All-Blogs.net directory Light the Lamp - a Columbus Blue Jackets blog: Pre-game thoughts: Same ole story

Countdown to Rick Nash's contract expiration:

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Pre-game thoughts: Same ole story

Really its the same ole story with Detroit everytime you play them and that's to:

STAY

OUT

OF

THE

BOX!

...
its really that simple.

The Wings have the 1st ranked PP and it clicks at over 27% percent... so just over 1 in 4 chances they will make you pay and its those goals that usually put them over the top.

The good news is that up until the Blues game the Jackets were doing a pretty good job staying out of the box and when they did take a penalty their PK backstopped by wonder kid Steve Mason held the fort.

The Jackets with all their injuries have a lot to overcome but really winning against this squad will boil down to one thing and that's playing a disciplined game with no lazy penalties that doesn't give that Wings vaunted powerplay many, if any, opportunities. Easier said than done of course.

Even strength I think the Jackets can play all night with this team and assuming the game against St. Louis was a mere bump in the road for the Mase I think the Jackets have the edge in goaltending.

Nothing comes easy at the Joe...especially for this Jackets team so its time to strap the hard hats back on for this one and to come out with full 60 workmanlike effort -- no excuses.
I don't have to explain how big 2 points could be for this one and will ensure the Jackets an above .500 record on this 6 game road trip.

Puck drops at 7:30.

GO JACKETS!

-LTL

5 comments:

Cam said...

Big night for Mason. Hope to hell he comes up huge.

Chimera25 said...

LTL

Any word on whether Filatov is heading to Detroit to join the Jackets or Cleveland to join the Crunch?

I am hoping Detroit, but will be at the game tonight in Cleveland and would love to see Filatov play.

Rick said...

Chimera25,
Puck Rakers reports that Filatov to the Crunch.

Mase1 said...

As I mentioned in the blog regarding the Leafs trade possibilities, be VEEE-WWWEE (very) CAREFUL with Burke. I think he's still snickering over the Beauchamin/Marchant for Feds fleecing, but, I believe Scott Howson is no DMGM, and thank god for that!

Some rumblings from sources in Ottawa about a potential deal in the works of Vermette and Schubert for Russell. I could go for that, but, any chance they'd take Bachman, also?

Patrick said...

You were dead-on with the "stay out of the box" warning. They made us pay. Oh yes, they did.