Gallos' Six-Pack for Game 45: L.A. Kings

The Columbus Blue Jackets lost to the host LA Kings for the first time on this road trip tonight 2-1 breaking a 5 game winning streak.  The teams came at each other pretty hard in the first period.  In spite of it being a back to back for the CBJ, they seemed to have some jump in the first period.  The Kings were showing why they were champs last year, and brought a lot of pressure on the CBJ.  With a player for each team off for roughing, Dalton Prout took a hooking call, and in the ensuing 4 on 3 power play LA scored, and the period ended at 1-0 LA.  

In the second period, LA came out pushing hard.  In the middle of the period, the CBJ seemed to get some traction, and Blake Comeau forced a turn over in the LA zone.  He sent the puck back to Prout, who scored his first NHL goal with a shot from the point, which may have deflected off a Kings player. Nonetheless, this tied the game.  Unfortunately, LA came right back and scored within a minute and a half and restored their one goal lead.  The second period ended with the CBJ down 2-1.

As the third period progressed, the Jackets brought more and more pressure, but they were unable to solve the Kings defense, and the Kings win 2-1.

1. My first cold adult beverage goes to Sergei Bobrovsky.  How could it not?  The CBJ are leaning hard on the young net minder, and he is answering the bell.  The Kings got a goal in off a defenseman's skate and one that Bob did not see.  What he could see, he was stopping.  Incredible performances down the stretch here, no matter how things turn out.

Dalton Prout and Cam Atkinson in Development Camp

2. My second cold beer goes to Dalton Prout, who scored the first goal of his NHL career to represent the total scoring by the CBJ.  Prout played a solid all around game, and benefited from a great pass by Comeau and a couple of deflections of his shot on the way to the net.  He has been very solid since coming up from Springfield.  

The Jackets have done a great job on this road trip, and I'm not about to start awarding skunk beers. But I do have a few thin, watery Natty Lights to pass out.

3. My third beer, a fine Natty Light, good for the waistline and all that goes to the defensive pairing of Savard and Erixon.  Admittedly, this is a tough position for these guys to be in, but it seemed clear that they were not ready for playoff hockey, especially on the road.  More development work in store for these two,and hopefully a big summer to get them more ready for next year.

4. My fourth beer, a tepid Natty Light goes to the power play.  You can't do anything in the playoffs without a power play, and the lights look out on the power play.  Its not a real threat.

5. My fifth beer, a warm flat Natty Light goes to the defensive effort after Prout scored the goal to even up the score.  Guys falling down, a really half-hearted, glide up, wave your stick in the general area of the defenseman check by Gaborik which gave the time and space for the shot on the net that lead to the game winning goal.  A little bit of pressure on that shot would have made a big difference, but that would require the feet to be moved.

6. My sixth, warm, found under the truck seat a year later, flat, Natty Light goes to Jeff Carter for being a big #Boomer.  That's one of the privileges of passing out the beers!

Were the CBJ outworked?  Meh.  This is a really tough game on a back to back.  They brought a pretty good effort considering the number of games they have played.  The loss doesn't hurt too much, the Jackets are still in eighth place.  It puts more pressure on the other games, but since they started the road trip winning three straight, they took the pressure off this game.  But they still need to win some games down the stretch.

Ugh.  Todd Richards just announced that Matt Calvert  has a broken finger.  He'll be out for awhile.  Boone?

Next up the Sharks on Thursday.  Another tough game, but a day of rest in between.  They CBJ have to get some points.  

GO JACKETS!!!