.913.337.3%-21.6%22.918.056.0%-1.1%
535.24.951.5%-23.3%0.95.813.4%-54.7%7.70.989.5%49.7%13.811.654.3%-3.0%
555.23.957.1%-14.8%7.61.880.9%39.7%7.911.440.9%-13.8%20.817.354.6%-3.2%
513.13.050.8%-20.9%3.92.858.2%4.6%4.94.950.0%1.2%11.810.752.4%-5.3%
155.22.171.2%4.0%2.72.948.2%-8.2%3.67.632.1%-22.2%11.612.847.5%-11.7%
842.03.040.0%-32.8%6.64.857.9%5.4%3.65.838.3%-13.5%12.213.547.5%-12.0%
296.32.274.1%8.0%1.92.048.7%-7.0%3.59.427.1%-30.3%11.613.446.4%-13.3%
182.03.040.0%-32.8%5.85.850.0%-8.2%4.95.845.8%-4.2%12.714.646.5%-13.5%
866.32.274.1%8.0%0.91.932.1%-25.2%3.59.427.1%-30.3%10.713.544.2%-16.0%
36.27.345.9%-36.0%1.84.727.7%-35.5%7.66.753.1%5.9%15.618.745.5%-16.3%
377.28.346.5%-38.8%3.66.735.0%-31.7%7.66.753.1%5.9%18.421.745.9%-17.1%
Tm23.911.268.1%15.012.454.7%22.823.749.0%61.747.256.7%
Player Data from War-On-Ice.com
All data is five on five and score adjusted.

From a Corsi standpoint, the line of Tavares, Bailey, and Anders Lee were the best possession forwards while Lubomir Visnovsky and Thomas Hickey reigned supreme for the game.  Bailey and Visnovsky were the biggest standouts for the game.  Matt Martin and Colin McDonald also rebounded nicely from the terrible possession game they had during the last contest while Casey Cizikas was in the positives (though negative from the rest of the team relatively).

Not surprising was the fact that Brian Strait and Travis Hamonic were the worst possession defensemen for the game.  Strait ranks seventh out of all defensemen on the Islanders in relative Corsi and sure enough he finished last tonight.  Hopefully Calvin de Haan comes back soon to help balance that pairing out, preferably against the Rangers tomorrow.  The forwards of Nikolay Kulemin, Brock Nelson and Strome also had an off day and will look to rebound.

The Stats Table

#All Scenarios5v54v5 PK5v4 PP
TOIGAiSCiCFPNDPNTFOWFOLBSHIT+/-OZSDZS+/-FAPiCF
9118.12211120187014510004
2717.804560000024510001
1216.321440001004620000
5114.711440139111550401
1815.110220014210560201
3720.4013300013327301000
111701120000012460000
8412.101330010001560000
1417.301230000121560500
319.9002332002426301002
2917.200230173010220600
8613.100450001140220400
21900120000100440000
1711.50034100005-1330000
13110035000013-1240000
1516.40013000014-12201100
5521.60026000061-1440501
5313.300221110913-2350300
TOI - Time on Ice | G - Goals | A - Assists | ISC - Individual Scoring Chances | ICF - Individual Corsi | PND - Penalties Drawn | PNT - Penalties Taken | FOW - Faceoffs Won | FOL - Faceoffs Lost | BS - Blocked Shots | HIT - Hits | OZS - Offensive Zone Starts | DZS - Defensive Zone Starts | FA - Fenwick Against | P - Points
All Data from war-on-ice.com

There were plenty of good things to take away from this game, but one huge negative was the penalty killing.  Fortunately Jaroslav Halak was up to the task and played absolutely fantastic on the penalty kill as the Blue Jackets had nine shots on goal in eight minutes of power play time.  Normally the Islanders are a pretty disciplined team coming in with the third best penalty differential in the league, but tonight they were short handed four times and when the last place penalty kill is squaring off against the sixth ranked power play and they're getting that many unblocked shots off then goals are bound to happen.  This was definitely an example of the process looking much worse than the result.  Tavares in particular took a very dumb penalty against Brandon Dubinsky interfering with him from the bench.  Hopefully they'll be more disciplined in the next game because the penalty killing looks beyond repair at this point in the season.

The W.O.W.Y. Table

2 3 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 27 29 37 51 53 55 84 86 91 T
2 NA0/02/49/26/3NA4/84/23/511/44/92/01/53/117/154/53/911/421/19
3 0/0NANA5/54/51/02/44/55/55/51/414/196/53/5NA4/51/45/515/19
11 2/4NANA4/36/220/65/16/16/36/56/20/04/16/20/05/36/26/522/10
12 9/25/54/3NA2/04/20/01/0NA17/91/07/5NA2/011/10/0NA17/920/9
13 6/34/56/22/0NA7/2NA12/9NA2/21/05/81/011/94/2NANA3/216/11
14 NA1/020/64/27/2NA5/17/34/55/26/10/25/26/50/24/46/14/221/10
15 4/82/45/10/0NA5/1NANA1/12/08/122/41/00/14/82/08/120/011/13
17 4/24/56/11/012/97/3NANA0/0NA1/23/81/011/94/3NA1/21/014/11
18 3/55/56/3NANA4/51/10/0NA1/00/05/510/120/31/710/140/02/012/15
27 11/45/56/517/92/25/22/0NA1/0NA1/09/50/00/010/12/01/020/1123/11
29 4/91/46/21/01/06/18/121/20/01/0NA1/40/00/04/80/010/140/011/14
37 2/014/190/07/55/80/22/43/85/59/51/4NA5/53/82/14/51/49/518/22
51 1/56/54/1NA1/05/21/01/010/120/00/05/5NANA1/69/12NANA11/11
53 3/13/56/22/011/96/50/111/90/30/00/03/8NANA3/30/20/0NA12/12
55 17/15NA0/011/14/20/24/84/31/710/14/82/11/63/3NA3/63/89/119/18
84 4/54/55/30/0NA4/42/0NA10/142/00/04/59/120/23/6NANA1/012/14
86 3/91/46/2NANA6/18/121/20/01/010/141/4NA0/03/8NANA0/010/14
91 11/45/56/517/93/24/20/01/02/020/110/09/5NANA9/11/00/0NA22/12
T 21/1915/1922/1020/916/1121/1011/1314/1112/1523/1111/1418/2211/1112/1219/1812/1410/1422/1258/49
% .525.441.688.690.593.677.458.560.444.676.440.450.500.500.514.462.417.647.542
Attempts For/Attempts Against - Even Strength Corsi Numbers With - Data from Natural Stat Trick

Rather than focus on a single player it's probably better to focus on the team as a whole, so here's how the possession numbers worked out for the individual players.  The first number is the number of Corsi attempts for and the second number is the number of attempts against.  T is just the total.  Looking at the pairing of Strait and Hamonic it's easy to see that they're the teams third best pairing right now.  When they were coupled with the third and fourth lines was when the possession numbers were at their worst.

Meanwhile the games that the first line and the Visnovsky and Hickey pairing had were obviously phenomenal.  Tavares, Bailey and Lee weren't in the negatives with anybody that they played with while Visnovsky and Hickey were only in the negatives when they were partnered with defensemen other than their regular pairing.  Their relative numbers have decreased a bit particularly when they were separated (Hickey in particular had a terrible first part of the season when partnered with Hamonic), but they're still very good when partnered together.

Game Preview #55 - WTF?

0
0

That stands for "Where's The Foligno?" You guys have dirty minds.

Columbus Blue Jackets at Philadelphia Flyers

February 17th, 2015 - 7:00 PM EST
Wells Fargo Center - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Radio - WBNS 97.1 - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Broad Street Hockey

Nick Foligno is out with a "day-to-day" lower body injury. OK, so I lied. The title isn't just "Where's The Foligno?". It's this, too:

Corey Tropp is on our top line.

This would be where, if this were the comments, I'd allow you all to post 17 pictures of tanks rumbling through various landscape settings.

I don't know what else to say.

The Flyers continue along on their points streak (seriously, with that defense, how are they doing it??), but if the season ends with them on the outside looking in, they can look back at several of these games against Columbus as a series of lost points, having missed opportunities for additional points in three of the four games played thus far. Friday's OT loss had to sting a bit, as they blew a 3-1 third period lead and lost in OT. Granted it's just one point, but ask the 2013 Jackets if one point can make a difference at the end of the season.

So, yeah, after Saturday's thumping on the Island, it sure looks like the Jackets are shifting into tank mode again. We shall see. Philly seems to bring out their inner "let's win and wreck our draft status!" every time.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(24-27-3, 51 Points; 6th division, 12th conference)

Scott HartnellRyan JohansenCorey Tropp
Matt CalvertBrandon DubinskyCam Atkinson
Alexander WennbergArtem AnisimovMarko Dano
Jack SkilleMark LetestuJared Boll
Jack JohnsonDavid Savard
Fedor TyutinCody Goloubef
Kevin ConnautonJames Wisniewski
Curtis McElhinney
Anton Forsberg

Philadelphia Flyers
(24-22-10, 58 Points; 5th Division, 10th Conference)

Brayden SchennClaude GirouxJakub Voracek
Matt ReadSean CouturierWayne Simmonds
Ryan WhiteMichael RafflR.J. Umberger
Chris VandeVeldePierre-Edouard BellemareVincent Lecavalier
Nick SchultzMark Streit
Nicklas GrossmannBraydon Coburn
Michael Del ZottoLuke Schenn
Ray Emery
Anthony Stolarz

Season Series

PHI - 1-1-2
CBJ - 3-1-0

11/14/14 - Columbus 4 at Philadelphia 3
11/22/14 - Columbus 2 at Philadelphia 4
12/09/14 - Philadelphia 2 at Columbus 3 (OT)
02/13/15 - Philadelphia 3 at Columbus 4 (OT)
02/17/15 - Columbus at Philadelphia

Head to Head Stats

PhiladelphiaColumbus
2.66 (20)GPG2.56 (23)
2.79 (23)GAPG3.13 (26)
23.5% (3)PP%22.1% (6)
75.7% (28)PK%80.4% (20)
Wayne Simmonds, 21G leaderNick Foligno, 22
Jakub Voracek, 42A leaderNick Foligno / Ryan Johansen, 30
Jakub Voracek, 60Pts leaderNick Foligno, 52
Zac Rinaldo, 75PIM leaderScott Hartnell, 78
15-7-4Home/Road12-13-1
6-1-3Last 104-6-0
2/15 @ Buffalo, W 2-1Last Game2/14 @ NY IslandersL 6-3

Game Day #55 - Blue Jackets at Flyers

0
0

That stands for "Where's The Foligno?" You guys have dirty minds.

Columbus Blue Jackets at Philadelphia Flyers

February 17th, 2015 - 7:00 PM EST
Wells Fargo Center - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Radio - WBNS 97.1 - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Broad Street Hockey

Nick Foligno is out with a "day-to-day" lower body injury. OK, so I lied. The title isn't just "Where's The Foligno?". It's this, too:

Corey Tropp is on our top line.

This would be where, if this were the comments, I'd allow you all to post 17 pictures of tanks rumbling through various landscape settings.

I don't know what else to say.

The Flyers continue along on their points streak (seriously, with that defense, how are they doing it??), but if the season ends with them on the outside looking in, they can look back at several of these games against Columbus as a series of lost points, having missed opportunities for additional points in three of the four games played thus far. Friday's OT loss had to sting a bit, as they blew a 3-1 third period lead and lost in OT. Granted it's just one point, but ask the 2013 Jackets if one point can make a difference at the end of the season.

So, yeah, after Saturday's thumping on the Island, it sure looks like the Jackets are shifting into tank mode again. We shall see. Philly seems to bring out their inner "let's win and wreck our draft status!" every time.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(24-27-3, 51 Points; 6th division, 12th conference)

Scott HartnellRyan JohansenCorey Tropp
Matt CalvertBrandon DubinskyCam Atkinson
Alexander WennbergArtem AnisimovMarko Dano
Jack SkilleMark LetestuJared Boll
Jack JohnsonDavid Savard
Fedor TyutinCody Goloubef
Kevin ConnautonJames Wisniewski
Curtis McElhinney
Anton Forsberg

Philadelphia Flyers
(24-22-10, 58 Points; 5th Division, 10th Conference)

Brayden SchennClaude GirouxJakub Voracek
Matt ReadSean CouturierWayne Simmonds
Ryan WhiteMichael RafflR.J. Umberger
Chris VandeVeldePierre-Edouard BellemareVincent Lecavalier
Nick SchultzMark Streit
Nicklas GrossmannBraydon Coburn
Michael Del ZottoLuke Schenn
Ray Emery
Anthony Stolarz

Season Series

PHI - 1-1-2
CBJ - 3-1-0

11/14/14 - Columbus 4 at Philadelphia 3
11/22/14 - Columbus 2 at Philadelphia 4
12/09/14 - Philadelphia 2 at Columbus 3 (OT)
02/13/15 - Philadelphia 3 at Columbus 4 (OT)
02/17/15 - Columbus at Philadelphia

Head to Head Stats

PhiladelphiaColumbus
2.66 (20)GPG2.56 (23)
2.79 (23)GAPG3.13 (26)
23.5% (3)PP%22.1% (6)
75.7% (28)PK%80.4% (20)
Wayne Simmonds, 21G leaderNick Foligno, 22
Jakub Voracek, 42A leaderNick Foligno / Ryan Johansen, 30
Jakub Voracek, 60Pts leaderNick Foligno, 52
Zac Rinaldo, 75PIM leaderScott Hartnell, 78
15-7-4Home/Road12-13-1
6-1-3Last 104-6-0
2/15 @ Buffalo, W 2-1Last Game2/14 @ NY IslandersL 6-3
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