Statement Made!

The Columbus Bluejackets beat the Calgary Flames tonight, 5 - 0. Let me repeat that . . . the Columbus Bluejackets beat the Calgary Flames tonight, 5 -0. And you know what? The game wasn't that close!

Playing the most spirited 60 minutes of masterfully executed hockey that I can remember seeing, at both ends of the ice, the Bluejackets had the Northwest Division leaders skating aimlessly in their own end, and frankly looking a bit shell-schocked.

With the real possibility that these two teams could meet in the first round of the playoffs, the Bluejackets wanted to make a statement -- show that the physcial intimidation (a.k.a. thuggery) that Calgary loves to employ would not put the CBJ off their Game. (AP Photo -- Paul Vernon)

The superlatives in this one are too numerous to put in a blog entry. Starting with Mason, who was other-worldly. Not seriously challenged until the 3rd, he was amazing throughout. We surrendered 7 power plays to the #4 power play team in the league, and they got zip, nada, zilch. A lot was due to our PK, which was a simple extension of our defense all night long. We challenged the puck all over the ice, from the forecheck through the neutral zone. We kept wings wide, cleared the crease, and made smart and quick exit passes. Hejda was a monster tonight -- all over the ice.

On offense, Hitchcock obviously saw something when he chose to keep Malhotra on the top line, and Williams on the 3rd line. Might have had something to do with faceoffs -- the CBJ enjoyed a 44 - 24 advantage, with Malhotra going 15-8, and Vermette 20-6. Two (and really three) power play goals. 4 assists each to Nash and Huselius. Umberger notching another one, as does Torres.

You want to know how good an effort this one was? Jason Williams scores two goals (and plays superbly otherwise) and can't even crack the 3 stars! (3. Mason, 2. Huselius, 1. Nash).

Finally, although the Jackets were outhit substantially, it was a meaningless number. As anyone watching will tell you, there was some brutal action out there. Phaneuf engaged in his usual cheap shots. Klesla, of all people, takes on Todd Bertuzzi in a fight, and crushes him!! Boll and Vandermeer go at it at the same time, and Boll is the victor there, though it cost each of them a game misconduct. A scad of roughing penalties, including 4 10-minute misconducts, were handed out for a scrum at the end of the 2nd. 124 penalty minutes in all were dished out tonight. A physical statement was made . . .

It is with great joy that I present the +/- tonight:

+ Special Teams -- It is so nice to be able to say this. Our power play was 2 for 5 (and really 3 for 5, given that Torres' goal came just after the penalty expired, and before the player got back in the play. They controlled and moved the puck, got bodies in the paint, put shots on net. The PK was perfect, killing off all 7 Calgary power plays, including 1:17 of 5-on-3 and a bizarre double minor for hooking and holding called on Commodore in the 3rd.

+ Defense -- Keeping Calgary off the board is always quite and acheivement, and although we gave up a fair number of shots, almost half of them came in the 3rd period, when things had already been decided. We checked, we put pressure all over the ice, and we supported beautifully in our own zone.

+ Offense -- So much for worrying about top line production, eh? 9 points and +5 between them tonight. We kept possession, we put pucks on net, we passed beautifully, and we were patient. We chased Kiprusoff!!! And as productive as we were, it could have been far bigger. We hit at least two posts, and some terrific saves were made. In the third, Vermette made a no-look, laser beam pass from the right corner behind the goal, straight to Umberger's stick in the crease. McIlhenny just happend to be there or it is a highlight reel goal.

+ Team -- This was 60 minutes of Hitch Hockey at its finest! Everyone, and I mean everyone, contributed at both ends. Well, I guess tecnically Mason only contributed at one end, but we'll take it.

+ Coaching -- Whatever Hitch saw in the films of the Calgary loss at Pittsburgh last night, it sure worked! Nicely done!

+ Officiating -- This may seem like a strange one, and I frankly started writing this with the intent of making hte officiating my only minus, when I realized that they really called the game they had to. They were hyper vigilant about making calls, were ruthless with the misconduct penalties, and gave no inch of room. Unusual for this time of year, but given how Calgary was trying to play, I can understand why they called what they did to keep some vestige of control. A couple of tooth grinders when the official next to the play makes no call, but the guy 80 feet away does. When they actually called Dion Phaneuf for an elbow, I knew the officials were serious.

Another milestone game for the CBJ. Nash sets a new personal best with 71 points for the year. I erroneously reported this as a CBJ record in my Tweets from the game, but in fact is 5 short of Ray Whitney's club record.

Next post will update playoff situation. Wife and I sported the blue hair for the first time tonight, drawing anticipated looks of confusion. The Blue Hair is now safely in the suitcase, as we fly to St. Louis at 6:30 AM tomorrow -- getting in a day early to scout out the opposition and get ready for Saturday, when we rendevouz with our Jacket Backers bus passenger and invate the Scottrade Center. More postings from St. Louis, and Twitter feeds from the game.

Go Jackets!

Outdueled

Calgary deserves their slot atop the Northwest Division. They have lots of skill, speed and know how to handle time and situation. We challenged them for 20 minutes, but failed to cash in on the opportunities and allowed Calgary to control the pace from the mid-second period on.

A bad omen when a normally harmless rebound is kicked by a falling player, bouncing right to Iginla. Down 1 - 0 45 seconds in. We then turned up the heat, and did a great job of possessing the puck in the offensive zone, but could not solve Kiprusoff or hit open nets. The Torres miss was a killer -- put that puck away and the whole game changes. Two goals that Mason had no chance on in the second, and Calgary went into shut it down mode. Game over.

Simply stated, the Jackets did not make plays when they needed to. Shots from the point did not get through. Pucks in the crease did not find our sticks. Defensemen were not strong on the puck and were slow to react. Calgary's second and third goals were the direct result of Hejda being slow to react. On Phaneuf's shot, Hejda is standing right there, ready to block it, and fans on it, succeeding only is screening Mason. The cross-ice pass to Cammaleri was the same thing. Hejda had his head down and was slow to react. Mase almost made a phenomenal save, but couldn't do it.

+/- for the night:

+ First Period -- We took it to them after an opening bit of misfortune, and dominated every facet of the game, although we were technically outhit. Umberger's goal was a gem, and we created a bunch of opportunities. We controlled the tempo. Even after the second period, we had more opportunities and had limited their shots.

+ Players -- Umberger, Huselius, Voracek, Russell, Methot, Williams all played consistently well. Russell and Methot were the only reason we could get the puck out of our own zone.

--Finishing -- We could have taken the game by storm in the first, but failed to take advantage. Need more shots from Juice and Voracek. Torres has to finish that opportunity. Dorsett, Boll, Murray, Chimera, Torres showed energy in spots, but are not consistently displaying the ability to finish.

--Defense -- For the first time in a long time, Hejda and Tyutin were poor. As noted above, Hejda had a direct role in the two second period goals, and was generally weak on the puck and unable to move things along. Tyutin was similarly weak on the puck in our own zone, and mishandled several pucks at the blue line on the power play. We gave Iginla and company way too much space.

--Special Teams -- We needed to take advantage of the penalties and failed to do it. We are spending too much time in moving our feet, and not enough time in moving the puck.

We lost to a very good team tonight, but we could have won it. We were not run out of the arena -- we just lost the battles.

No time for post mortems, as the two most important games of the trip lie ahead. We remain in 6th place, but now have only a 1 point edge over Anaheim, Minnesota, Edmonton and Dallas. All but Dallas have a game or more in hand on us. However, those teams also have brutal schedules down the stretch.

Our defense has to get back to playing Hitch Hockey, and our forwards need to show up across the board, for 60 minutes. If we do that, we will be fine.

Go Jackets!





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Need To Douse The Flames

The last extended road trip of the season for the CBJ begins tonight, with the Jackets sitting in 6th place in the West. I think any of us would have been thrilled to death at the thought of being in 6th at February 24th. However, the crown sits uneasy on our head, as Dallas, Minnesota, Edmonton, Vancouver and Anaheim are all in the thick of the race for the 5th through 8th slots in the West. (A more detailed discussion of the goofy playoff race, the implications for the trade deadline, etc. will be featured here tomorrow.)

This is the 3rd meeting between the Flames and the Jackets this year, with each team claiming 1 home victory so far. Way back in game 15, the CBJ posted a 3 - 1 victory over the Flames, with Mason stopping 22 of 23 shots in his 3rd start (and 3rd win). In the last contest, an exhausted and battered Jackets team gutted out a point in a 5 - 4 shootout loss, which featured the Phaneuf game misconduct, the cross-check to Dorsett's face and assorted other extracurricular activities. Mason was in the midst of his mononucleosis, and we were without Huselius, Chimera, etc. etc.

Calgary has a comfortable 8 point lead in the Northwest Division, and will hold the 3 seed in the West. barring some truly bizarre events. They are starting to feel the injury bite, with Mark Giordano, Rene Borque and Daymond Langkow all out with injuries. Despite being undefeated in regulation at home against the Bluejackets in his career, netminder Miikka Kiprusoff has played in 55 games, sporting a .907 save percentage and a 2.76 GAA overall this year, and has to be aching for a bit of a rest. Jarome Iginla, like Rick Nash, has ramped up assists this year, and has 40 coming into this game. Calgary has uncharacteristically dropped 3 out of 4 at home in February, but has won its last 2. Their challenge will be motivation, with some injuries, an overworked goaltender and a virtual lock of the # 3 seed.

The Jackets need to show that the Anaheim game was an aberration, and come out firing after 2+ days of rest. The game need to be much closer to the 23 shot 3 - 1 game at Nationwide than the 34 shot effort in Calgary. We don't want a track meet, and need to dictate the pace. Factors to consider:

--Masonic Wall -- Mase needs to stand tall, have focus, and stare down Kiprusoff. When Mase stands tall, everyone in front plays better.

--Puck Control -- Be strong on the puck at both ends, clear the crease, crisp outlet passes, no turnovers. Calgary are an opportunistic lot, and we need to make them work for their possessions.

--Shut Down Top Line-- with the injuries Calgary is facing, the top line will be Conroy centering Iginla and Cammalleri, with Bertuzzi on the second line. While you can never overlook Bertuzzi, the top line is clearly the key. Disrupt their flow in the neutral zone, check them all over the ice, and keep them facing the boards.

--Opportunism -- Kiprusoff does not give up a lot of easy garbage, so we need to make life difficult for him and cash in our chances. Simple, straightforward puck movement and rubber on the net. Calgary leads the league in shorthanded goals allowed, so take note Nasher.

-- Controlled Passion -- don't get pushed around, but don't be stupid with trying to prove a point. We don't need stupid penalties or fights that do not server our purposes. Strong checking and forecheck from the drop of the puck for 60 minutes.

As a sidelight, keep an eye on Matthew Lombardi, centering the 3rd line for Calgary. Some say he will be moved at the deadline to create some cap space.

Finally, as part of our ongoing public service, here is your rooting guide for tonight:

Buffalo over Anaheim
Montreal over Vancouver
Tampa Bay over Edmonton
Los Angeles over Minnesota
Chicago over Nashville

Go Jackets!!!!

A War, A Point . . .A Break

Sorry that this review of the Calgary game is so late, but late night and busy day put the squeeze on the available hours.

If you had come to me yesterday and said that the Bluejackets could have 1 point for the Calgary game, no need to play, just go off to break, I would have snatched up the opportunity like a $20 bill lying on the street. Once word got out that both Juice and Peca were out, and Filatov was not available to fill the void, things looked bleak.

The Jackets are proving every night that we need to scrub our brains of past teams' tendencies. In any prior year, this one was destined to be a 7 - 1 drubbing. These guys just don't care about the fans' collective memories -- they just want to win. For anybody who wants to climb on the old "these guys don't play like they care" wagon, just replay the tapes of the last 12 games, then shut up. These guys care deeply, are giving it everything they have, and are getting results beyond what reason would indicate was possible.

Last night the Calgary Thugs, I mean Flames, threw a gaudy home record, a lot of speed, and some of the dirtiest play I have seen in some time at a wounded and exhausted Jackets club, and we battled them to an effective draw. Sure we gave up 4 1 goal leads, but who would have expected us to score 4 goals in the first place?

Credit to the officials for doing the right thing on the Phaneuf hit, but equal shame for not doing precisely the same thing on the Regher cross-check to Dorsett's face. As many penalties as Calagary drew, they deserved more. Just before the penalty was imposed for hooking Russell, the officials missed a high stick and a slash. We could have been on a 5 vs 3 for most of the period. It is baffling to me why a team with such skill resorts to the caliber of play they do. Fortunately, the NHL is taking its own look at the Regher hit. About time . . .

Here are the +/- for the game:

+ Team Effort -- Having every reason to lie down and just get on with the All-Star Break, the team refused to do it. They played with a lot of grit, stood up for each other, made some great plays on offense, and showed a lot of character. Hitch has to be proud.

+ Offense -- 4 goals by 3 different players, lots of pressure and some great chances. While our defense impacted our offensive zone presence, we made the most of the time in the zone, and improved as the game wore on. We scored 12 regulation goals during the 3 game trip, which is amazing, considering our injury status.

+ Players --Umberger obviously was huge, as was Nash. Russell and Voracek just keep getting better, and Williams was great. Boll is looking more comfortable, and Murray showed some good punch. Methot had another good game.

- Defensive Zone Play -- I'm not going to go on at great lengths about this, as I know some rest and a couple of practices will get us back to where we are comfortable with Hitch Hockey, but our defensive zone effort continued to be poor. We hit OK, did a better (but not outstanding) job of clearing the puck, and won our share of board battles, but we were a couple of steps slow all night. After a hectic first, we were able to slow the pace down in the second, but lost it again at the end of the third. We gave Calgary way too much space in our end of the ice. We were just beaten to too many pucks, which gave them opportunities. Mason was sub-par in goal, but that's what fatigue will do.

We reach the All-Star Break with 49 points, 22-20-5, with 3 out of 6 points on a 1-1-1 road trip. We are likely to emerge from the break as healthy as we have been since early in the season, with a distinct majority of home games and two thirds of our back-to-back games behind us. Given the adversity we have been through, that ain't all bad.

I am working on some special features, and will have one or two of them up over the All Star Break. All Star Game watching party at the Garage Bar, hosted by the Jacket Backers, so come on out!!! I'll be sporting the white CBJ practice jersey with the #24.

Go Jackets!