All-Blogs.net directory Light the Lamp - a Columbus Blue Jackets blog: Week 9 Power Rankings and more..

Countdown to Rick Nash's contract expiration:

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Week 9 Power Rankings and more..

TSN.ca
Rank: 20 (-3)
Took an oh-for-California weekend, but get some time to recover before a home date with the Predators on Thursday.

CBSSports.com
Rank: 23 (-5)
The early-season success was deceiving. Columbus' power play has fallen even past its familiar level and is last in the league.

CBC.ca
Rank: 28 (-9)
Took a tumble last week.

FoxSports.com
Rank: 25 (-5)
The Blue Jackets started the week off good by extending their winning streak to a modest two games. But when all was said and done, the club closed out the week by going in the other direction and dropping three straight. In two of the losses the Jackets gave up less than 23 shots and still couldn't win.

THN.com
Rank: 25 (-5)
A season of hope in Columbus is heading in the same-old direction; Jackets tied for 24th overall

Yahoo.com
Rank: 26 (-6)
Is there any reason to believe the Steve Mason Era has not begun? The rookie stepped in when Pascal Leclaire got injured, and he’s performed up to the potential that many didn’t think he might realize until next season or later. Overall, the Jackets have not been getting enough stops, but that was more prevalent before Mason took over.

ESPN.com
Rank: 22 (-5)
Columbus (three) and Los Angeles (two) combined for five shots in the first period of the Kings' 3-0 win Saturday. "That first period might have been one of the most boring periods I have ever seen," Kings goaltender Jason LaBarbera told The Columbus Dispatch.

ColumbusDispatch.com
Rank: 21 (-6)
A humbling road trip -- lowlighted by a 3-0 drubbing in Los Angeles -- raises lots of questions.

Sportsnet.ca
Rank: 26 (even)
Three straight losses pushes the Blue Jackets further from a playoff spot and closer to the organization’s demise.

Meta-score: 24 (last week 17.88)

Ouch.. some scathing remarks in this week's power rankings. Then again after going 0-3 I'm certainly not at all surprised and have had similar thoughts myself.

So the Jackets tumble on average about 5 spots. The Dispatch once again checks in with the highest ranking at 21 while CBC dropped em a 9 spots and left them just 2 spots out of the toilet.

I've sensed alot of enthusiasm for this team zapped over the past week and I think those thoughts are reflected here. The Jackets will do their best to try to regain some of that lost momentum tonight as the Nashville Predators come to town looking to break a losing streak of their own.

Somehow, someway the Preds always find a way to kick the Jackets when they are down. Does that change tonight? I hate to keep throwing this phrase around but again this team finds itself in a "must win" matchup against a division rival.

Are they up to the challenge?

We'll find out starting at 7 tonight.

GO JACKETS!

-LTL

3 comments:

Unknown said...

I know the chances of a playoff birth have taken a serious nose dive.. as I mentioned before the next 5X10 game sessions we need to go 6-4-0 (or 30-20-0 in the next 50 games) to get back to the 8/9th spot.. However there is nothing a 5 game winning streak wouldn't solve.. But are we able to string together 3,4 or even 5 game winning streaks ?? I am confident the CBJ will show us something tonight, remember they are already 1-1 against a Preds team that has beaten us 18-2 or 18-3 in the previous 20+ games. Let's GO JACKETS..

Mase1 said...

LTL - when is it time to just chuck the season, trade the dead weight vets (Modin, MM, Peca, Klesla, Bachmann - PLUEEASE, if not sooner) for draft choices, bring up the 'Cuse talent (Mayorov, Sesito, Pinneaut, Filatov) and re-build (again)? Gawd, this is intolerable!

LTL said...

Unfortunately I don't think we could trade those guys if we wanted right now.. nobody wants those contracts.

Some guys who will be UFAs next year may have a market like Peca and Manny..maybe..

Anyhow to answer your question.. this is Howson's team now so he certainly is going to ride this out as long as he can... nobody can't the finger at MacLean at this point..

As down as most of us are right now right now they definitely aren't out of it.. a few more losses pile up though and this thing could really spiral.

This team has to take care of business against Nashville (tied 0-0 right now -- of course we are outplaying them right now with nothing to show so far) and NYI on Saturday.

Certainly don't expect any moves before the holiday roster freeze and teams are going to be very hesitant to take on any more contracts given the uncertain economic future.

-LTL