Game 41 Six Pack: Coyotes

Tonight the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Phoenix Coyotes 2-0 in the desert.  Nathan Horton played his first game as a Blue Jacket, and scored the game winning goal on a power play right in front of the net.  Very, very nice.  This one was a big win at the half way point of the season, and sets the stage for a push.  We have two more rough road games on this trip, St. Louis and Rangers.  So having this win helps, it helps a lot, so on with the six-pack!

Got the 6 pack graphic this time!

1. Are you kidding me?  Nathan Horton plays his first game as a Blue Jacket and scores his 199th career goal on the power play.  This was a goal that was scored from the top of the crease.  Horton was moving so well around the net that the 'yotes defenders lost track of him, Wiz puts a shot on goal, and Horton cleans up the rebound.  Lather, rinse, repeat please!!  This is one icy cold, CBJ brewski to Nathan Horton for finally getting to play.

2.  My second CBJ beer goes to the team, for how they reacted to the return of Horton.  After the game, it was fun to see that the players were genuinely jacked up for Horton, and how happy they were for him.  Spirit counts a ton in this whole thing, because you need that when times get tough.  Horton's grin seemed infectious.  It was some good stuff.

3.  Of course the special teams deserve a cold, frosty, CBJ beer for changing up their performance.  Special teams have determined the result of the last 3 games.  The first two games, the Jackets penalty kill was sub-standard.  Tonight the turned the 'yotes back on 4 penalty kill challenges, and cashed in for the two goals on the power play opportunities.   You can steal some games with the power play, and we will need that going forward.

4. My fourth CBJ beer goes to R.J Umberger.  Scoring that second goal was huge, especially when we went on the PK with the Phoenix goalie pulled, so a 6 on 4 situation with about 38 seconds left in the game.  It changed the tenor of that situation.  Good for RJ.  Keep crashing the net like that.  It's a good thing.

5. My fifth CBJ beer goes to Curtis McElhinney.  If the goalie is your most important penalty killer, and the penalty kill goes 0-6 through two games, it is clear that the goal tender is not making any above average saves.  CMac turned that around to night, and pitched a shut out.

6. My sixth CBJ beer foes to the lads over at Full Tilt Rangers.  I ended up talking on their radio show/podcast about Rick Nash.  If I can figure the link out so that it shows something other than machine language, I'll post it.  It was fun.  Ha, ha.  What would YOU do if a Rangers fan asked you about Arniel?  Hoo boy.  It was a lot of fun, and we'll mess with it some when we have some down time.

The CBJ pick up two huge points in the desert.  We need these points to keep pace in the Metro while people get back off injured reserve.  Then it is time to go on a run.

1-1 on the road trip so far, undefeated in 2014 for the time being. It's all good.

GO JACKETS!!