Who's smokin, who's chokin - stretch run edition

Only 14 games left Jackets fans. So with that said lets take a look at who's smokin & who's chockin as they work their way down the stretch in their 7th NHL season.

Who's smokin

The Jackets are 7-4-2 in their past 13 road games.

Rick Nash. Dude is hot. Last 10 games Nash has 6g, 4a for 10 points and is a +4. He is also hitting like a freight train lately.

Nik Zherdev. He's got 7 points in his past 10 and is a +4.

Pascal Leclaire. He may not have the wins but he's still top 5 in every other major statistical goaltending catergory including 2nd in GAA and leads the NHL in shutouts with 9.

Although it has slipped a bit of late the PK is still hanging right towards the top of the league - in fact its 5th overall killing at 85.1 %.

Jan Hejda. Appears to actually being playing better since Foote left. He's a team best +12 and is 3rd on the team in average ice time. His +12 puts him at 22nd best for defensemen in the league.

Rusty Klesla. Another guy who hasn't done much statistically but since Foote's departure he has filling in a lot of those quality minutes left behind, is playing with a bit more of an edge and is showing some leadership in the locker room.

Dick Tarnstrom. Since his acquisition he has 7 points in 11 games. He is also seeing a lot of ice time and becoming a key member of this defense.

Jackets are 4th in face off percentage having won a 52.1% rate.

Jackets are 8th overall in goals against allowing on average 2.5 goals a contest.

The cannon still rocks, even if its not getting fired as much as we all hoped it would.

For an offense that stinks the Jackets, believe it or not, are 14th in the league in average shots per game at 29.

OK Tollefsen is the 5th most penalized defensemen in the league. I put it as a positive as the majority of his penalties come from fights and his gritty play which is a '+' in my book.

Jared Boll is 2nd in the league in penalties minutes with 191. He also is tied in the league for most fights with George Parros at 22. Kid is doing his job and bringin it every night, every shift - he's a rookie to boot.

The Jackets give up 27.7 shots a game - good for 9th best in the league.

The Jackets have been shutout 3 times but at this point last season they had been shutout 11 times.

Nash, Zherdev & Leclaire are having career best years.

Steve Mason won gold for the Canadian World Juniors.

Jakub Voracek has 96 points in 48 games in the QMJHL. Last year he had 86 points in 59 games.

Andrew Murray has been a pleasant surprise this season - the over-aged rookie (he's 26) and 8th round pick 5g, 2a and 7 points in 25 games. That's as many goals as Modin and Vyborny and more than Peca and Brule. Heck with 3 more he could be tied for 4th on this team in goal scoring with 8 with Fritsche. Uggh - that's pretty sad but good for a someone like Murray who came otu of nowhere.

The Hockey News had 4 Jackets players/prospects ranked in its future watch edition. Voracek, Brassard, Brule & Mason. They were all in the top 14 of 50!

The R Bar Arena is still hands down the best hockey bar in town.

Playoff hunt for first time. Its a real distant possibility but the Jackets are finally playing meaningfull games in March.

9 of remaining 14 games at home -- lets sell some of these bad boys out Jacket fans!

Scott Howson should have close to 20 million dollars to spend (even after resigning Pascal Leclaire) in free agents / trades this summer.

Jody Shelley's standing O at the 'nat. He also has 5 points in 16 games (1g, 4a) for the Sharks.

Who's chokin

Since the All Star Break the Jackets are 5-8-4.

It has been 26 games since Michael Peca scored a goal.

The Jackets are dead last in the league scoring only 2.37 goals per game.

The Jackets are 0-4-2 in their past 6 home games.

It has been 28 games since Jiri Novotny scored a goal.

The Jackest powerplay is 26th worst in the league scoring on only 15.6% of its chances. It is hasn't scored in its past 28 chances.

It has been 36 games since Gilbert Brule has scored a goal.

The highest scoring center on the Jackets roster is Michael Peca which ranks 73rd overall in the league - he's got 29 points.

The highest scoring defensemen on the Jackets roster is Ron Hainsey which ranks 35th overall in the league.

Missing out on Brad Richards. That one still hurts.

The Jackets are 2 for 6 in shootouts.

Dan Fritsche has 4 goals in his past 30.

The Jackets are 28th in league attendance averaging 14,515 fans per game. That a 2000 drop from 2006 (when MacLean inflated the numbers).

David Vyborny & Freddy Modin are having career worst years.

In 55 starts last year, Freddy Norrena had 24 wins and 23 losses. In 27 starts this season he's got 7 wins and 13 losses.

Manny Malhotra has 1 goal in his past 30 games.

Rookie Derick Brassard has 26 points in 25 games in the AHL. In 17 NHL games he has 1g, 1a for 2 points.

In 59 games played rookie Kris Russell has 2g, 5a and is a -12.

David Vyborny has 2 goals in his past 36 games.

Foote-gate. Not what the Jackets needed at this point in their existance.

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There you have it!

-LTL