Game Preview #38 - This Has Become Almost Comical
If it wasn't so damn depressing...
Blue Jackets at Panthers - 6:00 PM
Game Faceoff
This week for me personally was almost a metaphor for my feelings about the Jackets. I worked through Thursday the 18th, and had all these plans for Tuesday and Wednesday before Christmas. Days off, kid at daycare, a list of projects and things to get done before Christmas. I was excited for the vacation time and the chance to recharge and get things done I'd been putting off.
So, naturally, at 1:45 AM on Tuesday, I woke up feeling entirely and completely sick to my stomach. I then spent the next five hours on my couch trying not to throw up. Tuesday? The entire day in bed. Wednesday? Half the day in bed, and then rest breaks after each task on my list.
In short, I suffered through a complete and total kick to the guts after having such grand plans.
Welcome to the Columbus Blue Jackets, 2015-16 edition. On the eve of greatness, you spend the entire night trying not to throw up.
I had family committments yesterday, so I missed the game. Though I wouldn't say I "missed" it. Three minor penalties in three seconds. How do you even do that? WHY do you even do that? Two of the dumbest things you can do on ANY PK are to cover the puck on a faceoff and then fire the puck over the glass. But, to do those two things on the first and second faceoffs of a PK? To give a team two minutes of 5-on-3, followed by MORE 5-on-3 when they inevitably score?
I mean, if it wasn't so damned sad, it would be almost hilarious.
Almost.
No idea on the lineup tonight, and frankly, what difference does it make? The boys from the Cannon and I spent all morning exchanging "who can/should we trade?" e-mails. We've passed that point of no return.
It's not pretty.
Projected Lineups
Columbus Blue Jackets
(13-21-3, 29 Points; 8th division, 16th conference)
| Boone Jenner | Ryan Johansen | Rene Bourque |
| Matt Calvert | Brandon Dubinsky | Cam Atkinson |
| Scott Hartnell | Alexander Wennberg | Brandon Saad |
| Gregory Campbell | William Karlsson | David Clarkson |
| Jack Johnson | Ryan Murray |
| Fedor Tyutin | Dalton Prout |
| Andrew Bodnarchuk | Justin Falk |
| Joonas Korpisalo |
| Curtis McElhinney |
Florida Panthers
(19-12-4, 42 Points; 4th Division, 7th Conference)
| Jonathan Huberdeau | Aleksander Barkov | Jaromir Jagr |
| Jussi Jokinen | Vincent Trocheck | Reilly Smith |
| Brandon Pirri | Derek MacKenzie | Logan Shaw |
| Connor Brickley | Corban Knight | Shawn Thornton |
| Brian Campbell | Willie Mitchell |
| Dmitry Kulikov | Aaron Ekblad |
| Erik Gudbranson | Alex Petrovic |
| Roberto Luongo |
| Al Montoya |