Place Foot On Throat . . . Press Firmly

The Blue Jackets turned in the type of effort everyone had been looking for since the early games of the season -- taking control of the game early, and removing all hope late.  The fact that it happened at the start of their longest road trip of the season is a bonus.

Playing in the back half of a road-home back-to-back, following a solid win over Detroit on Wednesday, Dallas apparently decided that the best way to overcome fatigue is through thuggery.  Dallas came out hard and nasty, as evidenced by the 52 minutes of penalties handed out in the first period, featuring three "official" fights (Daley/Dorsett, Chimera/Ott, Boll/Barch), a double minor to Nash for roughing & boarding, and penalties against both goaltenders for leaving their respective creases to assist in the shenanigans.  (Due to proximity, Turco was in the middle of the melee, while Mason was turned back by the officials as he approached center ice.)

To their credit, the Jackets responded definitively and cohesively.  Though appearing somewhat tentative in the first few minutes of play, they quickly upped the tempo and the intensity.  After successfully killing off an early penalty to Klesla, the Jackets got their first extra man opportunity when Neal went off for hooking at the 7:52 mark.  The power play, ranked 7th in the NHL coming in, maintained possession and crashed the net, with Nash able to finally drive it home for a 1 -0 lead -- a goal Hitch had to be smiling over.

The Dallas response was a physical one, and the Jackets responded in kind.  At with 5:34 left, Dorsett and Neal started a scrum down low, with Trevor Daley then stepping in and escalating it to a full fledged fight with Dorsett, who drew the extra minor for cross-checking.  20 seconds later, Chimera and Ott mixed it up, followed by a predictable square-off between Boll and Barch.  All of this ended up with no impact on the scoresheet.

With 1:43 left in the first, a fracas started in the corner to Turco's right -- with Nash and Robidas as the focal point.  Both squads rushed into the fray, with Turco in the middle of it, apparently having taken umbrage at Torres' dash through the trapezoid.  When it was all sorted out, the penalty boxes were SRO, and the Jackets were again on the penalty kill, with Nash having taken the extra minor. 

The Jackets turned an apparent burden into a benefit.  Returning to the aggressive PK style of the early season, they pressured the puck, got solid clears, and denied Dallas any real scoring opportunities.  With 6 seconds left in the period, Huselius caused a turnover at the blue line, and led a two on one break , with Vermette charging hard to his left.  Counting down the clock in his mind (according to his own statement), he looked off Turco, veered to the center, past Vermette and the defender, and unleashed a wicked wrister that beat Turco through the pads with just 0.3 seconds left in the frame.  The perfect exclamation point to an intense period of hockey.

The Jackets started the second with energy, but failed to convert on a few chances.   At the 6:49 mark, Dorsett was tangled in a scrum for the puck along the boards to Turco's right, when Neal cruised across the ice and laid a vicious shoulder to Dorsett's head, pounding it against the glass.  The image of Dorsett, clearly out on his feet, slumping to the ice, then vainly trying to regain his feet, will be one of the images that finally gets some league action on head shots.  The officials quickly imposed a 5 minute major and game misconduct, and Neal will undoubtedly enjoy some unpaid time off, courtesy of the NHL disciplinary officials.

At this point, the Jackets did what they have so often failed to do in past seasons -- applied the knockout punch.  With a five minute major, they were patient, but persistent, creating some good opportunities.  At the 10:23 mark, Huselius notched his second of the night, with assists from Tyutin and Klesla.  Just 20 seconds later, Voracek made a beautiful feed to Torres on the right, who parked the puck for a 4 - 0 lead.  The margin should have been extended to five just a few seconds later, but Torres' shot to a wide open net maddeningly caromed off the post.  No matter -- the damage had been inflicted.

The lone Dallas marker came on a defensive lapse, which left Modano wide open at the right dot.  A sharp cross-ice pass found him, and Mason had no chance to recover.  Undaunted, the Jackets shut everything down for the remainder of the second and the third, providing the Stars with few opportunities.  Unlike prior games, however, the Jackets were not in retreat -- they kept the pressure up in the offensive zone, and actually outshot the Stars in the third.  That may have been the best indication of all that the team is beginning to make progress.

Mason was terrific between the pipes, looking very much like he did last year.  He was alert, active and aggressive.  At one point, he was perhaps a bit overly aggressive.  Apparently influenced by Turco's wandering habits at the other end, Mason strayed far afield to play the puck up the left-hand board.  It was intercepted, however, forcing Mason to act like a diving shortstop to smother the return shot heading for the far corner.  Other than that, Mason controlled the puck and projected confidence -- signifying a mental recovery from the Detroit debacle of last week.

Confidence was the by-word for the evening.  While still not as sharp with passing as we would perhaps care to see, they were decisive and deliberate with their exit passes, and consistently showed speed through the neutral zone.  Tyutin had his best game of the season in all three zones, and Commodore looked much improved.  Brassard was strong, and Torres brought life to the offense as well.

In summary, a great start to the road trip. The combination of intelligent play and physical presence has to be reassuring to Hitchcock, particularly heading into Nashville on Saturday.  With Dorsett's status unknown, plan to see MacKenzie stay with the big club for perhaps the entire road trip, and for Sestito to be a big factor against the Predators.

Support Your Local Broadcasters!!!

According to the Dispatch folks, the broadcasting contracts with Matthews, Davidge, Gare and Rimer are all in limbo, though Rimer appears to be safe.  Check out the article here.  

Now, I can't speak for everyone, but I think this is a bad time to do a shakeup.  I, for one, think that the radio team is very good, with a great balance between the more reserved Davidge and George, who brings that uniqueness that you love in a play-by-play guy.  They have grown with the Jackets, and tearing that team out right now would leave a bad taste in the mouth of many fans.

Frankly, IMHO, if we were looking to make a change, the TV crew would be the one to go.  Don't get me wrong,  I love Danny Gare as a person. He is a great guy, and does know hockey.  He is a train wreck with a Telestrator, and really does not bring the depth that I want to see in a TV analyst.  His period break analysis of certain plays can be good, but all too often his fumbling of the Telestrator distracts from the point he is trying to make, and after several broadcasts in a row, you begin to realize that he is essentially just making the same point over and over.  A TV color guy really needs to bring a lot of depth to the table, as we can already see the game -- now give us more.

Rimer has a good voice and presence, but his constant name-dropping and gaffes in player (and sometimes team) names are really annoying.  He is also spectacularly predictable.  Every time we are in St. Louis , you know that Rimer will interview John Davidson, President of Hockey Operations for the Blues.  This is especially painful when you play road games in St. Louis twice within two weeks.  

Agree or disagree with me, but let's make our voices heard.  Email, call, fax or write  Larry Hoepfner, Marc Gregory or Russ Mollohan at the Blue Jackets and let them know how you feel about the broadcaster teams.  Post your views here as well.  

Lessons Learned

As the commercials for the PGA Tour say -- "These guys are good. . . "

Detroit fired on all cylinders tonight in a 4 - 1 victory over the Jackets, aided by deflections off of Manny Malhotra and Jan Hejda.

For the first thirty minutes, this was a breathtaking hockey game. 27 shots fired in the first period -- no goals. Columbussquandered some choice scoring opportunities, including 4 power plays, and Chris Osgood stood tall. Even when Detroit took a 1 - 0 lead on a 2 vs 1 breakaway, the CBJ responded right back with a beautiful give and go from Voracek to Umberger, who buried a nifty twisting backhand to tie it.

Unfortunately, within the next minute the two deflections found home, and after Franzen roofed a wraparound, Detroit went into shut down mode and stifled the Jackets for the rest of the way.

A loss, to be sure, and to a very good team. But the problems that led to the loss are fixable, and quickly. Hitch alluded to that in his post-game remarks, noting that there will be personnel changes for Game 2.

We inexplicably began losing faceoffs halfway through the second period, which deprived us of possession and allowed Detroit to dictate the pace, whicy we avoided for the first 30 minutes. Our defensemen, and even our forwards, were too quick to abandon the offensive zone, which deprived us of the opportunity to keep the puck in, force it deep and make plays.

Not being able to keep the puck deep, we could not establish the strong neutral zone presence that has worked so well in past games against Detroit. Methot, Tyutin and Hejda played nervous hockey in our own zone, and were too guarded on the first outlet passes. Detroit beat us at our own game by dominating the neutral zone for the last half of the game.

Despite the score, we were not blown off the ice. To the contrary, we proved that we could stay with them for long stretches of time, but need to bury our chances when we get them. Umberger and Voracek were huge, and Nash did everything he could with the defensive attention he was getting. Huselius looked like he had missed several games, as did Modin. Malhotra was invisible.

Next game, don't be surprised if Boll sits, Malhotra moves down, and Williams moves up. I expect Novotny will make an appearance as well. We could also see Picard make his playoff debut, but I don't envision seeing Filatov play in this series, at least not on the road.

No need to panic. We lost to a great team that played great hockey tonight, in their house, in our playoff debut. I don't think anybody expected that we would waltz in and sweep the Red Wings in the Joe. We need to work tomorrow to fix the shortcomings, and attack with new vigor on Saturday, secure in the knowledge that we can, and have, beaten these guys, and took their best shot tonight.

The Time Has Come!!! -- Some Playoff Day Ramblings

Hard to believe that after 82 regular season games, 226 goals and 2,363 shots on goal, the playoffs are about to begin!!!  Hitch has had several days to review his options and draw his battle plans, we have had the chance to get the bumps and bruises healed, rest up and get in shape for the (hopefully) long road ahead.

Fortune Tellers -- It is difficult to find any of the pundits out there willing to go out on a limb and predict a CBJ victory in this one.  There is my piece, predicting CBJ in 6, and Maggie the Monkey on TSN, also picking the Jackets, but other than that, the pickings are slim.  My wife pointed this out to me, with the unstated (but perhaps valid) implication that similar degrees of intellect may be involved.

Fantasy Island -- THN's Fantasy expert is giving some love to Antoine Vermette, saying that  he expects the newest Blue Jacket to have a big series against Detroit.

First Round Notes -- The Rangers looked unexpectedly competetive and sound in their 4-3 win over Washington last night.  The Caps are going to need more than offense if they hope to win this series.  New Jersey also dispatched Carolina with surprising ease in yesterday's contest, reversing the trend seen at season's end.  The Penguins looked very scary in their win over Philadelphia, and may be peaking at the right time.  Finally, Vancouver looked good in edging the Blues, but you have the sense that this one may go seven. 

Surprising Whistles -- In watching the games last night, I was amazed at the number of penalties called, contrary to the customary "swallow the whistle" rule in the playoffs.  Also a couple of real, honest-to-goodness fights.  Strange . . .

Dress Code Reminder -- For those heading to Detroit for Games  1 or 2, remember to WEAR YOUR BLUE!!!!  Blue jersey, blue hair, blue nail polish .  And for the ladies. . . .   :-)  It was an incredible show of support in the Joe for the 8 - 2 victory, and this should put that to shame.  Let's get a victory, then assemble under the broadcast booths to salute our on air teams (and simultaneously annoy the Detroit broadcasters, who complained about us the last time we were in Columbus.

Good Omen -- The last time Detroit was the defending Stanley Cup Champion, they were swept in the first round by Anaheim.

Keys To Victory -- We have done six game previews this year, so really do not need to rehash in detail all of the pluses and minuses involved in this matchup.  Here are the big picture items:

• Tempo -- Stay within ourselves, and avoid the track meet.  
• Play The System -- Stick with what got us here.  Get the puck low, put lots of rubber on the net -- nothing fancy.  Traffic in front.  Get the picket fence going in the neutral zone and forecheck aggressively.
• Take Care of the Puck -- We need to be prudent, but not timid.  Make quick, sure passes in all zones, rely on our skaters to move the puck out of trouble, and keep the Detroit forwards at the perimeter.
• Mind The Crease -- Mason needs to stand tall, be aggressive, and avoid rebound in front.  Defensemen need to clear pucks from the crease, and hammer Holmstrom when he tries to set up camp in the blue paint.  
• Even Keel - This is the first playoff experience for many of our guys, so the coaches and the veterans will have to make sure that we do not get overly high if we get a lead, or overly low if Detroit gets on a roll.  It is a 7 game series, and there are going to be more than enough ups and downs to go around.

Bottom line is that we know Hitch will have the boys ready, and that they will play a hard, competetive game.  We have lots of talent, and no expectations resting on our shoulders from outside.  That should allow us to play loose.  Let's see that next gear -- the one we saw at Nationwide in the 5 - 0 drubbing of the Flames.  Buckle up -- this is going to be a wild ride!!

Go Jackets!!

Jacket Backers Promoting Tix For Detroit Games 1 & 2

The JacketBackers are announcing potential ticket deals for Games 1 and 2 of the 1st Round playoff series in Detroit.  We have the chance to get $60 seats for $45, provided that we get at least 20 participants.  

We are getting the word out on this any way we can, so that Jackets fans can represent in Detroit.  My wife and I were in Detroit for the 8 - 2 rout of the Red Wings, and it is an experience to behold.  We will be there for Game 2 as well, so go to the JacketBackers website or email treasurer@jacketbackers.org for more details.

This is a tickets only trip, so transportation and lodging are on your own.  I will add a personal plug for the Greektown Casino & Hotel, which took very good care of us on our trip.  

Go Jackets!!

Not What We Wanted . . .

Tonight was certainly a mixed bag of emotions for local hockey fans. First, the CBJ came out of the box firing on all cylinders, with Nash scoring his 40th and Boll his 4th to put up a 2 -0 lead on Minnesota after 1, and it seemed like all we needed to do is check the cost of flights to Vancouver. Then the roof falls in, and we end up on the short end of a 6 - 3 score. (More on this below)

Then, Miami University has a 3 - 1 lead over juggernaut Boston University with 3 minutes to go in the game, and BU pulls its goalie. They end up scoring two goals in the last :59 seconds to tie it. 11 minutes into OT, BU takes a slap shot from the point that is blocked by the Miami player, but the puck arcs wildly through the air and over the shoulder of the unsuspecting Miami goalie, who never saw the puck after it hit his defender. Rotten way to lose a game that nobody expected Miami to win. They have a young squad, though, and could be competetive at this level for awhile. A well done to everyone associated with the program for overcoming some uncharacteristic down times during the regular season and the CCHA tournament to be a force in the Frozen Four.

On the positive side, Anaheim just lost to Phoenix in a 4 round shootout, so the Jackets can do no worse than 7th, depending upon the results of the St. Louis vs. Colorado game tomorrow (in Colorado). Sure, it seems like that should be a walkover for St. Louis, but these are funny games. Look around the league, and you will see teams that have clinched losing to some teams you would not consider competetive. That time in between clinching and beginning the playoffs is one big emotional trap that it takes some experience to get through. We will see how St. Louis handles it tomorrow.

Back to tonight's game. Again, we started with all kinds of energy, but even with a 2 goal lead, we were being outshot. Our defenders were giving too much room, and Minnesota was correctly playing as if they had nothing to lose. They fired from everywhere, tried some Hail Mary passes, and were able to exert more pressure. Was it just me, or did it seem like Hitch did some weird line experimenting during the second period? I sure think that contributed. Murray did leave the game with a hamstring injury (off on crutches -- is it time for Filatov???) Once we lost the momentum, we just could not pull it back.

We must lead the league in pucks deflected into our own net, and again tonight it was one off Malhotra's skate that started the slippery slope. Too many penalties, resulting in a 4 vs. 4 and a power play goal, sandwiched around a shorthanded goal when Russell lost the handle on the puck at our blue line. We also had two pucks (both shot by Umberger, I believe) camp amazingly on the threshhold of the goal line, but not sneak across.

For all of that, we were only down 3 - 2 going into the third, and we looked like were were taking control, having the first 6 or 7 shots of the period. Nash had a breakaway chance thwarted by Harding, and that seemed to kill any momentum. Two quick goals for Minnesota (who scored 14 over the past 2 nights), and an empty netter after a nice goal by Dorsett, sealed the deal.

Jacques Lemaire did announce that he was stepping down as coach tonight, and supposedly made it known to his team at the first intermission. Dunno if that is true, but from the change on the ice, I would not be surprised. Once they got the emotional edge, we could not wrestle it away. They had a mission and absolutely nothing to lose, which is a dangerous combination when you have somebody like Marion Gaborik on the ice.

Make no mistake, this was not an evil omen for the playoffs. Yes, we had two flat efforts down the stretch, but given the pressure cooker coming home, a letdown was damn near inevitable. The CBJ have done us proud this year, and have the stuff to go deep into the playoffs. Tonight, we got caught up in our offensive success, and tried to play track meet hockey, which we can do on the offensive end, but not on the defensive side, at least not yet. Hitch will remind them, none too gently, that scoring starts in the defensive end.

Still a great time for Bluejackets hockey. Though I will have a piece on everything they went through this year at some point down the line, we have nothing but possibilities awaiting us. I am sort of hoping we end up in 7th, as I would like us to get the chance to pepper Osgood, and would love to see large groups of Jackets fans make the trek north for Round 1.

This was the first Fan Appreciation Night in history that we knew we were not saying "goodbye until next year." (Great crowd, by the way!) Let's join the team in taking a break for a few days, and getting ready to bring it for the playoffs.

Go Jackets!!!

Clinch!!!!!

In what was likely one of the most improbable victories of the 80 games played thus far, the Columbus Blue Jackets achieved the goal that had been in existence since Robert Kron won the first-ever faceoff for the Blue Jackets (over Alexei Zhamnov of the Blackhawks) in October 2000 -- a seat in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The import of the victory, how it came about and the other themes that will dominate conversation in the months ahead will be reserved for another day. Tonight, it is all about Blue Jackets 4 Blackhawks 3, in a shootout, on the road, under the pressure of a playoff chase the team had never experienced.

Fittingly, it was a combination of the old and the new that brought this victory home. The "new" -- Steve Mason, Antoine Vermette, Jason Williams, Jakub Voracek, Raffi Torres, Mike Commodore, Fedor Tyutin, Jan Hejda -- all played key roles in the victory. The "old" -- Rick Nash (to the extent you can call anybody "old" at age 24) came through in the clutch.

This victory did not seem likely in the first period, during which Khabibulin denied Nash on a penalty shot, Seabrook scored on a breakaway and Nash inadvertently knocked in another puck , for a 2 - 0 deficit after 1. In the second, Jared Boll, Antoine Vermette and Jason Williams combined to bring the Jackets back in the game. Boll earned a tough draw with Ben Eager in a dust-up by the Chicago bench, and turned the show over to Vermette. First, Vermette entered the zone hard, dishing to Torres, who shot hard from the left wing. The rebound was captured by Nash, who put another wrister on net, and Vermette was on the doorstep to plant the rebound to bring us within a goal.

Just a few minutes later, Vermette split two defenders at the left point, drove to the crease, gave a little shimmy shake and dished a perfect pass to the right to a waiting Jason Williams, who buried the one-timer for a tie game. Quenville called a timeout, and the game was on. Just 2:30 before the end of the period, Peca lost a battle down low in our zone, and the pass came out to Havlat, who buried a one-timer to the high glove side of Mason before Mason had a chance to react.

The third was an amazing period of hockey, despite the fact that the teams combined for only 9 shots on goal. Chicago was content to dump the puck for most of the period, and the Jackets fought to gain some traction in the offensive zone. With about 6:30 left, Jake Voracek took a shot from the right dot that was blocked in front, and caromed directly to Raffi Torres, waiting in the slot. Raffi slapped the puck toward the open net, only to have Khabibulin dive across the net and deflect the puck with the shaft of his stick, in almost a carbon copy of the save he made against Hejda on Sunday. However, just a minute later, Chimera fed the puck to Nash, drifting across the slot, who buried a backhand for the tying goal -- quite possibly the biggest goal in franchise history.

The Jackets gave up a few anxious moments during the balance of regulation time, but ultimately got the game to OT and the clinching point. Chicago dominated the OT period, with 1 minute consumed by a penalty to Tyutin. Mason turned away all 5 Chicago shots,including an amazing, tumbling,pad-stacking save as time wound down and the SO was in order. Mason stuffed Toews. Nash beat Khabibulin, but angled the puck off the far post. Kane was denied by Toews. Next for the CBJ was . . . Tyutin????? I'm not sure Hitch makes this call if we hadn't already clinched the playoff slot, but he looks like a genius from here. Tyutin takes the puck, gives a little fake, and roofs it on the stick side. Mason then induced Bolland to go wide, and 2 points was ours, and a seat at the playoff table .

We now are 1 point away from clinching 6th place. If we win both remaining games, and Vancouver loses both remaining games, we take 5th. If we end up 6th, we will face either Vancouver or Calgary. More analysis on that later. For now, let's just revel in a victory that required unparalleled grit and determination from everyone in the locker room.

Most of all, let's all show up and demonstrate our appreciation for these guys on Saturday. Let's also remember Mr. Mac, who is smiling right now and tipping his cap to Hitch and the whole crew. I've never been prouder to be a Jackets fan than I am tonight.

Kudos to LTL, by the way, for running an awesome live blog during the game. More tomorrow. Go Jackets!!

Thanks, Blackhawks!!! (Reprise)

Chicago has just defeated Nashville, 4 - 2 in Nashville's home finale!!! The Jackets now just need one OTL or better over their final three games to clinch their first playoff spot in history!

Nashville can only reach 90 points if they win their last two games, and the CBJ already have 90. If Nashville were to win both remaining games, they would have 41 wins, and would take a tiebreaker if we tied at 90 points. Thus, we need 1 point in the final games.

Thanks Chicago. Now, I hope you are really tired, and that Calgary wins, so you have little motivation tomorrow! ;-)

The Frozen Water Torture . . .

Somebody needs to ask Scott Howson if the player contracts have incentive clauses that kick in if we can delay clinching the playoffs as long as possible.

Tonight's 1 - 0 OT loss to the Chicago Blackhawks was a playoff caliber affair, a defensive struggle highlighted by the goaltending of Steve Mason and Nikolai Khabibulin. The two teams combined for only 45 shots over 63 minutes, 10 seconds of action, much of which took place along the boards and in the neutral zone.  

While this was a tight-checking affair, it lacked the nastiness and brutality of, say, a Nashville game.

This was all speed and skill, positioning and strategy.  A lightning chess match more than a wrestling match.  Playing their second overtime game in under 24 hours, the Jackets started a step behind the Blackhawks, who are now in the playoffs for the first time in seven years, and looking to secure home ice advantage for Round 1.  Once they got their legs, they more than kept up with the frantic pace at both ends of the ice.  Particularly in the defensive zone, the Jackets were tenacious, and kept the highly talented Blackhawks at bay.  When an untimely turnover or defensive lapse occured, there was Mason to shut the door. He was amazing all night, stopping some point blank opportunities, and enjoying the clearing support of his defenders.  Even Versteeg's eventual game winner caught a lot of Mason, and Versteeg himself characterized it as "lucky."

Khabibulin, almost old enough to be Mason's father, was as crafty and resourceful as ever, and had to put a smile on Quenville's face as they proceed into the playoffs.  Huet and Khabibulin have had their moments of intrigue this year, and if this signals a resurgence by Khabibulin, Chicago will be a force in the playoffs.  He made an absolutely sick diving, shaft-of-the-stick save on Vermette in the 2nd, and squelched Russell's breakaway bid just before Versteeg netted the game winner.

While the Jackets were not quite "on" in their passing and execution in the offensive zone, definitely missing the skill of Huselius, they were tenacious and had their chances.  This was just one of those nights where a little fatigue and a few breaks made the difference.

I know that these are critical games coming down the stretch, but I wonder whether this would have been a prime opportunity to give Filatov and his skill an opportunity?  Hitch knows all, sees all, but still . . . 

The usual +/- would not mean much tonight, as this was a taut, well-played game with a few lapses, a little gap in execution, but tons of desire, a boisterous crowd and 100% effort.  That's all we can ask for.  One note:  How can we only have 15,947 in the house at this point in the proceedings?? C'mon people!!!

Since the Bluejackets seem intent on doing this playoff thing 1 point at a time, here is the latest playoff scoop:

• With another point (the 12th time in the last 14 games we have earned at least a point), we now have 90 (for the first time in club history), with 3 left to play, still in 
• Anaheim lost to San Jose tonight, so remains in 7th with 88 points.  They have only 2 games left, so we have a game in hand on them.
• Edmonton and Minnesota, with 83 points each and 3 games to play, have been eliminated from catching or passing the CBJ, as they each have a maximum point total of 89.
• Three teams remain with the possibility to catch the Jackets -- Anaheim, Nashville and St. Louis.  All have a maximum possible point total of 92.  Bottom line is this -- 1 win by the CBJ or 1 loss by Nashville, and we have clinched a playoff spot.  1 win puts us at 92, and we hold the tiebreaker over Nashville by virtue of our OT point last night.  Even if both Anaheim and St. Louis win out, we would beat out Nashville on the tiebreaker.  
• A record of 1 -1 -1 or better over the last 3 guarantees us 6th place, as we would have 93 points, and Nashville, St. Louis and Anaheim have a maximum total of 92.  

A couple of days of rest coming up, which we can hopefully use to heal the wounds and gird up for the final sprint.  First clinching opportunity comes on Tuesday night, when Chicago visits Nashville and St. Louis visits Phoenix.  Anaheim doesn't play again until Friday, when they host Dallas, then travel to Phoenix for the finale on Saturday.  We resume @ Chicago on Wednesday, catching them on the back end of the back-to-back, followed by @ St. Louis Friday and Minnesota here on Saturday.  Any way you shake it, I am predicting an all time record crowd for this regular season finale!!]

Go Jackets!!

What A Battle!

Who did not know that this one was going to be a war??  With Nashville having its back very much against the wall after a loss last night in Chicago, they were in a "must win" situation to keep their playoff hopes realistically alive.

Every write-up leading up to this game focused on the first 10 minutes, and the need for the CBJ to avoid getting blown out by the Nashville intensity.  Well, the Jackets accomplished that mission in spades.  In fact, they dominated the first period and the first half of the second.  They were swarming, playing solid defense, and taking advantage of overly aggressive Nashville defensemen to create scoring opportunities.  Nifty goals by Nash and Novotny should have provided a 2 - 0 cushion, but Peca's unfortunate deflection of a Nashville shot made the cushion only 2 - 1. However, we were outplaying Nashville at both ends, and when Nash scored again off a great feed form Williams 6 minutes into the 2nd, it seemed that the Somet Center Curse had been fully exorcized.  Of course, this is Nashville, in Nashville, so we know that was a silly thought.

Another screwy bounce, this time off of Methot's skate, enabled the Predators to narrow the gap to 1, with Jacket-killer Arnott getting credit for the goal.  A few minutes later, the Preds knotted the game with their only power play goal of the season against the Jackets.  After a tentative first half of the 3rd period by both clubs, Bonk knocked in a puck that bounced around the crease for what seemed like an eternity. 4 -3 Nashville, and it looked like the CBJ fortunes were once again going to take a hit in the Music City.  Again, this is not the CBJ team you have been accustomed to watching.  The boys found another gear, and a gorgeous feed from Vermette to Williams, and the ensuing sniper shot, tied it up, and 5 minutes later guaranteed a point.  Not as easy as it sounds, however, as Tyutin got called for a 4 minute high sticking penalty that was imposed only after the play and some extended conversation among the officials.  Nobody raised an arm at the time of the infraction.

Nonetheless, the Jackets dispatched the remaining time in regulation, and the balance of the penalty in OT, and maintained consistent pressure thereafter.  Credit Mase for an outstanding save on Suter coming in all by himself near the end of regulation.  

The shootout was what you would expect for these goaltenders.  Nash got an unlucky bounce off the crossbar, and Rinne handled Williams and Novotny. (Sorry, Hitch -- don't get the Novotny over Vermette choice for the SO).  Mason dispatched Fiddler and sullivan, but Koistinen made a nice forehand move to get Mase down, and roofed the backhand for the winner.  

Here are the +/- for the night:

+  Early Energy -- We came out strong and skilled, and really had Nashville scrambling early.  We took advantage of their aggressiveness, while limiting their scoring chances.  Although shots were relatively even early on, we kept them to the perimeter.

+ Offense -- We showed some real skill at the offensive end (subject to the hibernation minus given below).  Two goals to the back door, one in regulation and one on power play.  If we can start doing that kind of thing consistently, we will be very dangerous in the playoffs. Nash, Vermette, Voracek, Williams, Chimera, Umberger all showed great energy in the offensive zone.  Great resilience getting the tying goal in the last 5 minutes.

+ Special Teams -- True, we gave up a power play goal, but we killed 6 others in solid fashion, including that potentially lethal double minor to Tyutin with 1:48 left in regulation.  We only had 3 power play chances, but cashed in on one of those in beautiful fashion.

-- Hibernation -- When we went ahead 3 - 1, we pulled our heads inside the shells and tried to play prevent defense.  2 SOG in the 2nd period is all the proof you need.  We stopped hitting, took no shots, got sloppy in giving away the puck, and made no takeaways.  No wonder that we lost all of those statistics for the game.  Perhaps natural to have a let down after getting so geared up for the first 10 minutes, but this is the playoff chase, guys!!  

--Details -- 1 goal indavertently deflected into your own goal is unfortuate.  2 is sloppy. Taking 7 penalties in a game as important as this is inexcusable, no matter what you think about the officiating. (Hey, we won 2 Toronto reviews and got a double minor when the damage was done by our guy, not theirs).  Also need to do better than 50% in the faceoff circle.  Need to clear those pucks out of the crease crisply and quickly.

--Injury (?) -- Huselius left right away, then returned, then went away again.  Have looked, but not found any updates as yet.  Hopefully nothing major.

Not the win we wanted, but the single point is extremely important.  First of all, it gives us the second tiebreake, should we end up with the same record as Nashville.  Secondly, it lets us keep 6th over the almost surreal charge put on by Anaheim (8-1-0 during the Dirty Dozen).  Finally, it reduces our magic numbers toward a clinch.  Right now, our magic number is 0.5 vs. Edmonton, 1.5 vs. Minnesota and Nashville, 2 vs. St. Louis, and 3 vs. Anaheim.  Can't technically clinch on Sunday, but Tuesday should be the day, assuming a win over the Blackhawks.  

Hitch will have the boys ready to vault over that 90 point mark, and get primed for a playoff celebration that will be soon to follow.  Go Jackets!!

Thanks, Blackhawks!!!

Thanks go out to the Chicago Blackhawks, who bested Nashville tonight, 3 - 1, clinching a playoff spot for Chicago, who moves up to 4th in the West with 95 points. Calgary and Vancouver are battling for the Northwest Division title, but the loser of that battle now sits in 5th, and would lose the home ice advantage to the Blackhawks.

Several impacts of this game on the CBJ:

• Nashville will be an angry, desperate team tomorrow. However, after a tough one tonight they will hopefully be a little tired, while the CBJ spent today in Nashville.
• A CBJ win over Nashville tomorrow will eliminate Edmonton from passing the Jackets, and will also eliminate Nashville from passing us. Nashville would have the theoretical ability to tie us with 90 points, but would lose on the second tiebreaker.
• A win over Nashville means that we would be in a position to clinch a playoff spot on Sunday with a win over Chicago, or a loss by Minnesota @ Detroit, or an OTL by both us and Minnesota.

The key tomorrow for the Jackets is to come out hard, withstand the early rush by Nashville, and use our defense and puck possession to wear down the Predators. A nice crowd of JacketBackers already down there, and noting that the Nashville folks aren't terrible enthused about the Predators. Go figure . . .

Go Jackets!

The Force Is Strong With This One . . .

After a disappointing home and home with St. Louis, and the ensuing panic among the more squeamish CBJ fans, the last name many wanted to see on the schedule was Nashville. Darth Vader. Death Star. Doom.

Well, not so much actually . . . Our own version of Luke Skywalker, Raffi Torres, slammed home the winning goal 4:05 into the third period, and turned the affair over to the rest of the Rebels to finish the job. Through a combination of deft puck possession in the offensive zone, a tenacious defense, a superb penalty kill and solid goaltending, the Jackets killed off the balance of the period, restoring order to The Force.

Sure, this was a depleted Nashville team, with Arnott, Erat and Legwand out. They received another blow when Dumont went hard into the boards and lay motionless for a good period of time. He eventually left the ice with moderate assistance, but I suspect that a concussion is a real possibility. But, as Nash observed in the paper this morning --everybody goes through it, and you just have to keep playing. (AP Photo/Jay LaPetre)

The Calgary win was artistic -- this one was a mechanical marvel. The pieces all fit together, and even when a gear slipped a little bit, the clutch engaged and smoothed it right out. Nashville's lone goal came on a gorgeous cross-ice feed at the left post for a tip in that Mason had no chance on. It was started by an ill-advised pinch attempt, I believe by Tyutin, and he and Boll got caught up ice. A Huselius turnover leading to a breakaway was negated by a beautiful back check by . . .Huselius. Russell thwarted a later breakaway effort. Mason made a number of terrific saves, but none nicer than a second period beauty. He slid to his left as the shooter came down the right wing, reminiscent of Martin St. Louis' winning goal for Tampa in OT. Just as then, the shot went to the far post as Mason was sliding the other direction, but he reached back with the glove and made a terrific save. Give Rinne credit for Nashville -- he singlehandedly kept them in the game.

Here are +/- for tonight:

+ Discipline -- We played an extremely disciplined game, taking zero penalties in the first two frames. Our defensive corps was much better on the puck and in support, after a little bit of initial shakiness. We cycled, we put pucks on the net, and did not get out of our game plan when we could not get things to go. We kept grinding and got rewarded, at the same time wearing Nashville down.

+Possession -- We dominated possession in this one, but in a totally different way than against Calgary. There, we had artisitic passes and combinations that flowed artistically, Here, we continued to cycle, get the puck deep, chase it down, center it, shoot, get the rebound, cycle it . It was amazing to watch for those of us Day 1 season ticket holders who only dreamed about days like this. We generated traffic in front, and though we did not cash in on all our opportunities, we won the majority of the battles.

+ Penalty Kill -- We didn't need to use it much, but when we needed it, the PK came through in spades! The only two power plays of the night for the Preds came back to back, with 28 seconds of overlapping 5-on-3 time. This coming just minutes after we had taken the lead. Nothing like a 3rd period 5-on-3 against you during a heated playoff race to get the blood moving! With Mason as the foundation, the penalty killers were aggressive, challenging the puck handlers and creating havoc. Well done!

+Special Mention---- Aside from the obvious, Jake Voracek was ENORMOUS tonight, though he won't show up on the scoresheet. He was all over the ice, making plays, keeping possession. Vermette was a monster as well. Boll had some good moments, and hopefully was not dinged too badly by his blocked shot. Backman (yes, him) was solid, if unspectacular. Russell was a key contributor in moving the puck and keeping momentum going.

-- Columbus -- 6 games to go in the regular season, we are in 6th place, with a 2 point lead over Nashville, and the Predators are in town. It is Spring Break for most of the kids, so no school tomorrow. No blizzard, no tornado, no NASCAR on television, no OSU rowing meet to distract. So why the hell were there only 14,495 in the house? Shame on you Columbus -- you showed yourselves for the fair weather, attention-deficit fans that you really are. Disgusting . . .

A great win at a clutch time for the team. With 88 points and 5 games left, the fat lady hasn't sung, but I hear something in the wings . . . Vancouver has now taken over the lead in the Northwest Division, so Calgary drops to 4th. Chicago is also standing still. A well-earned rest for the boys now, until Saturday in Nashville. We swept the season series here, now need to break through in their barn. A contingent of 30 or so Jacket Backers will be in the house on Saturday, so we will represent. Funny, I didn't hear any "Let's Go Predators" chants at Nationwide tonight. Hmmm . . . maybe too many syllables.

Luke slays Darth. Pleased we are.

Go Jackets!

A Bizarre Road Point

There was quite a debate a few nights ago, when the Jackets came away with an OTL vs. Tampa Bay. Many were concerned that the Jackets seemed satisfied with the point, and that they did not display the requisite angst over the OTL.

Tonight, same result, but I submit a very different attitude.  Every one of the assembled 70+ Bluejackets fans was content with the road point, if not thrilled. Nobody was pleased with the way the CBJ played for the first 47 minutes of the game, nor with the officiating, which seemed hyper-technical agains the CBJ, while Nash was getting pummeled by the Blues.

Make no mistake, St. Louis is a desperate team, and played like it.  This was their next-to-last home game, and was an absolute must-win if they are to keep their playoff homes alive heading out on a 5 day road trip.  Their energy was fueled by an insane (and nasty) Blues crowd, who has embraced the stretch drive this team has put together.  The Blues swarmed the offensive zone, making you wonder if they had too many men on the ice.  The first goal was the result of a convention of 3 players in the crease.  Mason never had a chance.  The second was a bizarre, sweeping backhand in traffic that hit the far post and caromed in.  In between Vermette provided our only hopeful moment of the first two frames, taking a feed from Umberger on the power play and beating Chris Mason for a shorthanded tally.  

The third St. Louis goal epitomized what was ailing the Jackets during the first two frames.  The puck came toward the net, and was deflected by a body.  It sat in the crease -- a Blues player shot it -- saved.  Another Blues player found the puck and shot it -- saved.  Mason couldn't stop the third try. We couldn't put our sticks on the pucks, particularly in our own zone.  We lost every battle along the boards.  Only some fantastic saves by Mason kept us in the game.  The Blues and their fans smelled blood, but the Jackets refused to collapse.

Just as things looked like they might not turn around, Huselius followed a shot with a stuff past Mason's stick.  All of a sudden, despite being outplayed, the Jackets were in the game.  Just under two minutes later, Nash took things into his own hands.  Coming off the boards, he fought off a couple of defenders, cruised the middle, and fired a wrister past Mason.  Tie game!   Clearly unnerved, St. Louis took a timeout, and the crowd was silent.

The Jackets dominated possession for the balance of the game, holding St. Louis to 4 shots in the third.  Same for the OT.  The shootout was huge for the Blues, and the crowd was going nuts.  Huselius beat Chris Mason, but lost the handle moving it to his backhand.  Nash buried his, but Williams made one too many moves.  For St. Louis, Oshie and McDonald were stuffed by our Mason, but Boyes blasted a rocket high glove, and Perron copied him in the 4th round for the win.

No plus/minus tonight, as we have to be up at 5:30 am to catch our plane, and I am watching my alma mater, Stanford, put the finishing touches of a victory over OSU in the Women's NCCA Basketball Tournament round of 16.  Sorry, folks, but -- GO CARDINAL!!!

Here are my observations:

• All the credit in the world to St. Louis and its fans.  This was an unbelievably pumped up team and crowd, and the environment was electric. (For our part, I think we represented the Army of the Ohio pretty well -- our cheering generated boos from the crowd and some particularly nasty remarks from San Jose fans)
• Steve Mason kept us alive until we found our legs and a way to match the St. Louis intensity.  
• All credit to the CBJ for digging deep to take a road point under hostile conditions and with seemingly everything stacked against them.
• We need to get back to hitting instead of just skating near the offensive player in our zone.  Klesla was weak again in this regard.  We lost the hit battle, lost lots of battles on the boards, and just broke even in the faceoff circle.  Our younger players seem tentative, not wanting to make a mistake.
• On the positive side, we are 3-0-2 during the Dirty Dozen, 8 out of a possible 10 points, and that is the type of tenacity we need heading into the playoffs.
• I updated the spreadsheet, and will have more on playoff standings after tomorrow night's games.  However, we eliminated LA from passing us tonight (thanks, roadman for pointing out the tiebreaker on most wins!)  I am officially calling Dallas out of the race as well. Minnesota is on life support after losing to Calgary.  St. Louis has only 1 home game left, and Nashville has only 2 home games left.  It is a 4 horse race for 2 slots coming down the stretch.
• I fully expect that the Jackets (and the crowd) will demonstrate the same enthusiasm that the Blues fans did today.

More later today after we return to Columbus.  Go Jackets!

Missouri Musings

Getting ready to suit up and head out for pre-game festivities, and thought I would share some miscellaneous rambling, some hockey related, some not:

St. Louis Transit:  With the weather being less than optimal, we have been using the Metro Link system to get around St. Louis, and it has been fantastic.  Station right across from the hotel, and $7.50 gets you an all day pass that gets you virtually anywhere you want in St. Louis.  One semi-comical note are the drivers in the cars -- as you approach a station they announce the arrival, the bus lines you can connect to at the station, what other Metro lines can be accessed, etc.  This is done live, not via recording.  Only problem is that the intrepid drivers are obviously a tad bored by having done this every 30 seconds or so for God-knows-how-long, so most of them speak so quickly, softly and indistinctly, that you have difficulty figuring out what language is being spoken, let alone what is being said.  Sort of of like the old-time radio traffic reports that would come directly from the helicopter, blade noise and all.  

Non-Smoking?  Not so much . . . Maybe I notice this more as a former smoker, but it is a bit of a shock to the system to be in restaurants, etc. here and be exposed to smoking right next to you.  I watched the Miami upset of Denver in the NCAA Hockey tourney last night through a haze of smoke, and same for the pre-comedy show festivities (though the show itself was smoke-free).  This town is one of the few that can make Columbus look like a bastion of the healthy lifestyle!

Playoff Madness:  A good amount of buzz here in St. Louis over the Blues surge toward the playoffs. Chatting with a couple of the Scottrade Center folks this morning, it was clear that they were proud of the effort, and shared our enthusiasm for the Jackets effort.  Don't get me wrong, both squads will be out for blood tonight (and reports from Portzline indicate a very high energy level at the morning skates), but there is a healthy respect for the mutual level of effort that has been required to put the squads where they are.  The Blues have even more desperation, as they are still on the outside looking in, and tonight represents the next-to-last home game for them, so the challenge is stiff as they head out on the road.

Scoreboard Watching:  Here is the slate of games on tap tonight, and the probably rooting interest:

Los Angeles @ Nashville -- LA is done in the playoff race, so we want them to knock of the Predators.  Tough job with the Preds at home, but could be a battle of goaltenders.

Florida @ Dallas -- Panthers are another desperate club, and a win for them puts the final nail in the Stars' playoff hopes coffin.  

Minnesota @ Calgary -- Another very tough road test for the Wild, against a very motivated Calgary club, coming off of being shut out in consecutive games, and needing to defend their division lead over Vancouver.  Root for the Flames.

Big night in the chase.  Go Jackets!!!

Game Day!

37 degrees and raining in St. Louis as Game Day dawns. Snow moves in late tonight.  Put hot water bottles under that blue hair!  Playoff spreadsheet has been updated here, and now includes the Magic Numbers for each contender.

We are going to head across the street to the Scottrade Center to see if we can talk our way into the morning skate, and will let you know if we succeed.  Portzline thinks security is tightened after the idiotic threat to Mason.  I'll report back either way.  

Unlikely to have time for a formal Game Preview today, so I will leave that to LTL over at Light The Lamp, assuming he is back in time.  You can check my tweets on Twitter, which I will update frequently during the day and during the game itself.  Watch Fox Sports Ohio tonight for the broadcast and see if they give some air time to the Jacket Backers and R Bar contingents that are invading St. Louis.

Edmonton put a little damper in Anaheim's run last night, which means that we now have a 4 point lead over 7th, with a game in hand.  A little more exciting each day, and tonight will come down to which Mason can withstand the intensity that will be flowing from both teams.  St. Louis goes on a long road trip after tonight, so the key is to do exactly what we did vs. Calgary -- match the intensity and play Hitch Hockey!

Go Jackets!

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!

Great Defense . . . A Road Point . . .But . . .

You can't really complain a lot about getting 3 out of 4 possible points on the road, but this one left the feeling that a point was clearly left on the table.

The Jackets posted one of their best defensive games of the season -- heck, of ANY season, and outshot the Lightning 34 - 17, but could not bury the big chances. A gorgeous shot by Martin St. Louis in OT, going far post to the left while his momentum was taking him to the right.

Give McKenna credit for making lots of key saves, but we missed our chances as well. Voracek missed an open net. Huselius double-clutched under similar circumstances. Williams rattled one off the post. Need to bury those.

It was almost like the Jackets were so dominant in posession, chances, shots, etc. that they put themselves to sleep. They lacked that killer sense of urgency throughout the contest, though they came out with it in the third.

No need for wailing or moaning over this one. A game effort, just one lacking a bit of intensity and finishing. Here are +/- for tonight:


Defensive Play -- We really smothered them all night long in our defensive end, and the neutral zone. We cut off passes, kept them wide, lifted sticks and otherwise made life miserable for Lecavalier, St. Louis and Stamkos. You never had the sense that we were seriously threatened for any extended period of time.

Discipline -- Only one penalty all night long, which unfortunately ended in a tip in by Malone cutting across the crease. We showed good clearing of the puck out of our zone, and good control in the neutral zone.

Intensity -- We lacked that gritty little edge that we have had in so many games this year. We were outhit 27 - 14, and they had almost twice as many takeaways as we did. Played down to the opponent here.

Precision -- Just could not get the tape to tape passes when we needed them, or if we did, the recipient could not pull the trigger. Power play, except for the third one, showed good movement, but could not get shots all the way through.

No need to call out the calvalry on this one, but another of those educational opportunities that was cheap enough. Minnesota lost, and is in a tough spot. Nashville and Anaheim had a 3 pointer, but the net effect was zero to the Jackets, as Anaheim took Nashville's spot in 8th and we kept our 5 point gap over 8th. Vancouver took Dallas, which just about ends the Dallas run. St. Louis enhanced their chances with a shutout of LA, who is officially toast. Detroit trails Edmonton at the moment, but we will see how that ends up.

Jackets are still in great shape, and will be very intense for Calgary on Thursday, guaranteed. Go Jackets!