Back to the Future

Wiz Scores His 50th Career Goal for the GWG

Big road win for the CBJ tonight, beating the Minnesota Wild, 3-1 in their barn, as Columbus warms up for All-Star weekend.  The Jackets outskated the Wild in the first and third periods of the game, and endured through the second period to earn the road win.  The bad news is that Johansen's 13 game point streak comes to an end because Calvert missed an empty net late in the game.  So it goes.

On the plus side, our top 5 power play continued to score, which is a really good thing going forward.  We got some good vibes from the officials who waved off a Wild goal because, well, it's complicated.  It was our night tonight, and a well earned win.

We saw flashes of it against the Bruins, bigger looks of it tonight against a lesser opponent, where the CBJ had that look of rolling 3 second lines, and a fourth line, like we did last year.  Alexander Wennberg continues to take huge strides each game.  I think Ryan Johansen has taken a step here lately too.  He is looking more energetic and stronger then he did in December.  Both of these players are key for the franchise going forward, and watching Wennberg take strides every game he plays is very pleasing.  Keep in mind we are duplicating scenarios from last year's successful season without key players, such as Artem Anismov and Boone Jenner, not to mention Ryan Murray.  I don't know how things are going to turn out this year, but this looks an awful lot like a damn good team next year.

It will be interesting watching Josh Anderson over the next few games.  He has helped to be able to create that line of Dubninsky, Hartnell and Anderson, which has caused real problems for the opposition over the last two games.  It is fairly normal for someone coming up for the first time to have a couple-three good games, and then plateau hard as the adrenaline of getting called up for the first time burns off.  It is very normal for young players to fade after the first few games, and it is no shame to Anderson if he gets sent back down.   We will see how he continues in the next few games.  If he can maintain the level he has shown in the last 3 games, he is going to be in the NHL for a long time.  Good stuff.

Winnipeg up next, and then the All-Star Game.  Good times in CBJ land!!

GO JACKETS!!