Avalanche Fall Hard!

Look carefully at the picture at the left -- almost 1 year ago, LaCosta leads Syracuse over the Avs affiliate, Lake Erie, with the help of Mark Methot.

Fast forward 1 year, and LaCosta cashes his 1st NHL shutout against the Avalanche, completing a season sweep of an opponent that has historically bedeviled the franchise. The 8th shutout this year, all of the coming from players that were in the AHL when the year began. Wow!

In many respects, this was the type of game Jackets fans have come to expect this year, and in other ways not. As we have in many games, we dominated the first period, 16 shots to 4, had an overwhelming advantage in possession, but had nothing to show for it. Budaj made some nice saves, and other opportunities we just missed. As in some previous games, we went catatonic in the second period -- taking penalties, getting outhit, etc., and were outshot by almost as large a margin. Starting the 3rd, we again dominated, and once Murray scored, there was no turning back. This was different from past games. Tonight, we got them down and then stepped on their throat. The intensity went off the chart after the first goal, and we went for more -- and got them. That is learning how to win, and how to beat a team that they should. No backing off, no protecting the lead. We gave up a few rushes toward the end, but 1 post and a couple of nice saves preserved the shutout.

Here are the +/- for the night:

++LaCosta -- Labrador City is drinking heavily tonight! What an effort by this young man. Though not nearly of Mason's stature, his movements in goal are very similar, and his style of movement is closer to Mason than Leclaire. The team also responds well in front of him, which is huge. Where would the CBJ have been this year without the efforts of Mason and LaCosta?

++Defense --Not the stifling display we saw against San Jose (we were outshot 31-30), but somehow watching the game you never felt that imminent threat from the Avs. Sure, they rang one off the post after it didn't matter, and LaCosta made some great saves, but much of their effort was kept at the perimeter and we did a nice job of poke checking and clearing the slot.

++Special Teams -- Penalty kill was perfect, even after some ticky tack calls against us. No goals on the two PP attempts, but I sure like the look of it a lot better.

++Players -- Hejda, Commodore, Tyutin were just huge all night. Russell was a single handed puck moving machine, and Klesla showed some energy. Murray was strong, and got a crazy goal from no angle, after his one-handed spike was disallowed (properly) by the on ice officials and Toronto. Torres had his best game as a Jacket, and Modin and Chimera both worked hard. Voracek turned in what is becoming a normal strong effort. Williams continues to prove that Howson is a genius.

--Puck Handling -- When we get in trouble, it is because we get too fancy and/or careless with the puck. Our top line can crisply move the puck back and forth, but they did not click tonight, though they generated lots of chances. Turnovers in the neutral zone and near our own blue line robbed us of chances and gave the Avs the few chances they had.

--Fans -- 14+ K at the game on a beatiful night in Columbus was a weak showing, and the crowd was unduly quiet. Sure, it was a measured game, but we dominated the first and you would have thought that we were at a chess match. Guess the blood alcohol took awhile to reach therapeutic levels, as enthusiasm returned in the 3rd.

A necessary win that we did not let get away, and one that moves us up the line. We need to keep the pedal to the metal as we go up against the Wings and Carolina, but watching that confidence and effort, you have to have a good feeling about this club. Go Jackets!!

Goats -- The Sequel!!!

As the Jacket's began to mesh early in the season, the offensive load was taken up by the Goat line -- Chimera, Brassard, Voracek-- two youngsters and one self-described "old goat'. (The mere fact that Chimera can even consider referring to himself as an "old goat" at the ripe old age of 29 speaks volumes about the young talent on this team.) I digress, however. With Brassard and Chimera down, the Goat mantle fell upon the shoulders of Michael Peca, with Voracek and Nikita Filatov as his young proteges. The results? The first-ever hat trick by a Bluejackets rookie, 8 points for the line (3 goals and 5 assists) and a combined +9. They spearheaded a rock solid team effort that led to a 4 - 2 victory over the Minnesota Wild, acheiving a nice 4 point swing against a playoff rival, and finishing off an impressive back to back double over the past two nights.

Make no mistake, this was what has become a typical Bluejackets/Wild affair -- hard checking, stifling defense, tons of play in the neutral zone, and little free space in which to operate. Considering the disputed 2 - 1 loss and the 3 -2 shootout loss to the Wild in their house earlier this season, this game was a veritable orgy of scoring, with the CBJ tallying 4 goals, including 3 in the third. After a great heads up play by Filatov to put us on the board first, followed by a flukey, fluttering Wild goal that Mason never saw, the mood in the house was that of a close boxing match. Everyone knew that some small mistake, a tiny opening, would crack the defense and provide the knockout. That knockout came in the third, via Dorsett and Filatov.

+/- for the night:

+ Filatov -- what a night this kid had! The first goal had the puck crossing the goal line just before Filatov joined the puck in the net. The second was an absolute laser beam from a steep angle on the left that zipped past Harding on the near post before he knew what happened. The last time I saw a shot like that was from the same spot on November 29th, 2008, and it was Ovechkin shooting. (Mason caught it). The third was pure hustle, and being in the right place. In between, he dropped to the ice and made a nice block of a scoring opportunity, kept the puck in motion, and was always in the right spot. He had some comical moments as well, including a rather dramatic whiff of a pass as he came down the left wing. Listening to him on the post-game shows, it is clear this young man has it all together. (By the way, consider that the hat trick was done on 5 shots in just 9:59 of ice time!)

+ Peca, Voracek -- The Goat II line was scary in how comfortable they look together. Just as playing with Nash and Huselius has elevated Malhotra's game, Peca has flourished of late, with this being just the latest, and best example. Voracek is becoming a monster, though I still wish he would shoot more!

+ Patience -- We played another Hitchcock game -- generating offense from the back end. We were careful with the puck, made the most of our chances, and got 30 shots on goal, which is a lot against a Minnesota team that is notoriously stingy. Only 2 penalties other than the too many men penalty in the third, and a meaningless call after the game was decided.

+ Crowd -- Whille not a sellout, likely 17K + were there, and enthusiastically greeeted the boys' return from the road, and were loud during the game, waving the freebie towels with great abandon. Lots of hats made it to the ice for Nikita's hat trick, and more stayed for the 3 Stars and the Filatov interview. Good stuff!!!

+ Defense -- Great support, presence of mind and constantly frustrated Minnesota in their effort to get something going. The first goal was a fluttering, seeing-eye shot from the point that Mason never saw. The second, a power play goal after the game was decided, was likewise the result of a screen. Mason was solid all night, and the defense gave him room. Defense was likewise patient with the puck, and penalty kill was good, surrendering a meaningless goal at the end.

+ Individuals -- Besides the Goat II line, Tyutin and Commodore were strong, and Russell got his game back as well. Dorsett was monsterous. Malhotra continued his strong play, and Modin and Huselius were strong contributors as well. Mason, of course. Methot had a good game as well. Picard showed strong, and made a great play to set up Dorsett's goal.

- Injury -- Murray left with an "upper body injury" and did not return. He is day to day according to Hitchcock.

The ingredients for a let down were all there--end of long road trip, big win over tough opponent, late flight home, injury depleted roster. Somebody forgot to tell the team. They had energy, guts and were simply not going to be denied. The kids are getting a baptism of fire, and are passing the ordeal with flying colors. Look who appeared on the scoresheet tonight -- Filatov, Voracek, Dorsett, Picard (aided by Peca and Malhotra) With the possible exception of Voracek, how many folks thought these guys would even be on the roster at this point?

These kids are creating a nice problem for Howson. As we continue to win, with depleted ranks, the kids gain more confidence and give Howson more options and leverage with other teams. As Ottawa and Toronto's fortunes fade (they both lost tonight), the likelihood of dealing there increases. Howson has a better position as each day goes by, though guys like Filatov are also going to provide headaches as he decides where they need to play. While a case can be made that Filatov can use some more AHL seasoning, the Crunch do not appear to be going anywhere this year (due in large part to the roster being ravaged by the parent club). Does it help him to get more minutes for a losing AHL club? Interesting conundrum.

A great effort again tonight for the home crowd. Expect a big crowd for Colorado on Tuesday, even without Adam Foote.

Tomorrow I will feature the mid-season review and report card. Please let me know what you like here, what you don't, and vent your opinions.

Go Jackets!

What An Effort!!!

On November 29th, I wrote the following in this blog:

No guarantees, but mark this date down as the day the Jackets became a team, found some identity, and took a big step forward. Bravo!!!

The context of that quote was a 3 - 0 victory over the Washington Capitals at Nationwide Arena, against a Caps team that was decimated by injuries, in which Nash, Mason and Hejda were the 3 stars, and after which I declared that Mason was the starting goaltender, period.

Fast forward to tonight, when the Jackets pulled out their mirror and provided a bookend 3 -0 shutout of the Washington Capitals. However, this time it was on the road, at the end of a brutal 6 game coast-to-coast trek, and we were the team burden by injuries. Mason and Hejda were again stars, but there was no Nash to help them. Instead, Voracek, Filatov, Umberger, Tyutin, Boll, etc. came to the rescue for one of the most improbable wins in Bluejackets history.

As Hitchcock said after the game "I wouldn't want to play this club [the Capitals] again with this lineup." But looking at his face, both during the post-game press conference and on the bench as the clock wound down, you could tell that the quality of the effort he had just witnessed touched him in a way that we who are not part of that fraternity cannot understand.

We combined effort, good fortune, skill and guts to forge a win that evolved slowly but distinctly over three periods. We were horribly outplayed in the first period, but Mason stood tall, gave us hope, and the Voracek - Umberger tandem gave us a tenuous lead. The second period, customarily not a good one for us, found us asserting ourselves, creating space, depriving chances and giving Tyutin and MacDonald time to team up on another goal. Finally, we maintained composure in the third and Boll brought home a clinching power play goal in poetic justice, after the Caps earned a double minor borne of frustration. In between, there were Capitals shots bouncing off posts and crossbars, but more often caroming off of Mason harmlessly to the corner. He was other worldly.

+/- for the game:

+ Mason -- I hope that each member of the NHL All Star Game selection committee receives a DVD of this game. In the highly possible event that Luongo cannot start (and if I am a Vancouver exec, there is no way I let him go), then Mason should get the nod. Due to his age, and the fact that he is a Bluejacket and not a Blackhawk, it will likely be Kiprusoff, but we can hope. Too many highlight reel saves to count. His effort in the first period enabled a fidgety corps of forwards to find their legs and their confidence.

+ Special Teams -- When we had to have it, we got it. 2 for 6 on the power play, and a perfect penalty kill, including 40 seconds of 5 on 3. I can't think of a much scarier scenario than a 5 vs. 3 with Ovechkin one of the 5.

+ Opportunism -- We were grossly outshot-- 45 to 23, but cashed in on our opportunities for the most part. A couple of open nets early on escaped unscathed, but otherwise we took advantage of the opportunities we had.

+ Competetive Composure -- We took a clue from Mason, and kept our cool, were persistent, and played smart. Kudos to Boll for not dropping the gloves in the 3rd, and we were rewarded with a double minor that Boll cashed in for us. Nice!

+ Individuals -- Mason, Tyutin, Voracek, Filatov, Hejda, Umberger, Murray (not necessarily in that order). Could name the whole team, but these guys stood out. Once he got his legs, Filatov showed nice hustle and kept the puck moving on the power play and in their zone. Boll played the most controlled game of his career. Voracek was huge, as were Murray and Tyutin.

- Penalties -- A bit of a nitpick here, but we gave up 6 power plays to a team that you really do not want to do that with. However, see the next -

- Officiating -- Need to pull out the eye chart with the big E for this crew. A phantom tripping call went against us, and they missed a blatant offsides call that almost cost us a goal. Brashear should have gotten a major and a game misconduct. Good job not tagging Boll, and actually calling the cross check after the whistle against Picard.

Beating the Caps at home for only their 2nd (yes, 2nd) regulation home loss this season is an accomplishment for any team. Shutting them out -- twice -- in the same season is unbelievable. Doing it with a 20 year old rookie goalie and a lineup of more AHL players than NHL -- priceless!!!

Go Jackets!!!