Cautious Observers at the Trade Deadline

It's that time of the year, the NHL Trade Deadline is upon the NHL world.  Where Hockeyy Insiderrs every where speculate deals to be made, deals that are rumors, and things that deal with No Movement Clauses.  The trade deadline ended badly for us Blue Jackets fans last year.  Carter was gone, Howson outted Nash, and Ken Hitchcock was writing his acceptance speech for the Jack Adams.  Skies were gloomy, dogs were sad, and a lockout loomed.  Then there was May 29th, 2012.

You don't remember May 29th, 2012?  I do.  It was the day "John Davidson Watch" started in Columbus when he met with team officials that day.  My, that seems like a lifetime ago.  Since then, Columbus Blue Jacket fans have had a long time to get to know the kind of hockey executive John Davidson is: a patient and deliberately calculating President of Hockey Operations.  Davidson took his time in getting the GM he wanted.  He gave Todd Richards time to get his constrictive defensive system in place.  He's given several interviews in print, radio, and TV where he's stated over and over again, this season will be used to evaluate the team from top to bottom.  By the very nature of his repeated comments in this manner, and his very passive first year in Saint Louis, I don't see the CBJ doing much at the trade deadline.

He has a vision, and it isn't frantic action at the deadline..

Gallos' Six Pack on Game 33: Vancouver

In tonight's contest between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Vancouver Canucks, the home Canucks kept the ice tilted in their favor through the first two periods.  The CBJ were unable to generate any sustained offense in the first two periods, though it could also be said that Vancouver was letting a team that they were outplaying continue to hang around.  While the Jackets played better through the third period, regulation play ended with the score 0-0.  Bobrovsky was stellar in overtime, stoning Hansen on a breakaway.  The overtime period ended 0-0 with both goal tenders recording a shutout, and we went to a skills competition to determine the game outcome.  Lapierre was the only shooter to score, on a wicked back hand, and the CBJ lost 1-0 in their 22nd one goal game of the year.

Sergei Bobrovsky records another shut out

1. My first cold frosty one goes to Sergei Bobrovsky.  Bob was stellar in this game, and the difference for the CBJ.  A precious point was gained on the road, but he got beat on the one shoot out attempt.  He had 34 saves, and recorded his third shutout of the year.  This was a very emphatic response after getting chased from the net in Nashville.  What else can I say about Bob?  He's just been outstanding this year.

2. My second cold one goes to Artem Anisimov.  If you are going to get into a game where you aren't going to score, you need to have the puck To get the puck you need to win faceoffs.  Arty won 55% of his faceoffs, and was a beast in the circle down the stretch.  

3. My third beer is going to go to young Mr. Dalton Prout.  Prout has played some very solid defense, and the team is going to have a real quandary when Wiz comes off injured reserve.  The nice thing that Prout brings is a big physical presence that our defense does not otherwise have.  It is symbolic of Richards trust for Prout that he was seeing ice time in the 4 on 4 overtime period.

4, 5, 6.  My last three cold frosty beers are for re-alignment, and the Eastern Conference.  These 10 o'clock games are killers.  It will be nice to minimize these beasts, to a single visit a year.  I'm dreaming of 7 o'clock starts.

The Jackets just battled away, killed the penalties, but couldn't muster an offense.  As far as being out worked, yes in the first, no in the third, and maybe a draw in the second.  I'll call it a draw.  Since the CBJ are the road team, and have the rules stacked against them, I'll give them the nod for outworking Vancouver.  Tough tenacious defense and stellar goal tending eked out a precious point on the road.  But you have to score to win, and the CBJ didn't.

GO JACKETS!!

NY Times on John Davidson, Blue Jackets

I generally don't make a point to push specific news articles in your faces, but this is a unique one.

First, it's The New York Times talking about the Columbus Blue Jackets.  Through an admittedly New Yorker lens, granted, but this is Big Time exposure for the team.

Second, co-conspirator Morgan and the DBJ blog get mentions in the article.  Big "w00t!" to Morgan and us.  I can't speak for Morgan, but I'm flattered that the DBJ blog is being mentioned as a source of information related to the team.

Third, it's a very, very "eyes wide open" article.  The team has a ton of challenges, largely due to history.  That said, the fundamentals of stable franchise ownership, the high-quality Columbus community and the small but rabid fanbase suggest that the only thing holding the Columbus Blue Jackets back is the team itself. That's why Davidson is here.

A darned good article by Ken Belson.  Go read it. 

DBJ's six-pack for Game 32: Nashville

Nashville 5 - Columbus 2
13-13-6, 11th in the Western Conference
11th overall draft pick (and 14 & 21!)

The Columbus Blue Jackets rode into Nashville with their 12-game "no regulation loss" streak on the line and...ran into a buzzsaw against the host Predators, falling 5-2 in regulation at Bridgestone Arena.

This is perhaps the key moment of this season for the Blue Jackets.  Whether they come back - and by that I mean roar back to a position of stifling defense, strong goaltending and just enough offense - will have repercussions far beyond April's playoff seedings.

We just saw a pivot game of sorts, one where the dynamic of the streak was tossed on it's ear.  The question is whether the Blue Jackets can pivot back.  I'm dubious.  They have a dozen of their last 16 games on the road, and those road games aren't all played in Calgary.  There are tough teams laying in wait for a Columbus team that wins only when most everything goes right.

Snark Blue Jacket's Six-Pack for Game 31: The Atlanta Flames

Columbus Blue Jackets 5 - The Calgary Flames 1
9th in the Western Conference

The Blue Jackets look to continue their 11-game point streak tonight at Nationwide Arena against the visiting Calgary Flames.  The city was buzzing and every bar was packed full, but not for the Blue Jackets.  The Friday Night crowd of 13,853 (I'm resigned to this number being PAID attendance) fans belie the fact the Ohio State Buckeyes Men's Basketball team had a NC2A tournament game against Arcadia Barber Academy.  Always a bridesmaid...  But, those daring enough to show up or tune into the Blue Jackets game were in for an enigmatic goal scoring bonanza the likes of which haven't been seen this season leading the home town Jackets to a 5-1 victory.




Each Flames player will be crushing one of these
on the bus ride home.  Or, if you're listening to Bob McElligott


1.  The first beer goes to the Blue Jackets forwards.  Thank you for showing up tonight so that Bobrovsky didn't have to play out of his mind in order for the team to stand a chance.  Before finishing that beer, remember to pack the power play scoring on this upcoming road trip, or Tim Leroy and staff will be fitting you boys for a new set of Callaway's the end of April.

2.  Jared Boll and, this beer's for you.  I actually went a whole night without seeing anyone make fun of you on twitter.  Nice goal, a real NHL goal. 

3. And Nick Foligno, PBR Me ASAP.  Two quick goals were the dagger in the heart for the team formerly known as the Atlanta Flames.  I got up to get a beer came back and you had scored a couple of dandy goals.  I can't believe you were able to walk in on your first goal like you did.  The Flames had FIVE players in the Red Zone and you still were able to walk in from the half boards and get one through the ewoks (get it?) on Kipper.  The second goal was great work off the cycle.  I have no idea what the hell the Calgary defense was doing on both your goals, both times they had FIVE players in the red zone and you score.  It was very nice to see your line capitalize on terrible dzone coverage by Calgary and snipe one home from the high slot.

4.  Anisimov, this can of Calgary Flames Turnover Ale is for you.  What a HORRIBLE pass by Calgary in their dzone coverage.  What I particularly like about this goal is you shot the puck on net immediately.  You didn't over stick-handle, you didn't pass it to Dorsett.  You shot the puck quickly and banged it in off the post from the high slot.  I am a sucker for shooting from the high slot.  It's what I teach my pee-wees.

5.  Coach Richards, I'm buying you a beer the next chance I get.  The forecheck was a little more aggressive tonight as it should be against a struggling Flames team.  I liked that you stepped up the pressure on a team you should be able to beat.  I'm going to come out and say it - the forecheck needs to be a little more aggressive like it was tonight and the team needs to enter the zone with the puck on it's stick.  I know the Flames are a mess right now, but a little more of what we saw tonight will add to this team's confidence. 

6.  Curtis Glencross for Dick Tarnstrom.  Thanks Howson for giving me Dick Tarnstrom.  My Dick Tarnstrom has gone away, but so has Curtis Glencross.  But it still stings...

Were the Blue Jackets out worked?  For more than half of the game no, which rounds up to a full no.  The Jackets looked good, but let's call a spade a spade, the Flames sucked from here til Tuesday.  Kiprusoff was spot on in his 2011-2012 Steve Mason impersonation.  I'm not gushing over this win, but I am satisfied by it nonetheless.  The Blue Jackets won a game in which they were expected to win.  I can't remember a time in recent memory before this point streak where that's has happened.  I am very satisfied that this team is at a point where it can readily beat teams it's supposed to. 

Tomorrow Night is a must win game IN REGULATION for the Blue Jackets.  Tomorrow will be a playoff like game for both teams.  I hope the Blue Jackets take some of the added pressure on the forecheck from tonight and blend it nicely with a responsible neutral zone transition game to compliment their constricting
(if not clogging) dzone coverage.  But I will get on the dead horse I've been beating for 6 weeks, the Power Play has to get better before I start thinking playoffs.  The team is going to finish 12 out of it's remaining 18 games on the road and it HAS TO score more on the power play.  If the team does make it to the playoffs, power play scoring is the key.  Any sort of chance the Jackets will have is on the Powerplay.  The are capable of scoring on the power play, but they must find a way to execute.  The shortened season doesn't leave a team much room to work on special teams.

Tune in tomorrow to see if the Jackets can keep this dream alive...

You, too, could be a winner! (Really!)

If you haven't heard, the Columbus Blue Jackets sent out their annual Season Ticket Holder renewal email today.  Included with the financial incentive for early renewal is a continuation of last season's raffle contest to encourage REALLY early renewals.

The prizes are pretty cool, top-heavy with trips to Eastern Conference cities for games, jersies and meet 'n' greets with CBJ leadership.  The trip on the team jet is the primo prize, followed immediately by a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals.  And people do win...amazingly, my ticket buying buddy and I won the trip to the NHL Awards in Las Vegas last year.  So hear me now and believe me later: If you're seriously considering getting/renewing your season ticket package, do it NOW.  It really does pay off.

But that's not why I'm writing this.  I'm writing because of the small print.

You see, you don't need to buy season tickets to enter the contest.

You just need to be a lurker.  Or a pest.

DBJ's six-pack for Game 30: Nashville

Columbus 4 - Nashville 3
12-12-6, 4th in Central Division, 10th in Western Conference
12th overall draft pick (and 16th & 24th!)

The host Columbus Blue Jackets welcomed one of their longtime nemeses, the Nashville Predators as part of the CBJ's long farewell to the Western Conference.  A determined effort for all of two and most of the third period saw the Blue Jacket prevailing, 4-3 in regulation, at Nationwide Arena.

Yes, CBJ Fan.  That's 11 straight games with at least one standings point.  A 7-0-4 streak.  No losses in regulation.  We're deep into team record territory.  And remember, Chicago had a 24-game streak and made the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Word is out that the Blue Jackets are "tied" for 8th place, placing the team in playoff position.  From a raw points perspective, that's true.  Problem is, the two teams tied with Columbus, San Jose and Phoenix, have played fewer games (SJ-2, PHX-1).  So while the team is "tied" for 8th, they're sitting in the 10 slot right now.  Despite that cold water, Columbus undeniably sits in playoff contention.  That in and of itself is amazing and worthy of celebration.

March Madness

Screen cap taken this morning:

Four points out of sixth. Four points out of 15th.

It's Madness, I'm telling you...

Morgan's Six Pack for Game 28: Phoenix Coyotes

Blue Jackets 1 - Feenicks Kaiyotees 0 -F/SO
11th in West

Ten.  That's the number of consecutive games in which the Columbus Blue Jackets recorded a point.  That, dear friends, is a considerable and by all accounts a respectable points streak.  But as I sit down to type this with my 75 calorie per cookie box of Samoa's, I feel a bunch of different emotions.  Elation, disappointment, fear, and hope - all at the same time - that's what a 0-0 game after 65 minutes will do to you.  Taking nothing away from Columbus' well earned victory, I enter the very unfamiliar territory (at least as a Blue Jackets fan) what this team must to do help it's surging goaltending, Sergei Bobrovsky.  The Blue Jackets cannot start playing playoff style hockey now as they will become bruised, battered, and beaten.  To be honest, it's not really playoff hockey, although it looks like it (cut out the mistakes with the puck and add a credible power play and you have playoff hockey).  Tonight's game had the feel of a National League pitcher's duel to it.  This one was weird because it felt like each team played the entire game with a runner on third.  Whether it was good pitching, solid defense, or the offense's inability to score goals, I mean hit, the game went into extra innings 0-0 with neither team able to bring home the runner from third.  But after the extra session, the Jackets wasted no time in the shootout making sure Bob earned his shutout.

DBJ's six-pack for game 28: Chicago

Chicago 2 - Columbus 1 (Shootout)
10-12-6, 12th in the Western Conference, 22nd in the NHL
9th overall draft pick (plus 13th & 20th!)

With NHL realignment approved earlier today, the Columbus Blue Jackets closed out their final Central Division series with the Chicago Blackhawks by giving the fans a spirited overtime game, falling to the visitors, 2-1, in the shootout.

That's nine straight games with at least one standings point, a team record.  Who would have thought at the beginning of the season that such a streak would come from this crew?  Hats off to Todd Richards and the coaching staff for getting this roster to buy in, and to the players for putting their personal glory on the back-burner in favor of winning as a team.

I had the pleasure of taking in the game live, which always offers a unique perspective on the game.  This time, however, I had the Dark Blue Kiddo in tow...and taking a toddler to an evening hockey game is a whole different experience.

Despite being at the arena tonight,
I only caught about half of the game.
Does that mean I give out a 3-pack?