Random thoughts on Jackets schedule

* Schedule breakdown by day of week:
Mon
11 (6 @ home)

Tues
15 (4 @ home)

Wed
7 (5 @ home)

Thurs
17 (7 @ home)

Fri
6 (5 @ home)

Sat
21 (12 @ home)

Sun
5 (2 @ home)

* 12 home Saturday games. That has to be a record! Fantastic!!

* Notice that the Jackets steer very clear of Tuesday and Sundays which I'm sure the stats will show have been bad attendance days for them.

* Schedule breakdown by month home vs. away:
Oct
H - 5
A - 7

Nov
H - 7
A - 7

Dec
H - 8
A - 8

Jan
H - 6
A - 9

Feb
H - 6
A - 1

Mar
H - 8
A - 6

Apr
H - 2
A - 3

* Feb and Mar are very home heavy. Those will be the months the Jackets will need to make their move to solidify their spot in the top 8.

* Longest road trip is 5 games from Nov 19th - Nov 26th.

* Longest home stand is 6 games from Feb 4th - Mar 2nd.

* Nice to open up at home on a Saturday against the Wild. Have to wonder how much Ohio State playing, even away against Indiana, will impact attendance.

* Speaking of Ohio State... Jackets will go up against them 3 times.. however the Buckeyes will be on the road for all 3.

* Two extended western road trips out of the first 10 games? That's a tough draw. Jackets better hope there are no chemistry issues out of the gate. They could find themselves in a hole but if they come out of it okay, it could be a springboard to a great season.

* How about the 2:00 p.m. game against the 'hawks at home on Sat Jan 16th? Possible NBC game?

* I count only 10 back to backs (last year we had 21 back 2 back if I recall correctly). UPDATE: It's actually 11 back 2 backs.

* However I count 10 3 games in 4 nights as well. UDPATE: My math was way off - we actually have 19 3 games in 4 nights.

* GOBBLE GOBBLE - the Jackets play away on Thanksgiving night at Ottawa. I'll be thankful if they deliver us a win! Unfortunately it's the last date on their 5 game roadie.

* The Preds are in the house on New Years Eve. Kick the tires and light the fires big daddy!

* For those of you who get Veterans Day off... the Jackets will be hosting that Wings that evening of Nov 11th.

* Fri October 30th - unless you want a Penguins home game Jacket fans better get their tickets and get em now!! Let's not let their bandwagon take over our house!!!

* Eastern conference teams we'll play at home: Pittsburgh, Carolina, Toronto, Florida, Buffalo, Atlanta, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay, Washington

* Road trip potentials:

Sat Nov 21st @ Nashville
Sat Dec 26th @ Detroit
Sat Mar 20th @ Nashville
Sat Jan 30th @ St Louis

If you get really frisky:

Sun Dec 1st @ Washington
Sun Mar 28th @ Chicago

* That is a Saturday game at home against Buffalo on Feb 6th. Remember the game a few years ago when Buffalo invaded Nationwide? I doubt we'll that kind of crowd again as quite frankly, that bandwagon ship has sailed.

* Feb is an interesting month for the CBJ. Not only are the Olympics that month which take two weeks out of the schedule but out of the 6 games scheduled, only 1 is on the road. Going to be a nice month for the players and a really good opportunity for the Jackets to make a dent in the standings!

* 3 out of the last 5 against the Wings? Hey.. 3 more times to yell (explicitve) Detroit!

* We'll get our first chance to check out all three of the studs from this year's draft. Tavares, Hedman and Duchene (assuming he makes the Avs) will play in Nationwide this season.

* Both Crosby and Ovechkin at home this season... sign me up!

All n' all I think it's a pretty fair schedule. Those final games in April will be tough but so were the final games last April when the Jackets went 1-2-2 to end the season.

UPDATE: More good schedule info from this thread over on HF.

Fire away - your thoughts on the schedule?

-LTL