All-Blogs.net directory Light the Lamp - a Columbus Blue Jackets blog: Stat of the day and more!

Countdown to Rick Nash's contract expiration:

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Stat of the day and more!

Here are the Jacket players ranked in top 100 of Yahoo fantasy hockey courtesy of puck-daddy:

Nash #16,
Mason #69
Juice #87


Thanks to Kevin for sending that in.

NHL.com ranks Mase the 11th best goalie this fantasy year:

11. Steve Mason, Columbus
Is he the next Carey Price, or the next Martin Brodeur? Will Mason fall victim to the sophomore jinx or become a burgeoning fantasy stud in 2009-10? His fantasy owners should hope for a player in between -- a steady, 34-win performance would sure be nice. Twice the NHL's Rookie of the Month, Mason posted a franchise-record three straight shutouts and allowed two goals or less in 31 of 61 starts. He led the League in shutouts and was second in goals-against average. What you have to like about Mason is that he is showed he could be a workhorse goalie even as a rookie. In 2008-09, he started 65 of the last 74 games, counting playoffs, and even played through a bout of mononucleosis. After a four-game sweep at the hands of Detroit in the postseason, Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson revealed that he would like to Mason play around 60 games in 2009-10 to avoid fatigue. Also of note, the team hired Mason's favorite goalie coach from his junior days.
2008-09: 61 games, 33-20-7, 10 shutouts, 2.29 GAA, .916 SV%
2009-10 projection: 66 games, 35 wins, 6 shutouts, 2.41 GAA
Backups: Mathieu Garon, Daniel LaCosta


NHL.com also asks is Steve Mason more than a one-hit wonder?

Last year at this time, the Blue Jackets were sure that Pascal Leclaire was their goaltender of the future -- after all, he had put up a 2.25 goals-against average and nine shutouts in 2007-08. Fast forward a year: Leclaire's in Ottawa and Steve Mason owns the Calder Trophy after stepping in for an injured Leclaire and leading the Blue Jackets to the first playoff berth in franchise history. But Mason struggled down the stretch and looked overmatched in the playoffs. Adding veteran backup Mathieu Garon may enable coach Ken Hitchcock to avoid overworking Mason -- but the second-year netminder is still only 21 and has to prove he can do it again.

-LTL

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