Game 71 Open Thread: Jackets vs. Wild
by Mike MacLean on Mar 19, 2010 6:22 PM EDT
in Game Threads
2 comments
Rick Nash is back, Matty Garon is in net playing behind a shorthanded defense. How will this game end up? I smell a close game, one that could come down to goaltending. Garon vs. Harding could be the story tonight.
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Game 71 Preview: Jackets take on the Wild
by Mike MacLean on Mar 19, 2010 3:46 PM EDT
in Game Previews
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Twelve games left in the season. Not much left to play for, but tonight on a personal level I hope we take it to Minny. Nothing against the team itself, I am just one of those CBJ fans who has a natural dislike for our expansion cousins. I was one of those fans who pouted when Minny made the playoffs first, etc. It's funny though, had the result of my coin toss gone the other way I would be saying the same thing about the Blue Jackets.....
The Wild defense is in rough shape. They are starting a rookie back there tonight and the team is also without starting goaltender Niklas Backstrom. The Jackets have some good news and bad news going into tonight's game- they are going to be without Rusty Klesla and Jan Hejda for the rest of the season, but Rick Nash makes his return tonight after suffering a sore back, followed by the stomach flu. Matty Garon gets the start tonight against Josh Harding.
Fearless Prediction: Rick Nash scores in his return from injury/illness.
Game Time: 7:00pm ET
Opponent's Blog: Hockey Wilderness
Game Page: Wild vs Blue Jackets coverage
TSN Preview: Wild vs Blue Jackets preview
TV: FSN
Radio: WBNS-AM (1460); WWCD-FM (101.1)
More after the jump...
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Shrapnel - 3/19 Edition
by Andrew Tolliver on Mar 19, 2010 3:40 PM EDT
in Shrapnel
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In this edition of Shrapnel: All-Star game, selling the CBJ, Calvert, tonight's lineups, Jake's hair, Boston's revenge, and more!
Hello, Friday. We missed you.
Puck-rakers:
The Blue Jackets will attempt to host the All-Star game in 2013. Imagine the benefits of this happening. Tons of exposure for Columbus, the Jackets, all the revenue, having at least one Jacket in the game (Nash) and at least three more (looking at you Mase, Brass, Jake).
The Jackets are for sale? Thats what this article in the NY Times seems to think. With the arena lease and trying to make up for millions of dollars lost each year, its possible but nothing concrete has come from it.
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BlueJackets XTRA:
As Mike reported on recently, Matt Calvert has signed a deal with the team. This kid is genuinely stoked about playing for Columbus next year. Great news, in my mind. He continues to praise the franchise for believing in him and his talents. Welcome to Columbus, Mr. Calvert!
Lineups for tonight:
Could the new relationship between the Jackets and the Springfield Falcons be temporary? The Lake Erie Monsters are Colorado's minor league affiliate for the time being, but both sides have an opt out clause after next season. This could allow Columbus to add Lake Erie as their newest affiliate by 2011.
It would further the connection between Cleveland and Columbus in the sense that the Indians have the Clippers as their minor league team, and they have a business relationship with the Jackets. The Lake Erie Monsters are owned by Dan Gilbert (the majority owner of the Cavs). I think this would be tremendous for Columbus in the long run. Make it happen!
Earlier in the year, Jake's long flowing hair was the talk of the locker room. After the Detroit massacre (that started the downfall of the season) former head coach Ken Hitchcock asked Jake to cut his hair. Shortly after, Jake fell into a huge slump. Nowadays, the hair is back and what do you know, he's playing some great hockey. Long story short, Jake's long hair = a winning team.
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Yahoo! Sports:
Thursday's Three Stars. I'd just like to make notice of Thomas Vokoun's little mishap. At least he's not the only one to make a mental mistake like that.
The forecast for the next 6 years: booing Ryan Kesler in a Vancouver uniform. He signed a 6-year $30 million dollar deal to stay up north. Good extension for the Canucks.
Do league officials play favorites when it comes to disciplining players? We all know that Alex Ovechkin was suspended for 2 games for boarding Brian Campbell. This time, Anaheim's James Wisniewski has been suspended for 8 games after running Campbell's teammate Brent Seabrook into the glass. Do you guys think there is a double standard for serious hits?
Paul Kariya is the latest player to join the 400-goal club. The benchmark goal helped lead the Blues past the Rangers on Thursday night.
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NHL.com:
Please note as of March 19, 2010, San Jose is no longer the top dog in the West. Its almost certain that they won't win the President's Trophy again either, with Washington way ahead in the East.
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Quote of the Day:
"I wanted to get it done as soon as possible. They showed they believed in me by drafting me, and I'll always remember that. I love the city. I love the guys in the room. They were really cool to me in training camp (last fall). I'm excited to be a part of the organization for a long, long time."
- Matt Calvert on getting his entry-level deal signed.
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Fight of the Night:
Pittsburg LW Matt Cooke v. Boston RW Shawn Thornton. My first reaction even before I watched the fight, was that it was retalliation for the hit Cooke put on Boston's Marc Savard.
FOTN Honorable Mention:
Pittsburg LW Michael Rupp v. Boston D Zdeno Chara. Video. Oh, Michael Rupp, how foolish you are.
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Goalie Masks of the CBJ
by Andrew Tolliver on Mar 18, 2010 4:14 PM EDT
5 comments
The goalie mask has come a long way since it was first used in 1959. At the time, the mask, debuted by Montreal goaltender Jacques Plante was made of fiberglass and was made especially to fit his face. Now, in the interest of not boring everyone to death, lets jump ahead and take a look at some of the masks of our beloved goalies, past and present.
In the history of team, there have been 14 total goalies. Its not all that difficult, but I whittled the list down to a few and came across some interesting stats along the way:
- Of them, only 6 have played more than one season with the team. (Mason, Denis, LeClaire, Norrena, Tugnutt, and LaCosta)
- Of the 7 still in the NHL, 3 are currently Blue Jackets.
- In only his second season, Steve Mason has already jumped into second place in all-time wins. He will be the most successful goalie in CBJ history. (Ok, not a stat, but we know its true)
- Marc Denis holds more records than any other goalie in team history.
- The best winning percentage belongs to Dan LaCosta (2-0, yes, it counts)
Ok, back to business. Every goalie in the league adds his own touch to his mask, whether that be a tribute to a friend or family member, a hobby, a team theme, or just something kickass. Lets look at these goalies and their masks.
Ron Tugnutt
One of the signatures of any Tugnutt mask was the splash on the front. Imagine the effect of getting hit in the face with a snowball. No matter who he played for, he always sported the splash on his mask. He also displayed the team's logo on the top of his masks. Here are a few of his many different goalie masks.
Pittsburgh mask - it looks to me like someone hit him in the face with a yellow snowball. Gross.
Columbus mask - nothing says intimidation quite like Stinger. Shooters beware!
Marc Denis
Marc had a knack for using his team's moniker to inspire his mask designs. When he was drafted by Colorado in 1995 he came up with this design. Who knew that if he had played for Minnesota a few years later, he could've used the same mask.
When he made the trip to Columbus, he did what seemingly everyone has done, and used the Civil War as his muse, if you will. He was the first goalie to "Carry The Flag" on his headgear.
When Denis moved on to Tampa Bay, he looked to the heavens to and received a gift from god - a Greek god, that is. Marc also had a tendency to sport the good old #30 on the chin of the mask.
Pascal's Columbus mask took the "Blue Jacket" theme to another level when he coupled it with the sport of hockey. The Union solider on the sides sported a pair of skates and carried a lime green stick (he just had to fit Stinger in there somehow). If you look again, you can also see a small picture of Snoopy on the back. I think I read somewhere that Snoopy was his favorite cartoon character so why not put him on the mask? The old CBJ logo with the red ribbon with stars was wrapped around the bottom.
His Ottawa mask rules. As I am writing this, I'm getting my first look at the new headgear. Its all black with a red and black ribbon around the chin and jawline. Each side features a new and improved Ottawa logo. Picture, for example, the current logo. The character looks very clean and stern. Now inject that guy with about 50cc of steroids, and you get this.
Pazzy's Ottawa mask gets an A+ from me for sheer badassness.
Mase's first CBJ mask featured several Union soldies on either side, with the star and flag logo on the right side, and the hat and team name on the left. On the back, he has a tribute to his grandfather who passed away last June. Going on with the trend, he keeps his nickname on the chin. His alternate mask at the time had the same features on the sides and chin, but on the top has a black and white civil war figure.
Just recently this year, Mase debuted a new mask (seen at the top of this story. He kept the theme similar to his other NHL masks, the blue mask has a larger picture of the star and flag logo on the head. Also different on this mask is the style his nickname is written. He put his name on the red, white and blue style Ohio liscense plate. I thought this was really neat considering he got his new Ohio driver's liscense last summer.
The newest CBJ goaltender has been in the league as long as Columbus has. He's played in some diehard hockey towns. Starting in Montreal, Garon paid tribute to a Canadien great, Jacques Plante. He was also awfully confident in himself with the brick wall design. If anyone can knows what the full quote is on the chin, please share. I can't find it anywhere.
His Los Angeles mask is probably my favorite. On the chin, he had the Kings logo and wrapped around the face was a purple and black chess board. This was a very neat look in my opinion. The top and back displayed a knight wearing armor, and wielding a sword and shield.
On his Columbus mask, Garon has his number on his chin. Following in the footsteps of Marc Denis, he has a Union soldier on the top of the mask.
So there's a brief look into the masks of some of the CBJ goalies. What masks are you favorites? What goalies around the league have masks that stand out to you? Share below.
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Blue Jackets Change Affiliate to Springfield
by Mike MacLean on Mar 18, 2010 12:03 AM EDT
in Syracuse Crunch and Gwinnett Gladiators
11 comments
The Columbus Dispatch is reporting tonight that the Jackets and the Crunch were unable to come to an agreement on a renewal of their affilation. The Jackets will no longer use the AHL's Syracuse Crunch as their farm team, and will instead partner with the Springfield Falcons of the AHL.
On a personal level, I have mixed emotions on this move. I follow the AHL quite closely, and I have always wanted to see the Crunch do well. That said, the past couple of seasons have seen me grow sour on the Crunch to an extent. I enjoy reading Lindsay Kramer's blog- in fact I link to it in a sidebar here on The Cannon. The problem with Kramer's blog though, is the people who comment on it, and the tone of some of his posts. It seems there are never-ending complaints regarding the partnership, with accusations such as: "Columbus doesn't care about Syracuse" and "The Blue Jackets do nothing to help the Crunch".
I call bullshit. The Jackets have consistently made trades and signed players for the sole intent of improving the Crunch. Look at this year. Deals were made to bring in guys like Brendan Bell, Tomas Kana, Greg Moore and Chad Kolarik. These guys haven't even sniffed NHL ice. Those players were brought in to make the Crunch better. Over the years there have been similar deals, with limited success. You can't fault the Blue Jackets- they always, year in and year out tried to make the Crunch a better team.
I am excited for this fresh start. The Falcons aren't one of the marquee franchises in the AHL, and some would argue that they are only in the league because the AHL HQ is in Springfield. I think that at least for next year this partnership could be something special- a new home for some of the incumbent prospects that Columbus has playing in Syracuse, and a change in culture as well. The new prospects such as Matt Calvert, who haven't experienced Syracuse, can be part of the first wave of Columbus prospects who have spent time as Falcons.
At the end of the day I wish the Crunch well, but it really bothers me that parts of the Crunch fanbase and media honestly believe that Columbus never made a complete effort towards making the Crunch a good team. I look forward to cheering for the Falcons and I can't wait to see them in action.
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The Future is Bright
by Mike MacLean on Mar 17, 2010 5:54 PM EDT
4 comments
News came down the wire yesterday that Jackets prospect Matt Calvert was signed to his entry-level contract. This is good news for the Jackets because if he wasn't signed soon he would re-enter the draft. There was really no chance that he wasn't going to be re-signed, but it's good news nonetheless.
When the Jackets drafted him in the fifth round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, he was the least heralded of a group of three youngsters playing for the Brandon Wheat Kings. Those three would spend most of their junior career playing as a line- the other two players are 2009 first round draft picks Brayden Schenn and Scott Glennie. Schenn went to the Los Angeles Kings and Glennie was taken by the Dallas Stars.
In the fall of 2009 Calvert was very impressive in training camp, and the Jackets were eager to sign him with the intention of sending him to Syracuse of the AHL. However, he was still eligible to return to junior for one more season. Most players elect to skip their overage year in junior and make the jump to professional hockey, but there was a huge incentive for Calvert to return to Brandon. They are the hosts of this year's Memorial Cup- the holy grail of junior hockey. Being the hosts, Brandon gets a bye right to the Memorial Cup tournament. The other three teams in the tourny are the champions of the QMJHL, OHL and WHL. Add to this fact that Matt is a Brandon native, and he made the decision to return to junior. He is currently tied for the team scoring lead with Schenn, with 99 points apiece.
Next year he will be a professional. With the current makeup of the team, he has a good shot at making the Columbus roster right out of camp. He is a tenacious player who's engine never quits. He can supply offense and for a smaller player he can be quite physical. For those Jacket fans who have been here since the start- he plays a hell of a lot like Tyler Wright. He is a logical replacement for Raffi Torres, so seeing him in a CBJ sweater next year should help ease the pain of trading Raffi.
While on the topic of Calvert, let's take a quick look at some other prospects. For the first time since the early years of the franchise, the prospect cupboard is relatively bare. There are still some very good players on the way for the Jackets though:
Nikita Filatov is still the team's best prospect, and count me in the group that wants to see him be a star in Columbus. Also in the mix is John Moore, the team's first round pick from last year. He will likely be in Syracuse of the AHL next season. Maksim Mayorov just completed a brief stint with Columbus and didn't do much to impress. That doesn't mean he isn't going to be a good player, he just needs some more time to develop.
Two more players are making the future look bright- The Cannon favourites David Savard and Cam Atkinson. Savard is piling up the points as a defenseman with Moncton of the QMJHL and Atkinson is curently fourth in Hockey East scoring with 34 points in 27 games while also leading his Boston College team in scoring. Savard has been nominated for the QMJHL's Best Defenseman Award, Sportsman of the Year Award, and Best Defensive Defenseman Award.
A pair of college prospects have been nominated for some CCHA hardware also. Forward Matt Rust, who was acquired from the Florida Panthers for defenseman Mathieu Roy has been nominated for the CCHA Top Defensive Forward Award. He plays with fellow CBJ prospect and 2009 second rounder Kevin Lynch at the University of Michigan. The other prospect up for an award is 2007 second round pick Will Weber, he is nominated for the CCHA top defensive defenseman award.
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Shrapnel - 3/16 Edition
by Andrew Tolliver on Mar 16, 2010 1:50 PM EDT
in Shrapnel
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In this edition of Shrapnel: Hejda's injury, Vermette's career year, Mayorov's return, a big name receives a suspension, power rankings, and more!
Puck-rakers:
Jan Hejda is expected to miss the rest of the season, after suffering a right knee injury. Early thoughts are a sprain which is similar to what happened to his left knee earlier in the year. Honestly, I'm ok with this. I certainly wish him a speedy recovery but with the season basically over, I want to get a look at some other guys. Get well soon, Jan!
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BlueJackets XTRA:
Antoine Vermette is having yet another career year. With his 3 points last night he's set a new career high with 55. He also has a new high in assists (33) and is close to surpassing his goals record (24, has 22 currently). I'll call it right now, next season Vermette will crush whatever number he racks up by season's end.
A very brief but great feel-good story. Even though he's gone, Ryan Salmons is still having an impact on people.
Random notes. More on Hejda, Klesla, Maks, Boller and a few others. I think Boller is extremely lucky not to be out for a period of time. I've watched the fight over and over and I'm so glad he was able to move around just fine. Here's hoping Rusty can FINALLY put the injury bug behind him. If he can play a full season imagine what he can do given the start he had this year.
Ovechkin receives suspension, Modano out indefinitely. Ovie gets 2 games for boarding, which is warranted. Does anyone think the league should throw out the rules for suspensions and start over?
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Yahoo! Sports:
Ryan Miller seems to be the early favorite to win the Vezina this year. Who would your vote go to? Certainly, his Olympic play was tremendous but that shouldn't be a factor. My vote would go to Miller because his numbers are just phenomenal.
Puck Daddy's Three Stars. One Jacket earns top honors, and another gets an honorable mention. Both well deserved, as they played probably their best games all season long.
Two Ducks find themselves day-to-day suffering from various injuries. Selanne is looking to score his 600th career goal this year.
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NHL.com:
On the front page, check out the "Saves of the week" video on the "Plays of the week" tab, and look under "Plays of the night" and you will see a couple familiar faces. Even though the team is under performing, I like that the players are still getting the recognition for their abilities.
State of the Division. Detroit is making their push to the playoffs. To think, this time last year, they all but locked up a top seed. Even if they make it in, seeing them actually have to fight for once is refreshing.
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BlueJackets.com:
Maksim Mayorov is headed back to Syracuse. The good news: This means Rick Nash should be good to go by the next game. The bad news: We might not see Maks again until next year. I think we have something special in him but we need to give him the exposure to get better. You know, like what we did with Brule, just hope for a better result.
Who doesn't like free stuff? If you get a chance, head down to the arena Friday night when the Jackets take on Minnesota and get a free CBJ Pint glass.
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Power Rankings:
ESPN - 28th
Columbus Dispatch - 27th
TSN - 29th
CBS Sports - 29th
Fox Sports - 28th
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Quote of the Day:
"I won't lie. It's a tough situation to be in. I remember last season coming to Columbus (from Ottawa at the trade deadline). That was so much fun...I didn't have as many points at the end of the season, but it was a much more rewarding season."
- Antoine Vermette
Fight of the Night:
Oilers D Theo Peckham v. Blue Jackets RW Jared Boll
Honorable Mention:
Bruins RW Shawn Thornton v. Devils LW Jean-Luc Letourneau-Leblond. Video.
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Game 70 Recap: Jackets Cement Their 14th Place Status
by Mike MacLean on Mar 16, 2010 10:08 AM EDT
in Game Recaps
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I hate playing out the string. I've been a Blue Jackets fan since Day One, so I had the treat of watching the team play the spoiler role for the last 15 to 20 games of every season. Last year was the only exception. Other than the obvious fact that the team isn't making the playoffs, I hate playing out the string because you have games like last night.
Other than the two points that does nothing but increase the gap between 14th and 15th in the standings, the only other thing the Jackets could take from last night is that they lost Jan Hejda, likely for the rest of the season. They were lucky not to lose Jared Boll either, I know I'm not alone in cringing and holding my breath when his head hit the ice after his fight. The linesman and Theo Peckham's reactions said it all. He turned out to be OK, (we think) but it would have just made the night even more costly.
I suppose you can't forget about the offense that was shown last night. The final score was 5-3. The Oilers have a patchwork defense and a goalie who hadn't won in nine starts so the fact the Jackets showed offensive flair should be taken with a grain of salt. In his return from injury Juice had a goal and three assists, and to me it looked like he never left the ice. Vermy had a goal and two assists. The other goal scorers were Chris Clark, Jakub Voracek and Marc Methot.
Quick Hits:
- Maksim Mayorov was returned to Syracuse after the game, which likely means that Rick Nash is good to go for next game. Mayorov didn't look completely out of place, but after starting on a scoring line he made some mistakes and lost his opportunity to play with scorers, being placed on the fourth line.
- Vermette set a career high in points last night, with 55.
- Look for Nathan Paetsch to get more ice, or a defenseman to be called up from Syracuse to replace Hejda. I'd like to see Brendan Bell myself.
- The Jackets would pick 6th in the NHL draft if it went by today's standings.
Mancrush: I'm going to go with Huselius. Not only because he scored four points, but because he was all over the ice making plays. He looked good in his first game back from injury.
Doghouse: Commodore. I don't want to pile on the guy, because he's having a tough season, but man he looked slow and confused out there. What happened to Big Red from last year?
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