Morgan's Six-Pack for game 36: The Anaheim Ducks

Columbus Blue Jackets 2 - Ducks de Anaheim 1 - F/OT
8th Place in the Western Conference**

Anaheim ignores the rules.  Well one rule in particular - You know, that rule, "i before e, except after c."  Well, Anaheim is a proper noun, so I guess it gets a pass.  But what about ancient Anaheim?  Anyways, that's always bugged me, kind of like excuses.  So before and during tonight's Blue Jackets game at Nationwide Arena versus the 51 point having Anaheim Ducks, I had to endure talk (whining, really) of the Jacket's travel schedule.  Then, on this day of religious significance, I had to endure more talk (whining, really) of the hockey gods.  I am an Atheist.  Well, a hockey Atheist anyways.  I refuse to believe in an ancient Greek or Roman-like group of deities creating hockey to torment humanity solely for their amusement.  I don't imagine the 1976 Canadiens or the 1980 Islanders fans as a collective whined about hockey gods, but I can be sarcastic at times.  Chance favors the prepared athlete, the rest is left up to the law of physics, individual skill, and team play.  Anyways...   

Like NASCAR, the Blue Jackets now find themselves in a playoff spot with 12 laps to go. The Jackets are giving up 2 or 3 game in hand to the three teams nipping at their heels, so I'm not going to hold my breath.  The Blue Jackets have already taken their proverbial last pit stop and have to try and finish the race on barely enough fuel and slick tires.  Face-palming my NASCAR metaphor?  It replaced a "Battle of Stalingrad" metaphor I had originally written, but shelved for another post.  Stay in school kids.

Happy Easter, the Ducks laid an egg!

I don't really have a good structured six-pack for tonight.  My thoughts are lingering on what to make of this team the last 12 games.   A lot of what I saw from the team tonight and what I witnessed in social media tonight will likely cause a couple posts that I've had in "draft status" to actually become published.  But I'll give credit where credit is due with a couple of easter eggs stuffed with some Cashe, because that's what Easter is all about, isn't it?

1.  Mark Letestu, as a member of my family on the DKM Hockey Oregon Trail Adventure, you are naturally at my CBJ Easter Egg hunt today.  Like my mother-in-law would, I'm just going to tell you where I hid the egg stuffed with the $100 bill is. It's the egg on the hose bib.

2.  RJ Umberget got mugged, here's an egg with a dollar in it.  I'm going to say the tone for the game was set early on when Anisimov cross-checked Beauchemin across the collarbones a few minutes into the first. Hockey is a physical game and the Ducks are a big physical team.  Don't poke the duck. 
3.  Vinny Prospal - here is a Cadbury Creme Egg.  My CBJ Oregon Trail wife showed us the Hockey equivalent of the Schroedinger's Cat experiment would be a complete failure.  You cannot, at the same time, exist in a state of "Skate until the Whistle" at the same time as "Celebrate like it went in."  You proved both planes of reality cannot exist at the same time.  The swirling lights, cannon booms, and AC/DC fueled calamity that ensues when both are tried at the same time is a World-Ending chaos we don't need to see again. 

I can't figure out the atomic mass of this mu**a f**king deuteron.

4.  Sergie Bobrovsky.  You will not be allowed outside to participate in this Easter egg hunt for fear you will get hurt.  You will get a giant Easter basket and all your eggs will be filled with 50 dollar billz.  Please return to your safety cocoon and we will bring you your stuff.  This team can't afford for you to get hurt.

The last two eggs go to Anisimov, Calvert, and Atkinson.  The three of you looked good tonight.  I don't have any delusions that you will become a 55 point per month line, but there's something their.  I'll say Anisimov is what will make or break that line combo.  Not that he's the best player on that line, but the puck movement after the face-off is what will define that line.

Were the Blue Jackets out worked?  No.  Were the Blue Jackets sloppy?  Yes.

Looking ahead to the playoffs, cuz that's what everyone but the Blue Jackets are doing...  The style of play the Blue Jackets have played during their 12 game point streak is the type of game EVERYONE plays in the Playoffs.  Hot goal tenders and a well oiled power play get you playoff wins.  The Blue Jackets existence outside of 30th place is solely due to Sergei MF Bobrovsky.  In the Playoffs, when effort matches effort, skill in all three zones always wins - except after the 2nd OT, then the first mistake usually loses.  A stat that jumps off the page at me is this, of the teams qualifying for the playoffs as of tonight, the Blue Jackets have ALLOWED the most goals and they have a goalie who's as hot as the center of the sun.  All while 20 out of their last 23 games have been decided by a goal.  The CBJ weren't getting blown out early in the season either. 

All that stands in the way of a Blue Jackets playoff appearance is a ironically scripted end to the Blue Jackets last season in the Western Conference.  The travel to and from the west coast is brutal and unfair to the Blue Jackets, so I've heard.  A move to the East gets rid of  something like 12 of those ugly 'later timezone' games over a 82 game season.  But what the CBJ have left in front of them is 8 out of 12 on the road, all out West.  The team is 4-10-2 on the road, where they have proven to be Vladomir and Estragon, I'm sorry kids, to be Jeckel and Hyde in their past 4 road games. 

So, the end of this season will go one of two ways.  1. They will play on the road as the statistics suggest, and fade from playoff contention.  It's bizzaro world indeed when dropping out of the playoffs picture in the closing days of the season is still encouragement to the fan base.  I guess that's kind of like giving your kid $50 bucks for getting a C- on his report card because you're used to seeing Ds.  Or, 2.  The Jackets will show us that the 4-10-2 road record is just a fluke.  They will out right win 8 of their last 12 AND all the teams with 2 and 3 games in hand will tank, proving as everyone suspected when Howson made all these moves, the team would make the playoffs.  See what I did there?

The Blue Jackets play Thursday, April 4th in Nashville, Tennessee against the Predators.  The next two games are must win games for the Blue Jackets if they don't want to depend on other teams losing to have a  shot at Lord Stanley's Jello mold.  The Jackets are ahead of the Predators by two points, but the Preds have a game in hand.  Then, the very next night, the Blue Jackets play in St Louis.  The Jackets have a one point advantage over the reeling Blues, but the Blue Notes have 3 games in hand over the Blue Jackets.  The Jackets have largely played well against Central division opponents this season, so there is hope.  But make no mistake, not winning both those games would be like blowing a tire with 10 laps to go in a NASCAR race.  Your odds of winning are almost zero, unless there's a huge wreck behind you.

DBJ's Calgary Flames six-pack for game 35: Columbus

Columbus 6 - Calgary 4
14-14-7, 10th in Western Conference, 19th in NHL
12th overall draft pick (plus 14th and 21st!)

The Columbus Blue Jackets wrapped up their Northwest Canada road trip by being The Team That Played Calgary In Calgary's First Game Since Losing Jarome Iginla.  The Flames lost that game, 6-4, to the visitors in regulation at the Saddledome.

To borrow the line from "The Incredibles," this was the classic "It's NOT about YOU!" night.  It wasn't about the Blue Jackets holding onto a thread of a chance to make the playoffs (If you have to go 9-4-0 or some combination thereof to hit 53 points, have only five of your remaining 13 games at home and sport a 4-10-2 road record, that's a thread).  It was about Calgary.  It was about the Flames and how that terrible hockey team would recover from the shock of losing Iginla.  Thank you, hockey media, for setting me straight.

Gallos' Six-Pack for Game 34: Edmonton Oilers

Hee, hee.  Funny thing.  Did you know that you can actually kick the puck while your skate is shaving ice as you try to stay on your feet?  Definitely a DKM (patent pending)(sarcasm intended).  But that's not the funny thing, that's just the second time the war room has ruled a Blue Jacket has kicked the puck with the one foot the player has in contact with the ice as they go down.  The funny thing was that I promptly clicked over from the Buckeye game to the CBJ game at game time, watched maybe 10 seconds of Rimmer and Davidge, and woke up with 6 minutes remaining in the first period, right after Matt Calvert scored the second goal.  Then I clicked over to the Buckeye game, saw Ross can the winning 3 pointer, flipped back in time to see Wiz cough up the puck at the blue line, and Edmonton scores.  Once I woke up and found out what I missed, things moved quickly.

Part of what I missed was Cam Atkinson scoring 10 seconds into the game.  Matt Calvert added to that late in the first period.  Then Wiz coughed one up, and the first period ended 2-1 CBJ.  The host Oilers came out hard in the second period, and Eberle walked through the defense to tie the score, leaving Tyutin fishing around on the ice for his lost athletic supporter. The CBJ score again on a nice goal by Anisimov, and then 29 seconds later, the Oil score, and the second period ends 3-3, which isn't really indicative of how much Edmonton dominated the play.

The third period started the same way the first period did, with Atkinson scoring again in the opening momentss of the third period, to chase Khabibulin, the Edmonton goal tender.  But the Jackets cough up 2 more goals plus an empty netter and lose 6-4.  The CBJ were never really able to handle Edmonton's speed, and spent a lot of time waving sticks at the Edmonton players as they flashed by.  And a lottery pick all of a sudden is starting to look like a real possibility.

Wowza.  Beer.

1. My first ice cold beer goes to Cam Atkinson.  What a game!  Scores two goals, has an assist, was all over the ice all game.  Unfortunately the offensive pressure he helped develop backfired a couple of times as Edmonton took the puck back down the ice and scored.  But that takes nothing away from Cam's overall game.  Well done Cam, its nice to see the ankle is coming around.

DMac jumps into the picture in Atkinson's place on
Artie's line

2. My second beer goes to Matt Calvert, as part of that line that was on fire.  With a goal and an assist he was also all over the ice.  Cam and Matt seemed to have the speed to be able to keep up with Edmonton, but got caught over committing offensively several times.  Their line ended up with a +/- of 0 even though they scored 3 times.

3. My third frosty cold beer goes to Artem Anisismov.  He centered the dominant offensive line and scored a goal and had two assists.  His goal was a thing of beauty.  This line was really on fire all over the ice.

4. My fourth beer goes to the Edmonton skill.  They kept coming with the speed, our defense couldn't cope with it, and it turned into a pretty typical trip to the old barn known as Rexall Place.

Wait, what's this??  My last two beer cans appear to be warm and damaged.  A quick check shows that yep, these indeed are skunk beers.  Hmmmm.  I wonder who I should give them to.

5. My fifth beer, a good skunky warm one, that's good and flat goes to the War Room in Toronto.  That was an incredibly feeble effort.  You used that tape to reverse the call on the ice???  Brutal gents, just brutal.  Take a long, slow pull on that skunk beer, and savor the foul flat taste, because that's the same taste you left in our mouth.  Be interesting to see if JD has a reaction to that.  Pick up the phone and let 'em know what you think JD.

6. My sixth beer, another good skunky warm one, went to our defense.  Standing around and waving sticks at the puck isn't going to get it done.  Wiz had a brutal game in his first game back.  But the whole unit didn't really seem to have a clue how to handle the transition, though the forwards were getting burned getting back as well.  Wasn't exactly Vinny's best night either.  He struggled with the pace of the game, and it may be that the wear and tear of this schedule is starting to show.

Overall, a good offensive effort, not so good on the defensive side.  Bobrovsky looks tired to me.  I think you have to start Mason in the next one.  Hopefully he has something to bring to the table.  I think it would be a mistake to play Bob.  I understand that you want to ride the hot goal tender like a rented mule, but you have to realize your tender's limits too.  Its time for a break.  Our lottery pick is on the line, so starting Mason may not be so bad.

Back at it tomorrow night in Calgary.  That should be an interesting game, pretty much MUST WIN for the CBJ if they are going to entertain playoff hopes.

GO JACKETS!!!

Cautious Observers at the Trade Deadline

It's that time of the year, the NHL Trade Deadline is upon the NHL world.  Where Hockeyy Insiderrs every where speculate deals to be made, deals that are rumors, and things that deal with No Movement Clauses.  The trade deadline ended badly for us Blue Jackets fans last year.  Carter was gone, Howson outted Nash, and Ken Hitchcock was writing his acceptance speech for the Jack Adams.  Skies were gloomy, dogs were sad, and a lockout loomed.  Then there was May 29th, 2012.

You don't remember May 29th, 2012?  I do.  It was the day "John Davidson Watch" started in Columbus when he met with team officials that day.  My, that seems like a lifetime ago.  Since then, Columbus Blue Jacket fans have had a long time to get to know the kind of hockey executive John Davidson is: a patient and deliberately calculating President of Hockey Operations.  Davidson took his time in getting the GM he wanted.  He gave Todd Richards time to get his constrictive defensive system in place.  He's given several interviews in print, radio, and TV where he's stated over and over again, this season will be used to evaluate the team from top to bottom.  By the very nature of his repeated comments in this manner, and his very passive first year in Saint Louis, I don't see the CBJ doing much at the trade deadline.

He has a vision, and it isn't frantic action at the deadline..

Gallos' Six Pack on Game 33: Vancouver

In tonight's contest between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Vancouver Canucks, the home Canucks kept the ice tilted in their favor through the first two periods.  The CBJ were unable to generate any sustained offense in the first two periods, though it could also be said that Vancouver was letting a team that they were outplaying continue to hang around.  While the Jackets played better through the third period, regulation play ended with the score 0-0.  Bobrovsky was stellar in overtime, stoning Hansen on a breakaway.  The overtime period ended 0-0 with both goal tenders recording a shutout, and we went to a skills competition to determine the game outcome.  Lapierre was the only shooter to score, on a wicked back hand, and the CBJ lost 1-0 in their 22nd one goal game of the year.

Sergei Bobrovsky records another shut out

1. My first cold frosty one goes to Sergei Bobrovsky.  Bob was stellar in this game, and the difference for the CBJ.  A precious point was gained on the road, but he got beat on the one shoot out attempt.  He had 34 saves, and recorded his third shutout of the year.  This was a very emphatic response after getting chased from the net in Nashville.  What else can I say about Bob?  He's just been outstanding this year.

2. My second cold one goes to Artem Anisimov.  If you are going to get into a game where you aren't going to score, you need to have the puck To get the puck you need to win faceoffs.  Arty won 55% of his faceoffs, and was a beast in the circle down the stretch.  

3. My third beer is going to go to young Mr. Dalton Prout.  Prout has played some very solid defense, and the team is going to have a real quandary when Wiz comes off injured reserve.  The nice thing that Prout brings is a big physical presence that our defense does not otherwise have.  It is symbolic of Richards trust for Prout that he was seeing ice time in the 4 on 4 overtime period.

4, 5, 6.  My last three cold frosty beers are for re-alignment, and the Eastern Conference.  These 10 o'clock games are killers.  It will be nice to minimize these beasts, to a single visit a year.  I'm dreaming of 7 o'clock starts.

The Jackets just battled away, killed the penalties, but couldn't muster an offense.  As far as being out worked, yes in the first, no in the third, and maybe a draw in the second.  I'll call it a draw.  Since the CBJ are the road team, and have the rules stacked against them, I'll give them the nod for outworking Vancouver.  Tough tenacious defense and stellar goal tending eked out a precious point on the road.  But you have to score to win, and the CBJ didn't.

GO JACKETS!!

NY Times on John Davidson, Blue Jackets

I generally don't make a point to push specific news articles in your faces, but this is a unique one.

First, it's The New York Times talking about the Columbus Blue Jackets.  Through an admittedly New Yorker lens, granted, but this is Big Time exposure for the team.

Second, co-conspirator Morgan and the DBJ blog get mentions in the article.  Big "w00t!" to Morgan and us.  I can't speak for Morgan, but I'm flattered that the DBJ blog is being mentioned as a source of information related to the team.

Third, it's a very, very "eyes wide open" article.  The team has a ton of challenges, largely due to history.  That said, the fundamentals of stable franchise ownership, the high-quality Columbus community and the small but rabid fanbase suggest that the only thing holding the Columbus Blue Jackets back is the team itself. That's why Davidson is here.

A darned good article by Ken Belson.  Go read it. 

DBJ's six-pack for Game 32: Nashville

Nashville 5 - Columbus 2
13-13-6, 11th in the Western Conference
11th overall draft pick (and 14 & 21!)

The Columbus Blue Jackets rode into Nashville with their 12-game "no regulation loss" streak on the line and...ran into a buzzsaw against the host Predators, falling 5-2 in regulation at Bridgestone Arena.

This is perhaps the key moment of this season for the Blue Jackets.  Whether they come back - and by that I mean roar back to a position of stifling defense, strong goaltending and just enough offense - will have repercussions far beyond April's playoff seedings.

We just saw a pivot game of sorts, one where the dynamic of the streak was tossed on it's ear.  The question is whether the Blue Jackets can pivot back.  I'm dubious.  They have a dozen of their last 16 games on the road, and those road games aren't all played in Calgary.  There are tough teams laying in wait for a Columbus team that wins only when most everything goes right.

Snark Blue Jacket's Six-Pack for Game 31: The Atlanta Flames

Columbus Blue Jackets 5 - The Calgary Flames 1
9th in the Western Conference

The Blue Jackets look to continue their 11-game point streak tonight at Nationwide Arena against the visiting Calgary Flames.  The city was buzzing and every bar was packed full, but not for the Blue Jackets.  The Friday Night crowd of 13,853 (I'm resigned to this number being PAID attendance) fans belie the fact the Ohio State Buckeyes Men's Basketball team had a NC2A tournament game against Arcadia Barber Academy.  Always a bridesmaid...  But, those daring enough to show up or tune into the Blue Jackets game were in for an enigmatic goal scoring bonanza the likes of which haven't been seen this season leading the home town Jackets to a 5-1 victory.




Each Flames player will be crushing one of these
on the bus ride home.  Or, if you're listening to Bob McElligott


1.  The first beer goes to the Blue Jackets forwards.  Thank you for showing up tonight so that Bobrovsky didn't have to play out of his mind in order for the team to stand a chance.  Before finishing that beer, remember to pack the power play scoring on this upcoming road trip, or Tim Leroy and staff will be fitting you boys for a new set of Callaway's the end of April.

2.  Jared Boll and, this beer's for you.  I actually went a whole night without seeing anyone make fun of you on twitter.  Nice goal, a real NHL goal. 

3. And Nick Foligno, PBR Me ASAP.  Two quick goals were the dagger in the heart for the team formerly known as the Atlanta Flames.  I got up to get a beer came back and you had scored a couple of dandy goals.  I can't believe you were able to walk in on your first goal like you did.  The Flames had FIVE players in the Red Zone and you still were able to walk in from the half boards and get one through the ewoks (get it?) on Kipper.  The second goal was great work off the cycle.  I have no idea what the hell the Calgary defense was doing on both your goals, both times they had FIVE players in the red zone and you score.  It was very nice to see your line capitalize on terrible dzone coverage by Calgary and snipe one home from the high slot.

4.  Anisimov, this can of Calgary Flames Turnover Ale is for you.  What a HORRIBLE pass by Calgary in their dzone coverage.  What I particularly like about this goal is you shot the puck on net immediately.  You didn't over stick-handle, you didn't pass it to Dorsett.  You shot the puck quickly and banged it in off the post from the high slot.  I am a sucker for shooting from the high slot.  It's what I teach my pee-wees.

5.  Coach Richards, I'm buying you a beer the next chance I get.  The forecheck was a little more aggressive tonight as it should be against a struggling Flames team.  I liked that you stepped up the pressure on a team you should be able to beat.  I'm going to come out and say it - the forecheck needs to be a little more aggressive like it was tonight and the team needs to enter the zone with the puck on it's stick.  I know the Flames are a mess right now, but a little more of what we saw tonight will add to this team's confidence. 

6.  Curtis Glencross for Dick Tarnstrom.  Thanks Howson for giving me Dick Tarnstrom.  My Dick Tarnstrom has gone away, but so has Curtis Glencross.  But it still stings...

Were the Blue Jackets out worked?  For more than half of the game no, which rounds up to a full no.  The Jackets looked good, but let's call a spade a spade, the Flames sucked from here til Tuesday.  Kiprusoff was spot on in his 2011-2012 Steve Mason impersonation.  I'm not gushing over this win, but I am satisfied by it nonetheless.  The Blue Jackets won a game in which they were expected to win.  I can't remember a time in recent memory before this point streak where that's has happened.  I am very satisfied that this team is at a point where it can readily beat teams it's supposed to. 

Tomorrow Night is a must win game IN REGULATION for the Blue Jackets.  Tomorrow will be a playoff like game for both teams.  I hope the Blue Jackets take some of the added pressure on the forecheck from tonight and blend it nicely with a responsible neutral zone transition game to compliment their constricting
(if not clogging) dzone coverage.  But I will get on the dead horse I've been beating for 6 weeks, the Power Play has to get better before I start thinking playoffs.  The team is going to finish 12 out of it's remaining 18 games on the road and it HAS TO score more on the power play.  If the team does make it to the playoffs, power play scoring is the key.  Any sort of chance the Jackets will have is on the Powerplay.  The are capable of scoring on the power play, but they must find a way to execute.  The shortened season doesn't leave a team much room to work on special teams.

Tune in tomorrow to see if the Jackets can keep this dream alive...

You, too, could be a winner! (Really!)

If you haven't heard, the Columbus Blue Jackets sent out their annual Season Ticket Holder renewal email today.  Included with the financial incentive for early renewal is a continuation of last season's raffle contest to encourage REALLY early renewals.

The prizes are pretty cool, top-heavy with trips to Eastern Conference cities for games, jersies and meet 'n' greets with CBJ leadership.  The trip on the team jet is the primo prize, followed immediately by a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals.  And people do win...amazingly, my ticket buying buddy and I won the trip to the NHL Awards in Las Vegas last year.  So hear me now and believe me later: If you're seriously considering getting/renewing your season ticket package, do it NOW.  It really does pay off.

But that's not why I'm writing this.  I'm writing because of the small print.

You see, you don't need to buy season tickets to enter the contest.

You just need to be a lurker.  Or a pest.

DBJ's six-pack for Game 30: Nashville

Columbus 4 - Nashville 3
12-12-6, 4th in Central Division, 10th in Western Conference
12th overall draft pick (and 16th & 24th!)

The host Columbus Blue Jackets welcomed one of their longtime nemeses, the Nashville Predators as part of the CBJ's long farewell to the Western Conference.  A determined effort for all of two and most of the third period saw the Blue Jacket prevailing, 4-3 in regulation, at Nationwide Arena.

Yes, CBJ Fan.  That's 11 straight games with at least one standings point.  A 7-0-4 streak.  No losses in regulation.  We're deep into team record territory.  And remember, Chicago had a 24-game streak and made the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Word is out that the Blue Jackets are "tied" for 8th place, placing the team in playoff position.  From a raw points perspective, that's true.  Problem is, the two teams tied with Columbus, San Jose and Phoenix, have played fewer games (SJ-2, PHX-1).  So while the team is "tied" for 8th, they're sitting in the 10 slot right now.  Despite that cold water, Columbus undeniably sits in playoff contention.  That in and of itself is amazing and worthy of celebration.