New faces down on the farm

With the looming NHL lockout, you Blue Jacket faithful have seen some familiar faces hop in a plane and travel out to Western Massachusetts to play for the AHL affiliate Springfield Falcons. Players such as right wing Cam Atkinson, center Ryan Johansen and defenseman John Moore and David Savard were all solid contributions on the ice for the Blue Jackets.

Cam Atkinson played in 27 games last season for the
Columbus Blue Jackets. Photo courtesy of Masslive.com

Last season, Johansen and Moore played the most games for Columbus out of the bunch. They both played in 67 games for the Blue Jackets. Johansen, a center, scored nine goals and had 12 helpers combining for a total of 21 points on the year. Moore, a physical defenseman, had just two goals and five assists totaling seven points in his season for Columbus. 

This season, Johansen has been playing well for Springfield. Through four games played, the center has two goals and an assist. As for Moore, he has contributed a goal and an assist to the Falcons offensive outpour this season (averaging over three goals a game this season).

Next comes Savard. The 6’1” 217 pounder from St. Hyacinthe, Quebec, played 31 games wearing the Columbus red white and blue, scoring two goals and adding eight helpers to total 10 points. This season for the Falcons, Savard has started the season strong handing out two assists in four games.

Lastly, the player in this group with the least experience in the NHL last year with the Blue Jackets is having the biggest impact with the Falcons this season. Boston College graduate Cam Atkinson has put together four points in as many games this year in Springfield. 

With one goal and three assists, this is a good chance for Atkinson to showcase his talents to the Blue Jacket front office. Last season with Columbus, the 5’7” right winger played in 27 games with the Jackets and tallied 14 points (7 goals, 7 assists).  

Atkinson was one of the more talked about players this off season. My roommate had a chance to check out the training camp evaluations as part of the Springfield College Exercise Science major. He will be interning with Falcons Head Strength Coach Dan Gregory next semester. According to him, “Cam showed off his speed and strength in training camp, with the fastest short sprint time, and even though being of smaller stature, was lifting with the big guys.”

The Falcons are off to a great start this season. Through four games the team is 3-1, losing only to the Providence Bruins this past Saturday. The Falcons will look to avenge this loss when they travel to Providence this Friday to take on the Bruins on the road.

Follow Jon Santer on Twitter: @JSanter5

Check out Jon's personal Hockey East Blog: collegehockeyeastpuck.wordpress.com
Twitter: @HockeyEastBlog

Steve Mason and Spring Football

Ian Clark lecturing during 2011-12 training camp

You might ask yourself, 'what in 'tarnation does Steve Mason have to do with Spring Football?'  And I would say, 'the answer is obvious, Ian Clark'.  At which point the discerning reader might discreetly start punching in '911' to call the guys to bring the coat with the long sleeves.  And, as I write this, I gird myself for the firestorm of criticism.  But, I am one of those glass half full guys, admittedly.  But please keep in mind as a season ticket holder, I've seen A LOT of Steve Mason performances, in person.  I've shouted at a few of 'em on TV too.  I get it.  It would be best to have the goal tending situation be locked up solid.  The theory that Mason has been given plenty of rope is sound.  But there's 30 teams that need solid goal tending and only about 15 legit starting goal tenders, according to Vancouver's coach.  And there's that contract!  Eeesh!  What does Mason make this year, $3 million??  So we have to face up to the fact that it's entirely possible he will be here all year.  And that he is only 23 years old.  When did Tim Thomas bloom into a Vezina trophy winner?   And to throw in a rhetorical question, would you consider Tim Thomas to be a draft bust?  But I digress.

I have to get back into the importance of Spring Football.

A Scalpel, Not the Bomb...

“We are rapidly approaching a moment of truth both for ourselves as fans and for the life of our Blue Jacket nation. Now, truth is not always a pleasant thing. But it is necessary now to make a choice, to choose between two admittedly regrettable, but nevertheless *distinguishable*, post-season environments: one where you make surgical change, and the other where you go *nuclear* and start from scratch.”

With all due apologies to Stanley Kubrick, the Columbus Blue Jackets are at a crossroads. The more vocal among the fan-base are calling for the “nuclear” option of blowing up the club. While a case can be made for going this route, I highly doubt those fans realize exactly what it would entail. After 11 years of mediocre hockey, are they fully prepared for another 3-5 years of the same during a rebuild? That is what “going nuclear”, in this context, means. It means another 3-5 years of missing the playoffs. It means another 3-5 years of not quite meaningful hockey. It means another 3-5 years of giving the “pundits” around the NHL more ammunition in their quest to snuff out hockey in Columbus.

I believe there is another way to do it.

Yes, major change has to happen. It’s needed to happen for some time. But, this change needs to be surgical in nature. I’ll start with the Forwards and address Defense and Goaltending later.
The following are the players that I believe should be kept. In parentheses is the ending year of their current contract. (All numbers courtesy of CapGeek) Rick Nash (2018), Jeff Carter (2022), Derick Brassard (2014), Ryan Johansen (2014), Antoine Vermette (2015), Tomas Kubalik (2013), Ryan Russell (2012), Derek Dorsett (2012), Mark Letestu (2013), Colton Gillies (2013) and Vinny Prospal (2012). These players represent the “core” of the Forward corps.

Most of you will think I’m full of canine excrement for keeping Prospal, but I’ll tell you why. He is second only to Rick Nash in points, going 9-21-30 in 44 games. He knows what it takes to be successful in the NHL. He’ll be 37 years old next month and, to use my favorite term, has the “intangibles” that this club needs. GM Scott Howson admits he made a mistake in not re-signing Michael Peca for that very reason. A veteran presence in the room with his work ethic is worth its’ weight in gold.

To those who say “Rick, why would he want to sign an extension here” and “he’s worth more in a trade”, I say sweeten the offer to him. A 1-2 year contract with a place within the organization when he retires would be the right move. He understands the need for surgical repair versus the “nuclear” option. How can this be a bad thing? He would bring a wealth of knowledge to a club that desperately needs it.

As for the other Forwards, I say trade them for what you can get. They all have some value and, for the most part, GM Scott Howson has proven adept at making trades. In parentheses is the ending year of their current contract and dollar amount. Kristian Huselius (2012, $4.75M), RJ Umberger (2017, $4.6M), Samuel Pahlsson (2012, $2.65M), Jared Boll (2012, $725K), Derek MacKenzie (2012, $600K), Dane Byers (2012, $550K) all need to go. Umberger would bring the biggest return from this group, by far. At this point, bring up some of the kids from the clubs AHL affiliate, the Springfield Falcons to give them playing time in the NHL. The key is to let them play.

As for the Defense, the keepers would be (ending year of current contract in parentheses): James Wisniewski (2017), Fedor Tyutin (2018), John Moore (2014), Nikita Nikitin (2012) and David Savard (2013). These five players represent the core of the Defense and have proven that they belong here.

The defensemen that need to go are (ending year of contract, dollar amount in parentheses): Marc Methot (2015, $3M), Radek Martinek (2012, $2.2M), Grant Clitsome (2013, $1.25M) and Aaron Johnson (2012, $550K). Of this group, Methot would bring the biggest return. Once again, there are players in the AHL that can be called up to get experience.

And now to tackle that perennial shortcoming in Columbus, the Goaltending issue. The keepers (forgive the pun) should be Curtis Sanford (2012) and Mark Dekanich (2012). I’m not saying these two are your starter and back-up, just that they should be kept within the organization. It’s time for Steve Mason (2013, $2.9M) to go. This ship has sailed and to keep him would serve no purpose other than to prolong the agony. The old cliché does hold water, “a change of scenery will do him good”. The organization and fans have been more than patient with Mason, in the hopes that his “game” would come back. Alas, it has not. Thus, it is time to part ways with him.

This leaves 16 players, not including goalies, on the roster and is a surgical approach to re-tooling the club. The players I have suggested be kept all hold value in a rebuild and have proven their worth moving forward. While I know that Umberger is a fan favorite, his game seems to have stagnated. The other roster spots can be filled with short term signings and call-ups.

In regards to the coaching position, I’d like to see what Todd Richards can do between now and the end of the season before making a determination on him.

While this might seem personal, it is not. I have met and interviewed most of these players and they are all nice guys. But, the NHL is a business. The measure of success in this business is winning. The core of this club has the skill and with some re-tooling, they can take the next step and start winning. There is no need to go “nuclear”. The fans might think that’s the only way to make this club successful. To that I say, be careful what you wish for.

New Sheriff in Town

Todd Richards was an authoritative voice in his 1st practice

Todd Richards ran his first practice for the Columbus Blue Jackets today.  The difference was palpable.  Richards was firm and authoritative throughout the practice, and he clearly has some things he wants to change.  If a drill wasn't started the way he wanted it, he'd stop it and make them start over.  He worked the players hard.

It seems clear that he has changes in mind in defensive zone coverage, as well as on the offensive side.  A 5 on 5  D zone drill late in the practice got spirited, and he jumped in, insisting that the players on offense not concede anything.  The pace quickly picked up.

From my seat half way up the lower bowl, I could clearly hear him (and my hearing is nothing to write home about) telling the centers to 'get out there, no lazy circles' and telling them that the coverage he wanted was going to be hard work.  I don't know how the players felt about it, but it was music to this fan's ears.

The 800 Pound Gorilla in the Room

What is the role of a minority owner?

Had a good laugh at a couple of knuckleheads sitting at their keyboard the other day.  One of the blogs with a more national readership had noted that the CBJ were having a less than stellar year (I can't find the link, incompetence is my only excuse).  And these guys got on the comments and said essentially "blow the whole thing up, and the next city who gets them will have something to build from".  Which for someone who is sitting in front of a search engine is a pretty stunning admission of ignorance and laziness.  In this article, the Columbus Business Journal notes that the last step in the agreement to purchase Nationwide Arena, approval by the Franklin County Commissioners, was achieved, and the whole deal is moving forward.  Bad news to the knuckleheads who want to issue their opinions on the CBJ without doing any work.  There isn't going to be any next city.  This is our problem to deal with and we have to find our way out of this mess.

One thing I keep forgetting as part of this whole picture of a disastrous season and the apparent apathy by management and ownership towards changes to attempt to rectify the disaster; that is the role of the new minority owner.

Sea Change

Nationwide Arena

Today, the Franklin County Commissioners voted to approve their portion of the deal to purchase and operate Nationwide Arena.  While the final paper work still needs to be signed, all the pieces are in place for the deal to proceed, and they anticipate closing the deal in late January.

Of interest to us as hockey fans is what this means for the Columbus Blue Jackets.  The team gains a significant new minority owner in Nationwide Insurance.  They are kicking a significant chunk of money into the pot right off the bat.  And, most importantly, the team is signing on the dotted line to stay in Columbus for 29 years, or until 2039.  The Columbus Blue Jackets are now an institution in Columbus.  While it is clearly the responsibility of the Hockey Organization to put a winning team on the ice, their presence is no longer tenuous.

With this change, the whole situation with regard to the team is stabilized for the long term.  The franchise has been strengthened organizationally in a substantial fashion this year, even to the extent of being the prime beneficiary of a league re-alignment.  All this allows for a change of approach for the hockey operations part of the organization.

Evaluating the Coach

Scott Arniel - Head Coach

I have really struggled about how I feel about Scott Arniel this year.  We have watched coach after coach get fired this year in the NHL, most with .500 records or better, while the Columbus Blue Jackets  sit pat in spite of being in last place (though today we have climbed to 29th of 30 teams).

At this point, I have to throw out a stick tap to the rest of the blogging team here at the Dark Blue Jacket for helping me to process these issues in some sort of positive fashion.  The Nashville game was an insanely good time!  It was extremely entertaining, and we pushed them all over the ice.  For 58 minutes.  Dang.  I was really 'disturbed' (you are welcome grandma) following the game, and promptly wrote a diatribe calling for Coach Scott Arniel's head.  Courtesy intervened at that point, and the knowledge that I was dragging a bunch of other people down that path without their consent was a real issue.  So the 'publish' button was not pushed.  Two days later the 'delete' button was pushed.

Why delete a really slick post calling for the ouster of the Head Coach?  Certainly his record demands it.  Might be good for traffic on the site.  But maybe its not that easy.

The Long Climb to Respectability

Sergei Federov as a Blue Jacket

Now that it has faded from view a bit, I'd like to discuss the hiring of Craig Patrick as a senior hockey adviser for the Columbus Blue Jackets in the context of the franchise's history.  In the early years, I remember well that we had a roster of secondary players that was never able to generate the crazed and desperate energy of the inaugural squad.  We had drafted Nash and Zherdev, but they were young, and relatively unproven.  Then, after the lockout, early in the 2005-06 season, the trade for Sergei Federov was consummated.  This guy just oozed hockey respectability, and as such was a real addition to the roster.

After the 2005-06 season, Adam Foote was added to the roster as a free agent.  These guys were real, honest-to-goodness, hockey names, that carried instant recognition.  You will notice, of course, that the early steps towards respectability came through the acquisition of known players.  This, however, did not translate to success on the ice.  Thus, the franchise needed to make its next step towards respectability, the acquisition of Coach Ken Hitchcock.

Brass, Commie, Calvert and Claude

Derrick Brassard in a post-practice shooting drill

I've been mulling these topics over for several days, the whole situation, and the discussion concerning Derrick Brassard, of the Columbus Blue Jackets.  In a previous post on this subject I opined that some of Brass' struggles this year were a normal developmental stage, that had been delayed by the dearth of talent in the franchise.  The more I think about it, the more I think some of that is definitely true, which we will explore later in the post.

Late last week, Brassard's agent issued a statement calling out Coach Scott Arniel for Brassard's situation. For the whys and wherefore's of Brassard's Agent's comments, I highly recommend this excellent post over on Ten Minute Misconduct, and the commentary which follows.  This really puts the whole situation in a current context in the NHL.  What I want to do in this post is to explore the similarities between what is happening to Brassard and someone who was absolutely and unquestionably relegated to Scott Arniel's doghouse, big Mike Commodore.

I got a pretty unique opportunity last year, a chance to have a chat with Mike.  This occurred following a childish and petulant outburst in this space (long since retracted).   In our conversation I later characterized this to Mike as a rookie mistake, which was a pretty apt description. He was gracious about my failings, for which I was grateful.  He IS a pretty big guy.  But he had a pretty rough experience at the hands of Arniel, and I think his experience is pertinent here.  So I'd like to discuss his experiences as they might relate to Brassard,without rolling Mike under the bus.  I would like to affirmatively state that he refused to criticize any coach in any way.  This was wise on his part, as hockey is a pretty tight community and that stuff gets around.  Mike Commodore would not comment on Scott Arniel.

DBJ's 5 Thoughts on Game 26: Edmonton

Double D

The Columbus Blue Jackets fell tonight 6-3 on the road to the Edmonton Oilers, a young team that is looking very explosive.  Following a spirited round of Scott Arniel Line-up Bingo, courtesy of the DBJ, everyone settled down to watch the game.  And now, for the Dark Blue Jacket's 5 thoughts on this game.

1. Fast Start, Fast Finish - The Oil got on the board in the first 30 seconds of the game, courtesy of a Nash penalty.  Curtis Sanford had no chance on Eberle's power play goal.  The Oilers then began a push in the waning minute of the 2nd period that carried over to the third, and salted the win with 4 goals in the third period against the road weary CBJ.  Ryan Jones put together 2 nice goals with 1 bunny for a third period hat trick.

2. The Sand Man - Once again, Curtis Sanford played well.  It kinda fell apart in the third period, in his ninth straight game, and on the second night of a back to back.  But the CBJ lose by double digits if he doesn't shine.  Sanford kept them in the game in the second period with some sterling work, for example, stoning Eberle on a 2 on 1 break.

3. Derek Dorsett - Dorsett didn't have an empty net from a pulled goal tender to shoot at in order to collect his hat trick, so he had to settle for only scoring two goals.  The first, which put the CBJ ahead 2-1, was a beauty.  Dorsett collecting a whiff by an Oilers D-man, walked in and avoided the poke check by the goal tender Dubnyk, and scored the goal into the abandoned net.  The other goal was a put back of a rebound from a Marc Methot slapshot.  It was a strong game by Doors.

Dark Blue Jacket's 5 Thoughts on Game 22: Buffalo

It was Vinny Prospal's night!

Congratulations to Vinny Prospal for playing his 1000th NHL game.  To put that in perspective, our franchise has not yet had 1000 games.  A significant achievement for Vinny, and I am proud that he accomplished this milestone as a Columbus Blue Jacket.

And now, on to the five thoughts on the game:

1. Vinny's Night - It was fitting that Prospal's 1000th game would come on game 22, his number, and that his teammates would respond with a very solid effort.  During the bad times of our horrible start, it was often that Vinny's play was the only bright spot, and it seemed like he was an important catalyst to turning this thing around. What a consummate professional, and it was a stroke of luck that allowed us Jackets fans to truly experience Vinny.

The team will present him with the traditional silver hockey stick for 1000 games prior to the December 17 game against the Tampa Bay Lightening, an organization where Vinny played nearly 500 games.  It is fitting that Vinny's old mates would be in the barn for this celebration.

2. Consistent, Solid Play - The CBJ have been turning in some very solid efforts, on a very consistent basis.  Home/Road, with lead/playing behind, they seem to have found their groove.  The whole lineup is contributing, and the effort is tangible across the board.  Very nice to see.  This was especially evident last night at the beginning of the second period.  Even though they had a two goal lead, they clearly still had their foot on the gas.  What is fueling that ......?

3. The Sand Man - Curtis Sanford continues his very strong play in goal.  He really shut things down, and was especially solid in a couple of Buffalo flurries of shots early on in the game.  He has a 1.27 GAA and a save percentage of .950 according to NHL.com.   These are sparkling numbers.

DBJ's 5 Thoughts on Game 21: New Jersey

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our readers from the gang here at the Dark Blue Jacket!  We really appreciate that you take the time to read our work.  And now the Dark Blue Jacket's 5 Thoughts on the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 shootout loss to the New Jersey Devils.

1. Family Comes First - Enjoy the family today if you have the opportunity to do so.  Both the DBJ and I missed the game last night due to family obligations, he being out of state, and I attending my daughter-in-law's birthday dinner.  So I surreptitiously followed the game scores on my phone and through Twitter.  Let's just say that the last time I had a family dinner during a game, they were down 2-0 before we even walked into the restaurant (against Philly, ugh!).  To see the game tied 0-0 after one period was a pleasant surprise.  To see that they finished tied 1-1 in regulation before I got to the car was even more pleasing.

2. Consistency - The team seems to be playing a very consistent brand of hockey.  They only gave up one goal prior to the skills contest, and only took three penalties.  I know it is frustrating for Derick Brassard to be sitting in the press box, but if I were Scott Arniel I wouldn't be tinkering too much with the line up.  On that same vein, we have seen pretty consistent line combinations, which breeds chemistry over time.

3. The Sand Man - Curtis Sanford continues a strong run of play in goal.  He now has a sparkling 1.33 Goals Against Average (GAA) and a Save Percentage of 0.946.  These are excellent numbers.  He is getting here with a cool, efficient brand of goal tending, so it seems as if it is possible for this to continue.  We will see how he does as the games begin to mount.  For a 32 year old goal tender being resurrected from the minors, it may take a while before he gets tired.  I couldn't be happier for this guy, and wish him all the best.

DBJ's 5 Thoughts on Game 20: Calgary

Curtis Sanford Third Jersey Pads

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT - The Dark Blue Jacket, in its long commitment to public service would like to warn the public that Curtis Sanford's Third Jersey Pads have some real WOW!! factor.  We would not want anyone to be un-prepared for this.  And now, back to our regularly scheduled program, the Dark Blue Jacket's 5 thoughts on tonight's 4-1 win by the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Calgary Flames.

1. The Eraser - The CBJ are not a dramatically better team than they were four games ago.  But Curtis Sanford erased many of those mistakes with a great deal of aplomb.  I really liked the way Sanford controlled the pace of the game, and shut things down by gloving the puck when things got too hairy.  Well done Curtis! You are instilling a confidence in the team that is palpable.  I saw mistakes by veteran centers (Carter) and young defensemen (Nikitin) erased by Sanford.  It is now time to start the Masterson discussion.  Please pardon me for a moment while I rant.

HEY BLUEJACKETS!  LETESTU, NIKITIN, AND MARTINEK ARE ALL BLUE JACKETS NOW!  HOW ABOUT SENDING NHL.COM PICTURES OF THEM IN BLUE JACKETS JERSEYS!!

Rant complete.  Thank you for your patience.

The other thoughts after the jump.

Regarding Brassard

Brassard in a post-practice shooting drill

Derick Brassard has not had anything like the season he wanted for the Columbus Blue Jackets.  He's been all over the place, from top line center to fourth line winger.  To say he's had a rough start to the beginning of 2011-12 is to say that he is in the same boat with a lot of other Blue Jackets players.

Which is part of the reason I am writing this post.  Because in reality, it is about player development.  And the message I am trying to send here is that what Brassard is going through now is a normal part of player development.  Unfortunately for Brassard, the lack of talent at the center position has delayed this moment for a couple of years.  But its a necessary part of the growth process.

Let's reflect for a moment what we expected of Derick Brassard.  The year he came up to the NHL he showed great promise before his injury (2008-09).  Coming back the following year, it was hoped that he would hold down the number 1 center job in his first full year in the NHL since we didn't re-sign Manny Malhotra.  Number 1 lottery pick overall Sidney Crosby may have been able to do that, but Brass was 6th overall.  A player like that should be not be expected to hold down a number one center job in his first full year.  That takes an extraordinary talent, not just a good player like Brass.  But such was the Blue Jackets need.

Enter Jeff Carter.

Part VI: The Dark Blue Jacket's Definitive History of the CBJ

Hitchcock working the Blue Jackets bench.

Hitchcock Retrospective


Now that Ken Hitchcock has accepted a job with the St. Louis Blues, it is time to take a look at the legacy Hitch left for the Columbus Blue Jackets organization.  First and foremost, Hitch remains the winningest coach in franchise history, a status that is unlikely to be threatened any time soon.  In addition, he left the legacy of the only playoff appearance in franchise history.  


While we might have debated this issue in August, in the crystal clarity of hindsight, it now appears that the CBJ are past the high point that was the Hitchcock era, and must now rebuild to find those heights again.  As a glass half full kind of guy, I don't think we are that far off from being there again.  On the other hand, there are some real lessons lying out there in the retrospective, that I am not sure we have learned as an organization yet.


As a disclaimer, I am going to note that at the time, I agreed with most of the moves I am going to dissect as potentially wrong later in the post.  I am looking with 20-20 hindsight, and could not perceive these things at the time.  Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it (Santayana).  As a fan, I don't want to repeat the past, in spite of the evidence in front of our eyes in 2011-12.

WWHD?

What Would Hitch Do?

Columbus Blue Jackets Civil War Logo

With the ominous sounding post over on Puck Rakers that big changes could be coming to Nationwide in reference to the terrible start, one could ask, what would a new coach 'cough' Hitch, do to get out of this mess?

Here are some thoughts on that:

• Put the best penalty killer in the NHL, Rick Nash back on the PK.  You play your best people on the PK.
• Team defense.  Everyone plays defense.  All defense, all the time.  We can only score two goals.
• Make the other D-men turn around, get the puck low in the o-zone and cycle the thing for a bit, instead of forwards launching shots from the top of the circle (its ok Wiz, you are supposed to launch those shots!).
• The veterans know how to play this game.  RyJo, its time to go back to juniors.  Unless you can really impress Hitch with your D.  (BTW RyJo, your task in juniors is to learn how to carry a team.  We may need it in the future)
• Hitch tried to play the up tempo game in the NHL when he first came up.  It didn't work.  So he adapted.  Coach Arniel hasn't really had a chance to adapt.
• There are those that say Hitch hockey is boring.  Reflecting on his status as winningest coach in franchise history, how boring is losing?

Don't think that I'm happy this is happening.  I'm not.  But you are your record.  This can't continue.  Perhaps this is a move of desperation.  If you are not desperate now, what are you?

GO JACKETS!!

There is No Such Thing as Bad Publicity

Is Community Awareness at an All Time High?

How many people mentioned the BlueJackets win to you today?  Let's face it.  They know you are a die hard fan.  I would say more than a dozen mentioned something to me at work today.  A solid third of those were people who were only tangentially aware that I was a fan, but they were aware.

In a totally different environment, Mrs. Gallos encountered the same thing.  People who might not ordinarily take notice, took notice, and said something, especially after last nights improbable win.

With the Arena deal moving through government, the amazing moves that management pulled off over the off season, and the absolutely brutal start (followed by a captivating win!), I think its fair to say that community awareness of the Columbus Blue Jackets is at an all time high.

Do you agree?  How many people said something to you today?

They Must Learn to Hate Losing More Than Anything

- Ken Hitchcock, Former Coach of the CBJ 

Old logo, to keep it step with the rest of things!

In the waning days of his coaching stint with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Ken Hitchcock uttered the title phrase regarding his players, many of whom remain the core players of today's team.

After a solid start, best in franchise history, his team had imploded in December, and spiraled out of control.  The fans were calling for the coaches head.  Sound familiar?

Remember folks.  We're not talking about Wiz, Carter, or Prospal.  We are talking about Nash, Umberger, Vermette and Brassard here.  The core players.  And this is what the Hall of Fame coach uttered about his players, as he viewed the handwriting on the wall for his coaching job - These players must learn to hate losing more than anything else.

There are real reasons why the core of this team has not learned this lesson.  But it this team is ever going to have the long term success they want to have, they have to learn to hate losing with a burning passion.  We are in the middle of that learning process right now, and it really doesn't matter how many games they lose, or whether or not we make the playoffs this year.  It matters that the core of this team learn to hate losing more than anything.  Because that is the pre-requisite for becoming a successful franchise.

That's not the dirty play I intended!

Matt Calvert and RJ Umberger at practice

Big stick tap to Light the Lamp for publishing the reaction of the Wild fans and media.

Let's compare James Wisniewski's excuse: 'I was defending myself';

to

Pierre-Marc Bouchard's excuse:  I meant to slash Calvert on the hands, but he lifted my stick!

No matter how you cut it, that is a dirty play with intent to injure.  The slash to the hands has been an area of focus for officials for the last few years because it has only one intent, to injure a player, ESPECIALLY if that player does not even have the puck.

I don't care if he has a 9 year career of unpunished, er, clean play.  That is a dirty play any way you examine it. And from now on, he is a repeat offender.

There's only two ways to police this stuff.  Either the Shanahammer does it, or you need to revoke the instigator rule and reserve a roster spot for an enforcer.  Given the events of this last summer, the league has opted to police the game itself.

Eliminating the slash to the hands, much less to the face, will not diminish the game we love.  It will eliminate dirty play.  Check the rule book.  Its always been that way.

GO JACKETS

The Opener - Nashville 3, CBJ 2

Hopes for an Undefeated Season Crushed

Radek Martinek on the opening drape

What's that you say? No team has ever gone undefeated in the modern NHL?  Not even the Redwings, or the Penguins?  Oh.  Well that's not so bad then.

Ok, on a more serious note, on the the re-cap.  The Nashville Predators rolled into town with a solid team that went deep in the playoffs last year.  The Preds are built on solid defense and outstanding goal tending, and we saw a healthy dose of that last night as the Predators beat the Blue Jackets 3-2.

The game was really pretty equal in many respects.  The new look CBJ has really upgraded the forward position, but our defense without Wiz remains a work in progress.  The contrast between the teams was pretty stark.  The CBJ are still adjusting to all the new faces, which is normal.  The Preds looked like a team that was used to playing with one another.  On paper our forwards are better than theirs, but their defense is better than ours.  At the end of the day, the winning goal was scored on a defensive gaffe that allowed a Nashville shooter, Matt Halischuk fire an unchecked shot from the top of Steve Mason's crease with 39 seconds gone in the third period.  That ended up being the deciding goal.