Gallos' Thoughts on Game 31: Devilwrenches

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The CBJ and particularly the Johansen line, (Joey, Umby, and Fellini for Morgan) had a bad case of Crosby-Malkinitis going into tonight's game against New Jersey.  Fortunately, Dubinsky, Atkinson, and Calvert were in the back of the bus (i.e. plane) popping Crash-the-netisone for tonight's game.  New Jersey pretty much skated the CBJ off the ice in the first 23 minutes of the game.  The huge fortune was that we were only down 2-1 after the first period.  The Jackets goal came off a nice rush by Atkinson, who dished a marginal pass to Dubinsky on the boards, who dug it out and flung it on net.  Cam was backing into the crease when the rebound off Brodeur (pronounced 'Hall of Fame') bounced into the net.  A good imitation of last night's goal by Crosby.

But after New Jersey scored early in the second to make it 3-1, the CBJ scored twice in a minute at about the 5 minute mark in the second, to make it a 3-3 game.  This flurry was all about the Dubinsky, Atkinson, Calvert line, which pretty much carried the team for the whole second period.  Really excellent effort by all three players.  Even better, at a time when the best line, Johansen's line, didn't have it, they stepped up and owned the game.  That means we have a 1-2 punch.  And sure enough that's how the game worked out.



With only 18 seconds gone in the third period, the Dubinsky, Atkinson, Calvert line extended their dominance, scoring another goal to give the Jackets a 4-3 lead.  Starting at about the midway point of the third period, the Devil Wrenches (seriously, look at their logo.  It looks like a wrench run over by a truck) really started to take over play.  The CBJ inability to clear the zone finally resulted in yielding the tying goal at 13:59 of the third period.

With the game tied 4-4, a game in which they had been largely ineffectual, the Johansen, Foligno, Umberger line really amped their play in the last 10 minutes of the third period.  This culminated at the end of the game with extended possession, and finally Johansen bouncing a shot off Foligno's skate to score the winning goal. After a monster effort last night, this line only had about 10 minutes of play in it, which was used at the end of the game in a critical moment.  The Dubinsky, Atkinson, Calvert line carried the team into the third period, which allowed Johansen's line enough time to get it going at the end for the winning goal.

This was an ugly, but satisfying win.  Coming back after giving up the first goal is a great pattern to set, and will stand them in good stead as the season progresses.  If the team can carry the 1-2 punch forward, that's a great thing, and a real problem for the opposition.  Taking two points from a Metro Division opponent is always a big deal.  We are really upside down in the season series against two teams, Boston and Pittsburgh.  To make the playoffs, we need to be right side up on even more teams.  We stayed that way with New Jersey for now.  A very important win.

How great is Ryan Murray?  Really?  He made some mistakes tonight.  There were a couple of time when he was chasing the puck after a mistake.  But when the chips were down, and we were really scrambling, the modus operendi was to chuck the puck at Murray, who would settle down your mistake, and then move the puck up the ice with a nice pass.  Fans.  Please.  Plan to give this guy a sophomore slump, ok?  How could he play better than he's playing now?  Score? Note to self, see if Murray scores more next year...

A good win, against a divisional opponent.  If this core of players we are playing now can continue to win, then other players coming in (e.g. Gaborik, Horton) have to evaluate themselves in the context of 'what can I add that makes me part of this team'.  (Note to Gaborik and Horton:  Goals!  Why do you ask?)  In other words, they have to find a way to fit themselves into an existing structure.  If that structure is winning, there is even more pressure to fit into that structure.  That is a strength going forward.

Good stuff.  I thought they were done at 2-1.  Not so much.

Game Haiku:

Jackets win it late

Brodeur sounds like 'Hall of Fame'

But we get two points

On to the Rangers.  Thursday fun.  I love this Eastern Conference stuff.

GO JACKETS!!