DBJ's 5 Thoughts on Game 21: New Jersey

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our readers from the gang here at the Dark Blue Jacket!  We really appreciate that you take the time to read our work.  And now the Dark Blue Jacket's 5 Thoughts on the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 shootout loss to the New Jersey Devils.

1. Family Comes First - Enjoy the family today if you have the opportunity to do so.  Both the DBJ and I missed the game last night due to family obligations, he being out of state, and I attending my daughter-in-law's birthday dinner.  So I surreptitiously followed the game scores on my phone and through Twitter.  Let's just say that the last time I had a family dinner during a game, they were down 2-0 before we even walked into the restaurant (against Philly, ugh!).  To see the game tied 0-0 after one period was a pleasant surprise.  To see that they finished tied 1-1 in regulation before I got to the car was even more pleasing.

2. Consistency - The team seems to be playing a very consistent brand of hockey.  They only gave up one goal prior to the skills contest, and only took three penalties.  I know it is frustrating for Derick Brassard to be sitting in the press box, but if I were Scott Arniel I wouldn't be tinkering too much with the line up.  On that same vein, we have seen pretty consistent line combinations, which breeds chemistry over time.

3. The Sand Man - Curtis Sanford continues a strong run of play in goal.  He now has a sparkling 1.33 Goals Against Average (GAA) and a Save Percentage of 0.946.  These are excellent numbers.  He is getting here with a cool, efficient brand of goal tending, so it seems as if it is possible for this to continue.  We will see how he does as the games begin to mount.  For a 32 year old goal tender being resurrected from the minors, it may take a while before he gets tired.  I couldn't be happier for this guy, and wish him all the best.



4. Points -  The coach and players say they need to keep their head down and keep chugging along, and they are right.  We are still the last place team in the league.  By a point.  We are also 9 points out of a playoff slot.  Not insurmountable.  In January, maybe impossible.  In February, pretty much impossible.  But not impossible in November.  With a four game point streak, they need to keep garnering points any way they can.  There is a lot of hockey left to be played.

5. Devil Wrenches -  Mrs. G always calls New Jersey the Devil Wrenches because of their logo.  I wonder if those are metric or SAE wrenches???  Should we get them all a socket set for Christmas?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

GO JACKETS!!!