DBJ's 2011-12 Season In Review, Games 21-30

GAMES 21-30   (4-4-2, 9-17-4)

21		22		23
24		25		26
27		28		29
30

Games 19-22 resulted in seven standings points in four games.  Of course, this happened while I was taking a Thanksgiving break, so I had to ask the obvious question: "What in the world have you done with my crappy hockey team?"  It ended up that the question wasn't all that important, seeing as the team only got seven standings points in the next thirteen games.  Once again, you gotta beat good teams to be a good team.

Andy's CBJ Season in Review, Part Two

El Jefe

by Andy Krygier

To this day, it blows my mind that a player who was brought in to fill such a dire need was moved out having played less than half a season’s worth of games.  It further blows my mind that it was the right move to make, both times.

The sequence of events that culminated with the Jeff Carter acquisition dates back to the dawn of Blue Jackets history.  The search for a centerman to complement (or compliment, even) Rick Nash has defined the franchise as much as other singular storyline.  For their efforts, the Blue Jackets have only had three centers accrue more than 47 points in a single season (A. Cassels, 68pts, ‘02-‘03; A. Vermette, 65pts, ‘09-‘10; E. Knutsen, 53pts, ‘00-‘01).

Knowing that, consider this:

EVERY playoff team this year but Washington and Phoenix has at least one center with more than 47 points.  Washington’s Nicklas Backstrom had 44 points in only 42 games, so make it 15 out of 16.

Further, 11 of the 16 have more than one center with more than 47 points (Boston with three, the other ten with two each), which finally brings us to the point.  Of the 28 centers that made the playoffs and scored more than 47 points this year, 24 were drafted by their current team.

Since the lockout, only Derick Brassard, Antoine Vermette, and 72 year old Sergei Fedorov have scored more than 35 points while playing center for the Blue Jackets.

DBJ's 2011-12 Season In Review: Games 11-20

GAMES 11-20   (4-5-1, 5-13-2)

11		12		13
14		15		16
17		18		19
20

With a 1-8-1 start to overcome, and no confidence displayed by...well...anyone, it was fair to suggest around Halloween (Game 12 on 10/30, 13 on 11/3, 14 on 11/5) that the season may have already been lost.  Of course, few folks were saying that openly.  Many, many people were whispering by the end of the first period in Philadelphia, however.

The rhetoric on the blog pushed pretty deep into "IT'S NOT WORKING" and an exploration of why that might be the case.  As themes go, I'd suggest this was a season-long one.

DBJ's 2011-12 Season In Review: Preface & Games 1-10

PREFACE

Here's the 2011-12 Columbus Blue Jackets season recap, Dark Blue Jacket-style.  This will be the purest of recaps that I can offer...simply a reproduction of the team's schedule in 10 game increments (12 games for the final increment).  Each 10-game grid will offer up a schedule grid that tells you what the team's record was for that given increment and the accumulated record for the season at the end of the increment, as well as who the CBJ played and how they did (green-win, yellow-OT/SO loss, red-regulation loss).  Each game icon links to the corresponding game recap.  So this post is what you make of it...click through and read all 82 games, and you get a picture of the season that I doubt you'll find anywhere else.  Look at the grids to observe the ebbs and flows of the season, and you get another story.  Read the summary of blog commentary, you get even more.  Read those links, and there's more yet.  As I said, this is a recap of the entire 82-game season.

To be clear, the game recap has been the heart and soul of this blog since I started it in September 2009.  It's taken a number of twists and format iterations, but I've always prided this blog on the fact that every game got some form of unique mention.  Going to those lengths is not easy (YOU try staying alert enough to write down a coherent thought or five through all those damned West Coast road trips!), and this season was not a one man show around these parts.

Creating an inventory of 82 unique game recaps (with the occasional in-between game commentaries) took four people this season: Gallos, Greg, Alison and yours truly.  Many, many, many thanks go out to my compadres for filling in when I was unable to watch the games or, frankly, lacked motivation to come up with anything constructive.  It was that type of a season, and these fine people carried me along.  I am in their debt.

I'll give you the first ten in this post and then offer the rest over the days ahead.

Andy's CBJ Season in Review, Part One

[I'm pleased to share yet another unique perspective on the recently-concluded Columbus Blue Jackets season with everyone...Andy Krygier is legendary for his use of statistical analysis tempered with finely-tuned wit.  Enjoy -- And look forward to more from Gallos, as well as my eventual season in review piece as well!  Perhaps another perspective as well?  Perhaps...]

Season Review – Part One:

The 2011-2012 NHL season arrived with great promise for the denizens of Boomer-ville.  The combination of off-season acquisitions and the organizations progressing prospects portended an incontrovertibly inevitable improvement (thank you, Mike Arace).  Rick Nash finally had his center; Former GM Scott Howson (he was fired, right? No? Okay, move along then) landed the best back end help the 2011 (pre) UFA market had to offer as well as Vinny Prospal to provide scoring and leadership.  The real Steve Mason was going to finally stand up, leading the demons of his past to their final resting place.  The playoffs and beyond were right in front of us.  All they had to do was drop the puck.

And drop it did.  The season was over faster than a “Pronounce this CBJ players name correctly” contest with special guest Mike Emrick.  It was over faster than the last 1.8 seconds of a Kings game.  It was over faster than Snooki can….leave you to your own imaginations.  And once again Jackets faithful (and faithful they are) were asked to do what they do best: look to the promise of a new season.

This Isn't Rocket Science

Boomer sez its easy!

The head shot/ suspension stuff is just getting worse and worse.

GOAL: To have players responsible for player safety

SOLUTION: If you injure another player with an illegal head shot, you are suspended until that player is healthy enough to return to the line up.

It won't take but one or two 6 month suspensions for the players to figure this out.

ARGUMENT:  It will take hitting out of the game.

ANSWER: Derek Dorsett lead the NHL in penalty minutes, and was never suspended for an illegal head shot.  It can be done.

The current situation is ridiculous.

What a Long Strange Trip It's Been*: Part II

*Lyrics from the Grateful Dead Song Truckin'

A Rainbow with its end at Nationwide Arena,
A Promise that The Flood Will Not Come Again?

When we last considered the Columbus Blue Jackets 2011-12 NHL season, training camp was winding down to a close.  The teams of mostly rookies had played well in the last couple of pre-season games.  James Wisniewski was under an inexplicably long suspension, which would become more ludicrous as the season progressed.  Nonetheless, hope, anticipation, and confidence ran high.  The addition of Jeff Carter promised to spring Rick Nash on a career year.  The loss of Mark Dekanich for the season, and an early injury to Curtis Sanford meant the goal tending position was thin, but Steve Mason had played well down the stretch in the pre-season.  Like the inexorable doom of a Greek Tragedy, the season opener approached.  Youngsters Cam Atkinson and Matt Calvert made the team, and the promise of three scoring lines, primed to decimate the NHL was anticipated.

The puck finally drops in Nationwide Arena for the 2011-12 season, and in the first game, the Nashville Predators  would jump up on the CBJ 3-1 early, and although the Jackets closed to 3-2 in the third period, they were unable to solve Pekka Rinne, and lost the opener 3-2.  It would be 8 games later until the CBJ finally won a game, digging a hole so deep out of the gate that the 2011-12 season was effectively ended as far as playoff competition before November even started.  Scott Arniel's failure to integrate the new veterans into the team in training camp lead to a situation that rapidly spun out of control.  By the fifth game, Jeff Carter had been sidelined with a broken foot.  By the sixth game, the goal tending situation was so bad due to injuries that Mathieu Corbeil was recalled from the St. John's Seadogs on an emergency recall, and Wiz still had two games to serve on his suspension.  An 0-7-1 start and the balloon was popped.  The CBJ finished the month of October 2-9-1.

Wiz Suspended for Remainder of Post Season

Wiz, shown here with Cam, sits for the rest of the post season

Due to the rash of irresponsible head shots taken by members of many teams involved in the post season conflicting with the NHL's wish to have good hockey for TV, the Office of Subliminal Discipline at the NHL has determined that James Wisniewski will be suspended for the remainder of the post season.  Although not actually involved in the post season, the NHL's czar of discipline, Brandon Sandinmyhands said "We think this sends a powerful, yet subtle, message that this type of behavior will no longer be tolerated.  In this case, since Wiz is a repeat offender, we feel that random punishment fits other's crimes".  Fortunately, Wiz will not have to forfeit any salary to the players emergency relief fund, because everyone plays for free in the post season.

Wiz could not be reached for comment, because, you know, we didn't try.

GO JACKETS!!!!

Your ex-CBJ playoff scorecard

Courtesy of DBJ Twitter follower Brice Baumgardner, check out this nifty breakdown of how the Columbus Blue Jackets Alumni Association is faring in the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs thus far:

Shea Weber's Petticoats II - 12 games Shanahan!

http://darkbluejacket.blogspot.com/2011/02/shea-webers-petticoats.html

The link above is one of the DBJ's most hit upon posts, where the Nashville fans reacted strongly to my reaction to Shea Weber's childish behavior.

Point 1 -My prediction regarding the playoffs in this post is WAY UNTRUE!  Nashville did make the playoffs that year.  So, me and Brian Burke don't see eye to eye, and I think he has the upper hand!  That's truculence!

Point 2. The exact same words were used to hand James Wisniewski a 12 game (4 preseason, 8 regular season) game suspension.  Either apologize to Wiz, or sit Weber.  Shanahan, you are crap unless you do one or the other!  Read the post.  Second time around for Weber.

Note to the rest of the NHL. Do not ruffle Shea Weber's petticoats.  He'll take you out after the final whistle.  And the NHL will regard it as 'boys will be boys'.

The Redwings deserve nothing less.  Go Preds!!