These (Texas-sized) boots were made for kicking ...
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Well, then. If that wasn't a kick to the you-know-whats ...
... five games in, and the top concern I have is the Jackets' lack of a killer instinct in the two close games they've played in so far. While the 4-0 drubbing of the Ducks, and the 3-0 win over the Coyotes were foregone conclusions by the time that the 3rd period had rolled around, the Jackets seem to have some sort of issue with delivering the final blow, or at the very least keeping cool under pressure, when they either have the lead in the 3rd, or take the lead at some point during the final period.
I'm not going to say that the Jackets controlled a majority of the game time like The Columbus Dispatch is; as time went on, the Stars started to become more and more comfortable within the confines of Nationwide, even if they weren't pressuring too much in the Jackets' zone. But even so, the Jackets had enough of a grip on the game that this should not have happened. By 'this', I mean the floundering, blundering, complete loss of any idea of what was going on around them when the Stars tied things up with just over a minute left in regulation.
You couldn't even blame it on the extra attacker once Stars' netminder Mike Smith was pulled. The Stars had already gotten things rolling in the Jackets' zone by the time he had come on, and with a couple of unforced passes, Brenden Morrow one-timed a shot right past Fredrik Norrena.
It's vexing. I'm feeling quite ... vexed right now.
This morning in Puck Rakers, Tom Reed makes an offhanded note about the Jackets' overall record in the shootout, which is 13-9. You know, I recall some two seasons ago when the shootout was first implemented, I could have sworn that they only lost twice in the damn thing. What I am wondering is, what in the world happened? The players who were normally called upon for the shootout back then are the same ones we have now, with the exception of one Jaroslav Balastik, who's currently stranded somewhere in Europe.
Why is it that the team seems to have progressively gotten worse at it since last season? Jackets' fans may recall a time last season when the results were so ugly, that Ken Hitchcock resulted to shootout tryouts during each practice, giving the "winners" the opportunity to take part in a shootout if it came to that during the next game.
Sigh.
Well. Looking beyond the fact that this was a SOL, at least Nikolai Zherdev continues to show that he's working his ass off. Would you believe me if I had said before the start of the season that at any point in time, he would be leading the team in assists? Because that's just what he is doing right now, with 5 in 5 games. Frankly, at this point, I don't care if he never scores another goal again, so long as he is one of the driving reasons that someone else bangs the puck home.
Rick Nash managed to shake off the doldrums that he's been in since the second game of the season, tallying a goal and an assist as well to put him at 6 points on the season (3 g, 3 a), despite the fact he was nursing a sore groin. And I want to commend Freddy-No on what was an otherwise a strong game by him, in my opinion. He was forced to keep himself awake while the Stars hardly tested him until the third period, at which point he handily stood up to a 15 shot flurry, only allowing one of those shots in ... unfortunately, it was also the tying goal. But them's the breaks.
Friday's game has the Jackets' in Buffalo. I would have preferred a winning record heading in to Sabres' territory. Forgive the pessimistic tone, but I got an ominous feeling about this upcoming game.
One final thought: Where has David Vyborny been so far this season? Normally the most reliable Jackets' player in terms of steady production (he's led the team in points the last two seasons), V has only 1 assist and no goals in 5 games. This couldn't happen at a worse time, considering how he'd said he hoped he could stay in Columbus on something long-term during the pre-season.
... five games in, and the top concern I have is the Jackets' lack of a killer instinct in the two close games they've played in so far. While the 4-0 drubbing of the Ducks, and the 3-0 win over the Coyotes were foregone conclusions by the time that the 3rd period had rolled around, the Jackets seem to have some sort of issue with delivering the final blow, or at the very least keeping cool under pressure, when they either have the lead in the 3rd, or take the lead at some point during the final period.
I'm not going to say that the Jackets controlled a majority of the game time like The Columbus Dispatch is; as time went on, the Stars started to become more and more comfortable within the confines of Nationwide, even if they weren't pressuring too much in the Jackets' zone. But even so, the Jackets had enough of a grip on the game that this should not have happened. By 'this', I mean the floundering, blundering, complete loss of any idea of what was going on around them when the Stars tied things up with just over a minute left in regulation.
You couldn't even blame it on the extra attacker once Stars' netminder Mike Smith was pulled. The Stars had already gotten things rolling in the Jackets' zone by the time he had come on, and with a couple of unforced passes, Brenden Morrow one-timed a shot right past Fredrik Norrena.
It's vexing. I'm feeling quite ... vexed right now.
This morning in Puck Rakers, Tom Reed makes an offhanded note about the Jackets' overall record in the shootout, which is 13-9. You know, I recall some two seasons ago when the shootout was first implemented, I could have sworn that they only lost twice in the damn thing. What I am wondering is, what in the world happened? The players who were normally called upon for the shootout back then are the same ones we have now, with the exception of one Jaroslav Balastik, who's currently stranded somewhere in Europe.
Why is it that the team seems to have progressively gotten worse at it since last season? Jackets' fans may recall a time last season when the results were so ugly, that Ken Hitchcock resulted to shootout tryouts during each practice, giving the "winners" the opportunity to take part in a shootout if it came to that during the next game.
Sigh.
Well. Looking beyond the fact that this was a SOL, at least Nikolai Zherdev continues to show that he's working his ass off. Would you believe me if I had said before the start of the season that at any point in time, he would be leading the team in assists? Because that's just what he is doing right now, with 5 in 5 games. Frankly, at this point, I don't care if he never scores another goal again, so long as he is one of the driving reasons that someone else bangs the puck home.
Rick Nash managed to shake off the doldrums that he's been in since the second game of the season, tallying a goal and an assist as well to put him at 6 points on the season (3 g, 3 a), despite the fact he was nursing a sore groin. And I want to commend Freddy-No on what was an otherwise a strong game by him, in my opinion. He was forced to keep himself awake while the Stars hardly tested him until the third period, at which point he handily stood up to a 15 shot flurry, only allowing one of those shots in ... unfortunately, it was also the tying goal. But them's the breaks.
Friday's game has the Jackets' in Buffalo. I would have preferred a winning record heading in to Sabres' territory. Forgive the pessimistic tone, but I got an ominous feeling about this upcoming game.
One final thought: Where has David Vyborny been so far this season? Normally the most reliable Jackets' player in terms of steady production (he's led the team in points the last two seasons), V has only 1 assist and no goals in 5 games. This couldn't happen at a worse time, considering how he'd said he hoped he could stay in Columbus on something long-term during the pre-season.
Labels: Dallas Stars, Fredrik Norrena, Nikolai Zherdev, post-game, Rick Nash
Lost in the woods. Please send help.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
I dislike the Minnesota Wild for the very reason that I like the New Jersey Devils: they're defense-oriented, they are highly analytical, and they neutral zone trap you to death. Don't worry, I'm not one of those people that cries foul over 'The Trap' being used ... I just understand how damnably vexing it is when it's being used -- efficiently, I might add -- against you.With that said, the game was pretty brutal to watch from start to finish. Although the Wild didn't take the lead until around 6:35 of the 3rd period on a goalpost clanger from Brent Burns, they controlled the flow of the game nearly all night long, with the exception of around the latter half of the 2nd period, when Adam Foote stunned just about every one watching by scoring a shortie on the Wild, and temporarily putting the Jackets up 2-1.
One thing that I noticed right off the bat was that the Jackets seemed to revert to their old ways of being unable to -- or not making the honest effort to -- break out of their own zone, instead spending too much time passing the puck back and forth. Of course, part of that could be a result of the way the Wild play, which isn't the easiest to break out against. But if this team truly is as good as their home opener seemed to show, they need to be able to push back against that sort of challenge.
Foote deserves credit for playing modestly well, including the aforementioned shorthanded goal. I wasn't pleased with Kris Russell's play tonight, as he seemed to be trying too hard, and at times pinching in much too deep. One play in particular, though it didn't lead to a goal, was the result of Russell staying out way too long on the ice -- apparently of his own volition during a line change -- and proceeding to cough up the puck as he tried to keep it in the Wild's zone.
Rick Nash, David Vyborny, and Sergei Fedorov? All kept off of the score sheet tonight. Nikolai Zherdev, although he notched two assists by helping with both Jackets' goals, unfortunately was also on the ice for all three Wild goals.
Fredrik Norrena was hung out to dry, despite a solid effort on his part. Saving 28 of 31 shots, he had to face way too many odd-man rushes, breakaways, and a variety of other shots and Wild scoring chances because of total breakdowns by the defense. Blue Jackets' players seemed to be falling all over themselves in the defensive zone, which only further cluttered and caused chaos in front of Freddy.
Still, give the Wild credit for playing their game. I'm going to have nightmares of Brian Rolston skating lightning-fast circles around me, taunting me as he zips around like a pest. A pest that can score, at that.
Now the Jackets have until Wednesday to return to Columbus, practice, rest, practice some more, have Ken Hitchcock mentally browbeat them until they remember how to break out of their own zone again, then take on the Wayne Gretzky-led Phoenix Coyotes.
As for me, I'll be taking Sunday off.
Labels: Adam Foote, David Vyborny, Kris Russell, Minnesota Wild, Nikolai Zherdev, post-game, Rick Nash, Sergei Fedorov
Quack.
It took until the third goal at 7:58 of the 3rd period for me to finally exhale last night. Having remembered the collapse during last season's home opener against the Vancouver Canucks, could you blame me for being more frightened than enthusiastic over a 2-0 lead heading in to the 3rd?But here I am the morning after, finding out that this dominant win over the Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim Ducks was not a dream. I mean, who would have thought that the result would be a 4-0 blowout, let alone in such a dominant fashion?
Before I get in to the game, though, let me just say that it's a real shame that this game wasn't a sellout. Shy by somewhere around 500 seats or so, this is one of those games that you wish had the arena packed to capacity and then some, just because of how perfect it would have been for fans who are currently feeling disenchanted or otherwise frustrated by the Jackets' past season woes. But still, this team does need to convince the people of Columbus that they deserve better attendance, and after one game, so far so good.
Also, the cannon? A thing of frikken' beauty! You couldn't have asked for a better way to kick the game off, let alone celebrate each and every goal. Show of hands, readers: how many of you expected that baby to be fired a total of seven times in the very first game of the season (start of game, goal, goal, goal, goal, two for winning)? That's one Helluva way to break that baby in, I know that much. And if that trumpeter who was standing next to the cannon is there for every game, too? That just makes it even more awesome. When he started blasting his bugle in the 3rd period, the 17,700+ in the arena started to rock that place.
Now, as for the game ...
-Rick Nash is on pace for 328 points (164 goals, 164 assists). Come on, you know he's going to get that many.
-Pascal Leclaire played great when he had to, especially during the flurries the Ducks had around him at key points. I'll admit, there were points where it seemed like he was a little iffy on some rebounds, which was tough to watch. But at the same time, the majority of his rebounds did seem to me as though they were intentionally directed elsewhere to ensure they'd be difficult for the Ducks to take advantage of. This is also Leclaire's second career shutout, which means he's already matched his season record for shutouts (1) from last season.
-The hit that Jared Boll landed on Travis Moen seemed to me less in the vein of something that was dirty, and more in the vein of something that a rookie does when they're too damn enthusiastic. It's clear in the replays that he left his skates, which is a big no-no. However he did not use his elbow, only using his shoulder for the hit. However the hit was also high and to the head, as was evident by the video of a bloodied Moen on the bench.
If he's suspended for a couple of games, I won't be too upset. Any more than two games would be a bit much, however.
-Jason Chimera looked like a hell hound with the way in which he zipped all over the ice. And I lost track of the opportunities that Fredrik Modin had to bury one in the back of the net, only to be rebuffed by some great goaltending by the Duck's Ilya Bryzgalov.
-How about the energy that Nikolai Zherdev played with, too? A far cry from the seemingly unenthusiastic slogging through the pre-season done by Z, he was bold enough to stand up Ducks' players in the neutral zone, was aggressive on both the backcheck and the forecheck, and whether you'll believe it or not, his bag of tricks -- which does indeed include his trademark toe drag -- were actually working. Perhaps the problem isn't so much whether Z overuses things such as the toe drag, but whether or not he personally believes that he can pull it off. Something that's more mental than anything else.
I could go on and on, really, with the players who deserve to be mentioned for their great games. But honestly, you get the idea. I'll wrap things up by saying that last night's effort by the Jackets was simply great. They were methodical, ruthless, relentless, and with the exception of a gruelingly long 2nd period in large part due to the 5 minute major the Jackets' had assessed near the end of it, they never really slowed down.
Now, let's see if they can keep it up tonight in Minnesota.
Labels: Anaheim Ducks, CBJ Players, Fredrik Modin, Jared Boll, Jason Chimera, Nikolai Zherdev, Pascal Leclaire, post-game, Rick Nash
In Zherdev we trust?
Friday, September 14, 2007
Don't worry. Unlike Jay Mariotti on Around the Horn, I can honestly admit when I am flip-flopping. In this case, I'd like to say I'm just about thoroughly flopped more than flipped, but that all hinges on whether or not this experiment that Scott Howson and Ken Hitchcock have cooked up with "enigmatic" Russian (did any one besides me notice the excessive use of "enigmatic" last season?) Nikolai Zherdev.
Reported on this morning in The Columbus Dispatch, and even prior to that touched on by fellow blogger Bethany at Bethany's Hockey Rants, the newest news to come out of Blue Jackets' camp is the attempt to put Zherdev at the center position.
Apparently the first day of this experiment was today, when the team that Zherdev has been assigned to for training camp took to the ice this morning. Sadly, by the time I had arrived from classes down at the arena to scope things out, the other team -- consisting of other Jackets' staples such as Freddy Norrena, Mike Peca, and Sergei Fedorov among others -- were already on the ice and doing their own thing.
Still, I was able to gleam at least a smidgeon of first-hand coverage from browsing the HFBoards. Take it away, Willien:
Of course, take this with a grain of salt, as this was merely the very first day of training camp. And while even though, from what I saw, the kiddie gloves were off when it came to running drills, it's still not yet been seen if this combination of Zherdev, along with David Vyborny and Rick Nash on the wings can work when put to the test in pre-season games, or even regular season games.
Michael Arace, ever the insightful Dispatch writer, brought up an interesting point in the Dispatch article:
If both Hitch and Howson had the exact same thought, then there has to be more to this.
From my own perspective, though? Well, it's definitely worth a shot. Let's look at this line on a player-by-player basis ...
Rick Nash: Hitchcock has been attempting to mold Nash in to something of a rough, tough, and hard-hitting power forward since the first day he arrived. While Nasher certainly has his own type of finesse, and he can definitely run people over like a freight train if he puts the effort in to it, this gives Nash the ability to play that power forward role that Hitch is looking for out of him. With Zherdev handling a majority of the ice and able to use his creativity with that center area all to himself, Nash can get to work causing a ruckus in the slot and also in front of the goalie. Some goals might not be the prettiest, but all that matters are the goals, and not how they look.
Nikolai Zherdev: With all of center ice at his disposal, Zherdev can use all of that pent up energy of his without feeling stymied by where he is on the ice as a winger, such as being crammed up between the boards and an opposing player, or two. Zherdev, prior to his poor results last year, was known for some unique creativity. Need I remind anyone about Nikki's ol' toe-drag? No? Yeah, I didn't think so.
But in any event, as Hitch points out in the Arace article, Zherdev has shown flashes of proper responsibility in the defensive zone, as well as hustling back to defend when he has to. By giving him the center position, he's being given that extra bit of responsibility, and Zherdev should be both grateful and appreciating of that kind of trust.
David Vyborny: The team's leading point getter the past two seasons, Vyborny is just about the perfect set-up man. Put him alongside both Zherdev and Nash, and he'll be able to take advantage of either a hovering Nikki, or a scrumming Ricky, wherever they happen to be in the offensive zone. He never wastes time in moving the puck around, and he knows what to do with it.
Additionally, with both Zherdev and Nash on the same line, he will not have to worry about feeling pressured in to trying to tally goals to make up for any overall team shortcomings in the point production department. Remember that Vyborny has always been someone who will pass first, and seems to shoot only if he absolutely knows he can score. This isn't to say that Vyborny no longer has to try slipping the biscuit in to the net ... but now he can focus on setting up two players in their respective comfort zones within the offensive zone.
And that's all I got. Mind you, this is all just my personal analysis and speculation. And until I see these three on the ice tomorrow morning (I'll be heading down to scope things out again, as I'm just too excited not to watch training camp this season), I only have hearsay to work off of.
Until Sunday, folks!
Reported on this morning in The Columbus Dispatch, and even prior to that touched on by fellow blogger Bethany at Bethany's Hockey Rants, the newest news to come out of Blue Jackets' camp is the attempt to put Zherdev at the center position.
Apparently the first day of this experiment was today, when the team that Zherdev has been assigned to for training camp took to the ice this morning. Sadly, by the time I had arrived from classes down at the arena to scope things out, the other team -- consisting of other Jackets' staples such as Freddy Norrena, Mike Peca, and Sergei Fedorov among others -- were already on the ice and doing their own thing.
Still, I was able to gleam at least a smidgeon of first-hand coverage from browsing the HFBoards. Take it away, Willien:
"I heard they were basically unstoppable and scored 10+ goals. It is different in practice than in games, but apparently there was nobody who could play with them."
Of course, take this with a grain of salt, as this was merely the very first day of training camp. And while even though, from what I saw, the kiddie gloves were off when it came to running drills, it's still not yet been seen if this combination of Zherdev, along with David Vyborny and Rick Nash on the wings can work when put to the test in pre-season games, or even regular season games.
Michael Arace, ever the insightful Dispatch writer, brought up an interesting point in the Dispatch article:
"After poring over Zherdev tape this summer, the thought occurred to Hitchcock: Why relegate Zherdev to the wall as a winger and restrict his space? Howson had the same thought. Why not try Zherdev at center? Give him the middle, where he's comfortable. It seems he can handle the defensive responsibilities of the position."
If both Hitch and Howson had the exact same thought, then there has to be more to this.
From my own perspective, though? Well, it's definitely worth a shot. Let's look at this line on a player-by-player basis ...
Rick Nash: Hitchcock has been attempting to mold Nash in to something of a rough, tough, and hard-hitting power forward since the first day he arrived. While Nasher certainly has his own type of finesse, and he can definitely run people over like a freight train if he puts the effort in to it, this gives Nash the ability to play that power forward role that Hitch is looking for out of him. With Zherdev handling a majority of the ice and able to use his creativity with that center area all to himself, Nash can get to work causing a ruckus in the slot and also in front of the goalie. Some goals might not be the prettiest, but all that matters are the goals, and not how they look.
Nikolai Zherdev: With all of center ice at his disposal, Zherdev can use all of that pent up energy of his without feeling stymied by where he is on the ice as a winger, such as being crammed up between the boards and an opposing player, or two. Zherdev, prior to his poor results last year, was known for some unique creativity. Need I remind anyone about Nikki's ol' toe-drag? No? Yeah, I didn't think so.
But in any event, as Hitch points out in the Arace article, Zherdev has shown flashes of proper responsibility in the defensive zone, as well as hustling back to defend when he has to. By giving him the center position, he's being given that extra bit of responsibility, and Zherdev should be both grateful and appreciating of that kind of trust.
David Vyborny: The team's leading point getter the past two seasons, Vyborny is just about the perfect set-up man. Put him alongside both Zherdev and Nash, and he'll be able to take advantage of either a hovering Nikki, or a scrumming Ricky, wherever they happen to be in the offensive zone. He never wastes time in moving the puck around, and he knows what to do with it.
Additionally, with both Zherdev and Nash on the same line, he will not have to worry about feeling pressured in to trying to tally goals to make up for any overall team shortcomings in the point production department. Remember that Vyborny has always been someone who will pass first, and seems to shoot only if he absolutely knows he can score. This isn't to say that Vyborny no longer has to try slipping the biscuit in to the net ... but now he can focus on setting up two players in their respective comfort zones within the offensive zone.
And that's all I got. Mind you, this is all just my personal analysis and speculation. And until I see these three on the ice tomorrow morning (I'll be heading down to scope things out again, as I'm just too excited not to watch training camp this season), I only have hearsay to work off of.
Until Sunday, folks!
Labels: CBJ Players, David Vyborny, Nikolai Zherdev, Rick Nash
Just give him even more money; maybe he'll like Columbus then.
Monday, June 04, 2007
A whole bunch of things to touch on after a crazy weekend, but let's start off with the more important Blue Jackets news.
Prima donna Zherdev strikes again
You know, I just can't help but feel disgust after seeing what Nikolai Zherdev's "adviser" Sasha Tyjnch told Aaron Portzline and The Columbus Dispatch over the weekend. But then the other thing I feel is this great sense of apathy.
Zherdev backers will quickly jump to his aid, I'm sure, saying how this isn't Z making these comments but just an adviser of his who may be looking to stir the pot. To them, I say that unless I see Zherdev comes out publicly and states that he wants to play for the Blue Jackets, then there's nothing defendable here. What Zherdev and his camp don't seem to understand is that he is not in any position to start "suggesting" a trade. Z, as most people will recall, is not coming off one of his best seasons ... 10 goals in all, when this kid is supposed to be such a brilliant goal scorer?
At one point, Tyjnch says this about Zherdev's mind-set:
Being of the mind-set that one will remain a Blue Jacket, and wanting to play for the Blue Jackets, are two wholly different things based off of manipulative semantics. Much like when one says they apologize "if they offended you", compared to when someone says they apologize "for offending you", if that makes any sense.
Remember that months ago, there was an article that The Dispatch published concerning the opinion of other players in the Blue Jackets' organization on Zherdev, too, where at least a handful of unnamed CBJ players denounced Zherdev's behavior, while at the same time lamenting his work ethic. It's that very work ethic which has also led to Z being benched at times during the season, as well as chased off of the ice during practice skates not just by Ken Hitchcock, but also Gary Agnew.
I've heard plenty about how Hitch has thrown Zherdev under the bus at several occasions, including during the town hall meetings that took place back in late April and throughout May. Here's the thing, though ... Hitch has also called out other players, too. But the thing is that with those other players, such as Pascal Leclaire, he wasn't outright venomous or offensive. And that's because, in my humble opinion, Hitch knew that those players were doing the best they could to play better, more responsibly, and conform to a system which is supposed to help this team. Zherdev, instead, has tried to play the maverick ... the cowboy who plays by his own rules.
Does he, or his advisers, really think they'll be able to swing a favorable trade? Considering his poor production this past season, the Jackets' would be fortunate to get a 2nd round pick for this upcoming draft for him. And if I was team management, I wouldn't want to let go of Zherdev unless the team that he was going to gave the Blue Jackets, at the least, a 1st round pick and said they'd take responsibility for every penny left on his salary. This team could use an additional $2-3 million off of the books prior to the start of free agency to put to a better, if not long-term replacement tucked away in the FA market in a month.
Let Zherdev rot, I say. Like I said, unless he comes out publicly and states something contrary to Tyjnch's comments, then I have no reason to believe that Z isn't actively looking for a trade. Then again, I recall hearing how he wasn't doing too hot at learning the English language despite the requirements in his contract that he make a concerted effort to do so, so maybe that'd be expecting too much from him, right?
Blue Jackets' RBK Edge jerseys to be unveiled at the NHL Entry Draft
While Bethany broke this news last week, I wanted to wait until there was some sort of news link or word from a direct source that the Blue Jackets would be unveiling their own version of the RBK Edge jerseys at the NHL Entry Draft. Most signs had been pointing towards trying to get them ready for an unveiling, but nothing was officially announced until the end of last week, when the Jackets did so on their website.
It's my understanding, though, that this will only be an unveiling, which will take place just prior to the start of the draft itself onstage inside of Nationwide Arena. Unless I hear otherwise, the current plan is to take pre-sales for the jerseys at the draft. Even so, I'm happy to hear about this, and excited, too!
So this now means that at least two teams -- the Blue Jackets and the Washington Capitals -- have publicly announced that they'll be unveiling their new jerseys at the draft. Does anyone out there know of any other teams that have announced the same? It'd be a shame if only 2 of a whole 30 teams were doing so, and while I'm sure there's some teams just not announcing it until the draft edges closer, you never know.
GM search wraps up; waiting on the final decision
In the article posted to earlier concerning Zherdev, there's also a mention of how Don Boyd, the Blue Jackets' director of player personnel, has either had his second interview today, or did so yesterday. Bob Murray was also in during the time between games 2 and 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, meaning that by the end of today, all of the final four candidates will have gotten their opportunity to show Mr. Mac (majority owner John McConnell) and Mike Priest why they should be his beloved team's head hockey man.
So what do we do now? Well ... we wait. And we wait, and we wait. And the longer we wait, the more that you get the feeling that the previous speculation about Murray being the top candidate is no mere speculation. I have no problem with that ... nothing like a little SCF to keep me pre-occupied while waiting for the Blue Jackets' knight in shining armor to come to the rescue, right?
Drew enacts Plan Alpha Delta Omega; bloggers plan to converge on Columbus faster than a blitzkrieg
... or at least that's what I hope will happen, now that Drew's gotten a plethora of e-mails sent out, we're seeing a lot of interest in a blogger get-together. Unfortunately for The Sailor, I don't have enough money to buy a round of frosty (or even warm) brewskis; but I did recently buy some yeast recently while attempting to make my own homemade pizza from scratch (dough making and all), so maybe I can dabble in some beer making of my own!
Or not. I wouldn't want to be held responsible for the death of anyone due to my own adventures in beer fermentation. Oiy.
I'm going to do my damndest to update anything that needs updating on that big post on the blog by the end of this week. Additionally, with the draft itself 18 days away, we still have some time to try and pick the perfect spot for people to gather at. If the other CBJ bloggers such as Sarah, Beth, Herringbone (even though he's stuck all the way in Seattle), or Tyler (or even the more Columbus/OSU-centric bloggers) want to help in the brainstorm process when it comes to picking the gathering place, then go nuts! The help would be appreciated!
Beyond my own NHL Entry Draft Primer, Sarah at Neutral Zone Trap has also done an amazing job herself at giving a massive rundown about Columbus, where to go, what to do, and everything else you can think of. Considering she's been here longer than me, I'd say she does a much more bang up job than I do when it pertains to covering all the bases on things you can partake in beyond just the draft while you're here.
Lastly, the Blue Jackets have been kind enough to put up a page on their website where you can get a good rundown on what to expect during the draft, and when things will be going on, so check it out!
I'm out for now. But not before I forget the weekly You Don't Know Jack!
Prima donna Zherdev strikes again
You know, I just can't help but feel disgust after seeing what Nikolai Zherdev's "adviser" Sasha Tyjnch told Aaron Portzline and The Columbus Dispatch over the weekend. But then the other thing I feel is this great sense of apathy.
Zherdev backers will quickly jump to his aid, I'm sure, saying how this isn't Z making these comments but just an adviser of his who may be looking to stir the pot. To them, I say that unless I see Zherdev comes out publicly and states that he wants to play for the Blue Jackets, then there's nothing defendable here. What Zherdev and his camp don't seem to understand is that he is not in any position to start "suggesting" a trade. Z, as most people will recall, is not coming off one of his best seasons ... 10 goals in all, when this kid is supposed to be such a brilliant goal scorer?
At one point, Tyjnch says this about Zherdev's mind-set:
But, Sasha Tyjnych said, Zherdev is spending this summer with the mind-set that he'll remain with the Blue Jackets.
Being of the mind-set that one will remain a Blue Jacket, and wanting to play for the Blue Jackets, are two wholly different things based off of manipulative semantics. Much like when one says they apologize "if they offended you", compared to when someone says they apologize "for offending you", if that makes any sense.
Remember that months ago, there was an article that The Dispatch published concerning the opinion of other players in the Blue Jackets' organization on Zherdev, too, where at least a handful of unnamed CBJ players denounced Zherdev's behavior, while at the same time lamenting his work ethic. It's that very work ethic which has also led to Z being benched at times during the season, as well as chased off of the ice during practice skates not just by Ken Hitchcock, but also Gary Agnew.
I've heard plenty about how Hitch has thrown Zherdev under the bus at several occasions, including during the town hall meetings that took place back in late April and throughout May. Here's the thing, though ... Hitch has also called out other players, too. But the thing is that with those other players, such as Pascal Leclaire, he wasn't outright venomous or offensive. And that's because, in my humble opinion, Hitch knew that those players were doing the best they could to play better, more responsibly, and conform to a system which is supposed to help this team. Zherdev, instead, has tried to play the maverick ... the cowboy who plays by his own rules.
Does he, or his advisers, really think they'll be able to swing a favorable trade? Considering his poor production this past season, the Jackets' would be fortunate to get a 2nd round pick for this upcoming draft for him. And if I was team management, I wouldn't want to let go of Zherdev unless the team that he was going to gave the Blue Jackets, at the least, a 1st round pick and said they'd take responsibility for every penny left on his salary. This team could use an additional $2-3 million off of the books prior to the start of free agency to put to a better, if not long-term replacement tucked away in the FA market in a month.
Let Zherdev rot, I say. Like I said, unless he comes out publicly and states something contrary to Tyjnch's comments, then I have no reason to believe that Z isn't actively looking for a trade. Then again, I recall hearing how he wasn't doing too hot at learning the English language despite the requirements in his contract that he make a concerted effort to do so, so maybe that'd be expecting too much from him, right?
Blue Jackets' RBK Edge jerseys to be unveiled at the NHL Entry Draft
While Bethany broke this news last week, I wanted to wait until there was some sort of news link or word from a direct source that the Blue Jackets would be unveiling their own version of the RBK Edge jerseys at the NHL Entry Draft. Most signs had been pointing towards trying to get them ready for an unveiling, but nothing was officially announced until the end of last week, when the Jackets did so on their website.
It's my understanding, though, that this will only be an unveiling, which will take place just prior to the start of the draft itself onstage inside of Nationwide Arena. Unless I hear otherwise, the current plan is to take pre-sales for the jerseys at the draft. Even so, I'm happy to hear about this, and excited, too!
So this now means that at least two teams -- the Blue Jackets and the Washington Capitals -- have publicly announced that they'll be unveiling their new jerseys at the draft. Does anyone out there know of any other teams that have announced the same? It'd be a shame if only 2 of a whole 30 teams were doing so, and while I'm sure there's some teams just not announcing it until the draft edges closer, you never know.
GM search wraps up; waiting on the final decision
In the article posted to earlier concerning Zherdev, there's also a mention of how Don Boyd, the Blue Jackets' director of player personnel, has either had his second interview today, or did so yesterday. Bob Murray was also in during the time between games 2 and 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, meaning that by the end of today, all of the final four candidates will have gotten their opportunity to show Mr. Mac (majority owner John McConnell) and Mike Priest why they should be his beloved team's head hockey man.
So what do we do now? Well ... we wait. And we wait, and we wait. And the longer we wait, the more that you get the feeling that the previous speculation about Murray being the top candidate is no mere speculation. I have no problem with that ... nothing like a little SCF to keep me pre-occupied while waiting for the Blue Jackets' knight in shining armor to come to the rescue, right?
Drew enacts Plan Alpha Delta Omega; bloggers plan to converge on Columbus faster than a blitzkrieg
... or at least that's what I hope will happen, now that Drew's gotten a plethora of e-mails sent out, we're seeing a lot of interest in a blogger get-together. Unfortunately for The Sailor, I don't have enough money to buy a round of frosty (or even warm) brewskis; but I did recently buy some yeast recently while attempting to make my own homemade pizza from scratch (dough making and all), so maybe I can dabble in some beer making of my own!
Or not. I wouldn't want to be held responsible for the death of anyone due to my own adventures in beer fermentation. Oiy.
I'm going to do my damndest to update anything that needs updating on that big post on the blog by the end of this week. Additionally, with the draft itself 18 days away, we still have some time to try and pick the perfect spot for people to gather at. If the other CBJ bloggers such as Sarah, Beth, Herringbone (even though he's stuck all the way in Seattle), or Tyler (or even the more Columbus/OSU-centric bloggers) want to help in the brainstorm process when it comes to picking the gathering place, then go nuts! The help would be appreciated!
Beyond my own NHL Entry Draft Primer, Sarah at Neutral Zone Trap has also done an amazing job herself at giving a massive rundown about Columbus, where to go, what to do, and everything else you can think of. Considering she's been here longer than me, I'd say she does a much more bang up job than I do when it pertains to covering all the bases on things you can partake in beyond just the draft while you're here.
Lastly, the Blue Jackets have been kind enough to put up a page on their website where you can get a good rundown on what to expect during the draft, and when things will be going on, so check it out!
I'm out for now. But not before I forget the weekly You Don't Know Jack!
Labels: GM search, jerseys, nhl draft, Nikolai Zherdev, You Don't Know Jack
