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!

A Welcome Break . . .

The current 3 day break in the schedule comes at a great time, both for the club and the fans.  After an exhausting stretch of games, the club gets a chance to catch a breath, give Mason a breather, and decompress from the daily pressure of the playoff chase.  Not only that, but the fans get a bit of a breather, and can step back from the edge of the cliff.

St. Louis gets a wild win over Detroit tonight, 5 - 4, with Backes getting 4 of the Blues' tallies.  Conklin was in goal for the Wings, and now how dumb does the Detroit organization look for not picking up a goalie at the trade deadline?   Osgood and Conkline are not going to get Detroit out of the first round, at the current rate.  St. Louis is now back in 7th place, pending the outcome of the Anaheim/Vancouver game, which is currently tied at 5 in the 3rd.  

Edmonton lost a tough one tonight, 2 -1 against San Jose, reducing the CBJ magic number for Edmonton to 1.  If Vancouver can beat Anaheim, the MN against Anaheim goes down to 2.5.  

A Chicago win over Nashville on Friday, combined with a Calgary win over Minnesota puts us in the position where a win over Nashville on Saturday would effectively clinch for us.  Technically, the clinch would come with at least an OTL on Sunday vs. Chicago, but as a practical matter, it is over. 

If it makes everyone feel better, consider that the NHL media and related pundits are not concerned about us being in the playoffs.  They may not understand the paranoia that 7 years of missing the playoffs breeds, but I trust their judgment. 

More tidbits tomorrow . . .   Go Jackets! 

Filatov Coming

According to a Bluejackets Press Release, and Puck-Rakers, Nikita Filatov has been recalled from the Syracuse Crunch. GM Scott Howson indicates that the club wants Filatov to experience the big club training and atmosphere during the playoff push. The extent to which he might play is uncertain right now.

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!

Calm The Nerves!

OK, think of the following as a bit of calming medication to keep you from going berserk as we head into the final half of the Dirty Dozen games to end the season.  The good news is that we are in a playoff race as April begins!  The bad news is that we are in a playoff race as April begins!  

This is a new experience for Jackets fans, and can be unnerving for those who have not experienced the daily ups, downs and twists.  In listening to and reading fan comments, you would think we were in 12th.  So, armed with some facts, let me attempt to return some degree of rationality to the debate.

First, I have updated the site to provide a permanent link to the Playoff Tracker spreadsheet to the right at the top.  So those of you needing your latest information fix can get it there.  Secondly, here are the current projections, based upon every team playing as they have up to the present time:

1. San Jose 120 points

2. Detroit  116 points

3. Calgary 99 points

4. Chicago 101 points

5. Vancouver 99 points

6. Columbus 93 points

7. Nashville  91 points

8. St. Louis  90 points

9. Anaheim  88 points

10. Edmonton 87 points

11. Minnesota  86 points

12. Dallas  82 points

13. Los Angeles  80 points

14. Phoenix  77 points

15. Colorado  69 points.

Thus, the bar sits at 90 points right now, elevated by the St. Louis 5 game winning streak and Nashville's 6 game point streak.  For reasons explained below, I expect the #8 slot point total to go back to 89 or 88 before the season ends.

Consider the following:

• The Jackets are 3-1-2 for the first 6 games of the Dirty Dozen, for 8 out of a possible 12 points.  Nashville has earned points in the last 6 games, for a total of 9 points.  So, they have gained exactly 1 point on us over 6 games.  That's acceptable -- I'll let them pick up 1 more point over the final six games -- no problem!
• St. Louis plays 5 of their last 6 on the road, Nashville plays 4 of 6 on the road, as does Anaheim.  
• Edmonton plays San Jose, Vancouver, Anaheim, Calgary twice
• Nashville, besides contending with us, has Chicago twice, Detroit and Minnesota.
• Anaheim has Edmonton, Vancouver and San Jose (twice)
• We have played extremely well against Chicago, have a 2 - 2 record against Nashville (including a loss with Norrena in goal), and have played Minnesota tough.  We have 3 home games left and 3 road games.  Split 'em and we keep 6th easily.

We have the easiest job of any of those fighting for playoff spots, because we are above the bar and they have to catch us.  Lots of games between each other, so lots of leapfrogging will go on, which slows the pace of the pursuers. 

This team has played with intensity and character all year long, and is not going to stop now.  Darth Vader is dead.  Nashville is coming to OUR house, and is not leaving without a whipping.  The playoffs will take care of themselves within the next week.  

Think soft, calming thoughts.  All will be well . . . Go Jackets!!

Sunday Night Check In

Wife and I were victimized by the rather freakish snowstorm that hit certain parts of the midwest last night and early today. So, our rather simple 7:50 AM flight from St. Louis to Chicago, then Chicago to Columbus, turned into an 11:45 flight from St. Louis to Chicago, followed by a flight from Chicago to Cleveland, followed by a drive from Cleveland to Columbus. Lovely day . . .

Of course, got home to be greeted by a rare stinker by the CBJ. Time for the boys to take a day off, get their focus back. Tonight we had plenty of energy, just no execution, and some really catastrophic mistakes, particularly in our own zone. Steve made some great saves, but also some bad decisions. With Nashville winning as well, and Anaheim currently beating Colorado, things are tightening up. We are still in the driver's seat, and the other teams have their challenges in the final half dozen as well.

We are 3-1-2 for the first half of the Dirty Dozen, so that ain't half bad. 8 of 12 possible points -- a .750 clip. Just need to get back to basics.

Exhaustion has set in, so will defer the game review and playoff status posts until tomorrow. Thanks to all the CBJ fans who represented well in St. Louis. 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!