Final Bow: Lidstrom Retries

            Hours before Nicklas Lidstrom took a seat in front of the Detroit media to announce his plans for retirement, the Detroit Red Wings tweeted this:

            The purpose of the link was to show the length of Lidstrom’s tenure with the organization and the league; however, the song the link lead to was much more significant. Neither commissioner  Gary Bettman nor Detroit general manager Ken Holland can accurately describe Lidstrom’s career, but Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch can. In a lyric, “It’s such a GOOD VIBRATION.”

The 12-time NHL All Star defenseman finished with four Stanley Cups, seven Norris Trophies, and one Conn Smythe Trophy. Internationally, the 42-year-old won gold medals in the Olympics and World Championship. Lidstrom broke several records for the league and several more for the Red Wings but more importantly, he garnered respect from teammates and opponents for the way he carried himself on and off the ice.

            In 20 seasons, Lidstrom was nominated for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy six times. The Swedish defenseman accumulated a mere 514 penalty minutes in more than 1,500 regular season games.  The captain’s “C” that he wore on his sweater for his final six seasons could have also stood for “class,” something he never left home without.

            His teammates referred to him as the “perfect human.” Off the ice, the 42-year old made one of the most difficult transitions appear as seamless as one of his breakout passes from the defensive zone.  In 1991, when Lidstrom arrived in Hockeytown, he was forced to acclimate himself with a new culture, new language, and new team. He did it, as he did everything, to perfection.

            Now, the most decorated defenseman of his era must adjust to a new lifestyle yet again. Detroit, on the other hand, is forced with the equally challenging and nearly impossible task of finding a player to fill Lidstrom’s void.    

            Regardless of who takes Lidstrom’s locker stall and fills his position in the lineup, the Red Wings will never completely replace him. And for as long as Joe Louis Arena stands, good vibrations will resonate to the rafters where his revered #5 will undoubtedly hang beside the numbers of the greatest players to ever play the game.  

Mustaches and Holtby

            For one month in the year, I felt powerful. I felt as though men and women alike were caught in my web of seduction. Then December 1^st came and I shaved off my half-inch of mustache hair. After taking a few selfies, I took a glance in the mirror and was faced with a harsh reality. I was powerless without the ‘stache. And although I could still hang out in front of the weight room and sell tickets to the gun show, nobody would be willing to buy them as long as my upper lip shadow wasn’t there to serve as a reminder that I am, deep down, essentially a clone of this man.

Fantastic photo of Ron Burgundy taken from woldfitness.com

This analogy encapsulates my feeling about certain players in the NHL playoffs. Much like Max Talbot did a few years ago with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the occasional “average” player will put on an exhibition in the playoffs and send a hoard of fans rushing to the team store to buy their jersey. Unfortunately, these are the same fans you see years later hanging out in the arena concourse leaning against the wall trying to hide the fact that they dropped $200 on the jersey of a player who has been scratched (but not necessarily sniffed) more than a lottery ticket. 

With that, I would like to introduce to my candidate for the player who I believe will burn out after the 2012 NHL playoffs and spend next season riding the pine.

If only for one more game, my vote goes to Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals. In my opinion, the 22-year old goalie is a playoff form of Steve Mason. He’s sweet for the moment, but by next season, he will join the ranks of the burnouts. Here are some statistics that reflect his performance in the regular season compared to the playoffs:

Regular Season:

Games Played – 7

Save Percentage - .922

Goals Against Average – 2.49

Playoffs:

Games Played – 13

Save Percentage - .935

Goals Against Average – 1.95

            Needless to say (but I’m going to anyways because I believe if I continue to use hip language I’m basically a lock for first-pick in my next game of playground basketball), this guy is “turnt” up right now.

            Maybe it’s the beard that is propelling this guy forward or perhaps he is still riding the adrenaline rush that comes with playing in the NHL. Either way, I find it hard to believe his parents will be buying season tickets at the Verizon Center next season. In fact, I think their reaction to learning their son is headed back to the minors might look a lot like this. 

            The chances are that as Holtby plays more, opposing teams will learn and exploit his weaknesses just like they did with Mason.  Holtby makes ill-advised decisions when coming out to play the puck. Playing against a team that likes to dump the puck, such as the New York Rangers, it’s a dangerous style.  Another huge weakness is his rebound control. Holtby gives up so many “juicy rebounds” that Pierre McGuire salivates each time the puck comes into the zone. Don’t get me wrong, I think he is crazy good right now, but I don’t think he will be as sweet as the hockey nation seems to believe.

           With this I bring you back to my mustache. Similar to the popularity I encountered in November with the 'stache, Holtby is experiencing an equally awe-striken month. However, the heavy hammer of reality cannot linger at the bottom of the toolbox. Eventually, Holtby will fade away into a crowd of average players. So when the Capitals' run for the Stanley Cup draws to a close and Holtby shaves his beard, what will be left is the face of a young goalie who just took the ride of his life. If he wishes to ride again, Holtby must clear some pretty tall expectations. 

           

Emphatic Ending

Blue Jackets 7, Islanders 3

Individual wins and losses are often obscured by the bigger picture of an 82-game season. Saturday night was the exception.

            The entertainment factor was high even if the game’s implications were not. From Rick Nash’s pregame introduction to Sean Hunwick’s two-minutes of stardom, the Blue Jackets recovered the attention they jettisoned earlier in the year.

            Still, through the first portion of the game it appeared Nationwide Arena would host another unpleasant spectacle. 

            Missed passes and poor skating marred the opening period. Steve Mason was to handle the majority of the breakdowns with a few acrobatic saves. Columbus rarely advanced into its own offensive zone, and when it did, the ensuing shots posed little threat.

            Then, a stroke of good fortune overcame the Blue Jackets. Amid a pile of sticks and bodies, Rick Nash sneaked the puck over the goal line in the final minute of the period to give the team a much-needed but undeserved spark.   

            Cam Atkinson made it 2-0 in the second period when his wrist shot from the left faceoff circle beat Al Montoya.

            The Islanders recorded their first goal of the night three minutes later. New York then struck again following a tally from R.J. Umberger to make it 3-2 late in the period.        

            It was at this point that the momentum shifted completely. The Islanders took a pair of overlapping penalties and Columbus scored twice on the power play.

            The Blue Jackets continued to dominate in the third period with two more goals to New York’s lone tally. Hunwick then replaced Mason in the final two minutes in a decision coach Todd Richards accredited to his players.

            As Hunwick stood idle on one end of the ice, Columbus worked diligently on the other end to feed Atkinson who was one goal away from his second-consecutive hat trick game. The minor league call-up finished with two goals and one assist.

          

Jackets Eliminate Avalanche

Blue Jackets 5, Avalanche 2

Fueled by a pair of scraps and a hat trick, the Blue Jackets sent the Avalanche reaching for the golf clubs prematurely on Thursday night in the Pepsi Center.

Cam Atkinson put Columbus on the board at 6:35 of the opening frame. The rookie forward caught a long lead pass from Darryl Boyce as he entered the offensive zone, then deked Semyon Varlamov to notch the night’s first goal.           

David Jones evened the score for the Avalanche near the midway point of the period, but Rick Nash’s rebound tally at 17:29 gave the Blue Jackets a 2-1 advantage after 20 minutes.

In the second period Colorado tied it again. Early into a four-minute power play, Paul Stastny beat Steve Mason for his 21^st goal of the season.

The Blue Jackets took their third lead of the game less than five minutes later when Rick Nash buried a close in shot during the waning moments of a five-on-three man advantage.

At 11:51 of the period, Columbus expanded its lead to 4-2. Cam Atkinson swept in from below the goal then chopped a shot that sneaked past Varlamov on the far side of the net.

The Avalanche picked up its play in the third period as the team found itself two goals away from postseason elimination. However, Mason continued his success in the crease despite a few bizarre plays.

First, Mason took a rising shot to the mask. Then, a Colorado forward railroaded him into the cage. The latter of the plays resulted in a pair of disputable calls. Jack Johnson was issued a two-minute minor for interference and Vinny Prospal, an assistant captain, was given a 10-minute misconduct.

Prospal appeared to be asking for clarification on the play when he was sent to the sin bin. Regardless, he was benched for the half of the period.

Tempers continued to flare late in the final minutes of the game when it was clear Colorado would lose its playoff bid. Gabriel Landeskog and Jamie McGinn each took penalties at 13:58 of the period.

Later, with the net empty, the Blue Jackets capped their successful night with an crafty play. Cam Atkinson chased the puck to the goal line, battled to jar it free from the defenseman, then tucked a no-look shot between his legs to record his first NHL hat trick.

Columbus closes its season at home against the New York Islanders on Saturday night. 

Smith Shuts Down Jackets

Coyotes 2, Blue Jackets 0

           

The Blue Jackets had one penalty, 54 shots, and two hands for head scratching after its 2-0 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes.

It was a disappointment for a team hoping to finish a high note as only two games remain in the season.

            Columbus offensive explosion was stifled by goaltender Mike Smith who was magnificent in a much-needed victory. Phoenix, in a battle to cling on to a playoff spot, is now one win away from clinching a bid in the postseason.

            Neither team scored in the first period despite the Blue Jackets’ 17 shots. In the second, the Coyotes tallied twice to take the 2-0 lead.

            Allen York only faced three shots in the final 20 minutes but Columbus could not convert on the other end of the ice.

            Perhaps the most disheartening part of the Blue Jackets struggles was that the team did not score on six power play opportunities. Columbus is 27^th in the NHL on the man advantage with a14.8 percent success rate.

            Jack Johnson led the Blue Jackets with eight shots and 30:57 minutes of ice time. 

Best/Worst of Blue Jackets

Columbus is looking ahead to another offseason frenzy complete with roster moves and coaching changes as the team enters its final week of play. Here are the Blue Jackets whose performance this season will determine their role in the reshaping process.

MVP: Vinny Prospal – Perhaps the best news out of the Blue Jackets’ organization this year came in early February when it was announced that Prospal signed a one-year contract extension with Columbus. With 51 points this season, Prospal has been the team’s most reliable and least distracting player. He is one of two players on the squad to have played in every game this season. Along with recording the second-highest point total on the team, Prospal has also led the team in the locker room as evidenced by the assistant captain’s “A” he wears on his sweater.

Most Improved: Derek Dorsett – When the season comes to the end, Dorsett will have finally finished his application to become the league’s most hated player. As usual, the winger’s constant intensity has not only caught the ire of his opponents, but it has also created a spark for the Blue Jackets. However, what makes this year different from past years is his ability to score goals and make plays. He is in the midst of a career-best season with 19 points. Dorsett’s role on the team will be safe even if his role in the league is diminished.

Biggest Disappointment: Steve Mason – Before the start of the season, Blue Jackets fans knew that the fate of their season relied on the man between the pipes. Well, the goalie’s sophomore slump has officially lasted three years. With an 89. 2 save percentage and 3.43 goals against average in 44 games this season, it is clear that Mason will not be returning to his original form. If he does, it is likely to be with another team.

Best Forward: Rick Nash – Although his numbers have dropped off from past years, the five-time All Star still leads the Blue Jackets with 56 points. He is undoubtedly the most skilled player in the union blue. However, on April 7^th when Columbus plays its final game of the season, Nash might sound the cannon for the last time. His reign as the team’s top forward is likely to be coming to a close.

Best Defenseman: Nikita Nikitin – Acquired from the St. Louis Blues for Kris Russell early in the season, Nikitin is the Blue Jackets’ best-kept secret. Through 51 games with Columbus, the blue liner has 31 points. Nikitin’s slap shot from the point has been a huge asset to the Blue Jackets’ power play. In front of his own net, Nikitin has shown a willingness to sacrifice the body as he has a team-leading 92-blocked shots. Expect him to be a mainstay on the blue line.