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

Game Day #61: Blue Jackets vs. Devils

0
0

With the Devils and Blue Jackets facing an April exit from NHL hockey, both squads are looking to end the season with a flurry, and lay the groundwork for next year.

New Jersey Devils at Columbus Blue Jackets

February 28, 2015 - 5:00 pm EST (Yes, 5 PM, not 7 PM)
Nationwide Arena - Columbus, Ohio
Radio - 97.1 FM The Fan  - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: In Lou We Trust

The Jagr-less New Jersey Devils come into Columbus for a late afternoon contest on Saturday, fresh off of a homestand-ending 3 - 2 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins on Friday night.  Jaromir is learning about the virtues of sun block in his new Florida home, while gearing up for a hoped-for playoff run, as the Panthers try to chase down the aforementioned Bruins as the calendar turns to March and the stretch run of the NHL season.

The Blue Jackets and Devils are playing for pride at this point -- though the Devils' media was holding out hope entering last night's contest.  As we all know, however, hope is not a strategy.  Neither of these clubs are going to the playoffs this year, and the squads will have to overcome the butterflies in the stomach that come not from an impending playoff berth, but from the looming trade deadline on Monday.  Saturday's contest might be a final audition for some veterans, and an entry audition for some youngsters.

This one is expected to feature the Columbus debut for David Clarkson -- acquired in the much-debated trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs -- who will face the club with whom he enjoyed his best NHL season.  Meanwhile, the Parade of the Folignos continues with father Mike coming to visit in his role as coach for the Devils, following the appearance of brother Marcus with the Buffalo Sabres.

Following the OT loss and a late night plane trip for the Devils, the Blue Jackets would be well advised to shake off recent performances and come out with some aggressiveness  early.  It will help matters greatly if the goaltending can avoid the early softies that both Anton Forsberg and Curtis McElhinney surrendered in the early going in the last two starts. With Matt Calvert sidelined due to concussion, Brandon Dubinsky possibly still shaken up from the Montreal contest, and Oscar Dansk now in the backup role to the chief backup, the lineup could get interesting in a hurry if anyone else goes down.

Players to watch include Alexander Wennberg and Marko Dano, who have both upped their games, together with Cody Goloubef and Artem Anisimov.  A familiar nemesis will be in uniform for the Devils in the person of Jordin Tootoo.  The Columbus faithful loved nothing more than jeering Tootoo in his days with Nashville, and he should expect nothing else on Saturday.

The game will present some interesting statistical match-ups, with New Jersey scoring only 2.18 goals per game, but Columbus surrendering 3.12.  Both figures are good for 28th in the NHL.  In contrast, both clubs are strong on the power play, with Columbus having a slight edge at 20.5% (7th) vs. 19.5% (9th) for the Devils.  The Blue Jackets have a more decisive edge on the PK, ranking 17th in the league, compared to New Jersey's 23rd place slot.

The Blue Jackets have announced that Clarkson joins the top line with Foligno and Johansen.  Go big or go home, I guess.  Sergei Bobrovsky has been activated, and will back up Curtis McElhinney tonight, with Oscar Dansk heading back to Springfield.  Nice.  Brandon Dubinsky, however, is out.  Not Nice.  Wennberg centers Atkinson and Hartnell, with Brian Gibbons returning on the wing with Dano and Anisimov.  Fedor Tyutin pairs with James Wisniewski, while Dalton Prout draws in with Cody Goloubef. The roster wheel continues to spin.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets 
(26-40-4, 56 Points; 7th division, 13th conference)

Nick FolignoRyan JohansenDavid Clarkson
Scott HartnellAlexander WennbergCam Atkinson
Brian GibbonsArtem AnisimovMarko Dano
Corey TroppMark LetestuJared Boll
Jack JohnsonDavid Savard
Fedor TyutinJames Wisniewski
Dalton ProutCody Goloubef
Curtis McElhinney
Sergei Bobrovsky

New Jersey Devils
(25-27-10, 60 Points; 6th Division, 12th Conference)

Adam HenriquePatrik EliasSteve Bernier
Mike CammalleriTravis ZajacJordin Tootoo
Tuomo RuutuJacob JosefsonBrian Gionta
Dainius ZubrusScott GomezMartin Havlat
Andy GreeneAdam Larsson
Jon MerrillMarek Zidlicky
Eric GelinasMark Fraser
Cory Schneider
Scott Clemmensen

Season Series

New Jersey - 1-0-0
CBJ - 0-1-0

11/1/14 - Columbus 2 at New Jersey 3
02/28/15 - New Jersey at Columbus
03/6/15 - Columbus at New Jersey
03/31/15 - New Jersey at Columbus

Head to Head Stats

New JerseyColumbus
2.18 (28)GPG2.55 (23)
2.55 (11)GAPG3.12 (28)
19.5% (9)PP%20.5% (7)
79.7% (23)PK%81.0% (17)
Mike Cammalleri, 23G leaderNick Foligno, 23
Adam Henrique, 20A leaderNick Foligno / Ryan Johansen, 32
Cameleers/Henrique, 32Pts leaderNick Foligno, 55
Jordin Tootoo, 61PIM leaderScott Hartnell, 84
10-18-2Road/Home12-16-2
4-5-1Last 104-5-1
2/27 vs BostonL 3 - 2 OTLast Game2/26 vs. Montreal, L 5 - 2

Game Preview #64 - T-Minus 19 And Counting...

0
0

The Jackets head to Jersey to continue on their quest for... hockey?

Columbus Blue Jackets at New Jersey Devils

March 6, 2015 - 7:00 pm EST
Prudential Center - Newark, New Jersey
Radio - WBNS 97.1 FM - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: In Lou We Trust

I don't have a lot to say about this, other than New Jersey is trying like mad to make the playoffs, and the Jackets are one point ahead of Carolina in the standings. I'm going to let you all decide for yourselves as to what we should be rooting for tonight.

(Full disclosure, I'm a "let's tank!" mindset for all of the hours during which the CBJ are NOT playing games. For the three hours they're on the ice, I'm all-in for winning. Just so we're clear...)

According to Jody Shelley's Tweet this morning, Brandon Dubinsky will be back, skating on the wing for the third line. Interesting to see also that Marko Dano has earned some top-six time. I'm all for this... dude hustles his butt off, and might as well see how his game's matured over the course of the season by getting him some offensive minutes.

Cory Schneider will again be in net for the Devils, and he smothered the Jackets on Saturday to the tune of a shut-out. Can Columbus finally score a goal on him??

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets 
(26-33-4, 56 Points; 7th division, 13th conference)

Nick FolignoRyan JohansenCam Atkinson
Scott HartnellAlexander WennbergMarko Dano
Brandon DubinskyArtem AnisimovBrian Gibbons
Corey TroppMark LetestuJared Boll
Jack JohnsonDavid Savard
Fedor TyutinDalton Prout
Justin FalkCody Goloubef
Sergei Bobrovsky
Curtis McElhinney

New Jersey Devils
(27-27-10, 64 Points; 6th Division, 12th Conference)

Adam HenriqueScott GomezSteve Bernier
Mike CammalleriTravis ZajacJordin Tootoo
Dainius ZubrusPatrik EliasBrian Gionta
Tuomo RuutuJacob JosefsonPeter Harrold
Andy GreeneAdam Larsson
Mark FraserEric Gelinas
Jon MerrillDamon Severson
Cory Schneider
Scott Clemmensen

Season Series

NJD - 2-0-0
CBJ - 0-2-0

11/01/14 - Columbus 2 at New Jersey 3
02/28/15 - New Jersey 2 at Columbus 0
03/06/15 - Columbus at New Jersey
03/31/15 - New Jersey at Columbus

Head to Head Stats

New JerseyColumbus
2.19 (27)GPG2.52 (24)
2.48 (8)GAPG3.16 (26)
19.4% (9)PP%20.7% (8)
80.3% (21)PK%80.2% (23)
Mike Cammalleri, 24G leaderNick Foligno, 24
Adam Henrique, 20A leaderRyan Johansen, 34
Mike Cammalleri, 34Pts leaderNick Foligno, 57
Jordin Tootoo, 61PIM leaderJared Boll, 93
16-9-8Home/Road14-15-2
6-3-1Last 102-7-1
3/3 vs Nashville,W 3-1Last Game3/3 vs. Washington, L, 5-3

Game Day #64 - Blue Jackets at Devils

0
0

The Jackets head to Jersey to continue on their quest for... hockey?

Columbus Blue Jackets at New Jersey Devils

March 6, 2015 - 7:00 pm EST
Prudential Center - Newark, New Jersey
Radio - WBNS 97.1 FM - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: In Lou We Trust

I don't have a lot to say about this, other than New Jersey is trying like mad to make the playoffs, and the Jackets are one point ahead of Carolina in the standings. I'm going to let you all decide for yourselves as to what we should be rooting for tonight.

(Full disclosure, I'm a "let's tank!" mindset for all of the hours during which the CBJ are NOT playing games. For the three hours their on the ice, I'm all-in for winning. Just so we're clear...)

According to Jody Shelley's Tweet this morning, Brandon Dubinsky will be back, skating on the wing for the third line. Interesting to see also that Marko Dano has earned some top-six time. I'm all for this... dude hustles his butt off, and might as well see how his game's matured over the course of the season by getting him some offensive minutes.

Cory Schneider will again be in net for the Devils, and he smothered the Jackets on Saturday to the tune of a shut-out. Can Columbus finally score a goal on him??

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets 
(26-33-4, 56 Points; 7th division, 13th conference)

Nick FolignoRyan JohansenCam Atkinson
Scott HartnellAlexander WennbergMarko Dano
Brandon DubinskyArtem AnisimovBrian Gibbons
Corey TroppMark LetestuJared Boll
Jack JohnsonDavid Savard
Fedor TyutinDalton Prout
Justin FalkCody Goloubef
Sergei Bobrovsky
Curtis McElhinney

New Jersey Devils
(27-27-10, 64 Points; 6th Division, 12th Conference)

Adam HenriqueScott GomezSteve Bernier
Mike CammalleriTravis ZajacJordin Tootoo
Dainius ZubrusPatrik EliasBrian Gionta
Tuomo RuutuJacob JosefsonPeter Harrold
Andy GreeneAdam Larsson
Mark FraserEric Gelinas
Jon MerrillDamon Severson
Cory Schneider
Scott Clemmensen

Season Series

NJD - 2-0-0
CBJ - 0-2-0

11/01/14 - Columbus 2 at New Jersey 3
02/28/15 - New Jersey 2 at Columbus 0
03/06/15 - Columbus at New Jersey
03/31/15 - New Jersey at Columbus

Head to Head Stats

New JerseyColumbus
2.19 (27)GPG2.52 (24)
2.48 (8)GAPG3.16 (26)
19.4% (9)PP%20.7% (8)
80.3% (21)PK%80.2% (23)
Mike Cammalleri, 24G leaderNick Foligno, 24
Adam Henrique, 20A leaderRyan Johansen, 34
Mike Cammalleri, 34Pts leaderNick Foligno, 57
Jordin Tootoo, 61PIM leaderJared Boll, 93
16-9-8Home/Road14-15-2
6-3-1Last 102-7-1
3/3 vs Nashville,W 3-1Last Game3/3 vs. Washington, L, 5-3

Gophers Hockey: Minnesota gets 3 points on the road against Ohio State

0
0

Minnesota got off to a lead for the first time in five games. Seniors scored three of the four goals against the Buckeyes and the Gophers went on to win 4-2 to stay in position for a bye in the Big Ten conference tournament

Minnesota made a point of emphasis this week to come out against the Buckeyes on Friday afternoon with a strong opening ten minutes. The Gophers had played from behind constantly lately. Being on the road against an Ohio State team which swept Penn State at home lately made it more important.

Although that went to plan with a great start offensively in the first period, it took Minnesota and the team's seniors until the second to pull away in a 4-2 win against the Buckeyes in Columbus to snap OSU's three game home winning streak.

Twice the Gophers scored in the first period. Twice Ohio State came back on the ensuing shift to tie the game.

Minnesota out-shot the Buckeyes 8-3 in the first 11 minutes, controlling play without a goal. Justin Kloos and the Gophers took a 1-0 lead for the first time in five games, however, the scoring advantage did not last long. The play began when Brady Skjei, who hit the post minutes earlier, went around the net, tried to find Taylor Cammarata. The puck from Cammarata and through the crease and to Kloos, who buried it for his 11th goal of the season.

But the lead lasted all of 12 seconds. Ohio State defenseman Craig Dalrymple's shot from the point went off Minnesota defenseman Ryan Collins and into the net for his first goal of the season

It happened again with just under three minutes remaining in the first period. Gopher senior forward Travis Boyd set up Sam Warning on a cross-ice one-timer before Anthony Greco did the same with Buckeyes forward Tyler Lundey 19 seconds after the goal.

The third time taking the lead was the charm for Minnesota 6:10 into the second period, though.

Gophers captain Kyle Rau collected his 16th goal of the season right in front of Ohio State goaltender Christian Frey when he deflected a Leon Bristedt pass from the half-wall into the net.

Seth Ambroz, a Columbus Blue Jackets draft pick playing in the hometown of the NHL team, made it 4-2 with 4:24 remaining in the second. Skating backwards on the back door, Ambroz tapped in a pass from Collins for his 10th goal of the season. Between Collins and Mike Reilly, who got the other assist, all 3 Blue Jackets picks got in on the play.

Greco, who leads OSU with 14 goals, had a couple chances all alone in the third period for Ohio State that Gopher goaltender Adam Wilcox was able stop. Buckeyes head coach Steve Rohlik pulled Frey with 3:31 remaining for a last gasp. Despite the Ohio State offense spending 90 seconds in the Gopher zone, OSU could not get the third goal.

In addition to getting off to a fast start Minnesota had support from older players Three of the team's four goals were scored by seniors, continuing a streak over the last 11 games where the upperclassmen have combined for over 60% of the team's goals. Wilcox made 24 saves while his OSU counterpart Frey came 22 short of the 50 the creative Buckeyes students had on their shirts ("50 saves of Frey").

(There was a 50 milestone as Cammarata picked up his 50th career point with an assist on the first goal)

Eleven different players got a point for the Gophers.

With the win, head coach Don Lucia passes Doug Woog for the most victories at Minnesota with 391. The Gopher head coach, who also was behind the bench at Alaska and Colorado College, has earned 2 national titles and been to 5 Frozen Fours in his 16 years at Minnesota.

Ohio State and Minnesota will complete the two-game series in Columbus tomorrow at 5 p.m CT.

-------------------

Nathan Wells is a college hockey columnist for SB Nation mostly covering both the University of Minnesota and Big Ten. You can also follow him on Twitter --

Too Little, Too Late by New Jersey Devils in 3-2 Loss to Columbus Blue Jackets

0
0

The New Jersey Devils pulled within one in the third period against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Despite the effort, the Devils still got out-shot and put up only 4 on net. This game recap explains why it was too little, too late for the Devils tonight.

After Peter Harrold scored one of the greatest goals of his career in the third period, the Rock was rocking and the New Jersey Devils appeared to play with a rejuvenated sense of intensity.  They skated harder at the Columbus Blue Jackets.  They kept pushing to make plays on offense. Their zone entries were dominated by dump-ins that they often lost like in the first period.  The crowd roared with every rush, every time a Devil had the puck and had some space to shoot, and with every shot.  The lower bowl behind Sergei Bobrovsky jumped when Jacob Josefson re-directed an Adam Larsson shot into the post, thinking it might have been in.  The Devils kept battling, kept attempting, but they could not find the equalizer.  The Devils lost 2-3, and it could make one think what could've happened if the Devils played at that level earlier.

I thought that for a second before the post-game scoreboard showed that the Blue Jackets - the team that was defending the lead - out-shot the Devils 8-6 in the third.  For all of their intensity, energy, and effort, the Devils put up a paltry four shots on target (five if you include the deflection that hit the post) after Harrold's amazing goal.  Oh, they out-attempted the Blue Jackets in the period (and overall!), but it's hard to get that third goal when the other goalie only has to deal with four or five shots coming his way.  It really was a case of too little happening too late in the game for New Jersey.

The Devils could have used a jolt early on. The first period was analogous to last Saturday's game against Columbus. While the Devils won, it was largely on the back of Cory Schneider as the Blue Jackets dictated the pace and controlled the puck for most of game.   Columbus wasn't as dominant, but they got something they didn't from the last game: a goal.  Justin Falk sent a long shot through traffic that beat Schneider to the top corner of the net.  No way was that a bad goal to allow, but it represents a cruel reality: some shots just don't have a reasonable chance of being stopped.  It's really hard for a goalie to be perfect and with the way the Devils started and have played for most of this season, they require Schneider to stop nearly everything to succeed.  The other three goals also proved that.

Columbus struck again in the second period.  Patrik Elias decided to hold up play to allow a teammate - I think it was Josefson - to get back on-side.  That was fine. What was not fine was Elias attempting a no-look backhand pass across the blueline in anticipation of Josefson getting back on-side.  Nick Foligno picked it off, he played it up to Brandon Dubinsky, and Dubinsky finished the play.  As it was a one-on-one, Schneider perhaps could've done better. During Schneider's torrid streak, he has made plenty of stops in breakaway and quasi-breakaway situations. Eventually, though, they're going to get finished and that was the case tonight.  Elias hung out his team to dry with that horrid turnover and Schneider didn't make the bail out save.

Later in the second period, Falk kept a puck in the zone and it went along the boards. Alexander Wennberg went to retrieve it from the sideboards.  Jon Merrill and Jacob Josefson gave chase while Damon Severson was by the net.  Nobody noticed Marko Dano dropping into the space above the left circle.  Wennberg won the puck, backhanded a pass to Dano, and Dano had all the time in the world to pick his spot to shoot at.  He beat Schneider high.  Of all three, perhaps that was the one that he could have done better on.  At the same time, I'm loathe to criticize Schneider because he got hung out again.  Nobody accounted for the other forward, Dano.  With two Devils going after one Blue Jacket, they had to win that battle. They didn't and the team ended up suffering for it.

This isn't to say Schneider didn't make any good saves.  He robbed Dano of a second goal late in the second period with his toe.  He denied Dubinsky a shorthanded goal, the breakaway resulting from an ugly neutral zone turnover.  He made sure Ryan Johansen wouldn't get in the boxscore.  Schneider played well.  The problem is that the Devils' performance required him to be near or absolutely perfect.  That didn't happen.  And I don't think the issue is really with Schneider. The team should be helping him out more.

This isn't to say the Devils did nothing right.  They did convert one of their many power plays with an actually good performance.  They maintained puck control, they moved it around smartly, and they got a conversion.  It was especially pretty as it involved Adam Henrique dropping a no-look pass to Jordin Tootoo for the finish.  Peter Harrold's goal was a highlight in of itself.  The Devils would out-attempt the Blue Jackets in the second and third periods, which would explain why it felt like they were doing more.  The issue was that they weren't doing enough in terms of getting those attempts on frame.  The Blue Jackets checked them tightly all game long and the Devils never fully adjusted for it.  They got away from the constant dumping from the first period, which was a good adjustment, but that strategy should've been thrown away by now.  It's just that the Devils needed more productive efforts beyond just effort, and from the get-go as well.   Again, it was a case of too little, too late for the Devils in this 2-3 loss to Columbus.

The Game Stats: The NHL.com Game Summary | The NHL.com Event Summary | The NHL.com Play by Play Log | The NHL.com Shot Summary | The NHL.com Devils Time on Ice Log | The Natural Stat Trick Corsi Charts | The War on Ice Game Stats

The Opposition Opinion:Mike MacLean has this recap at The Cannon, noting that the Blue Jackets just broke their losing streak.  Good for them.  May they win a lot of games soon.

The Game Highlights: From NHL.com, here are tonight's highlights, featuring a wonderful goal by Harrold:

Seriously, Harrold: Harrold's role is so low in the lineup that a few shots and not getting wrecked would be a sufficient's night work.  That goal, well, wow.   He just took a chance, schooled Falk, and then schooled Bobrovsky.  It was brilliant.  I'd like to believe that even the most non-descript players will have moments of greatness from time to time.  That was definitely one of them for Harrold.

Why, Why, Why: Eric Gelinas and Mark Fraser were paired up on defense. This did not always go so well.  What's worse was that they started the game and kept getting shifts against Artem Anisimov, Dubinsky, and Brian Gibbons. While I would say the Blue Jackets are generally a quicker team than New Jersey, that's a line of three swift players. Why would any coach decide to match up the two slowest and most contentious on-the-puck defenders against them?  While that line didn't generate a lot of shots, they did generate a lot of attempts and pinned those two back quite a bit.  They also gave the Travis Zajac line a lot of headaches as well.  Still, the silver lining of Gelinas-Fraser is that they did not concede a goal.  Oh, the Blue Jackets came close, but it was not to be.  Why do I fear that I'm going to keep seeing this pairing until they get destroyed on the scoreboard?

Speaking of whys, why have the Devils decided to throw Damon Severson into the water right away?  I get that anyone returning from injury will need time just to get back into form.  However, he played nearly nineteen minutes tonight with plenty of power play time.  I get that Severson can add to a power play.  I get that Severson may be able to take on tough competition as he did so before his injury.  But Severson is not back to the level of where he was at before his injury.  Tonight, he was out of sorts on the power play, he made errors on defense forcing Schneider or Jon Merrill to cover up the error (in one case, impressively knocking down Anisimov to deny him a one-on-one), and he didn't add much out there.  In some cases, he was worse to watch than Gelinas-Fraser. The Wennberg line didn't smash Severson-Merrill, though they did get a goal against them.  I'd like to think in a few games, Severson will be back to normal and this will all be in the past.  Until then, it may not be the worst idea to limit his minutes until then.  Or at least get him off the power play.

Lastly, and I'm sure Ryan is sitting somewhere nodding his head in stern agreement, why do the Devils still think dumping-and-chasing is a viable strategy?  The team is not fast.  The strategy relies on getting to the puck to winning it. When they do win it, they're often in a poor spot to generate offense quickly unless they fling it back to the point and have the pointmen work from there.  The Devils did not generate a lot of shots due to Columbus playing attackers closely and New Jersey skaters being too busy seeing the forest of the net and ignoring the tree of the defender right in front of them.  But their tactic at gaining the zone has continued to hamper them.  They got away from it a little bit after the fist period, but there plenty of times where they just put pucks into space for reasons unknown - even on the power play.   Even the seven year old kid a few seats down stated how frustrated they were (the play was Jacob Josefson, already in the zone, putting the puck into the corner) from it.  When the kids in the stands pick up on it, you know it's bad.

Opportunities Lost: Columbus gave the Devils five power plays, three from defensemen David Savard alone.  To say the least, they didn't take full advantage of the situations.  One of them was almost immediately wiped out by a high-sticking penalty by Steve Bernier. The other four were, in order: useless, great, useless, useless.  Out of four full power plays, the Devils only got four shots on net and they weren't exactly great shots save for Tootoo's goal. Columbus got two shorthanded shots, including a near-breakaway by Dubinsky.  Gelinas, who was bombing shots from the back on Tuesday, was just a mess at moving the puck out.  Severson was bad.  Patrik Elias wasn't helping much. Travis Zajac kept misfiring in one way or another. There were dump-ins despite the Devils having a man advantage.  The Devils had ample opportunities to blow the game wide open or at least use the time to get some offense going to force Columbus to defend.  Instead, they only made the most out of one of them.  In a word: blah.

Dubinsky: While other Jackets had more shots and Jack Johnson looked like a capable NHL defender, I thought Dubinsky was Columbus' best player tonight. He was flying like Nick Foligno.  He was making good plays at both ends of the rink.  He used his speed efficiently, getting a few breakaways out of it and scoring on one of them.  When he was on the ice, good things tended to happen for Columbus and I don't think it was coincidence.  The Anisimov line could've put more of their attempts on Schneider too, but he helped push the Devils back a lot to set a tone. Columbus fans should be quite pleased with how he played tonight.

The Ending That Said A Lot: With about four minutes left, I figured the Devils were going to keep pushing hard for offense and at least make the ending interesting. What transpired was not much of a push as the Blue Jackets covered everyone closely, getting their sticks or body parts in the way to deny potential shots.  More importantly, the Johansen and Anisimov lines had two good shifts where they pinned the Devils back.  They didn't come close to getting an insurance goal, but they helped take a good ninety to a hundred seconds off the clock.  Schneider couldn't get off the ice until a minute remained and even then, it was a firewagon, "a Devil has the puck outside of the zone, let's GO" change.  The Devils played the 6-on-5 like they did on their power play and couldn't get a good shot off.  While that ending may lead one to think the Devils were close and could've done more, the Blue Jackets didn't just let the Devils do as they wished.  They played a role and it worked out.   In retrospect, this ending sequence sums up how the night was overall.  The Devils' performance wasn't good enough despite some scrambling efforts late, while the Blue Jackets did what they needed to help themselves.

Seriously: I don't talk about what I saw at the game live all that much.  Maybe I should since, well, I'm there.  Tonight, in anticipation of the 1995 Stanley Cup Champion Weekend, the Conn Smythe and Prince of Wales Trophies were on the lower concourse.  There was also some Devils memorabilia like Randy McKay's skates and Scott Niedermayer's gloves. Those were all neat.  But the biggest sight for me was a grown man wearing an Ryane Clowe jersey t-shirt.  Yes, someone bought one and decided to wear it in public.

Lastly: Patrik Elias.  If it wasn't for the turnover, was his game remarkable in anyway?  This is what a decline looks like.  It's not a series of just stand-out-in-a-bad-way games.  It comes with more games where not much, save for one really good or really bad thing happened.  It's sad, but Father Time continues to be the champion.

Your Take: The Devils lost this one close, though the performance suggests it never really was.  What did you think of the game overall?  Would you fault Schneider for any of those goals?  How crazy was Harrold's goal?  Can the Devils shelter Severson?  How should we handle Gelinas-Fraser?  What would you want the Devils to do differently for Sunday based on this game?  Please leave your answers and other thoughts about tonight's loss in the comments.

Thanks to everyone who commented in the Gamethread and followed @InLouWeTrust on Twitter. Thank you for reading.

Game 65 Preview: Avs-Jackets, Meet on Opposite Ends of Back-to-Back

0
0

The Avalanche head to Columbus to take on Blue Jackets in their first game without Nathan MacKinnon.

For the first time since drafting him #1 overall, the Avalanche will take the ice without their franchise forward Nathan MacKinnon.  MacKinnon will miss the rest of the regular season with a broken foot, and the Avalanche will be forced to soldier on without their top line intact.  That's bad news for Avs fans, because the top line of Gabriel Landeskog, Ryan O`Reilly, and Nathan MacKinnon has been so productively over the last month, that Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog caught Jarome Iginla for the team lead in points.  Now, with Cody McLeod replacing MacKinnon on the right wing, the Avalanche must depend even more on Landeskog and O'Reilly for production if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive (mathematically that is).

The dynamics of this game could be interesting thanks to the NHL's schedule makers.  The Columbus Blue Jackets (27-33-4) flew back to Columbus late late night after a 3-2 win in New Jersey.  The Colorado Avalanche (28-25-11) are already waiting for them in Ohio, but head straight for Minnesota after the game, and take on the Wild tomorrow night. Fans can likely expect the normal third period fatigue that comes with a back-to-back out of the Blue Jackets, but we may see a distracted Avs team tonight.  Roy and the players have publicly delivered all the hockey cliches we've grown up with:

"Just focused on the next game"

"We're not thinking about Minnesota, we just want two points in Columbus"

"We have to take it one game at a time"

etc. etc.

But its hard to believe that this Avalanche team, which has been absolutely dominated by the Wild this season, doesn't have their final matchup with the division rivals in the back of their minds as they take the ice tonight.

Update:  According to Rick Sadowski at HockeyBuzz, Joey Hishon sustained a neck injury in practice yesterday and it doubtful for tonight's game.  If Hishon is unable to play, then Freddie Hamilton will make his Avalanche debut in his stead.

Avalanche Lines:

(Author's note: I've demoted the 1st line to the 2nd line because I refuse to acknowledge #55's presence on the 1st line)

Jordan Caron - Matt Duchene - Jarom Iginla

Gabriel Landeskog - Ryan O`Reilly - Cody McLeod

Alex Tanguay - John Mitchell - Dennis Everberg

Daniel Briere - Joey Hishon/Freddie Hamilton - Marc Andre Cliche

Jan Hejda - Zach Redmond

Nate Guenin - Tyson Barrie

Nick Holden - Brad Stuart

Semyon Varlamov

Reto Berra

Blue Jackets Lines:

Nick Foligno - Ryan Johansen - Cam Atkinson

Scott Hartnell - Brandon Dubinsky - Alexander Wennberg

Brian Gibbons - Artem Anisimov - Marko Dano

Corey Tropp - Mark Letestu - Jared Boll

Jack Johnson - David Savard

Fedor Tyutin - Cody Goloubef

Justin Falk - Dalton Prout

Sergei Bobrovsky

Curtis McElhinney

Game Notes:

  • Captain Gabriel Landeskog has 12 points in his last 10 games
  • Jarome Iginla sits 6 points behind Larry Murphy for 42nd on the all-time points list.  He needs 21 goals to catch Jari Kurri for 18th all-time in goals.
  • Alex Tanguay needs 7 points to tie Paul Stastny at 4th in Avalanche career points scored.
  • Nathan MacKinnon needed just 1 point to tie Tyler Arnason for 27th in points scored as an Av (*shudders)
  • Semyon Varlamov needs 3 wins to tie Peter Budaj for 2nd winningest goalie in Avs history.
  • And Reto Berra needs 4 wins to tie Calvin Pickard for 13th


McDavid Watch:

If the season ended today, the Avalanche would have a 6% chance at drafting Connor McDavid and immediately fixing everything.

Puck Drops at 7:00 PM EST, 5:00 PM MST on Altitude

Game Preview #65 - Underachievers Bowl

0
0

The Jackets and Avs go at it... with basically nothing on the line.

Colorado Avalanche at Columbus Blue Jackets

March 7, 2015 - 7:00 pm EST
Nationwide Arena - Columbus, Ohio
Radio - WBNS 97.1 FM - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Mile High Hockey

Like I said yesterday, when the team's on the ice, I want them to play well and to win. In that regard, I thought last night's game was a great showing. Can't overstate how much Dubinsky means to the forwards, and I can't overstate how impressed I've been with Marko Dano in his second stint. I didn't expect him to have such a nose for the net, but he has shown an incredible knack for being in the right place at the right time, and burying his chances. Here's hoping this isn't a tease, and that he will continue to build on his work thus far.

We don't have the info on why, but Rene Bourque was added this morning via emergency recall, meaning someone up front has to be nicked up a bit and may not be able to go. No idea who that might be as of yet, but we should know more later.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets 
(26-33-4, 56 Points; 7th division, 13th conference)

Nick FolignoRyan JohansenCam Atkinson
Scott HartnellAlexander WennbergMarko Dano
Brandon DubinskyArtem AnisimovBrian Gibbons
Corey TroppMark LetestuJared Boll
Jack JohnsonDavid Savard
Fedor TyutinDalton Prout
Justin FalkCody Goloubef
Sergei Bobrovsky
Curtis McElhinney

Colorado Avalanche
(28-25-11, 67 Points; 7th Division, 12th Conference)

Gabriel LandeskogRyan O`ReillyCody McLeod
Jordan CaronMatt DucheneJarome Iginla
Alex TanguayJohn MitchellDennis Everberg
Marc-Andre ClicheJoey HishonDaniel Briere
Nate GueninTyson Barrie
Jan HejdaZach Redmond
Brad StuartNick Holden
Semyon Varlamov
Reto Berra

Season Series

COL - 0-1-0
CBJ - 1-0-0

01/04/15 - Columbus 4 at Colorado 3
03/07/15 - Colorado at Columbus

Head to Head Stats

ColoradoColumbus
2.53 (23)GPG2.53 (24)
2.80 (24)GAPG3.14 (26)
12.9% (29)PP%20.5% (8)
83.9% (8)PK%80.2% (23)
Jarome Iginla, 20G leaderNick Foligno, 24
Tyson Barrie, 30A leaderNick Foligno / Ryan Johansen, 34
Jarome Iginla / Gabriel Landeskog, 34Pts leaderNick Foligno, 58
Cody McLeod, 167PIM leaderJared Boll, 93
11-12-8Road/Home12-18-2
6-4-0Last 102-7-1
3/4 vs Pittsburgh,W 3-1Last Game3/6 @ New Jersey

Game Day #65 - Blue Jackets vs. Avalanche

0
0

The Jackets and Avs go at it... with basically nothing on the line.

Colorado Avalanche at Columbus Blue Jackets

March 7, 2015 - 7:00 pm EST
Nationwide Arena - Columbus, Ohio
Radio - WBNS 97.1 FM - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Mile High Hockey

Like I said yesterday, when the team's on the ice, I want them to play well and to win. In that regard, I thought last night's game was a great showing. Can't overstate how much Dubinsky means to the forwards, and I can't overstate how impressed I've been with Marko Dano in his second stint. I didn't expect him to have such a nose for the net, but he has shown an incredible knack for being in the right place at the right time, and burying his chances. Here's hoping this isn't a tease, and that he will continue to build on his work thus far.

We don't have the info on why, but Rene Bourque was added this morning via emergency recall, meaning someone up front has to be nicked up a bit and may not be able to go. No idea who that might be as of yet, but we should know more later.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets 
(26-33-4, 56 Points; 7th division, 13th conference)

Nick FolignoRyan JohansenCam Atkinson
Scott HartnellAlexander WennbergMarko Dano
Brandon DubinskyArtem AnisimovBrian Gibbons
Corey TroppMark LetestuJared Boll
Jack JohnsonDavid Savard
Fedor TyutinDalton Prout
Justin FalkCody Goloubef
Sergei Bobrovsky
Curtis McElhinney

Colorado Avalanche
(28-25-11, 67 Points; 7th Division, 12th Conference)

Gabriel LandeskogRyan O`ReillyCody McLeod
Jordan CaronMatt DucheneJarome Iginla
Alex TanguayJohn MitchellDennis Everberg
Marc-Andre ClicheJoey HishonDaniel Briere
Nate GueninTyson Barrie
Jan HejdaZach Redmond
Brad StuartNick Holden
Semyon Varlamov
Reto Berra

Season Series

COL - 0-1-0
CBJ - 1-0-0

01/04/15 - Columbus 4 at Colorado 3
03/07/15 - Colorado at Columbus

Head to Head Stats

ColoradoColumbus
2.53 (23)GPG2.53 (24)
2.80 (24)GAPG3.14 (26)
12.9% (29)PP%20.5% (8)
83.9% (8)PK%80.2% (23)
Jarome Iginla, 20G leaderNick Foligno, 24
Tyson Barrie, 30A leaderNick Foligno / Ryan Johansen, 34
Jarome Iginla / Gabriel Landeskog, 34Pts leaderNick Foligno, 58
Cody McLeod, 167PIM leaderJared Boll, 93
11-12-8Road/Home12-18-2
6-4-0Last 102-7-1
3/4 vs Pittsburgh,W 3-1Last Game3/6 @ New Jersey

Game 65 Recap: Avs Jump Out Early Shutout Blue Jackets 4-0

0
0

No cannon shots in Columbus tonight as the Avalanche dominated the Blue Jackets with a 4-0 win.

First Period:

The first minute of this one was eventful as an Avalanche turnover gave Nick Foligno a great chance in the Avs slot.  Foligno missed the net, then tripped Ryan O`Reilly trying to chase his shot into the Avs' corner.  The Avs went to work on the power play just 1:01 into the first period and got 43 seconds of 5-on-3 time when Dalton Prout fired the puck over the glass and took a delay of game penalty.  The Avalanche went to work on the 5-on-3 with a new setup, a forward on each side of the net at the goal-line, a man on each point (pinched further in away from the boards),  and a man in front of the net in the high slot.  The Avalanche started by slinging the puck back and forth behind the Columbus net (a new move from the Avs PP) and moving the Blue Jackets back and forth out of position.  Then they cycled the puck quickly around the perimeter to take advantage of the scattered Columbus penalty killers.   Alex Tanguay low on the left side, passed up high to Jarome Iginla on the left point, who one touched the puck parallel with the blueline to Tyson Barrie at the right point.  Barrie sent the puck right back where Jarome Iginla who unloaded on the biscuit and put it in the basket.  1-0 Avs on the 5-on-3.

The Avs scored just 19 seconds into the 5-on-3 power play and thus preserved 1:40 of their 2nd 5-on-4 power play.  Patrick Roy went with a 2nd unit of Ryan O`Reilly, Gabriel Landeskog, Dennis Everberg, Tyson Barrie, and Zach Redmond.  Ryan O'Reilly and Tyson Barrie played a nice game of pitch and catch along the right side boards to create some space up high, then O'Reilly turned and fired a big fake slap-shot, slap-pass to Landeskog in the crease.  Landeskog spun and tucked the puck far side on Curtis McElhinney to put the Avalanche up 2-0 in the first 4:00.  100% on the power play.

The Avalanche kept up the attack in early minutes after their 2nd power play goal.  Their best chance came 6:00 into the game when Jan Hejda fired a puck on net through traffic, and Dennis Everberg outmuscled two defenders to fire the rebound back on net.  A few shifts later Matt Duchene had a great shift in front of the Columbus net, dangling the puck between three Blue Jackets' defenders before losing it near the crease.  Jordan Caron came from behind the Columbus net and battled through the entire enemy defense to get his stick on the puck and fire the loose puck on net.

After that the ice the began to tilt back in the Blue Jacket's favor, and Nick Foligno rang a dangerous shot off the Avs post (wont even affect his crazy shooting percentage).  Moments later, with the Blue Jackets hemming the Avs inside their own zone, Matt Duchene hounded Scott Hartnell at the point, stole the puck, and gave himself a breakaway.  Duchene made a beautiful move to undress McElhinney and beat him five-hole.

The Game quieted down significantly in the second half of the period, and while the Avalanche relented on the attack, they were very committed defensively.  Dennis Everberg made a huge block with his team up 3-0, which left him hobbling to the bench.  He would return to the game after the stinger.  With just 1:00 left in the period, Gabe Landeskog turned the puck over in his own zone and made an excellent play to turn, recover, and prevent his man from scoring.

Second Period:

The first ten minutes second period was extremely ho-hum for the, but the Blue Jackets did tilt the ice back in their favor substantially. Over the course of the second period, the Blue Jackets outshot the Avalanche 17-9.  The period was most interesting at it's center.  With 9:30 left in the period, Jack Johnson elbowed John Mitchell in the chin on a blindside hit.  Mitchell was stunned by the hit, and with his history of concussions gave Avs fans a serious scare, but he returned to the game after a brief visit to the locker room.

On the ensuing power play, the Avs had a number of good chances.  First O'Reilly received a pass on the left side of the net but couldn't elevate the puck high enough to beat Bobrovsky over the shoulder.  Next John Mitchell fired a hard wrist shot from the slot that deflected just over the cross bar.  Finally Zach Redmond had a shot from the left point which found it's way through traffic to the low right side where Bobrovsky snagged it with the glove.

With 10 seconds left on the power play Alex Tanguay tangled his skate with Bobrovsky's and sent Columbus on a power play of their own.  Like the Avalanche, the Blue Jackets were aggressive on this power play, and peppered the net with shots.  Varlamov was strong all night but made some of his best saves on this sequence.

Third Period:

The third period for the Blue Jackets started off as a mirror image of the Avs' first period.  The Blue Jackets created a great chance in the first 60 seconds of the final frame when Cam Atkinson fired a good shot on net which ricocheted off Varlamov and another player to sit in the Avs crease and eventually slide wide. Nick Foligno drove the net for the loose puck and drew a hooking penalty from Gabriel Landeskog.  Varlamov made a few good saves on the power play, but for the most part the Avalanche kept the puck out of their zone.

With 15 minutes left in the third period Matt Duchene put together one of his most beautiful sequences of the season.  Duchene took the puck from the left boards and moved all the way to the right while transitioning through the neutral zone.  At the far boards Duchene stopped short to dodge a big check from a Columbus defender, then, seemingly without losing speed drove the near side of the net, deked across the crease and tried to tuck the puck far side.  Sergei Bobrovsky made an aggressive move to lay out and seal his pad to the ice, stopping Duchene's shot, then reaching further toward his post to stop the rebound.  An incredible move by Duchene and an even better save.

The Avalanche continued to give up the majority of the game's shots on goal, but they would still earn the next goal of the game.  Alex Tanguay caught up to a lob pass from Tyson Barrie on right boards in the neutral zone and drove down the left wing on a 2-on-1 with John Mitchell.  Tanguay waited for the Columbus defense to overcommit then pulled an amazing toe-drag to step around the sprawling defender and beat Bobrovsky on his glove side.  The Columbus net-minder got a piece of the puck, but it trickled through, giving the Avalanche a 4-0 lead.   Nate Guenin also picked up an assist.

With 7:00 to play Matt Duchene made his patented spin move near the left faceoff dot, and despite having his legs kicked out from beneath him, fired a dangerous backhand shot from his stomach that surprised Bobrovsky.  Duchene drew the Avs 4th power play of the night on the spin. The Avs didn't generate much on the power play, but had an incredible chance late.  With 30 seconds left on the power play Alex Tanguay made a beautiful saucer pass over the legs of a sprawling David Savard and onto Jarome Iginla's stick tape.  Bobrovsky was quick across his crease to make the save.

With 3:30 left on the clock the Blue Jackets went back to the penalty kill when Jared Boll cross checked Dennis Everberg in the back of the head.  Boll went launching over Everberg and collided hard with the boards.  When he stood up, unhappy that his cheap shot had failed and disgusted that he's already been called for a penalty, he skated over to Everberg (who adjusted his helmet calm as can be and reacted to NOTHING) and slashed him in the leg.  Boll was rightfully assessed 2:00 for roughing and another 2:00 for slashing, giving the Avalanche 4:00 of power play time to take them to the end of the game.  The Avs didn't press much on the power play, but controlled the puck to ensure the shutout for goalie Semyon Varlamov.  With 5 shutouts, Varlamov has set a new personal record for shutouts in a season.

No one wants to give up 44 shots in a night, but when you take a 3-0 lead so early, you've got to wonder about score effects creeping in.  This one was never close, despite the Blue Jacket's inflated shot totals.

Three Stars of the Game:

1.  Semyon Varlamov - 44 save shutout

2.  Tyson Barrie - 3 assists

3.  Alex Tanguay - 1G 1A

MHH Three Stars:

1.  Semyon Varlamov - SHHHUUUUUUUUTTTTTTOOOOOOUUUUUUUUTTTTTTT

2. Tyson Barrie - 3 Assists gets him to an incredible 43 points this year. 7th in the NHL in D scoring.

3.  Matt Duchene - A beautiful breakaway goal and an electric performance all night.

Next up: The Avalanche head to Minnesota tomorrow afternoon for their final game with the Minnnesota Wild.  This one could get heated.  Puck drops at 5:30 EST, 3:30 MST on Altitude.

Game Recap 65: A Contradictory Loss

0
0

The Blue Jackets put themselves behind early, dominated play at even strength, but could not solve Semyon Varlamov, resulting in a mystifying 4 - 0 home loss to the Colorado Avalanche.

This one was a head-scratcher.   The Blue Jackets fell behind early, but not because they weren't ready or came out sluggish. The players on the ice actually dominated even strength play all night long, but simply could not put the puck behind Semyon Varlamov.  Lots of curious elements to this one, so let's dig in.

Period One -- Early Exit

For those who did not actually watch the game, but only saw the final score and/or the fact that the game was  a 3 - 0 affair after the first period, this one was likely written off to the same old phenomenon of not being ready to play at the drop of the puck.  Actually, that was only partially true in this one, as it was not preparation or effort that hexed them on this night.  Instead, a couple of momentary lapses conspired with some substandard play in net to place a massive obstacle between the Blue Jackets and victory.

After featuring an opening front line of Artem Anisimov, Brandon Dubinsky and Jared Boll for the second consecutive night (more on the lineups later), Columbus settled into more standard configurations and exerted some early pressure in the offensive zone, courtesy of the Nick Foligno -- Ryan Johansen -- Cam Atkinson line.  However, just 1:01 into the game, as that group was coming off the ice,  Foligno was whistled for a tripping call that was about 1/3 trip and 2/3 dive.  No matter, it gave the Avalanche the extra man.  The penalty kill unit responded well early, but just past the half-way mark of the penalty, Dalton Prout looked to clear the puck, and succeeded  . . . into the stands.  Two minutes for delay of game, and a full 56 seconds of 5-on-3 for the Avalanche.  They needed only 19 seconds of that to convert, as old nemesis Jarome Iginla converted on a slap shot from the top of the left circle. Curtis McElhinney -- starting the back half of the back-to-back sequence -- seemed to see the puck, but simply missed it. Tyson Barrie and Alex Tanguay notched the assists,

So, Colorado had the early lead, and 1:41 of power play remaining.  They would use all but 14 seconds of that allotted time, cashing in again, courtesy of Gabriel Landeskog.  David Savard extended the defensive "diamond" a bit far out, and Landeskog was able to sneak behind him from below the goal line.  After accepting the pass, McElhinney's attempted poke check succeeded only in putting him out of position, and Landeskog spun and parked the puck in the net, doubling the lead. Ryan O'Reilly had the primary assist, with Barrie picking up his second of the night.  So, with still over 16 minutes to play in the first period, the Blue Jackets faced a two goal deficit.

The second power play goal had an obviously deflating effect upon both team and crowd, as Colorado built an 8 - 3 advantage in shots on goal.  However, just as the clock was winding toward mid-period, the Blue Jackets emerged from their funk and staged a flurry in the Colorado zone, notching the next six shots.   Just as they were seemingly ready to break through, Scott Hartnell took the puck laterally across the top of the offensive zone, and while being pressured, attempted an ill-advised backhand pass along the blue line.  The pass found Matt Duchene, who out-sprinted the defense, made a couple of moves, and parked the puck through a gaping five hole on McElhinney.  3 - 0 before the halfway mark of the period, and as the promotional parachutes dropped from the rafters, many of the assembled 16,599 hoped they were bearing tequila or similar.

To the Blue Jackets' credit, they did not allow themselves to be overtly deflated after Duchene's goal.  They continued to press, but could not beat Varlamov on the initial shots, and either did not have players in position to put home the rebounds or simply could not corral the rebounds on their sticks.  Columbus actually led the shot count after one, 15 - 12, and dominated even strength Corsi/SAT numbers.  However, the only numbers that mattered were on the scoreboard, and the Blue Jackets could only hope for better fortune in the second.

Period Two:  Status Quo

The second period had a bit of a strange start, when referee Chris Rooney took a hard shot squarely on the left knee in the Blue Jackets' zone.   He tried to make a go of it, but slid to the ice in obvious agony.  After a protracted delay, Rooney was able to get off the ice with assistance, but no stretcher, but was obviously not a candidate to return.  That left veteran Kelly Sutherland on his own for the remainder of the contest, and he handled the game as well as could be expected.

Unfortunately, officiating was not a contributory factor to the Blue Jackets' inability to score in the second. Again, Columbus dominated the even strength play, and would post 17 shots on goal for the period, almost double the Colorado total of nine.  Some were relatively easy chances, but there were several point blank efforts that Varlamov stymied, including a couple of prime shots on the Blue Jackets' lone power play of the period.

Sergei Bobrovsky replaced McElhinney for the second period, and acquitted himself perfectly, showing good rebound control, good vision and his traditional anticipation of the play.  The lone PK situation of the frame was dispatched with ease, and after 40 minutes, the Blue Jackets were in the somewhat quizzical position of dominating the statistics but losing the game . . . badly.

Period Three:  Anticlimax

In his post-game remarks, coach Todd Richards characterized the first and second periods as good efforts, but seemed to suggest that the third became somewhat of a track meet that did not meet his expectation. While the third was not up to par with the other periods, "track meet" does not come to mind.

For the most part, the Blue Jackets continued their effort at offensive pressure in the third, but with perhaps a greater degree of desperation than earlier in the contest.  However, the period was a relatively disjointed affair, due primarily to the re-surfacing of the penalty bug, and some ongoing line tinkering that created some obvious issues with chemistry, timing and flow. Rene Borque, who acquitted himself quite well in this one, replaced Atkinson on the top line, and the middle six took on a variety of configurations as the game progressed.  While the shot production remained reasonably good (both teams had twelve for the period) , there was nowhere near the flow of the earlier frames, as players seemed unsure of where their line mates were going to be at any given time.  Drop passes failed for lack of a friendly target, rebounds went to empty ice, and the overall speed and flow was diminished.

The final margin was provided at the 9:23 mark of the third, when Tyson Barrie lofted a high, arching pass from his own goal line to Alex Tanguay, who was approaching the Blue Jackets' blue line. David Savard was back, and while center John Mitchell initially had a step or two on Jack Johnson, Johnson quickly made up ground to cover the possible pass.  The veteran Tanguay simply patiently held onto the puck as he cruised toward the center of the ice.  David Savard inexplicably dove to the ice instead of stepping up and challenging Tanguay, who merely stepped around the sprawled Savard, and let loose with a wrister under Bobrovsky's left arm.  Sergei got a lot of the puck, but not all of it, as it snuck behind him and trickled inside the post to Bobrovsky's left.  Johnson's stick was tied up with Mitchell as he slid past the post, so could not deflect the puck from the goal.  Barrie notched his third assist of the night, with former Blue Jacket Nate Guenin earning the additional helper.

Unfortunately, six of the final ten minutes of the game were spent on the penalty kill, as Marko Dano was called for tripping at 12:59, and Jared Boll was called for simultaneous separate roughing and slashing minors -- in the offensive zone, no less -- at the 16:37 mark.  So, while these were all successfully killed, that's not a great comfort when faced with a four goal deficit, and certainly does not foster persistent offensive pressure.  Actually, the Blue Jackets did better than most in generating some short-handed chances, but Varlamov was simply too good on this night to be denied the shutout.

Post Mortem

If this were any other season -- and any other time of the season -- a game like this might be written off to bad puck luck and I'd tell you to move on, nothing to see here.  And certainly, even tonight, there were certainly elements of that phenomenon in play.  Varlamov was very good,  McElhinney was not, and when some momentary lapses gave the Avalanche the extra man, Colorado's 28th ranked power play was good enough to provide a two-goal lead very early. That's a tough psychological blow to a club really fighting to close the season with some success and a recapturing of a bit of the swagger they were known for last year.

Again, this was not a game lost due to lack of effort.  There was some good work done here, ironically much of it in the offensive zone.  Both Marko Dano and Alexander Wennberg continue to impress, and Rene Borque overcame some early jitters to show some real contributions.  He played with speed, drove the middle hard, parked in some of the tough areas of the ice and  generated four shots, a hit and a blocked shot.  Far too early to draw any conclusions, but it was a positive first impression.  Was it positive enough to earn a battlefield promotion to the top line? Objectively, probably not.

While special teams play does funny things to TOI allocations, there remained some head scratchers tonight.  How could Marko Dano get only 11:36 of ice time, and Scott Hartnell only 13:00.  Why the incessant line juggling when there are known combinations that work.  Foligno-Johansen-Hartnell is still the best line Columbus has iced this season, and the Anismov-Wennberg -- Dano combination has also shown good results.  Dubinsky and Atkinson have great chemistry, and Borque's speed would seem to be a natural complement there.  Then there is poor Mark Letestu, forced to drag the trailers that are Jared Boll and Corey Tropp behind him.  Yet, Todd Richards seems bizarrely attracted to Boll and qualities that are apparently invisible to us mere mortals.   While the players seem to be genuinely invested in making the final 17 games as successful as possible, Richards seems increasingly disconnected with the on-the-ice product.

So, this one will go down as an ugly one on the scorecard, but one that was not devoid of merit.  There was hustle, there was genuine effort.  There were simply no results.  That may seem like a ludicrous statement, as results are the standard by which all athletic effort is measured, but with this season definitely ending in the Nassau Coliseum in four weeks time, I want to see the effort and the character of the players shine through, regardless of the final score.  I saw a lot of that tonight.  Stay tuned.

Hockey Analytics: Proceed With Caution

0
0

Advanced analytics have swept the hockey world by storm. While they represent a significant improvement in statistical evaluation of on-ice play, they have their limits.

Analytics. Advanced Statistics. Enhanced Stats.  Fancy Stats.  The terms used to describe rapidly the evolving set of mathematical parameters by which the on-ice game can be judged vary widely, with some being perhaps a bit more derogatory then others.  Whatever the terminology, the phenomenon has rapidly progressed from the passion of a fringe group to widespread acceptance.  NHL clubs are increasingly incorporating analytics into their operations and evaluations, lending further credence to their long-term viability.

However, as with any new tool, there is an almost irresistible human compulsion to expand its utility well beyond what it was designed to do.  Hockey analytics are no exception to this tendency, as Corsi/SAT, Fenwick/USAT and their derivatives are now being used as support for a wide array of propositions, some of which are of dubious validity.  We'll examine some of the practical and logical limitations of the advanced analytics -- purely at a high level and from a logical/observational point of view. ( I'm targeting the off-season for a more detailed look at the use of analytics.)

Let me start by making it really clear that I am a big fan of properly used hockey analytics. I 'm pleased that all of those boys and girls that sat in the front row of 8:00 AM Advanced Calculus, eagerly raising their hands, -- while we History majors headed to law school slumbered in back -- have a sports-related outlet for their talents.  In all seriousness, the mathematics underlying analytics is fascinating, and well beyond my mathematical prowess.  The concept is not a new one in our family, either.  My wife -- raised as a rabid baseball fan -- is a lawyer who holds a mathematics degree and is a former member of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR).   We attended a SABR conference years ago, and I remember sitting glassy-eyed in one presentation from a guy straight out of The Big Bang Theory concerning a new proposed statistic.   So, any effort on my part to undermine the inherent value of analytics could pose significant domestic consequences . . .   I seriously welcome any cogent effort that would enable us to bury the plus/minus statistic once and for all, as truly one of the most awful, meaningless statistics in sports.

We'll use Corsi/SAT as the basis for the discussion, as it has seemingly emerged as the pre-eminent tool from which the largest subset of more situational numbers are derived.  For the uninitiated, Corsi/SAT is simply the shots attempted  -- whether on goal, blocked or missed.  It can be aggregated on a team basis, evaluated overall, at even strength, and under a wide variety of game-specific situations.  It is premised upon the assumption that shots attempted are a reasonable proxy for possession in the offensive zone.  The theory here is that the longer the puck is possessed, the more shots will be taken.  With this background, it seems apparent why Corsi/SAT has emerged as the leader over Fenwick/USAT (which excludes blocked shots), as it takes no less possession time to fire a shot that is blocked by a skater than it does to fire a shot that misses or is blocked by the goalie.

So, it's not hard to see that Corsi/SAT basically represents a refinement (and improvement) over the plus/minus construct, which relies solely on goals scored at even strength.  Put me out there wobbling along next to Wayne Gretzky, with a solid goaltender behind me, and I could rack up some big plus/minus numbers.  Take a look at the plus/minus leaders every year, and you'll find that they are dominated by players from the teams with the best records, and often dominated by fourth line players who are on the ice situationally.  Corsi/SAT, on the other hand, attempts to more granularly quantify the element of possession, which should roughly translate to success.

I say should advisedly, because the correlation between Corsi and results is not perfect.  Teams that focus on the transition game may not have great Corsi/SAT numbers, but will win a lot of games.  Teams that gain early leads, then work to control the puck and limit the opposition to blue line bombs can lose the Corsi battle, but win the game.  To analogize, how many times have you seen an NFL quarterback rack up huge passing yards in a losing effort?   Similar concept here.   Blue Jackets fans need only look to the last game against  Colorado to show how there can be a disconnect between the analytics and the results. In that game,  Overall, the Blue Jackets won the Corsi/SAT battle, 68% to 32%.   At even strength, the disparity was even more dramatic, as Colorado managed only 19 even strength shots on goal, compared to 33 for Columbus.  Yet, at the end of the night, the scoreboard read Colorado 4 Columbus 0.  A hot or cold goaltender can alter the equation dramatically. However, applying the law of large numbers, upon which casinos and insurance companies thrive, we can perhaps say that these situations balance out over time.  Still, it cautions against a religious adherence to Corsi/SAT as a predictor of success.

At the team level -- and even at the unit level (i.e. combinations of three forwards and two defensemen), the Corsi/SAT number is a convenient and defensible tool to use as a comparison metric, at least on a relative basis.  However, what I see with increasing frequency is the tendency to take Corsi/SAT (or Fenwick/USAT) and apply it to individual players and derive an absolute ranking of that player's ability or value.  It is here that the process begins to break down.  (While there are other advanced stats, such as PDO and the like, which attempt to more specifically address individual performance,my concern here is only with attempts to extend the use of the basic advanced stats beyond their truly applicable scope.)

Any time you take a statistic designed to describe team play and apply it to individuals, there are problems.  Again, if you happen to share the ice with Gretzky, you're going to be in luck.  Get stuck on a line with some bangers, or be on a team with substandard goaltending, the numbers will look different, all for reasons having only marginal connection to the ability of the player being evaluated.  Sure, some effort is made to account for this by utilizing a "quality of opposition" metric, but that "quality" is judged by the same standards, so it becomes a bit of the dog chasing his own tail.  If the metrics used for evaluating a player are suspect, and the opposition is gauged by the same metric, then the validity of the ensuing comparison is increasingly suspect.

Obviously, when an individual's statistical representation is dependent upon what somebody else does, there is a lot of "noise" introduced into the analysis.  Evaluating a goaltender or pitcher by wins is less telling than GAA or ERA, for example.  Neither is perfect, but the latter is much closer to a representation of individual skill-based qualities.  Walk outside at night and look at the stars.  Sirius is the brightest star, correct?   Well, not really.  It appears to be the brightest due in large part to its proximity to us.  Move all of the stars to the same distance, and it becomes a relatively ordinary star, but significantly brighter than the Sun, which would be barely visible to the naked eye.  The point is that we are compelled to consider both perspective and circumstance when evaluating players, and the use of even advanced analytics to do that is an effort fraught with peril.

Consider a player on a team that thrives on the neutral zone trap.  They win a lot of 2 -1 games and generate relatively few shots.  Coaches can --and often do -- elect to use players in particular situations, which may not necessarily correspond to their highest and best use, but is what the team requires at the time.  Take a player from Team A and put him on Team B, and entirely different results can emerge, depending upon how he is used.  For a local example, look no further than Nick Foligno.   Would Joe Montana have been a Hall of Famer if he had been drafted by Al Davis and the Raiders, and forced to play in the "long ball" system?  Perhaps not, but that says less about the inherent talent of the player than it does about the efficacy of the system.

While not a great tool for assessing absolute individual value, stats such as Corsi/SAT can have some value on a relative basis within the same team, where many of the variables are removed, and the players operate within a grossly similar environment.  That's a big component of their actual use today.

Like so many things -- guns, the internet, alcohol --- advanced statistics have a lot of intrinsic value and are useful in many circumstances.  However, they can also be abused and misused, which is when their utility vanishes. As with any tool, enhanced statistics are merely a part of the complex matrix for evaluating a  a game that inherently involves a lot of randomness, chance and variability. So, as we climb on the analytics bandwagon, let's keep in mind what they do well, and what they don't.

Editor's note: A previous version of this article included a line that was offensive to women. We apologize. It was completely unacceptable and won't happen again.

Author's Note:  My most profound apologies for the line that was removed.  I in no way intended that remark as in any way sexist or derogatory to the abilities, aptitudes or interests of women.  It was intended solely as a self-deprecating effort to poke fun at men for misusing tools.  It was a poor effort at humor for which I take full responsibility.

Recap: Red Wings 5 Oilers 2

0
0

Coming off two bad losses at the hands of the Calgary Flames, and Boston Bruins, the Detroit Red Wings were in a "must-win" situation. With the Bruins trailing their tails in the standings, and no signs of slowing down on Tampa's end, Detroit simply needed to win this game in front of their hometown crowd. They did just that, even though it wasn't in the most dominant of fashion. Here's a breakdown for you:

1st Period:

It seemed like Detroit played down to Edmonton from the start, which isn't too surprising. It took them just under 10 minutes to register their first shot, they simply spent too much time in their own zone. Edmonton was able to notch the first goal of the game, coming from Rob Klinkhammer. Jimmy looked to have the puck locked up between his legs, but Klinkhammer thought otherwise and chipped the puck in by sticking his stick right between his legs. You could say it referees probably should have blown the whistle sooner, but it is what it is. Justin Abdelkader had a breakaway chance on a gorgeous stretch pass from Danny DeKeyser, but Abby fumbled the puck and couldn't register a shot, as it sailed wide from Ben Scrivens. Detroit saw two power-play chances (one carrying over to the 2nd), but could not get on the board. A poopy start, as most scientists would say. Shots in favor of Edmonton, 14-8.

2nd Period:

That's more like it. Detroit came out with a MUCH better 20 minutes here. With the carryover power-play, at 0:21 Niklas Kronwall sniped himself a beauty of a goal on a drop-pass feed from Erik Cole to tie the game up. Detroit went on to play a much better game, controlling the puck more efficiently, and spending less time in their zone. I think the third line performed quite well in this period.. Riley Sheahan scored his 11th of the year on a feed from Gustav Nyquist and Teemu Pulkkinen (his first career NHL assist) to make the score 2-1. Tomas Tatar had a great breakaway chance, but Ben Scrivens bested him. After 40 minutes, the score remains 2-1. Shots in favor of the Oilers, 27-17. Red Wings will start the 3rd period with around 1:30 of time on the man advantage.

3rd Period:

Detroit continued to keep the game simple in this period. They stayed with it, and created chances. At 10:40, Teemu Pulkkinen scored his 3rd goal of the season, and achieved his first career multi-point game at the NHL game. It wouldn't be a game, without the other team scoring to make a "clencher" of a game. Nail Yakupov scored at 18:05 to bring the Oilers within one goal. Fortunately, Justin Abdelkader and Pavel Datsyuk were able to score empty-net goals to win the game for the good guys, 5-2. Kind of amazing, because Pavel scored the goal from the other end of the ice. He's good, I tell you.

It was a slow start for Detroit. Lots of sloppy play in the opening minutes, but they made it happen against a very bad Edmonton team. The Wings now have a two day break before seeing the wounded Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday. You could call this a worrisome win, because the team was outshot, but at this point of the season, a win is a win. Jimmy Howard stood tall and gave his team the best chance at winning as he could. It was a great way to nix the team's first back-to-back regulation loss all season. Keep it going, fellas!

LGRW

Game Day Canes vs Blue Jackets

0
0

Coming off a big win on Sunday, the Canes line-up is likely to stay intact. Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets continue to be challenged by injuries.

Carolina Hurricanes vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
March 10, 2015 - 7:00 pm ET
PNC Arena - Raleigh, NC
TV - Fox Sports Carolinas
Radio - 99.9 FM The Fan
SB Nation Rival Blog - The Cannon

Fancy Stats


HurricanesBlue Jackets
Record25-32-727-34-4
Points5758
Division Rank8th Metro7th Metro
Conference Rank15th EC13th EC
StreakWon 1Lost 1



Power Play %19.5%20.3%
Penalty Kill %87.3%79.8%
Goals/Game2.312.49
Goals Against/Game2.643.15
Shots/Game30.628.6
Shots Against/Game27.432.8
ES Goals For %42.5%42.6%
ES Corsi For %51.7%47.1%
ES PDO96.998.5
PIM/Game7.012.1



GoaltenderWardBobrovsky
Record18-20-417-16-2
ES Save Percentage.910.917
GAA2.742.84



Goaltender KhudobinMcElhinney
Record7-12-310-14-2
ES Save Percentage.903.916
GAA2.632.85

Stats via NHL.com and War on Ice

Game Notes

  • For the second straight game, the Carolina Hurricanes are battling an opponent for position in league standings. The Columbus Blue Jackets are a point ahead of the Canes in the Metro division with one more game played and a win tonight by the Canes would move them up in the division and into 25th place overall.
  • This is the third of four meetings this season between the teams. The Canes won both prior games (home and away) back in November, one of those games decided in overtime by none other than yesterday's hat trick star, Elias Lindholm.
  • The NHL basement achieved a milestone Sunday evening when the Sabres became the first team to be officially eliminated from playoff contention, and with back-to-back losses to the Canes and the Red Wings, the Oilers were officially eliminated last night. For those keeping track of such things, the Canes' elimination (aka 'tragic') number is 18, the calculation being the maximum number of points the Canes can be awarded (93 as of this writing), minus the number of points attained by the bubble team (76 by Boston), plus one (18). A combination of 18 points lost by the Canes or gained by the team in the last wild card spot will finish them off mathematically. HFBoards has a thread that keeps track of magic and tragic numbers across the league with daily status updates in its first post.
  • After coming back from a three-goal deficit in Sunday's 7-4 win against the Oilers, head coach Bill Peters didn't see much that needed tinkering at yesterday's practice, so the forward lines and defensive pairings didn't change. Peters did mention in post-game audio that he would continue to move players around for evaluation, so there may be a few tweaks at today's morning skate.
  • Jack Hillen's upper body injury has been confirmed as a concussion, and he'll be out for the foreseeable future as he progresses through the protocol.
  • The Blue Jackets are starting a two-game road trip after a 4-0 home loss to Avalanche on Saturday. As has been the story line for the whole season, injuries are creating a questionable line-up for tonight. More information will be available after the morning skate. The Blue Jackets have already lost 420 man-games to injury this season, a franchise record.
  • At yesterday's practice, Jared Boll left practice after being hit by a puck, Fedor Tyutin missed due to illness, and Alexander Wennberg was "banged up" and did not skate. All are traveling to Raleigh but their status for tonight is unknown. Luke Adam has been recalled on an emergency basis if a forward is needed.
  • Defensemen Ryan Murray and Kevin Connauton have previously been out of the line-up recovering from injuries but have returned to practice. Neither has been ruled out for tonight's game.
  • As of the trade deadline, the Blue Jackets have a defenseman on their roster by the name of Justin Falk. FALK. F.A.L.K.
  • The Canes will face Sergei Bobrovsky for the first time this season. Bobrovsky was injured when the teams faced each other in November, and returned to action a week ago after recovering from a groin injury. He played for two periods in Saturday's game in relief of Curtis McElhinney.

Projected line-ups

Hurricanes (from Monday's practice)

Eric Staal - Victor Rask - Elias Lindholm

Injuries and Scratches: Jack Hillen (concussion), Chris Terry, Brett Bellemore


Blue Jackets (from Saturday's game):

Nick Foligno - Ryan Johansen - Cam Atkinson
Brandon Dubinsky - Artem Anisimov - Rene Bourque
Scott Hartnell - Alexander Wennberg - Marko Dano
Corey Tropp - Mark Letestu - Jared Boll

Jack Johnson - David Savard
Fedor Tyutin - Dalton Prout
Justin Falk - Cody Golubef

Sergei Bobrovsky
Curtis McElhinney

Injuries and Scratches: Boone Jenner (IR back), Jeremy Morin (IR heart), Ryan Murray (IR ankle), Jack Skille (IR shoulder), Matt Calvert (IR concussion), Kevin Connauton (lower body), David Clarkson (torn oblique), Brian Gibbons

Game Preview #66 - Last Place Metro Clash

0
0

The Jackets and Canes go at it with some draft pick status on the line...

Columbus Blue Jackets at Carolina Hurricanes

March 7, 2015 - 7:00 pm EST
PNC Arena - Raleigh, North Carolina
Radio - WBNS 97.1 FM - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Canes Country

Stop me if you've heard this one: the Blue Jackets have lost another player to injury. This time it may be Scott Hartnell, who is not on the ice for morning skate. Luke Adam has been brought up on emergency recall, and drew in for Hartsy for the morning skate. We shall see. It does look like Alexander Wennberg, Kevin Connauton, and Jared Boll should all be good to go tonight, as is Fedor Tyutin who has been battling illness.

The Canes currently sit just one point behind Columbus with a game in hand, so the draft status is very much in play over these next two games between the two teams over the next six days. The Canes have been playing better of late, including a 7-4 thumping of Edmonton on Sunday. The plot thickens!

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets 
(27-34-4, 58 Points; 7th division, 13th conference)

Nick FolignoRyan JohansenCam Atkinson
Brandon DubinskyArtem AnisimovRene Bourque
Luke AdamAlexander WennbergMarko Dano
Corey TroppMark LetestuJared Boll
Jack JohnsonDavid Savard
Fedor TyutinDalton Prout
Kevin ConnautonCody Goloubef
Sergei Bobrovsky
Curtis McElhinney

Carolina Hurricanes
(25-32-7, 57 Points; 8th Division, 15th Conference)

Eric StaalVictor RaskElias Lindholm
Nathan GerbeJordan StaalAndrej Nestrasil
Jeff SkinnerRiley NashAlexander Semin
Brad MaloneJay McClementPatrick Dwyer
Ron HainseyJustin Faulk
Rasmus RissanenRyan Murphy
Brett BellemoreMichal Jordan
Cam Ward
Anton Khudobin

Season Series

CAR - 2-0-0
CBJ - 0-1-1

11/04/14 - Carolina 4 at Columbus 2
11/07/14 - Columbus 2 at Carolina 3 (OT)
03/10/15 - Columbus at Carolina
03/15/15 - Carolina at Columbus

Head to Head Stats

CarolinaColumbus
2.31 (26)GPG2.49 (24)
2.64 (17)GAPG3.15 (26)
19.5% (10)PP%20.3% (7)
87.3% (1)PK%79.8% (24)
Jeff Skinner / Eric Staal, 18G leaderNick Foligno, 24
Justin Faulk, 29A leaderNick Foligno / Ryan Johansen, 34
Eric Staal, 42Pts leaderNick Foligno, 58
Brad Malone, 56PIM leaderJared Boll, 97
15-12-3Home/Road15-15-2
6-4-0Last 102-7-1
3/8 vs. Edmonton,W 7-4Last Game3/7 vs. Colorado, L 4-0

Game Day #66 - Blue Jackets at Hurricanes

0
0

The Jackets and Canes go at it with some draft pick status on the line...

Columbus Blue Jackets at Carolina Hurricanes

March 7, 2015 - 7:00 pm EST
PNC Arena - Raleigh, North Carolina
Radio - WBNS 97.1 FM - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Canes Country

Stop me if you've heard this one: the Blue Jackets have lost another player to injury. This time it may be Scott Hartnell, who is not on the ice for morning skate. Luke Adam has been brought up on emergency recall, and drew in for Hartsy for the morning skate. We shall see. It does look like Alexander Wennberg, Kevin Connauton, and Jared Boll should all be good to go tonight, as is Fedor Tyutin who has been battling illness.

The Canes currently sit just one point behind Columbus with a game in hand, so the draft status is very much in play over these next two games between the two teams over the next six days. The Canes have been playing better of late, including a 7-4 thumping of Edmonton on Sunday. The plot thickens!

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets 
(27-34-4, 58 Points; 7th division, 13th conference)

Nick FolignoRyan JohansenCam Atkinson
Brandon DubinskyArtem AnisimovRene Bourque
Luke AdamAlexander WennbergMarko Dano
Corey TroppMark LetestuJared Boll
Jack JohnsonDavid Savard
Fedor TyutinDalton Prout
Kevin ConnautonCody Goloubef
Sergei Bobrovsky
Curtis McElhinney

Carolina Hurricanes
(25-32-7, 57 Points; 8th Division, 15th Conference)

Eric StaalJiri TlustyVictor RaskElias Lindholm
Nathan GerbeJordan StaalAndrej Nestrasil
Jeff SkinnerRiley NashAlexander Semin
Brad MaloneJay McClementPatrick Dwyer
Ron HainseyJustin Faulk
Rasmus RissanenRyan Murphy
Brett BellemoreMichal Jordan
Cam Ward
Anton Khudobin

Season Series

CAR - 2-0-0
CBJ - 0-1-1

11/04/14 - Carolina 4 at Columbus 2
11/07/14 - Columbus 2 at Carolina 3 (OT)
03/10/15 - Columbus at Carolina
03/15/15 - Carolina at Columbus

Head to Head Stats

CarolinaColumbus
2.31 (26)GPG2.49 (24)
2.64 (17)GAPG3.15 (26)
19.5% (10)PP%20.3% (7)
87.3% (1)PK%79.8% (24)
Jeff Skinner / Eric Staal, 18G leaderNick Foligno, 24
Justin Faulk, 29A leaderNick Foligno / Ryan Johansen, 34
Eric Staal, 42Pts leaderNick Foligno, 58
Brad Malone, 56PIM leaderJared Boll, 97
15-12-3Home/Road15-15-2
6-4-0Last 102-7-1
3/8 vs. Edmonton,W 7-4Last Game3/7 vs. Colorado, L 4-0

Recap: Blue Jackets 4, Hurricanes 3 - SO

0
0

Canes score three times in opening period but Jackets come back to tie, then win in shootout

The Carolina Hurricanes scored just 36 seconds into the game and then jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the first period, but wilted as the game went on and lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets, 4-3 in a shootout on Tuesday night at the PNC Arena.

Justin Faulk had another big game as the defenseman scored a goal and added two assists for the home team.

To start the game, Faulk made a sweet move to get open at the blueline, found an open lane, then beat Sergei Bobrovsky to make it 1-0, early.

Victor Rask would then score a powerplay goal off a feed by Faulk, 12:47 into the period and the home team was rocking.

There were a lot of penalties called in this game and both teams would take advantage.  Rene Bourque tipped in a Cam Atkinson shot during a Columbus powerplay chance later in the first period, for the first of three powerplay goals by the visitors.

That makes five powerplay goals allowed in the past two games for the leading penalty kill unit in the league, (they were number one to start the night.)  Coach Bill Peters was not impressed, although since Andrej Sekera and Tim Gleason have been traded, there is new personnel on the kill.

Bellemore and Jordan were the defensemen for the first, Faulk and Hainsey for the second, and Murphy and Hainsey for the third.

Peters said after the game that they will continue to work on it.  "What was once a strength is now a weakness," the coach said.

The Canes would score another powerplay goal themselves when Eric Staal got a stick on a Ryan Murphy blast with just 9.6 seconds left in the first.  Murphy was originally credited with the goal, but the scoring was changed to Staal after review.  Faulk set that one up as well.

Bobrovsky would settle down after that period and would not allow another goal the rest of the way.

Scott Hartnell scored twice, both powerplay goals, one in the second and one in the third to tie the score.

The Jackets ramped up their physicality in the second period as well.  Elias Lindholm was the recipient of a big hit by Jack Johnson along the boards and Jeff Skinner was dumped in the Jacket's bench at one point.

Columbus out-hit Carolina 51-33 for the game as they tried to take over the contest with their size and physicality.

Neither team was able to do much in the overtime period.  At one point, Eric Staal broke into the clear but Bobrovsky made the save as the Captain took the shot.  That was the only shot on goal in overtime for the Canes.

In the shootout, Cam Ward made the first two stops on Letestu and Anisimov, but Ryan Johansen made a slow, backhanded move for the game winner.

"Bob the goalie" made all the saves at the other end on Lindholm, Rask, and Skinner.

The Hurricanes are now 1-1-1 on this homestand and will next take on the Dallas Stars on Thursday night.

Game Notes:

  • Brett Bellemore had a team high six hits.  He also had a team high three giveaways. 
  • Both teams generated 32 shots on goal for the game.  Eric Staal led the way with six. 
  • Hainsey had a team high four blocked shots.
  • Faulk was the game's first star.  He had a team high 23:50 of ice time, had a goal, two assists, two takeaways and two blocked shots.







Game #66 Recap: Directed Anger

0
0

The Jackets went down hard in the first period against the Carolina Hurricanes, but after a little bit of emotion and a lot of good work on the power play, they brought themselves all the way back before defeating the Canes in a shootout.

With the way this season has gone, fans could be forgiven for watching the Jackets skate out to face the Hurricanes down in Raleigh, see Justin Faulk (not Falk) score a goal against a badly screened Sergei Bobrovsky in the first thirty seconds of the game, and changing the channel.

An early goal against has been the sign of a long night to come for much of the year, and through the first period, it didn't look like it was going to be any different.

Carolina kept finding holes in the Jackets defensive coverage, putting pressure on Bobrovksy, and eventually put Fedor Tyutin in the box after he had to do some stickwork to keep Eric Staal from capitalizing on another scoring chance.

The ensuing power play looked oddly similar to Carolina's first goal, drawing the PK down to the near side boards, and opening up Victor Rask for a wide open shot from the far faceoff dot that would give the Canes a 2-0 lead.

It wasn't all doom and gloom, though - in fact, the one positive in the period would be the Columbus power play finally cashing in after what seems like a month of futility. Late in the power play, with former Jacket Ron Hainsey in the box thanks to Brandon Dubinsky drawing a tripping call, David Savard lead a zone entry, skating it in deep and then moving to set up a cycle. Dubinsky would get the puck over to Cam Atkinson, who slid around the far side before firing a shot from the half boards that would redirect off Rene Bourque's stick and in, cutting the deficit to 2-1.

The team celebrated Bourque's first as a Jacket briefly, but found themselves back on the kill almost immediately after when Marko Dano was called for a slash on Jeff Skinner.

The Carolina power play wasn't as organized this time around, but they had a very similar game plan, and it worked again - force the defenders deep, build a screen around Bob to one side, then kick the puck up to the opposite corner, where in this case Eric Staal was waiting to deliver a booming shot that would restore the Hurricanes' 2 goal lead with just a few seconds left in the frame.

It was a frustrating scene to watch, and clearly Sergei had enough, as he slammed his stick down to the ice after the goal and gave Dalton Prout an earful of his displeasure.

Hard to say what was said in the locker room in between periods, but I suspect it had a lot of expletives mixed with "I am TIRED of this."

To their credit? The team listened.

They hit the ice skating, with Alexander Wennberg drawing a penalty on his first shift back out, and even though it took most of the penalty, the power play once again cashed in, this time with Scott Hartnell going to the net after a #HartnellDown and digging around Cam Ward to poke the loose puck into the net.

The team couldn't quite clear themselves out of the hole that they'd dug, but there were clear signs of improvement - for one thing, they killed two more Carolina penalties without furthering their deficit.

That set the team up for a third period where they were looking for one more goal, and yet another power play would help them find it, this time thanks to Scott Hartnell drawing a cross checking call from Justin Faulk, and it would be Hartnell who came up with the goal once again, this time working off the faceoff dot to collect a rebound from Artem Anisimov's doorstep attempt and popping it over Ward's shoulder before the former Conn Smythe winner could get back into position.

The 3-3 tie lasted through the end of regulation, and though the Jackets had some very good chances in OT, including an attempt by Hartnell to complete the hat trick in the dying seconds of the extra frame, we' d be off to a shootout.

Both goalies were excellent in that extra frame, with Bobrovsky stopping Elias Lindholm, and Rask, while Ward stoned Mark Letestu and Artem Anisimov, leaving Ryan Johansen with the final attempt for Columbus.

He took the ice with a chance to give his team the win, and it. was. FILTHY.

Carolina had a chance to force more shooters with Jeff Skinner, but Bob wasn't having any of that.

It was an improbable, shocking, surprising result, but the team needed this - no matter what you think about the philosophy of tanking, there's nothing fun about being in a room where you've lost every game. You need those moments of success - of effort being rewarded - to keep things from becoming toxic.

In his postgame remarks, Coach Richards said he didn't like seeing Bobrovsky lose his cool on the ice, and I see his point, but at the same time, I think this was the turning point of the game for a lot of reasons. Not only did it clearly yank the team out of their doldrums, letting that anger out rather than simply bottling it up or turning it inwards is always going to be healthier. Get it out in the open, let some fresh air in, and get going again.

I'm not saying Bob should pull a Tuukka every game, but it was effective. Still, let's hope the team can handle Detroit on Thursday WITHOUT requiring a meltdown this time.

Viewing all 1677 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images