Western Conference playoff race, 15 November edition

I guess it was bound to happen: The Colorado Avalanche relinquished their top seed in the Western Conference.  The San Jose Sharks now sit in the #1 slot at 32 points after an impressive 6-point week.  As Jackets fans know, the Sharks are one tough group of hombres (tougher because they have two ex-Jackets?), and their ascension to the top shouldn't be a surprise.  Sky's the limit for that team.

The playoff qualifying bar rose only 2 points this week to 22, and the Jackets sit at #7 - presumably due to tiebreakers.  Dallas and Vancouver, both at 22, are outside looking in right now.  22 points is an awful crowded place right now with Phoenix in at #8.  The Jackets need to make a move to break out of the logjam.

BIG RISER OF THE WEEK: Chicago with 8 new points.  That, my friends, is a devastating week - especially when you consider that three of the wins were against the Kings, Avs and Sharks (the other was the slowly improving Maple Leafs).  I believe that captain Jonathan Toews returned this past week...perhaps that's the reason for the tear that they're on.  Runners up: Detroit and San Jose with 6 each.  We know how good the Wings are looking (ugh), and I've already lavished enough praise on the Sharks.

BIG LOSER OF THE WEEK: Tie between Anaheim and Colorado with 1 new point each.  Colorado had 3 games this week and mustered their point in an overtime loss to Chicago, whereas Anaheim got their point when they made it to overtime (and the shootout) against the Jackets.

10 Thoughts (from a Pens fan) about Game 18: Anaheim

[Help!  I'm trapped in Athens!  Seriously, I am in a "1 weekend a month" degree program at Ohio University and had to miss the Anaheim game.  Rather than wait to watch the Columbus Blue Jackets win 3-2 in a shootout on the DVR and then post 10 Thoughts, I thought it would be fun to have a friend offer their thoughts.  In this case, the baton is passed to my Friendly Pens Fan, who was able to present a slightly less biased view than I might have.  Thanks to the Friendly Pens Fan for pitching in on a Friday night.  Enjoy, everyone!]

In Mr. Dark Blue Jacket’s absence, due to the pursuit of higher learning, I am filling in on this blog entry - 10 Thoughts about Game 18: Anaheim. I would like to thank Mr. DBJ for trusting me with his blog. I would also like to give full disclosure here - I’m a Penguins fan. But, as a resident of the city of Columbus, I fully support the Blue Jackets (as long as they aren’t playing the Pens) and hope they have a long, happy life here in Columbus. I also hope someday they bring the Stanley Cup here because kissing the Cup is on my bucket list and I have a better chance of doing that if it spends some time in this city. Anyhoo, on to my 10 Thoughts on Game 18.





1. God Bless HD - One of my complaints about watching the Blue Jackets is that not a lot of their games are broadcast in HD. Hockey is a sport meant to be watched in HD. I believe hockey may be why HD was invented. There is no excuse for Fox Sports Ohio not broadcasting all 82 Jackets games in HD. Luckily, tonight’s game is full HD! Woot!

1a. The Rockettes? Really? - One of my 10 things was going to be what a good, quality pregame show Fox Sports Ohio was putting out. Then, they went and pulled out the Rockettes. -2 to Fox Sports Ohio!

2. Let it go - The Red Wings completely dressed the Jackets down on Wednesday. I hate seeing the Wings do that. (Ok, I pretty much hate the Wings period, but that’s a whole ‘nother blog.) The Jackets had to pick themselves up tonight, forget the meltdown, and get back to playing their game. I believe they did that. They came out skating hard, passing cleanly and finishing checks. You could see Hitch’s calmness exuding from each player. Even though the Ducks struck first, the Jackets still started this game exactly the way they needed to erase the previous game.

3. El Capitan - Something Jackets fans may not know about Penguins fans is that we love Rick Nash. The guy is completely amazing. Ever since I found out that Team Canada’s top line will likely contain both Nash and Crosby, I have been counting down the days to Vancouver. I don’t care who Babcock puts on a line with them, it will be pure magic. And I can’t wait.

3a. El Capitan, Part II - Nasher scored #13 this Friday the 13th in dramatic fashion on a breakaway that was just beautiful. He made Niedermeyer look like he was skating standing still. Just sensational. I actually jumped out of my chair and cheered. Of course that may be because my Pens have scored like one goal in the last week. Sadly, I’m not exaggerating.

3b. El Capitan, Part III - Nash scores the winning shootout goal. What a game he had tonight! Although I believe he will NEVER be able to repeat that shootout move again. It’s a one and done. Jeff Rimer calls the move “blowing a tire.” Bill Davidge urges young children across the state of Ohio not to attempt to try Nasher’s move because they might get hurt. [See the game recap video at the top, at roughly 3:45.]

4. For those about to Rock - I am EXTREMELY jealous of Jackets fans for the post-goal celebration they get to enjoy. The canon fired at Nationwide when the Jackets score, combined with the AC/DC refrain, is fierce. I have to admit that when I went to the Jackets-Pens game a couple of weeks ago, I was rocking to it, even though it meant my Pens were losing. It’s that cool.





5. R.J. is OK - He’s been on fire with 9 points in the last 12 games. And he’s from the town where my favorite team resides. AND he’s a former Buckeye. +3 to Umberger - just because!

6. What are those GMs up to?? - Scott Howson joined Jeff Rimer during the 1st Intermission. He talked about topics from this weeks’ GM meeting in Toronto: trapezoids and head shots. Apparently the GMs decided there is no change needed in the trapezoid rule. They had studies completed which found there would be no reduction in injuries by changing this rule. No big surprise there. I think the topic which more hockey fans are interested in right now though is head shots. Howson pretty much just said they discussed it. He gave no real details, but did say that the “big” GM meeting is in March and indicated they might have some decisions about head shots then. Personally, I think the rules as they stand are adequate. My gripe is the inconsistency with which the NHL powers-that-be dole out punishment. All Jackets fans should be upset that Rob Scuderi was not suspended at least one game for his hit on Chimera. And all Panthers fans should be upset that Mike Richards was not suspended for multiple games for his hit on David Booth. However, to give equal time to the opposing view, I think you should take the time to read this piece from a Toronto fan who believes the NHL policy is followed faithfully. Click here for more.

7. Huselius is BA-ACK! - Goal #6, a power play goal, tied the game in the 2nd period. He also had an assist on Nash’s earlier goal. Oh and he scored in the shootout too.

8. Mind the Netminder - Garon needed to come in and give a solid goaltending performance. He did just that. In my mind, Garon is probably the best back up goalie Howson could have picked up in July. I was sorry to see him leave the Pens, but we all know how the salary cap rules the NHL these days. Garon received a much deserved standing O in the final minute of the 2nd for an unbelievable save on Getzlaf. I believe that save may have saved the game for the Jackets. It kept the score tied and gave the Jackets some momentum right at the end of the period. As Stralman put it while being interviewed at the beginning of the second intermission, “Ah that’s a great boost! That’s a great save!”

9. Giguere is an arse - I’ve been waiting for a forum to rant on this guy and tonight is the perfect opportunity since he’s starting in goal for the Ducks. What kind of guy comes out and tells the press “I would rather retire than be a backup goalie??” Has he heard of being a team player? Has he heard of keeping his mouth shut? Has he ever watched the scene in Bull Durham where Nuke gets schooled on how to talk to the press? You know what I would say to Gieguere? Go ahead - retire. No one will miss you but your own ego. Ok, I’m done ranting now.

9a. Niedermeyer is not an arse - I have to give props here to Scott Niedermeyer. Congrats on playing NHL game #1200!

10. Sudden death and a shootout - Both teams earned a point tonight, but the Jackets pick up the important extra point and win the game 3-2.

Well, I hope I have entertained you all a bit while filling in for Mr. Dark Blue Jacket. I’ve certainly had fun and watched a pretty good hockey game too. Now if you could all root a little for my Pens to get out of their horrid slump, I would be most grateful. Until next time, this is Your Friendly Pens Fan signing off.

We're #25! (But that's not all bad.)

I've decided to take a break from panicking over the Columbus Blue Jackets' meltdown last night...those still interested in that, please go look at my Twitter page.

It's time to (partially) get past that abomination, and I wanted to touch on yesterday's Forbes release ranking the relative value and financial strength of the National Hockey League franchises.

If you couldn't tell from the title of this post, Columbus is the 25th most valuable NHL franchise at $165 million.  Quite a bit less than the lead-leading Toronto Maple Leafs (where the motto is, "No Stanley Cups since 1967, but we're working on it!"), who are valued at $470 million, but nowhere near the bottom of the barrel.  Mr. Mac and his partners bought the team for $80 million, though, which makes for a tidy gain in value over 12 years.

More interesting to me are the numbers under the hood .

My take: If you want to know why we don't spend more on player salaries, look at these two charts. You have a near-direct correlation between operating revenue and player salaries since the lockout ended. That screams "Team Policy" to me. If we want to see higher-priced free agents on the ice, we'd better buy season tickets - and four for our friends.



My take: The "Jackets are a poorly-run franchise that has lost $11 million a year since their inception" had best put up or shut up. Forbes is a reasonably reliable source, and they're saying that the team has only experienced double-digit losses in the most recent season. Interestingly, they were apparently profitable until the lockout.

Now this chart likely does not take other arena business into account, which I believe is the source of the revenue shortfalls and the reason why the Jackets want to get out from under the arena management business burden by offloading that to the taxpayers. As Forbes says, "The Blue Jackets operate Nationwide Arena, which is owned by the insurance company. Non-hockey events at the arena have not generated enough revenue to cover the team's arena operating expenses."

Regardless, this does not present the picture of an inept franchise in this NHL revenue-sharing world. In fact, it probably suggests that team mangement is pretty darned shrewd.  It also presents, however, the result of building two state-of-the-art arenas at the same time in a market that can only truly support one.

The Hitch speaketh: Post-Detroit edition

What is said in this presser, as rough as it is, probably pales in comparison to what was bouncing around Hitch's head and eventually spilled out in the post-press conference team meeting.



Let's hope the Columbus Blue Jackets get the message - or that Scott Howson and Ken Hitchcock come up with a lineup that will.

For what it's worth, the morning after isn't much better. This was a rough, rough loss.

10 Thoughts about Game 17: Detroit

I don't have it in me to do a normal analysis of this pathetic excuse for a game.  Thus, I'll crowd-source these 10 Thoughts through the lively Twitter network of Columbus Blue Jackets fans, journalists and other folks:

1. BlueJackets_NHL FINAL SCORE: #RedWings 9, #CBJ 1. Abdelkader got his second of the game late.

1a. DarkBlueJacket Recap: #CBJ prove that they probably should be playing some defense in losing 9-1.  Sigh.

1b. jacketsrequired Jackets limit Detroit to three field goals. Well played.

1c. nhlcyclesophist You're wasting my time tonight, #CBJ

1d. arose213 Just saw the #cbj score, #threwup in my mouth a bit. #fb

2. Aportzline #CBJ suffers 9-1 loss to Detroit, tied for largest margin of defeat, matching 10-2 L in San Jose (3-30-02) and 8-0 L vs. Boston (2-4-02).

2a. techknowgn @Aportzline This is worse than both those games, because this team has the talent to not get beat like this. The 01-02 team didnt

2b. BethanyM85 I dub this game "The Worst Game in Franchise History" #cbj

2c. DarkBlueJacket If not the most brutal #CBJ game I've seen in the Hitchcock era, definitely in the top 3.  Ugh.


3. raycrawford shocked look on cbj faces in locker room.. hitch with rare meeting with players after he addressed the media.

3a. DarkBlueJacket @raycrawford Any paint left on the walls in the locker room?  Man, I'd hate to be in there...

3b. DarkBlueJacket Hitch: "This has been building for 3 games now."  Hmmmmm  #CBJ

3c. DarkBlueJacket Hitch: "We don't have the buy-in.  We aren't checking.  We look light and slow." True...   #CBJ

4. DaveSeaman94 RT: @BlueJacketsBuzz Steve Mason said he wasn't happy about the bronx cheers he was getting tonight from the fans. #CBJ  |  He deserved it.

4a. LoriSchmidt CBJ Captain Rick Nash on the fans who gave G Steve Mason the Bronx Cheer: "Those had to be Detroit fans. Our fans are more loyal than that."

4b. DarkBlueJacket And here I honestly thought that Mason was getting back in the groove.  Tonight was a big step backward. But where was the defense? #CBJ

4c. bcluxton Remember last year when Mason had 10 shutouts? Boy, those were the days. #CBJ

4d. hise Mason is horrible this eve. Why is Hitchcock keeping him in the net? Is there some point to make? #CBJ

4e. Aportzline No Garon injury. Hitchcock wanted Mason back in to absorb a beating w/ rest of club. RT @mirtle: @Aportzline Was Garon injured?

4f. DarkBlueJacket We really don't need for the #RedWings to be in Mason's gourd... #CBJ


5. BlueJacketsBuzz Don't know if it's safe to go outside. Jan Hejda was minus 4 tonight! Could be the end of times! #CBJ


6. thelaughlins Nice to see Hitchcock's team showed up for him for his 1000th game! #cbj #redwings


7. britjenna I'm sick and tired of wings having puck control oh and little important thing called scoring. #CBJ


8. DarkBlueJacket thinks Raffi Torres may haf lost a toof.  Ouch. #CBJ

8a. seventyeight @DarkBlueJacket He left a nice puddle of blood not far from Cam Ward's thigh muscle on the ice.


9. DarkBlueJacket I hear that there's plenty of time left... @FOXSportsOH #CBJ

9a. techknowgn @DarkBlueJacket LOL. And Pahlsson plays bigger than he is, Wings are defending western conf champs, and Rimer was just in Tronna

9b. DarkBlueJacket @techknowgn And start with the best!

9c. DarkBlueJacket Psst @FOXSportsOH - @DirecTV forgot to turn on our HD feed for the #CBJ game tonight AFTER telling me it would be on.  Epic #FAIL.      #NHL

9d. derdrache @DarkBlueJacket Dude, it wouldn't have been any better in HD.

10. DarkBlueJacket Live it up, #RedWings.  We'll be back.  And we don't forget.  #CBJ

10a. LeeAuer It could always be worse... We could live in Detroit #cbj


Next game: PuckeysMom Brutal night, #CBJ... learn quickly, shake it off, beat the #Ducks. [on Friday]

---

Bonus Thought 1: DarkBlueJacket is mining Twitter posts to cobble together 10 Thoughts for tonight.  #CBJ

Bonus Thought 1a. timwingfield @DarkBlueJacket Remember the 7 words you can't say on TV? There's 7 of the 10 thoughts you need...

[No editing was performed on the Tweets.  All photos from Yahoo! NHL except for the shot of Mason letting the beach ball through.  That's DamonChristen's work.]

Housekeeping notes

Just a quick note to let the world know that I added two great blogs to the Dark Blue Blogroll on the right-hand column.  They are Jackets Required and Tea with Ms. McGill.

While you're poking around on that side of the page, note that I'm posting blog entry title and accompanying links to the three latest entries from each of the blogs listed.  One click, and you're there.  Pretty nifty!

Also, I have class from Friday at 6 PM until 1 PM on Sunday, meaning that I will not be able to post my 10 Thoughts on the Anaheim game as regularly scheduled.  Sigh.  Carry The Flag without me!

Revenge begins tonight

It's time.

Since April 23, 2009, Columbus Blue Jackets fans have wanted a shot at the Detroit Red Wings, the team that bounced them from the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Well, tonight's the night.

I don't care if the Red Wings lost players to free agency.  I don't care if they have players on injured reserve.  I don't care if their goaltending is so bad that they're starting a rookie backup against us.  I don't care if Mike Babcock has an ingrown toenail (can't confirm that one...).

They're the Red Wings, they're coming to Nationwide tonight, and they must lose.

It's time for revenge.  And we will keep exacting revenge until WE bounce THEM from the playoffs.  And that will happen.

In the spirit of all-time great revenge stories, let me share one of the best, from Rob Reiner's "The Princess Bride":



Carry The Flag!

The great CBJ-Hurricanes opener from Fox Sports Ohio

I mentioned this sequence in the recent Columbus Blue Jackets - Carolina Hurricanes telecast by Fox Sports Ohio and wanted to share it with a little analysis of why I think it's so great.  Here's the footage, with my commentary following:

• :06 - I get shivers any time an announcer pulls the Brent Musberger line, "You are looking LIVE..."
• :05-:17 - The locker room shot brings us into the inner sanctum.  We're with the team, stretching, full of nervous anticipation for the game to come.
• :47 - The team marches out onto the ice, and the FSO cameraman hops right in.  Note the players, staff and fans offering encouragement and fist-bumps along the way to the rink.  It's better than the intro in my NHL 10 game.  Oh, and did you catch that it was RJ Umberger and Jason Chimera offering the player fist-bumps?  Folks, that's a sign of leadership that we don't always see.  
• 1:13 - The Jackets storm the ice.  Camera shot comes from down low and looks up as these imposing hockey players file out for pre-faceoff warmups.  And they just keep coming.  Are you pumped yet?
• 1:27 - The angle switches to head-on, and we can recognize a few of the players leading up to the entrance of captain Rick Nash.  
• 1:34 - The lights are turned down, the music is turned up.  You can feel the excitement in the arena.  Also, we get our first exposure to the opposing team.
• 1:40 - Rick Nash gets his solo treatment, with voiceover from Rimer and Davidge talking about his place in the league point scoring standings and extolling his leadership.  We know who to root for, and why.  Dude is a MAN.  Nice to show him go all the way to the bench, where he settles in and waits for the game to start and his number to get called.
• 2:10 - Switch to the Hurricanes preview.  Zach Boychuk gets the star treatment, which is fair.  We fans want to know who we're up against.  
• 2:31 - Camera switches to the starters taking the ice.  The ice level shot gives a sense of the size of the arena, the lights and excitement surrounding the start of the game.  I also like the panning back to the bench.  Our boys are ready to rumble.
• 2:53 - The National Anthem and Columbus' Leo Welsh.  For those who haven't gone to a game, note that the entire arena shouts, "LEO!" before he starts.  The only thing that would be better in this sequence would be to show Jake Voracek shouting along with the fans.  
• 3:06 - Love those long bench shots...
• 3:32 - OK, this I REALLY liked.  The dark lighting, the anthem playing, and the spotlight on the 5 starters.  Nervous, excited, ready to play but taking the important pause before facing off.  The light bar off the upper bowl plays to great effect in this shot.
• 3:48 - Sammy Pahlsson taps his stick on the ice.  He is ready to go...
• 3:59 - The long draw back from Leo, to our starters, to their starters.  All standing in honor of the flag and the country, alone on the floor of this packed arena.
• 4:07 - Another dramatic long shot from the CBJ bench up at the flag.  Great angle, slowing zooming in toward the flag.  Not a lot...but just enough.

And that's it.  Drop the puck and get the game started!  

Kudos to Fox Sports Ohio for showing a great regional sports telecast in that opener.  Keep at it, folks!

CBJ schedule cups - Things of the past?

Lest you think that I've jumped off the deep end, remember that this is a slow hockey day (with everyone basking in the Hockey Hall of Fame induction afterglow) and the Columbus Blue Jackets aren't scheduled to play until tomorrow.  The team is practicing, no one new is injured and even the Dispatch ran a filler article about one of the Syracuse Crunchers, Nick Holden.  A nice article, to be sure, but one that could have run any time this month.  It's just a slow day.

So consider this a "Freddy Modin Maintenance Day."  I have no idea what that means, but clearly Freddy has lots of maintenance to attend to...

Anyhoo, there are two or three miscellaneous posts that I always wanted to write about being a CBJ fan and a hockey fan.  A Dark Blue Jacket 'bucket list,' if you will.  And this is one of them.  Seems kind of silly/trivial, but bear with me.

I moved to Columbus in the fall of 2006 and knew nothing about the Blue Jackets.  Now I can't remember what came first, my first home game (at Nationwide, in the Gary Agnew coaching stint when we got schooled by the Red Wings) or the schedule cup to the left.  It's an '06-'07 cup, replete with the old logo.  Or maybe I got it at a Giant Eagle gas station.  Matters not.  What matters is that it's my first legit CBJ souvenir.  The schedule printed on the side also probably was responsible for getting me to another game that season (and the immediate improvement under Ken Hitchcock was stunning, giving me hope and really stirring up some interest in the team on my end).

The cup to the right is an '07-'08 cup.  New logo, "Carry The Flag," the whole shootin' match.  And excellent complement to cup no. 1.  They're both well worn and well-loved, having gone through the dishwasher many, many times.  Yet I wouldn't dare trash them.

Why am I waxing rhapsodic about cheap plastic cups, you ask?  Simple.  Little things like this are important.  First, idiots like me save them and build a collection.  It's a small way to feel connected to your team.  More often than not, I am drinking my tasty beverage of choice out of one of those cups when watching the Jackets play on TV.  No kidding.  It's not superstition, just personal preference.  I support the Jackets, I want the logo close by.  It's a way to show the world that I'm Carrying The Flag.

Second, and this is important in our current dark economic times, team schedule cups are a cheap and simple way to promote the team in the community and also stay in the forefront of people's thinking.  It's a cup.  You look at it, see what's on the side, notice the schedule and see that the Jackets are home next Tuesday.  You think, "I don't have anything going on next Tuesday.  Maybe I should get to a game..."  Bang, zoom - 2 tickets sold that wouldn't have been sold otherwise.

Lastly, let's continue with the economy thing.  Right now, some people just can't afford the swag at the Blue Line.  (But I will admit that I'm impressed at the range in pricing in the store.)  Just about anyone, however, can drop a buck-and-a-half for a soft drink in a schedule cup.  And the purchaser has their own little piece of the CBJ.  So they can watch the Jackets and have their own personal connection to the team.

But what's happened since the '07-'08 cups?  I don't remember seeing an '08-'09 cup.  I'm not sure about '09-'10 cups.  Giant Eagle, a CBJ sponsor, has generic "GetGo" cups at their gas stations right now (I checked yesterday).  I haven't yet made it over to Masonwide, so I don't know if they have souvenir cups...but really, the value of the schedule cup as a marketing/promotional item is to distribute them OUTSIDE of the arena (gas stations, fast food restaurants, etc.) to lure fans INSIDE.

For the life of me, I do not understand why the Jackets don't have schedule cups on the street as a matter of routine every year.  Perhaps they did, and they stopped with '07-'08.  Regardless, it's a lost opportunity to promote the CBJ and highlight its prominent place in the Central Ohio community.  Little things like this make a difference over time.

Thanks for listening.  Hopefully the inanity of this post won't drive you away completely.  I'll get back to hockey now...

Congratulations, Steve Yzerman!

It's OK to be a diehard, spittin' nails fan of your club and enemy of the other.  Nearly every night, we as Columbus Blue Jackets fans take that approach with the Detroit Red Wings.

Tonight's not one of those nights.

Tonight, Steve Yzerman caps off his incredible NHL career with his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.  This is a man who devoted his heart, soul and considerable talent to his team, steering them to three Stanley Cups as the captain of the Red Wings.

Regardless of what you think about the Wings, you have to appreciate Yzerman, a player who gave his all to achieve success, didn't cut corners, stayed out of trouble, and led some of the most amazing hockey talent from around the world by his work ethic and example.

As Blue Jacket fans, Steve Yzerman is an example that we should look to in our own leader.  In fact, CBJ general manager Scott Howson used Yzerman as an example of what he hoped captain Rick Nash would be(come) in making the pitch for Nash to sign a long-term deal with the Blue Jackets this summer:

"One of the things that Scott (Howson, Blue Jackets general manager) mentioned repeatedly during this process is that the organization sees me as their Steve Yzerman," Nash said, "a guy who is loyal to the organization and a longtime leader. That appealed to me, too, obviously.

"When you look at the championship teams they always seem to have (a consistent) captain, whether it's Sidney Crosby, Nicklas Lidstrom, Steve Yzerman or Joe Sakic. I think it's especially important for the homegrown talent to be that guy."

So let's put our sticks down for the night and congratulate one of the greatest hockey players of the modern age on this ultimate recognition of lifetime achievement.



And then let's all Carry The Flag as the Columbus Blue Jackets kick the Detroit Red Wings' butts on Wednesday night.