Game #27: Blue Jackets at Blues
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Team: Columbus Blue JacketsRecord: 8-16-1-1
On the road: 4-9-0-0
Last 10: 3-6-0-1
Bloggers and local media:
Death Cab for Woody
End of the Bench
The Jacket Times
Eriksson a valuable blue-liner - The Columbus Dispatch
Synopsis:
Okay, so I was extremely overenthusiastic in that last post. I really have no idea what came over me. You know it's bad when a two-game winning streak makes you act like a spaz!
But it can't be denied that the Blue Jackets have played inspired hockey in both their two wins, and then in two hard losses prior to that. The defense has tightened up, every player is using the body and landing some strong hits, the goalies are in a league of their own right now, and the checking line has shown the same sort of point production that it did during the second half of last season. Things are looking good, and the Blue Jackets have a chance to get Ken Hitchcock in to the winning record column as the CBJ head coach tonight.
Again, the problem is the lack of offense from the big name players. Ever since his four point eruption a few weeks ago against the Minnesota Wild, Sergei Fedorov has gone scoreless in four games. Rick Nash, meanwhile, has all of one goal in the six games under Hitchcock, and has looked largely befuddled and sort of out of place on the ice. He's putting the body on players and is hustling, but something seems to just be slightly off. It's hopefully just a matter of time before he is able to turn on the juice again. Nikolai Zherdev, meanwhile, will not be playing either game scheduled for this weekend due to injury.
In net tonight will be every CBJ fan's current mancrush, Fredrik Norrena. Can he go for three shutouts? Hell, I'd be excited if he can even get an extra period notched on to that streak he has going! Of course, now that I've said that, I've probably jinxed him and the team to a 10-2 whitewash. Be sure to send superstitious-inspired hate mail to the proper e-mail address!
On the road: 4-9-0-0
Last 10: 3-6-0-1
Bloggers and local media:
Death Cab for Woody
End of the Bench
The Jacket Times
Eriksson a valuable blue-liner - The Columbus Dispatch
Synopsis:
Okay, so I was extremely overenthusiastic in that last post. I really have no idea what came over me. You know it's bad when a two-game winning streak makes you act like a spaz!
But it can't be denied that the Blue Jackets have played inspired hockey in both their two wins, and then in two hard losses prior to that. The defense has tightened up, every player is using the body and landing some strong hits, the goalies are in a league of their own right now, and the checking line has shown the same sort of point production that it did during the second half of last season. Things are looking good, and the Blue Jackets have a chance to get Ken Hitchcock in to the winning record column as the CBJ head coach tonight.
Again, the problem is the lack of offense from the big name players. Ever since his four point eruption a few weeks ago against the Minnesota Wild, Sergei Fedorov has gone scoreless in four games. Rick Nash, meanwhile, has all of one goal in the six games under Hitchcock, and has looked largely befuddled and sort of out of place on the ice. He's putting the body on players and is hustling, but something seems to just be slightly off. It's hopefully just a matter of time before he is able to turn on the juice again. Nikolai Zherdev, meanwhile, will not be playing either game scheduled for this weekend due to injury.
In net tonight will be every CBJ fan's current mancrush, Fredrik Norrena. Can he go for three shutouts? Hell, I'd be excited if he can even get an extra period notched on to that streak he has going! Of course, now that I've said that, I've probably jinxed him and the team to a 10-2 whitewash. Be sure to send superstitious-inspired hate mail to the proper e-mail address!
Team: St. Louis BluesRecord: 7-16-4-0
At home: 4-8-1-1
Last 10: 2-7-1-0
Bloggers and local media:
Blue Note Blog
Ingmar Bergman
Injuries open chance in net for Bacashihua - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Synopsis:
And then there's the other team sitting alongside the Blue Jackets in the basement of not only the Central Division, and not only the Western Conference, but also the league. The Blues have had a rough time recently, with four of their recent six games being against some tough teams, including a home-and-home against the Red Wings where they pulled off getting a point in an OTL in the back end. Not so impressive, though, when you realize that was after they gave up a three goal lead in that game. Regardless, the team is on a season-high five game losing streak, and is looking to avoid making it last any longer.
Dallas Drake, one of the Blues more recognized names, is out this game and the next after being suspended for a pretty vicious hit on the Red Wings' Brett Lebda. Didn't get a penalty or anything, but it looks like the league decided to give it another look since it appears that Lebda has been injured as a result.
But suspended players aren't the only woes that the Blues have to deal with when it comes to players who are out. Much has been made of the fact that both of the team's main goalies, Curtis Sanford and Manny Legace, are out with injuries. You know it's bad when one of those goalies is out (Legace) as a result of being knocked unconscious by a puck to the helmet. You really got to feel bad for Legace, considering where he was in the team food chain just last season.
In their place, backups from the minors are with the team, and Jason Bacashihua will be in net. Don't let the fact that Bacashihua is the backup's backup fool you, though; even considering the team's meltdown against Detroit on Thursday, the guy made 39 saves on 43 shots, and has been mentioned several times as the statistically superior goalie for the Blues during the pre-season.
And then there's the other team sitting alongside the Blue Jackets in the basement of not only the Central Division, and not only the Western Conference, but also the league. The Blues have had a rough time recently, with four of their recent six games being against some tough teams, including a home-and-home against the Red Wings where they pulled off getting a point in an OTL in the back end. Not so impressive, though, when you realize that was after they gave up a three goal lead in that game. Regardless, the team is on a season-high five game losing streak, and is looking to avoid making it last any longer.
Dallas Drake, one of the Blues more recognized names, is out this game and the next after being suspended for a pretty vicious hit on the Red Wings' Brett Lebda. Didn't get a penalty or anything, but it looks like the league decided to give it another look since it appears that Lebda has been injured as a result.
But suspended players aren't the only woes that the Blues have to deal with when it comes to players who are out. Much has been made of the fact that both of the team's main goalies, Curtis Sanford and Manny Legace, are out with injuries. You know it's bad when one of those goalies is out (Legace) as a result of being knocked unconscious by a puck to the helmet. You really got to feel bad for Legace, considering where he was in the team food chain just last season.
In their place, backups from the minors are with the team, and Jason Bacashihua will be in net. Don't let the fact that Bacashihua is the backup's backup fool you, though; even considering the team's meltdown against Detroit on Thursday, the guy made 39 saves on 43 shots, and has been mentioned several times as the statistically superior goalie for the Blues during the pre-season.
Labels: Blue Jackets, Blues, pre-game
Game #22: Blue Jackets vs. Wild
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Columbus Blue Jackets (5-14-2)vs.
Minnesota Wild (13-8-1)
Uh oh! I vanished again for another few days, didn't I? Forgive me, the few readers who check in here every day or other day, but even though I didn't go anywhere for Thanksgiving this year, I just didn't have the time or the energy to come around the blog and get the ball rolling with any new entries. I've been juggling a wide variety of things from my usual class assignments to Christmas shopping, as well as getting back in to an exercise routine after taking a near month hiatus from anything exercise-heavy.
But enough about me. The Blue Jackets have been extremely busy since Kenny Hitchcock was hired on Wednesday, losing in OT to the St. Louis Blues (nice parting gift before Agnew took over his role as assistant coach again, huh?), having a Thanksgiving morning practice to get to know the players and run through a few things, and then a very spirited effort against the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday, which ultimately ended in a painful loss.
The Columbus Dispatch ate up that loss to Philly, though; both Bob Hunter and Aaron Portzline speak of how even though the team didn't come away with two points (or even one point), the Jackets looked like a team that was trying, and how the whole team seemed to have an extra bounce in their step, so to speak. And I mean trying. Throughout the game the team outshot, outhit, and out-[insert several things here] the Flyers. But it just wasn't enough. One key thing that stood out to me was the power play, which still looked as lost as ever at some points, and just plain unlucky with bounces at other times. Adam Foote had me ready to tear out my hair at the numerous opportunities during the PP in which he would have been better off just shooting the puck.
Hunter and Portzline are on the mark, and I can say that with certainty a day later, having let my emotions run their course from the game. The Blue Jackets were a team last night that despite fatal errors leading to a loss, worked much more cohesively than they have practically all season so far.
The big question is whether or not this was energy from trying to please a new coach, or something more. Remember the first game of Gary Agnew's interim coach tenure, where the Jackets went blow for blow with the Nashville Predators before losing a heart breaker in the third period, 5-4. After that game, they futily flailed and were crushed by the Preds twice, and the Avalanche once in the next games.
Which is why tonight's game against the Northwest Division leading Minnesota Wild is so important. We need to see if last night was just a fluke. We also need to see how this team responds to now having Hitch behind the bench and running practices for three whole days now, and whether or not any tangible changes will reveal themselves.
The one thing the Jackets have going for them right now is that the Wild are coming in looking sort of dazed, just by the look of their recent record. The team is 3-6-1 in their past 10 games, and a shaky 2-5-0 on the road during the month of November so far. This is as good a time as any to take advantage of a team that is most likely going to be going to the playoffs, but is currently looking a little worn down.
I'm going to be at tonight's game, by the way; I am very eager to see Hitch coach his first game here at Nationwide, and it'd be a shame if I missed it. Win or lose, I want to see in person how he coaches and what he'll do tonight.
But enough about me. The Blue Jackets have been extremely busy since Kenny Hitchcock was hired on Wednesday, losing in OT to the St. Louis Blues (nice parting gift before Agnew took over his role as assistant coach again, huh?), having a Thanksgiving morning practice to get to know the players and run through a few things, and then a very spirited effort against the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday, which ultimately ended in a painful loss.
The Columbus Dispatch ate up that loss to Philly, though; both Bob Hunter and Aaron Portzline speak of how even though the team didn't come away with two points (or even one point), the Jackets looked like a team that was trying, and how the whole team seemed to have an extra bounce in their step, so to speak. And I mean trying. Throughout the game the team outshot, outhit, and out-[insert several things here] the Flyers. But it just wasn't enough. One key thing that stood out to me was the power play, which still looked as lost as ever at some points, and just plain unlucky with bounces at other times. Adam Foote had me ready to tear out my hair at the numerous opportunities during the PP in which he would have been better off just shooting the puck.
Hunter and Portzline are on the mark, and I can say that with certainty a day later, having let my emotions run their course from the game. The Blue Jackets were a team last night that despite fatal errors leading to a loss, worked much more cohesively than they have practically all season so far.
The big question is whether or not this was energy from trying to please a new coach, or something more. Remember the first game of Gary Agnew's interim coach tenure, where the Jackets went blow for blow with the Nashville Predators before losing a heart breaker in the third period, 5-4. After that game, they futily flailed and were crushed by the Preds twice, and the Avalanche once in the next games.
Which is why tonight's game against the Northwest Division leading Minnesota Wild is so important. We need to see if last night was just a fluke. We also need to see how this team responds to now having Hitch behind the bench and running practices for three whole days now, and whether or not any tangible changes will reveal themselves.
The one thing the Jackets have going for them right now is that the Wild are coming in looking sort of dazed, just by the look of their recent record. The team is 3-6-1 in their past 10 games, and a shaky 2-5-0 on the road during the month of November so far. This is as good a time as any to take advantage of a team that is most likely going to be going to the playoffs, but is currently looking a little worn down.
I'm going to be at tonight's game, by the way; I am very eager to see Hitch coach his first game here at Nationwide, and it'd be a shame if I missed it. Win or lose, I want to see in person how he coaches and what he'll do tonight.
Labels: Blue Jackets, Blues, coaches, Flyers, pre-game, Wild
Game #20: Blue Jackets vs. Blues
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Columbus Blue Jackets (5-13-1)vs.
St. Louis Blues (5-11-3)
Whoops! No sooner do I tease the other CBJ bloggers about the silence after that Predators smacking around on Saturday night, I go AWOL over the start of the week and miss out on the second smacking around by those same Predators. Talk about your irony, right? But alas, I've been busy with my classwork. Funny how even though I am only taking two classes this nine-week block instead of the standard three I'd been used to the last three blocks, it seems even more time-consuming.
That, and I have a job now! I'm now working at The Blueline. It's just part-time and in retail, but everyone has to start somewhere, right? I start Sunday afternoon when I work one of the Ohio Junior Blue Jackets games.
However this brings up an interesting conundrum: should I be concerned about being found out here? Bear in mind I've been using my real name from the start, which makes it impossible for me to try and take on an alias, like how Truth Serum at EoB does. We've all heard the horror stories about how someone writes something bad on their blog about their superiors or people in the business network (example: me taking GMDM and the ownership to task a few entries back), and next thing they know they've been pink slipped and shown the door.
I'm going to have a headache over this for a while as I jump between excited to nervous. But I think in the end, I won't be sacrificing my integrity as a fan of either the sport or the team, even as I ask people to buy cute Stinger dolls and autographed jerseys. And who knows, maybe this will actually be a good combination of things!
Let's get to talking about tonight's game, though. Coming to Nationwide tonight is our fellow cellar dwellers from Missouri, the St. Louis Blues. Two points ahead of the Blue Jackets by the good graces of having 2 more OTLs than the CBJ, the Blues are coming off of a 4-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks, where they were shelled 44-21 in the shots department. For all intents and purposes, the Blue Jackets have yet to officially hit rock bottom. With the exception of a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Chicago and a pair of losses to Colorado this month, all other recent losses have been to obviously stronger teams such as the Red Wings, the Predators, and the Oilers.
But if they lose to the Blues? Well, let's just say if MacLean wasn't so attached to Gary Agnew, he'd be sitting on the curb outside of the Bud Light Arena Pub entrance down on Nationwide Blvd. after tonight. It isn't that Agnew hasn't tried to right this sinking ship, or anything ... he's tried, as much as he could be asked to try as an interim head coach thrown to the lions during a swing of games that's been extremely daunting. But during this 0-4-0 period under Agnew, the bread and butter of why he was brought up as an assistant coach in the first place -- the power play -- has dropped from a modest 14th place in the league to a depressing 21st place. Blame can go beyond just Agnew and to the players, of course, but once again this was his responsibility and why he was brought up from Syracuse in the first place.
Besides issues with Agnew, the Blue Jackets have to deal with the possibility of a scratched Rick Nash, who is dealing with a groin injury right now and is day-to-day. But, I don't know ... could it be a good thing if he has to sit out? Nash has been unable to produce in almost any way, and has not been able to meet expectations with about a quarter of the season over. While being scratched because of an injury is certainly different from being a healthy scratch, this may still give him time to take a deep breath, step back, and think. Right now his problems seem to be of the mental variety, so an extra day or two of rest and recovery could very well help.
Meanwhile, Stevie Goertzen has been sent down to Syracuse, and who will come up in his place? Geoff Platt! Platt hasn't been up with the CBJ since the second game of the season, which was a 5-4 win over the Blackhawks back in early October. He scored no points in two games, had one penalty, and was a -1. But even so, I've felt all along that the team should have given Platt more time in Columbus at the start, considering he was the most productive Jacket during the pre-season. I have a soft spot for Platt and the fact he was an undrafted signing by the Jackets last year.
Maybe he can instill a little youthful energy into this team, the likes of which we haven't seen in weeks.
Go Jackets!
That, and I have a job now! I'm now working at The Blueline. It's just part-time and in retail, but everyone has to start somewhere, right? I start Sunday afternoon when I work one of the Ohio Junior Blue Jackets games.
However this brings up an interesting conundrum: should I be concerned about being found out here? Bear in mind I've been using my real name from the start, which makes it impossible for me to try and take on an alias, like how Truth Serum at EoB does. We've all heard the horror stories about how someone writes something bad on their blog about their superiors or people in the business network (example: me taking GMDM and the ownership to task a few entries back), and next thing they know they've been pink slipped and shown the door.
I'm going to have a headache over this for a while as I jump between excited to nervous. But I think in the end, I won't be sacrificing my integrity as a fan of either the sport or the team, even as I ask people to buy cute Stinger dolls and autographed jerseys. And who knows, maybe this will actually be a good combination of things!
Let's get to talking about tonight's game, though. Coming to Nationwide tonight is our fellow cellar dwellers from Missouri, the St. Louis Blues. Two points ahead of the Blue Jackets by the good graces of having 2 more OTLs than the CBJ, the Blues are coming off of a 4-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks, where they were shelled 44-21 in the shots department. For all intents and purposes, the Blue Jackets have yet to officially hit rock bottom. With the exception of a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Chicago and a pair of losses to Colorado this month, all other recent losses have been to obviously stronger teams such as the Red Wings, the Predators, and the Oilers.
But if they lose to the Blues? Well, let's just say if MacLean wasn't so attached to Gary Agnew, he'd be sitting on the curb outside of the Bud Light Arena Pub entrance down on Nationwide Blvd. after tonight. It isn't that Agnew hasn't tried to right this sinking ship, or anything ... he's tried, as much as he could be asked to try as an interim head coach thrown to the lions during a swing of games that's been extremely daunting. But during this 0-4-0 period under Agnew, the bread and butter of why he was brought up as an assistant coach in the first place -- the power play -- has dropped from a modest 14th place in the league to a depressing 21st place. Blame can go beyond just Agnew and to the players, of course, but once again this was his responsibility and why he was brought up from Syracuse in the first place.
Besides issues with Agnew, the Blue Jackets have to deal with the possibility of a scratched Rick Nash, who is dealing with a groin injury right now and is day-to-day. But, I don't know ... could it be a good thing if he has to sit out? Nash has been unable to produce in almost any way, and has not been able to meet expectations with about a quarter of the season over. While being scratched because of an injury is certainly different from being a healthy scratch, this may still give him time to take a deep breath, step back, and think. Right now his problems seem to be of the mental variety, so an extra day or two of rest and recovery could very well help.
Meanwhile, Stevie Goertzen has been sent down to Syracuse, and who will come up in his place? Geoff Platt! Platt hasn't been up with the CBJ since the second game of the season, which was a 5-4 win over the Blackhawks back in early October. He scored no points in two games, had one penalty, and was a -1. But even so, I've felt all along that the team should have given Platt more time in Columbus at the start, considering he was the most productive Jacket during the pre-season. I have a soft spot for Platt and the fact he was an undrafted signing by the Jackets last year.
Maybe he can instill a little youthful energy into this team, the likes of which we haven't seen in weeks.
Go Jackets!
Labels: Blue Jackets, Blues, pre-game
