Response

Tonight the Columbus Blue Jackets responded to a tough loss Friday night with a 4-0 shut out win by Sergei Bobrovsky to answer the Islanders beating the CBJ on the Island seven games ago.  This was an incredibly important 2 points in regulation by the CBJ, in a 'game in hand' on most of the competition.  This game was the power play, BOB (shouted in capital letters), and the Islanders.  The only reason they didn't end up with any goals is the compete level of Sergei Bobrovsky.  I might note that Boone Jenner only had his composure with regards to physical play that kept him from a Gordy Howe hat trick.  If you care about this team, one of the huge reasons you want it to make the playoffs is for the lessons that Johansen and Boone Jenner will learn.  A solid win tonight, in spite of the lack of solid play (please don't take that as criticism of the team or their effort, but it was a weird night).  One thing that can be said is that the Jackets buried their chances.

1.  The first CBJ beer goes to my buddy Bill, who shoved me down in his haste to get to the puck that was laying behind Nilsson, the Islanders goalie. I'm pretty sure if he wouldn't have pushed me down I'd have made it out of the upper deck and over the glass to kick that one in.  Fortunately, Boone Jenner had position on us both, and finished it off before any D-men could get there.  So Bill will have to share this beer with Boone.  Honestly though, we should make this one a quart for them to share, as Boone was all over the ice tonight.  JUST WAIT TILL HE GROWS UP!!! :-)

2.  The Second CBJ Beer, but really the first if you ignore the fictitious BS above goes to Sergei Bobrovsky.  Bob was under pressure all night long, had his stick whacked away for significant stretches of play, but still came through with a shut out.  Bob is proving that the Vezina award us not a fluke.  He won't win it this year, which is okay.  Lundquist and Rask both play for better teams.  Which doesn't have much to do with earning the Vezina, it just has more to do with winning it.  Don't get me wrong.  Those guys are both highly deserving of the award, and I'm not sure if I would agree that Bob deserves to win it in back to back years.  But we would be screwed without Bob.

3. Having said all that in the second beer, I can't ignore Curtis McHelinney's role in this team's success.  When Bob has gone down, CMac and Mike McKenna have played well in his stead.  Nabokov went down for the Islanders and their season was done.  CMac has plugged the holes in the dike to keep us in this race.  We ain't forgettin'.

4.  The fourth beer, which should really be the third, if you follow my logic, goes to the power play.  Three power play goals is nice redemption and a momentum builder for a unit that has struggled at times this year.  Boone Jenner, Jack Johnson, and Ryan Murray all scored power play goals.  Those were all huge momentum goals, and kept the physicality of the game from escalating out of control.  Very sweet stuff.

5. This fifth CBJ beer goes to Mark Letestu, the test tube.  The inverted test tube makes a wonderful plugger of holes, and that's how Richie has used Letestu all year.  While Letestu has not equalled his goal output of the abbreviated campaign of last year, he has exceeded his assist total.  Richie has not hesitated to bench those whose play does not quite fit with what he wants to see, but Letestu continues to play.  I think that speaks for itself.  He has had an extremely solid season.

6. My sixth CBJ beer goes for the agony and the ecstasy of a playoff run.  I can hardly bear to watch the games.  Yet this is what I desired.  I love it.  It hurts.  I love the hurt.  I hurt the love.  Dang, I'm so confused I need a shrink!  Four more games.  HUGE points tonight!  GO JACKETS!!!  GO JACKETS!!!

This is what we have waited so long for.  I love it.  Except for the losses, in which case propriety may go out the door.  Sorry, but it hurts.

But we won tonight!!  <glow>

GO JACKETS!!!