Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Late Surge Carries Wings


Red Wings 5, Blue Jackets 2

            Over a span of 20 minutes, a close game turned into a classic Red Wings beat down, as a four-goal third period lifted the visitors to a 5-2 victory on Tuesday night in Nationwide Arena.
Less than five minutes into the game, Detroit claimed the night’s first goal. At 4:08 of the first period Johan Franzen notched his 24th goal of the season with a play characteristic of his nickname, the “mule”.
            Minutes later, Rick Nash tied the game at 1-1 with an equally hard-working tally. Bullying his way to the front of the crease, Nash fell on top of goalie Joey MacDonald as the puck slid into the back of the net.
            Neither team scored in the second period, but a few power play opportunities kept Sanford and MacDonald honest. Through 40 minutes of play, the teams combined for 33 shots.
            In the third period, the Blue Jackets’ Derek MacKenzie scored the first goal of the frame. At 2:13 of the period, MacKenzie capitalized on a shorthanded breakaway for his 6th goal of the season.
            After Columbus’ initial goal, Detroit took control of the rest of the game. Fueled by goals from Niklas Kronwall, Henrik Zetterberg, Jan Mursak, and Valtteri Fippula, the Red Wings mounted a 5-2 advantage against the Blue Jackets.
            Sanford, who finished the game 20 saves, struggled immensely in the final period, allowing more than one-third of the shots he faced. Among the goals Sanford allowed were a lofty backhander from the slot and a long-range tight-angle shot.
            Aside from its defensive woes, Columbus was also bitten by a lack of discipline. The Blue Jackets took six penalties in the contest.
            Columbus returns to action on March 1st against the Colorado Avalanche.

Nash Stays, Plans Move Forward


As the NHL trade deadline passed on Monday afternoon, the Blue Jackets did not move their franchise player, Rick Nash. Instead, Columbus swapped Sammy Pahlsson for a pair of draft picks and a defenseman, then called it a day.
All together, the Blue Jackets dealt Jeff Carter, Antoine Vermette, and Pahlsson. In return, the club received two defenseman, one goalie, and “a lot of darts to throw at the board,” in the words of general manager Scott Howson.
The “darts” Howson was referring to are the five draft picks he acquired over the course of six days.  More importantly, they are the future of the organization starving for success.
With an increasingly impatient fan base and a captain who asked for a trade mid-January, Columbus’ front office made a definitive decision to start reshaping its team with an emphasis on the future.
Although the “nuclear” option to essentially wipe out the entire roster seemed plausible, Howson hopes his approach will yield long-term results.
            The Blue Jackets’ plans to reshape their roster began with the freeing of cap space. First to leave was Vermette, whose departure leaves Columbus with an extra $3.75 million in cap space.
            Next, the Carter deal liberated the Blue Jackets of a $5,272,727 cap hit, not to mention 11 years of regret.
            Pahlsson, traded to Vancouver on the day of the deadline, had the smallest of the salaries with a still noteworthy $2.65 million cap hit.
Columbus freed a substantial amount of cap space over the span of two years, making breathing room for offseason. If the team does trade Nash in the future, its ability to employ players with higher salaries could be beneficial in landing a star in return.
            The draft picks that the Blue Jackets acquired could also be a trade asset in the offseason, though it appears Howson might be taking another direction.
            Making a clear distinction between his plans to reshape the team and not to rebuild it, Howson could be hinting at an idea to shape a younger core of players around the backbone of Columbus’ veteran leadership.
            With a conditional first round pick from the Kings and a second round pick from the Coyotes in the 2012 Entry Draft, the Blue Jackets will hopefully be able to land an impact player capable of making an immediate difference.
            Howson will be on the lookout for players of the same caliber as rookies Ryan Johansen and John Moore who have each played the entire season in the NHL.
            As Nash’s tenure in Columbus seems to be drawing to a close, the team will rely on different players to mold the younger players.
Vinny Prospal, who recently signed a one-year contract extension, will be an experienced voice in the locker room. Other leaders might include forward R.J. Umberger and newly acquired defenseman Jack Johnson, who each have contracts through the next five seasons.
            Before the trading frenzy, Nash voiced his displeasure with the direction the franchise had taken. He believed it would take five more years to build the Blue Jackets into a Stanley Cup contender.
            Judging from the moves Howson made, it appears the winger was correct in his assumption. Unpicked players control the destiny of Columbus’ struggling franchise. Now, the job is waiting and trying to make a core around which the Blue Jackets can shape a team. 

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Pitt-fall


Pittsburgh 4, Blue Jackets 2

Neither a pair of favorable calls nor a new addition to the roster could save Columbus from falling to an 18-37-7 record.
On Sunday afternoon in Pittsburgh, the defensive presence of recently acquired Jack Johnson did not faze the Penguins, who coasted to a 4-2 victory against the Blue Jackets.
            Pittsburgh, led by the NHL-leading scorer, Evgeni Malkin, controlled the entire game, but didn’t start their offensive onslaught until the third period. In the final 20 minutes of the game, the Penguins had three goals in addition to two disallowed tallies.
            Curtis Sanford was given an unpleasant welcome back after missing seven games with an injury. Returning to the crease, Sanford turned aside 36 shots, though as the game wore on, his play crumbled.
             In an otherwise uneventful game for Columbus, Rick Nash picked up what might have been his last goal as a member of the Blue Jackets at 9:59 of the second period.
            Shorthanded, Nikita Nikitin sent a clearing attempt from the defensive zone off the sideboards. The puck careened off the boards and bounced out to center ice where Nash took possession and buried the shorthanded opportunity.
            The Penguins tied the game nearly ten minutes later when Malkin scored in the waning moments of the period to make it 1-1.
            Shortly after the goal, Nikitin sent a slap shot off the post before time expired, but the attempt did not yield another goal.
            Emotions were calm for the majority of the game until the officials drew the ire of the Pittsburgh’s bench after a pair of disallowed goals.
The first goal, waived off initially due to the goal-scorer’s distinct kicking motion, was rightfully upheld.  The officials’ second decision, incidental contact with the goalie, left the Penguins more upset.
Close to the midway point of the third period, Pittsburgh finally made it 3-1 with a goal that needed no official review.
After the Penguins scored again, Vinny Prospal marked for Columbus, but the game would hold no more scoring.
Jack Johnson, making his debut as a Blue Jacket, logged 23:29 of time on ice. 

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Too Much.

Colorado 5, Blue Jackets 0

Amidst a whirlwind of trade speculations and roster moves, the Blue Jackets could not overcome adversity on Friday night in Nationwide Arena as the Colorado Avalanche handed the home team a devastating 5-0 defeat.
In the beginning, the game was promising. Each line had excellent puck movement, no check went unfinished, and Columbus’ aggression appeared to have the Avalanche back on their heels.
Then, in the final minute of the first period, two shots changed the entire complexion of the game. With the game tied 0-0, the Blue Jackets’ Colton Gillies rang a shot off the crossbar. Colorado’s David Jones picked up the rebound, skated coast-to-coast with the puck, and made it 1-0.
            Given the way Columbus had played in the game’s first 20 minutes, fans expected to witness two more periods of exciting hockey. Instead, the Blue Jackets reverted to bad habits that have stung them all season long.
            At 11:56 of the second period, Gabriel Landeskog made it 2-0 when his slap shot from the right faceoff circle rose over Steve Mason’s glove hand.
            In the third period, the Avalanche notched three more goals to mount a commanding 5-0 lead. 
            Semyon Varlamov stopped 22 shots for Colorado in the shutout victory.
            Looking ahead, the Blue Jackets travel to Pittsburgh where they will face the Penguins on Sunday afternoon. 

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Fast Start Fuels Jackets

Blue Jackets 6, Sharks 3

Fans rose to their feet as the final horn sounded inside Nationwide Arena. The standing ovation was a fitting bookend for the Blue Jackets, whose early four-goal advantage propelled them to a 6-3 victory against the Sharks.
Steve Mason turned aside 18 shots in the first period, allowing Columbus to establish a comfortable lead against the perennial playoff contenders.
The four-goal explosion began nearly five minutes into the game and carried into deep into the final minute of the first period. R.J. Umberger, enduring a scoring drought in the past 10 games, had a hand in the first and last goal of the frame.
At 17:44 of the period, Umberger completed his Gordie Howe hat trick with a scrap along the sideboards. The fight was the only tilt of the game between two teams that amassed over 50 minutes in major penalties in their last encounter.  
The Blue Jackets’ special teams units, which saw four minutes of ice time in the first 20 minutes, increased the their efficiency early with the help of Jeff Carter. The center, playing in his 500th NHL game, had a pair of power play tallies in the first period.
Columbus’ 4-0 lead began to evaporate in the second period as the Sharks scored the game’s next two goals to make it 4-2. In a matter of 26 seconds, San Jose’s Joe Thornton and Logan Couture marked to cut their team’s deficit in half.
Todd Richards, losing grip on the game, called a timeout after the Sharks’ second goal to calm his troops. Two minutes later, Ryane Clowe’s post-whistle antics put the Blue Jackets on a four-minute power play.
On the man-advantage, David Savard’s heavy slap shot from the point gave Columbus’ power play its third goal of the night. With 10:59 remaining in the second period, the Blue Jackets regained the momentum.
One minute into the third frame, an unselfish play by Columbus’ captain let the hats fly down to the ice in Nationwide Arena.
Standing in front of the goalmouth, Rick Nash passed the puck to a slightly better positioned Carter who recorded his fourth career hat trick with a quick wrist shot past goaltender Tommy Greiss.
San Jose struck back once after Carter’s third goal, but the goal was not enough to make a difference as Columbus skated off the ice triumphant against the Sharks for the first time this season.
Mason, fresh off an overtime loss to the Rangers, finished the night with 30 saves. Rick Nash registered a goal and an assist in the contest. 

Sunday, February 19, 2012

One Point in The Big Apple

Rangers 3, Blue Jackets 2 OT

Solid penalty killing and sound defensive play kept Columbus in the game with the New York Rangers, but a cross-ice pass followed by a quick snap shot sealed the Blue Jackets’ fate inside Madison Square Garden.
            Columbus, facing the Eastern Conference’s best team, picked up one point as they dropped a 3-2 overtime decision to New York on Sunday night.
            The Rangers took the lead at 17:49 of the first period when Brad Richards and Carl Hagelin connected on a nifty give-and-go pass to beat Steve Mason. The goal put New York ahead 1-0 before the first intermission.
            In the second frame, the Rangers had the majority of the early scoring chances, but Columbus notched the period’s first goal. On the Blue Jackets’ second power play of the night, Derick Brassard tied it at 1-1 with a heavy slap shot from the point.
            The game stayed knotted until 13:13 of the second period when a bit of misfortune overcame Columbus. After killing a lengthy 5-on-3 power play, the Blue Jackets fell behind 2-1 when an awkward bounce off the stanchion behind Columbus’ net resulted in New York’s second goal.
            With less than one second remaining in the period, the Rangers nearly extended their lead to two goals, but video review deemed Michael Del Zotto’s shot had not crossed the goal line before time expired.
            Trailing 2-1 heading into the final 20 minutes of play, the Blue Jackets successfully straightened out a game laced with ups and downs. 
            Mason, responding from a tough outing against the Blackhawks, continued his strong play throughout the third period.  He made 32 saves in the contest.
However, Columbus’ defenseman David Savard owned the game’s most impressive save when he prevented a golden opportunity midway through the period making an impressive stick save while lying on the ice.
On the other end of the rink, Henrik Lundqvist, made his best save around the two-minute mark when he flashed the left pad to keep out Jeff Carter’s game-tying attempt.
Moments later, the Blue Jackets devised a play that the Vezina Trophy candidate couldn’t keep out. With the extra-attacker on, Columbus won an offensive zone faceoff, worked the puck over to Rick Nash, then allowed their captain to do the rest of the work.
Nash’s wrist shot beat Lundqvist for the game-tying goal with 1:33 remaining in regulation.
In overtime, Derek Stepan snapped in the game-winning goal just 22 seconds after the puck dropped to increase the Rangers’ lead in the Eastern Conference standings.
The Blue Jackets look to rebound on Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks. 

Undesired Consequence


When Columbus’ general manager Scott Howson traded for Jeff Carter over the offseason, his intention was to finally give Rick Nash a top center to play alongside. Now, as the NHL trade deadline nears, Nash might soon be playing on a line of elites, but he wont be in a Blue Jackets sweater.  
            Still desperately trying to bring a winning franchise to Columbus, Howson might move Rick Nash to make amends for mistakes made in the offseason overhaul.

Background

            Following the roster shakeup, nobody blamed Carter for being upset. Prior to the trade, the All-Star center had signed a long-term contract with the Flyers. He took less money to stick with Philadelphia, and felt as if the organization had betrayed him. It was understandable.
            What wasn’t understandable the way Carter displayed his displeasure. The ex-Flyer refused to talk to the media for days after the trade, claiming he was too upset to make a statement. In response, the Blue Jackets’ most-notable personnel, including Rick Nash, made a trip to The City of Brotherly Love to coax the Carter out of isolation. 
            This wasn’t the center’s first unpopular decision however, as he and former teammate Mike Richards never tried to hide their affection for partying.
If gossip and leaked pictures weren’t enough to support the case against trading for Carter, Howson had access to comments from Philadelphia’s general manager Paul Holmgren at his disposal. Everyone did, they were all over the Internet.

The Mistake

With all this evidence working against Carter, why did Howson want to swap players for him? Here’s some speculation about what Howson saw on the resume:

-Former All-Star
-First-line center
-History of playing in the post-season

            My question is, who said that Jacub Voracek (who left Columbus in the trade) didn’t have the potential to be an NHL All-Star? Sure the winger didn’t meet all the criteria on Howson’s wish list, but he proved he had the skill to play with the league’s best.
            Holmgren realized the value in Voracek, and now the Blue Jackets are too. Through 57 games this season, Voracek has 33 points. Carter, who has been plagued with injuries, has 21 points in 33 games.
            Sure, Carter has been slightly more productive than his counterpart, but take into account that he averages more than three more minutes of ice time than Voracek does. 
            But the trade for Carter wasn’t a one-for-one swap. Columbus also relinquished a first and third-round draft pick to the Flyers.
            Now, in his first year of eligibility, that first-round pick, Sean Couturier, is among the frontrunners for the Calder Trophy (awarded to the league’s top rookie). Couturier has 10 goals, 11 assists, and a 14 plus/minus rating, this season.
            Philadelphia selected Nick Cousins with its third-round pick. Cousins, playing in the Ontario Hockey League, has 71 points through 54 games this season.

The Result

            Needless to say, the Carter deal was purely a steal for the Flyers. They dumped off a troublesome forward, and scooped up two promising young players in the process.
            But not so fast, Philadelphia might be coming back for more. The Flyers are among Rick Nash’s suitors, meaning trade talks between Howson and Holmgren have opened once again.
            Ready for the icing on the cake? Couturier is among the players Columbus is interested in acquiring for Nash.
Simply put, Howson is using the Blue Jackets’ franchise player to get back a player he once had in his mitts. He’s backtracking, and Rick Nash could pay the price.