Russian invasion!

Out with the old - Zherdev, Fedorov

In with the new - Tyutin, Filatov, Mayorov, Plekhanov

For those that may have been worried that the Jackets were about to lose their Russian flavor, fret not as the Jackets will have plenty of new faces from the motherland.

The guy who is making noise right now surprisingly is the 19 year old 2007 4th round pick Maxim Mayorov - from the Dispatch:

"Maxim has NHL skill all over the place," Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock said. "I didn't know anything about him, but …"

"It's been really good for us to have him in this setting, to see how he plays against and interacts with players his own age," general manager Scott Howson said. "I saw him play in Russia last year, but the competition was not very good.

"What we're seeing here this week is a player with really good hands and a really strong skater. It's been really good."

Quite a heap of praise for the kid. It sounds like he'll have a place on the Crunch's roster next season and with the way injuries hit the Jackets I woulnd't be surprised if he gets a cup of coffee next year on the big club.

First thing's first though -- this kid needs to adjust to the North American game and make sure he plays at a high level without the puck as much as he does with it.

Of course we also have the highly touted recently drafted 6th overall forward Nikita Filatov. There is some scuttlebutt going around that the Russian Fedoration is giving Filatov some trouble regarding his status to play in North America. All indications from the Jackets is that Nikita has submitted all the proper paperwork and should be free to sign a contract with the Jackets sometime this week and should be stateside by August 1st.
Getting this kid over though may not be the lock we all hoped for when the Jackets drafted him. According to this article K.H.L. (Continental Hockey League) cheif Alexander Medvedev wants the Jackets to compensate his league $500,000 for the rights to bring Filatov over.

I can tell you right now that ain't happening. I fully expect this kid to still come over and *probably* play in the AHL and then see some time with the big club once injuries hit. He may have to sacrafice international play for a couple of years but eventually all will be forgiven and forgotten.

In fact judging from Howson's comments last night on the radio I think the Jackets may announce that he's been signed as early as today.

I know as a fan I'm really excited to see what this kid brings to the table in training camp. He's seems about as committed to play in North America as you can be and I truly hope he's Z without the baggage. If so we could truly have something special here.

Kid looks good in that jersey though eh?

Another Russian prospect who is in town and just signed a two-way contract is Andrei Plekhanov. Plekhanov is a 6'1" 187 pound d-man who spent 40 games with the Syracuse Crunch last season in his first season in North America and is said to have a powerful NHL caliber shot. He notched 9g and 16a in those games. As I've mentioned before the question with him is his hockey sense and ability to read the game at a fast pace. By signing him to a 2 year deal the Jackets are certainly going to find out.

Finally we have the Russian defensemen acquired in the Zherdev trade which is the 24 year old Fedor Tyutin. Tyutin is a hulking 6'3" 210 pounder who has 3 full NHL seasons under his belt. Tyutin is a bruising NHL defensemen who can log key in minutes in every situation. He is said to have some untapped offensive potention and has notched 25, 14 and 20 points in those 3 seasons.

I think Tyutin is going to be a huge acquisition for us. He is going to really get a chance to take his game to the next level and become a go to guy for this organizaiton. I'm super excited to see this guy in action in a CBJ sweater.

As far as the departed - well we all know the Zherdev story and he just did not fit in the long term plans of the organization.

Fedorov never really fit in either and of course was moved last year in a trade at the deadline. In fact yesterday it was announced that he signed a 1 year deal with Washington for 4 mil. Ouch - good luck with that Capitals. It will be very interesting to follow if you can keep up the level of play he gave them down the stretch after the deal for a full season.

So there you have it. The two headed Russian monster has quickly been replaced by the four headed monster and you know what they say -- four heads are better than one (not really -- I just made it up).

If you can make it down its the final day of the prospect camp. There will be a scrimmage which may even involve Derick Brassard. I'll have a full report later on for those that could not attend.

Update: Well wouldn't you know that as soon as I publish this post the announcement comes that Filatov has been signed. Thanks for the heads up Erik!

-LTL

Day 2

Scott Howson and the CBJ brass are most surely back at it this morning as they certainly did not get all of what they wanted to accompish done yesterday.

First up - be sure to check out bluejacket.tv.com and watch Scott Howson's press conference. Lots of interesting nuggest in there.

To summarize a bit from it.

The Good

Wade Redden and Mike Commodore were the two guys they targeted from the outset and they got one of them.

They expect Commodore to come in and log 22 to 23 minutes a night. Commodore is very excited about his role on this team. The Jackets love his defensive game, his personality, his reputation in the locker room and will play him against the other team's top lines.

They are not finished. At a minimum they will add a a puck moving d-men and another forward. He said it could be today or it could be August 30th.

Raffi Torres is genuinely excited to be here. Said in Edmonton he saw they were moving in a different direction. Said they would bring in Torres sometime in July to have his knee looked at to monitor his progress.

Said they got better today. Said top end skill is going to come from young players when they are ready. They want to add skill but not at the expense of competitiveness.

Said he thinks Brule will be a fine NHLer someday. Took some of the blame for organization rushing him. Said many NHLers have to move on to find their games after having such high expectations placed on them. Said it was the same case with Torres who was a #5 overall pick back in the 2000 draft when he was moved from the Islanders to Edmonton.

Told Redden's agent that he didn't want to lose out based on term or money. In the end he wanted to go the Rangers.

The Bad

Has Howson ever heard of multi-tasking? He mentioned he only sent out two offers to Redden and Commodore at noon. That's it. I know the man is patient and focused but why not kick the tires and make calls on everyone. He said he didn't even make an offer to Campbell. What? With the holes this team has on defense we didn't even make an offer? The chances are you aren't going to nab all the guys at the top of your list -- why not work on Plan B and C in the meantime?

...and why was he not on the phone with Morrison at noon with an offer?

Perhaps they only wanted Commodore or Redden and their plan B and C were trades. If that's the case then we certainly aren't using every means to improve our team as there were plenty of other guys that could help us. If we were willing to throw 6.5 or more at Redden then why not make a pitch for Campbell? After hearing him say that he only made major pitches for Redden or Campbell my thoughts immediately jumped to the trade deadline --- maybe he did only take a few calls for Fedorov. Maybe he didn't do quite as much as I would have assumed to sell of players or improve the club.

I almost get the sense Howson is too patient and to focused. Spread your wings man and kick every tire. You never know until you talk to someone what their interest and terms may be. I feel we really missed the boat, especially on a guy like Campbell - and lost him to a division rival no less.

As you can see I am a bit frustrated with the brass here. Perhaps I'm being over the top but I get the picture they sent out two faxes and just sat around playing sollitaire all day waiting to hear from them instead of at the very least making calls and guaging the cost and interest of other players.

I mean what happened to this 4 offers going out stuff?

Day 2

Which brings us to today. My frustrations with our seemingly lack of aggresiveness and presistancy aside - day 2 could see plenty of activity from the Jackets (I hope).

Right now they have 30.62 million committed towards 15 players. Assuming 8 mil for Leclaire and Umberger and assuming a budget between 48-50 million that gives Howson between 9 to 11 million to play with to address the remaining holes if no salary is moved.

We know from Howson that he has an iron or two in the fire on the trade front -- god knows its probably only one. We know he wants to add a puck mover and a forward - most likely a center - so one would assume if a trade were to go down it would be to address one of those needs. Names being bandied about are Kubina, Boyle and Schneider with a guy like Fritsche perhaps going the other way in a package.

Also keep in mind that a lot of teams added some major salary yesterday so they may be looking to dump some salary which the CBJ could gobble up relatively cheaply.

Tampa is a team that certainly comes to mind with Boyle in that scenario.

The other avenue of course are the remaining unrestricted free agents still out there. The two most notable guys rumored to be of great interest to the Jackets are Brendan Morrison and Kristian Huselius. Morrison of course is a center the Jackets could desperately use to round out their top 6 while Huselius is a skilled winger who would certainly improve the Jackets offense and could also make a player such as Zherdev expendible.

Martin Strake is another guy. He's played center and bring it every shift. I can see why the Jackets could have an interest there.

At a minimum, I would look for at least one of those pieces to get filled today.

I'll crank up a Live Bloggin "Day 2" to track the ins and outs of day 2 in the free agent world. I certainly don't expect the whirlwind of events from yesterday -- you have to admit though, it was fun a day even if we didn't get all we wanted for x-mas.

-LTL

Columbus collected 32.8 million in gate receipts last season

I just read this post from a Canadian writer gloating about how the 6 Canadian franchises make more that then bottom 14 U.S. cities combined. Here are the stats from his post:

Gate Receipts, Six Canadian Teams = $356,700,000
(Toronto: $77.9 mil, Montreal: $69.7 mil, Vancouver: $57.4 mil, Calgary: $53.3 mil, Ottawa: $49.2 mil, Edmonton: $49.2 mil)

Gate Receipts, Bottom Fourteen Teams = $360,800,000
(Columbus: $32.8 mil, Tampa Bay: $32.8 mil, Boston: $32.8 mil, Buffalo: $30.75 mil, Carolina: $28.7 mil, Los Angeles: $26.65 mil, St. Louis: $24.6 mil, Nashville: $24.6 mil, Washington: $22.55 mil, Atlanta: $22.55 mil, NY Islanders: $22.55 mil, Chicago: $20.5 mil, Florida: $20.5 mil, Phoenix: $18.45 mil)

Okay I'm not going to get into the whole Canadian vs. US hockey thing as he's got a point and I can't argue that there should not be more Canadian franchises. However gate receipts is just part of the argument as there are many more things to consider. That and I certainly wouldn't want my beloved Jackets moving North so I'm certainly not going to get into the relocation talk about other franchises.

However, what I did find very interesting about this article though is that according to his number Columbus was at the top of that 14's worst list tied with the best gate receipts out of that group.

Now how in the wide wide world of sports can that be possible when according to espn.com's attendance figures Columbus was ranked 28th out of the 30 teams in attendance?

I'll tell you how.

Its because with Priest in charge there wasn't nearly the free bees handed out that were under the MacLean administration which would inflate attendance figures (to save someone's skin perhaps?). So the attendance we did have people actually paid for it.

Obviously teams below us are handing out free bees like toilet paper during a late night visit to White Castles. That or they are severely reduced ticket prices. How else you explain teams like Tampa Bay, who are ranked 8th overall in attendance at 18,692 per game, reporting the exact same gate receipts as Columbus?

There is no other explanation.

Now of course gate receipts is just one revenue stream as some of these markets can charge much higher advertising rates, have better local TV and radio deals, etc, etc.

Still though perhaps Columbus isn't in quite as bad of shape as I thought. I've long thought that even though attendance was reported a lot lower this year than previous years that the actual butts in the seats weren't much different than before, at least the last year or two, and its just that the numbers were no longer being artificially inflated.

There is certainly room for major improvment though as there are still an unacceptable amount of fans dressed up as blue seats and we need that trend to stop. A winning team should help considerably.

For those that are interested in season tickets out there, there are some sections -- good sections -- within the arena that the Jackets' staff are no longer requiring a PSL to be purchased for. Of course if you pass you no longer get the merchandise discounts or other arena events ticket priority but you do however still get playoff priority which to me is the key.

-LTL

Pre-game thoughts: Elimination

Really not much to be said about tonight's game other than if the Jackets lose in regulation or OT they will be officially eliminated from the playoff picture which at this point is just a formality as far as I'm concerned.

The one thing I'd like to see tonight is the young kids to play more. I'd like LoCosta in net and I'd like to see Rome/Wilson/Picard/Brule/Mackenzi/Lindstrom get over 10 minutes a piece. Play the hell out of these guys.

Sorry for the short pre-game post but to be honest with 6 games left and with the effort this team has shown over the past 3 games I think its pretty obvious what this team needs to do to be successfull....the problem is I just don't think this team, especially the vets not named Rick nash, have it in them.

...as always though I'll be down at the game (RBar pre-post game) and will watch to see how this one unfolds.

I'm sure there will be plenty of seats available.

GO STAMKOS (err JACKETS)!

-LTL

Pre-game thoughts: Hockey night in Columbus

Another night..another games against the Wings.

The Jackets are 3-2-1 against the league's best team so far this season. That after blowing a 1 goal lead in the 3rd period last Wednesday in Detroit. With two games remaining in the series can the Jackets win a season series against this team for the first time in their history?

Keys to lighting em up

60 minute effort. As Hitch stated in the paper this morning the Jackets have to play a full 60 minutes of checking defensive hockey. If they get off their game like they did on Wednesday night we all saw how the Zetterbergs of the world chewed them up.

Got to contain Zetterberg/Datsyuk/Lindstrom. That only happened for 40 mins last game.

Norrena. Can't lose his composure like he did Wed after that 2nd goal. If he doesn't lose it then he doesn't miss play that ridiculous 3rd goal by Zetterberg and blow what was already a low chance the Jackets could tie it up.

The other Z. Need this guy to kick it up a notch in the scoring department. He's only got 1 point in the past 4 games and is a -1.

STAY OUT OF THE BOX! I can't stress this enough. The Wings make their living by using their 4th ranked PP and I don't care how good of PK you have its damn hard to stop.

Jackets PP. This special team has to do more out there. Its killing the Jackets. 2 PP goals and my bet is the Jackets win this game.

SCORE FIRST!

Final Sat night crowd of the year. Of course there will be plenty of Wings fans on hand but its a home game and the Jackets need to use it to their advantage.

Boll / Frtische / Leclaire. Jackets have their share of wounded players but so do the Wings. Can't use this or any crap like "coming out flat" or "we were tired" as an excuse to play poorly tonight.

Unlikely heroes. Malhotra has been just that lately but the Jackets need more of that from guys like Brule/Lindstrom/Murray/Novotny to help get a win tonight.

Game spotlight

Its been a long road back after a MCL injury but 2004 7th overall pick Alexandre Picard makes his CBJ season debut tonight. Apparently he's been playing so great touch hockey down on the farm and the team would look to him to provide some of that physical play lost in Boll's absence.

Man it sure would be nice to see this kid notch a goal.

***********************

The Wings are winners of two straight while the Jackets have dropped 1 in a row. The Jackets have played Detroit well this year and will need more of the same tonight along with some timely goals and saves.

The Wings have scored some 57 more goals than the CBJ and allowed 25 less. No doubt an "A" effort is needed in every aspect of this game tonight to secure a "W" and a season series win for the first time ever.

GO RBAR & GO JACKETS!

-LTL

Powerplay sputters....again.

It was a good effort last night but ultimately the ability to only cash in on 1 of 7 powerplay chances cost the Jackets a chance to win this game.

Its been the same old story this season. Timely goals, especially from the special teams, just have not been generated enough by the powerplay unit. Think for a second, just how many games this team could have won if they had just gotten that extra goal from their 27th ranked PP unit -- how many 1 goal losses has this team had?

Then you a look at a team like Detroit and their 4th ranked PP. They make their living on it. Really at even strength they aren't that impressive but once they get that extra man advantage they carve you up and send you packing.

Of course then there is the reffing....more on that later.

Lit it up

The Jackets lit it up through the first two periods. They controlled large portions of that game and held the Wings off the score sheet. It was a solid road effort for 40 mins - to bad the game is 60.

Manny Malhotra. What can you say, this guy is still on fire. Scored his 5th goal in 3 games. Nothing fancy but was in the right place at the right time and got a stick on it -- love the dirty goals as much as the pretty goals -- they all count baby!

Dim the light

Norrena. Played decent until the wheels completely fell off on that 3rd goal. He was obviously still emotional from the nonsense that went on for the 2nd goal and completely lost his composure which was evident when he tried to challenge Zetterberg so far out of his net.

Busted bulbs

The powerplay falters yet again. This team just does not have the horses to send out an effective unit. Ron Hainsey is a 5/6 guy at best... Dick Tarnstrom had a bit of a run but he certainly isn't the answer. Kris Russell is to young. We have no center and the only player who can bring the puck in the zone on the rush with any regularity is Nik Zherdev. To say the PP needs an GINORMOUS upgrade would be an understatement.

I've heard alot of this nonsense that the Jackets were tired b/c they were playing back 2 backs. I call BS. How many times have we been beaten by teams this year on their 2nd nights of back 2 backs? The Jackets have a lot more on the line than the 1st place Wings and at no time should any player lay down on an excuse that "they were tired"....and to the players credit its been the media and fans that I've read that from.....not the players. That Doug MacLeanesque.

Very unfortunate to see Jared Boll and Dan Fritsche go down. Two guys that are playing good hockey for this team this last stretch. Fritsche looks to be out for the last 8 games, I haven't heard anything yet on Boll.

The officiating. Nothing irks me more than when an official decides the outcome of a game which is exactly what the case was last night. To call a very VERY questionable tripping call on Rusty Klesla with the game knotted up at 1 with just over 2 minutes remaining is flat out unacceptable -- no excuse for it. Without that PP the games goes into OT and hopefully the players decide the outcome. This game reeked of makeup calls, missed calls and just bad calls on both sides.

3 bright lights on the night

1. Malhotra - collected his 5th goal in 3 games and continues to play his best hockey as a Jacket
2. Effort - Jackets played a strong road game until the 3rd period when they backed off and officiating took over
3. Zetterberg - guy had a hat trick and just seemed to turn it on and dominate -- Z could be that type of player if he wanted it

Tough loss to take last night both on the scoreboard and in terms of injuries. The loss drops the Jackets to 33-30-11 and to 13th in the conference tied with Chicago and Phoenix.

They take on these same Wings (anyone else sick and tired of this schedule?) on Saturday night in Columbus where they will have a chance for some payback.

-LTL

Pre-game thoughts: Another serving of Wings

All I have to say is thank god the NHL is going away from this division heavy schedule. Back before the lockout seeing the Wings 6 times a year was enough but this 8 times is overkill.

The good news is that the Jackets have been on a role against this Wings team. They've won the past 3 games against them and are 5-3-1 in their past 8.

Who out there remembers the 2005 season when the ingenious schedule makers of the NHL scheduled back2back home games for the Jackets against the Wings -- remember the outcome?

I do b/c they Jackets got absolutely ripped up and down the ice in both contests losing 6-0 and 6-2. Really it was rock bottom - the Jackets looked like a bunch of clowns out there - an ECHL team at best.

If there is one thing about the "Hitch-era" that I love is that the Jackets are now competing against teams like Detroit/Dallas/Colorado and even though they may not win them all, they certainly look like they belong and most games have been tightly contested.

Now just imagine when the gets an upgrade in talent.

I like nothing better than sending those band-wagon Wings fans home with their heads between their legs.

Okay on to the game at hand tonight:

Keys to lighting em up

Keep it going. The Jackets are on a mini-roll here but they go into the Joe tonight on a back2back against the best team in the league who has lost two straight. If the Jackets think they played a good game last night, they'll need an even better effort tonight. Do they have enough left in the tank? I have my doubts personally but again, this team seems to play its best hockey against higher competition.

Norrena. Two solid outings. The team will need a 3rd if it hopes to win this one.

Manny. Can he keep the hot streak going? I tell ya the teams desperately needs goals from players like him. So if he cools off need others to step up.

3 headed monster. Lindstrom-Datsyuk-Zetterberg -- can stop them but can only hope to contain them. Klelsa-Hejda, just keep on keepin on. The rest of the team needs to play these 3 physical.

Speical teams. The Wings light you up on their PP. Jackets have to be smart and stay out of the box.

SCORE FIRST!!

Z played a much better game last night. The teams needs him to keep the motor running. He is the only guy on the Jackets who can control the game on his stick and make the difficult plays off the rush. If Z decides to take another night off the Jackets will be in trouble.

Nash. Don't change a thing. This guy is playing his best hockey right now.

Boll. See Nash.

Game spotlight

Norrena gets another start tonight. How will he perform on the 2nd night of a back to back? How will the Wings respond to a loss on Sunday they should have won?

***********************

Tough one to predict tonight. On one hand I could see this team just getting completely blown out of the building as they may have spent it all last night. On the other hand this team has shown at time this year their mental toughness in winning games no one gave them a chance at.

A win would guarantee a season series win over this team for the first time ever. A loss could open the door for the Wings and with two more games against them could it could snow ball on the Jackets.

Lets see what the boys got left.

GO JACKETS!

-LTL

Pre-game thoughts: Expect some nasty boys tonight

The words were certainly flying back and forth between the Jackets and Flames in this morning's paper. There is definitely some animosity brewing after the last time these two teams met with the highlight being a wicked slash from Daymond Langkow to the leg of Jared Boll - of course it went uncalled.

Both teams are coming off wins. Both teams are 5-3-2 over the their past 10. Unfortunately Calgary sits 9 points ahead of the Jackets in the standings and currently hold down that 6th playoff position. Vancouver and Colorado sit 7th and 8th each with 84 points as well. Needless to say a win by the Jackets trims that margin to 7 points but as we all know, playoffs at this point are a distant possibility.

Keys to lighting em up

Well no doubt neither team should find it hard to get motivated for this one. They key is who gets more motivated? Dan Fritsche gave the Flames plenty of bulletin board material in this morning's paper but can the Jackets back it up? Or is it the Flames who use it to their advantage and come out swingin? If the Jackets want to win they better be the instigators out there.

I sure hope Boll lights up Phaneuf tonight. Speaking of, I hope Hitch plays Boll with Nash again to open up some space for big #61 out there. If you recall Boll was in Phaneuf's face all night long and was able to throw his game off -- Phaneuf took 4 penalties that game and Nash had a little more room to operate.

Norrena vs. Kippersoft. Kippersoft got the best of the Jackets last time out in leading them to a shutout - can't let that happen. Norrena needs to play like he did against Detroit -- hopefully he hasn't thought about this game to much and just comes out and plays well. He seems to play better lately when he doesn't have time to prepare.

PK. Jackets PK has dropped like a rock recently. Its not 6th in the league. It desperately needs to regain its form.

Watch out for the bombs from the point. Phaneuf, Aucoin, Regehr - they can all absolutely unload them back there and its creates a lot of chaos and offense.

Iginla. Leads the Flames with 87p in 72gp. He's their leader in every facet of the game. He'll drop em too if need be. Need to stay in the guy's grill all night -- air tight hockey.

Zherdev. Good god has he mailed it in or what? He needs to firmly remove his stick from his ass and play like we know he's capable of. He's giving maybe 50% effort out there the last 5 or 6 games. After all the steps forward he's made this year it would be a shame if he decides to piss it all a way b/c the Jackets playoff hopes are remote.

Secondary scoring. Its been up lately. Manny with a couple. Tollefsen potting one. Novotny/Peca/Vyborny all getting on the board. Need more guys to step up tonight - Brule anyone?

Physical game. EVERYONE needs to take the body tonight. This won't be a game for the faint of heart.

SCORE FIRST!!!!

Game spotlight

Key your eye out for Flame Mathew Lombardi. He's rumored to be a target of the Jackets this offseason to fill a top 6 center position. He looked great next to Nash in the World Championships last year but really isn't having a great year this year (11g, 19a for 30p -6) -- in fact those are Michael Peca type numbers.

********************************

10 games to go. This is the last game against a non-central opponent. The Flames play a very physical brand of hockey and it always makes for an entertaining game.

See ya'll at the RBAR pre/post game!

GO JACKETS!

-LTL

Jackets steal one off of unlikely performances by Norrena & Malhotra

Hey...you know what, how many times have the Jackets outplayed teams this year only to fall short of two points?

That is the first thought that crossed my mind after the Jackets managed to pull a rabit out of the hat against a dominant Detroit Red Wings team last night.

The Jackets were outshot 46-17. The 4 goals they did score were about as ugly (outside of Manny's tennis swing) as they come. However they scored first, they were timely and they certainly took advantage of a shaky Dominik Hasek.

Funny.... I didn't see a quote this morning from the ole Dominator saying "we should be a team like Columbus".... where's the confidence now Dom?

Norrena, who was a last minute start, played fantastic stopping 43 of 46 and Manny Malhotra perhaps played his best game as a Jacket scoring 2 goals, an assist, registered 5 hits, 3 shots, finished a +2 and won 63% of his faceoffs -- oh yeah, I'd say that was a pretty complete game -- although it would be nice to see that kind of game from him more than every 3rd or 4th year.

Lit it up

Manny / Norrena --- already explained above but make no mistake about it, they carried this team.

Aaron Rome. Is this 24 year old making a case for himself or what? He had some thunderous hits, was in Wings' faces all night long, rang a shot off the post and collected his first ever NHL point in an assist. Plus he played a career high 18 minutes. He keeps this up and he may find himself with a 1 way contract and guys like OK Tollefsen and Marc Methot may find themselves on the bench. He is a restricted free agent which plays well for us.

Rick Nash. He's really picked up his game since collecting the C. He's got 5 points in his past 3 (1g, 4a) including 2 assist last night. He led all forwards in ice time. He's hitting. He's playing defense. He's chatting it up with the officials. He 100% embraced his new role and is thriving. Really its pretty awesome and exciting to see.

My neighbor - he hooked me up with a pair a free bees last night. Now that's lighting it up!

I know Hitch isn't excited about it but with 10 games to go the Jackets surpassed their best points total in their 7 year history. Their previous best was 74 and with the win last night they move one point ahead of that to 75. As Portzline stated in his blog -- the days of celebrating mediocrity are over -- seriously though, could you image MacLean's spin on that one?

Dim the light

Sell out crowd. I put it in this category because 3 to 4 thousand of those were the enemy.

Kris Russell. Kid played one of his better games and finished a +2.

Jan Hejda / Rusty Klelsa. Continue to get the job done as the Jackets top pair. Klesla led the team once again in minutes played with over 26 and finished a +1. Hejda was 2nd with over 23 mins played and also finished a +1.

Jared Boll / Andrew Murray. Really I wish Hitch would have played these two more. They just bring so much energy to the table. Boll with his hard hitting and in your face style of play (how bout that penalty he drew on Datsyuk?) and Murray with his smart dependable play -- kid is really starting to find his place and feel like he belongs out there.

OK scores! Hey anytime this guy can pot one its a huge bonus and deserves a mention.

Busted bulbs

The Jackets got beat in every phase of the game last night besides the score. I'm glad they found a way to win but 9 out of 10 times you play a game like that against the Wings and you will not win. Need a much better effort in the 3 remaining games against this squad.

Nik Zherdev. Look I know he got a goal but as Hitch said regarding our points total - "whoopee" - I thought he played horrible. Where is the Z from before the All Star Break? He look like he was skaiting in quick sand and just doesn't seem to be into out there. He needs to pick up his game.

Officials. Did the Jackets really commit 6 penalties to their 2? I saw a few legit ones but c'mon -- that call with 2 minutes to go was horseshit. Still though the Jackets need to find a way to take less penalties against - Peca has commited a lot of needless ones lately.

PK. They got torn apart by a very powerfull powerplay. Cross ice passes, using the points, quick bang bang plays. Just watch the Wings defense to see why we need a HUGE upgrade in that department this offseason.

Powerplay. Our two opportunities were pathetic. We looked like the keystone cops out there.

Ron Hainsey. He cannot run a powerplay, he can't find the open man on the rush and how many times did Zetterberg use and abuse him last night? He just isn't the answer and I'll be extremely disappointed if he's back in the same role next season. Let someone else overpay for this guy.

OK's hit on Manny. Nice hit, wrong player.

Jason Chimera. Got to bury your chances big guy.

Leclaire. I haven't heare much yet on his injury but hopefully he's okay.

Same with Vyborny. Depending on his injury we have have seen his final game as a Blue Jacket. Hopefully he can make a few more starts and receive a proper send off from the fans as he's the only remaining original Blue Jacket.

3 bright lights on the night

1. Manny Malhotra - arguably his best game as a Jacket

2. Freddy Norrena - 43 saves off 46 shots -- all that when he didn't even know he would be starting until 7 mins before the game

3. 3 hour drive home - always nice to send those Wings fans who make the drive home with a loss (although as I mentioned before, alot of those fans are local "turncoats")

The Jackets keep their very faint playoff hopes alive and jump ahead of Chicago for 12th in the conference. They are still 7 points behind the Cancuks for that 8th spot and have a game at hand on both Nashville and Edmonton who are above them in the standings.

Realistically I'm just hoping that this team can finish strong and crack that 85 point barrier, continue to let our young players like Nash/Z/Leclaire/Klesla get some valuable experience this time of year when games still mean something and go into next year with a lot of confidence and "hopefully" a revamped roster.

Calgary next up on Tuesday. That's always a physical battle.

-LTL

Jackets make game of it but can't overcome deep hole

The Jackets dug themselves a deep hole in the first period falling down to the Blackhawks 3-0. Twice they battled back to make it a one goal game but ultimately the hole was just to keep for the Jackets' anemic offense to overcome.

Final 6-3.

Lit it up

Anytime you give up 6 there isn't a whole lot going right for the team that's down and that was certainly the case last night.

Dim the light

Jackets outhit, outshoot and dominate the faceoff circle but it didn't matter not when your quality scoring chances and special teams are so bad.

Andrew Murray and Freddy Modin were the only standout forwards for the Jackets...they both competed hard between the whistles... Modin had a goal and Murray collected an assist.

Decent attendance with 15,699 - to bad they saw that kind of performance.

Busted bulbs

Down 3 goals in the first. Just can't happen if this team wants to win not with this offense. To many breakdowns defensively, to many battles lost, not enough jump, competition level just wasn't there.

It certainly wasn't Leclaire's night. Not gonna say any of the three he let in were softies but he certainly didn't make the "big save" either.

Team was a collective -10 with Dick Tarnstrom and Ron Hainsey leading the way with -3 each. Tarnstrom had a particularly rough night.

Nik Zherdev seems to have hit a bit of a wall lately. I really did not notice him tonight - well outside of his horrible turnover that led to the 1st goal of the game which sparked the downward spiral.

Horrible special teams. The powerplay was its same old terrible self. The PK gave up two powerplay goals on just three opportunities...ugggh..

David Vyborny..yeah he had a nice drop pass for Modin but my god is this guy killing us out there... he gets pushed off of every single puck....he's lost a step...he doesn't win any battles...he's just a body..

Manny Malhotra... has to be the softest big guy I've ever seen...and can this guy catch a pass or carry the puck even an stride before losing it? I don't care about the faceoffs...he adds nothing *but* the ability to take faceoffs which is not enough to justify keeping this guy.

3 bright lights on the night

1. Decent crowd
2. Nash with his 36th in his debut with the C
3. Modin and Muarry - best forwards for the Jackets

Another game another loss at home. Remember the days when this team actually used to be good at home? They are quickly becoming a distant memory.

I was worried that the Jackets could have a rough night especially with the time off and the 'hawks being losers of 4 straight and being the hungrier team. Unfortunately those worries proved to be true.

I sure do hope at the very least some of the young Jackets are learning the level that needs to take place when competing for a playoff spot...

So much for this great "home schedule"....at this point I just hope this team can crack 80 points for the first time ever.

Howson has a lot of work to do this summer.

-LTL

Pre-game thoughts: Hawks will be hungry

Seems like forever since the boys played doesn't it?

Well after 4 days off the Jackets are finally back at against the Chicago Blackhawks.

This is the start of the final 12 games stretch which will see all but one of the remaining opponents (Calgary Flames) be against the central division.

The Jackets are 3-2 versus the 'hawks this season and believe it or not have a .500 record versus them all time. Both teams have strong up and coming players and are trying to stay alive in the playoff pictures.

Both teams currently sit at 73 points although the 'hawks have played one more game than the Jackets.

Keys to lighting em up

Hawks will be hungry...they've lost 4 in a row.. I don't think they will have a problem getting up for this one. Jackets have to match and beat that intensity while staying within their game plan.

Contain the kids. Toews and Kane - the super rookies for the 'hawks are both having outstanding seasons. Along with Patrick Sharp (who is having an unreal year) they have quickly become the "go to" guys for this team and generate the majority of the offense. Jackets have to play these guys physical and smart.

Powerplay. The finally got a goal against the Lightning....need this special team to get on a roll.

The 'hawks can score. They are 13th in scoring in the league. What does that mean? The Jackets will have to bring their 'A' defensive game again tonight. No softies and no gimmes. Make them earn every chance and every goal.

Leclaire vs. the rookie Corey Crawford -- Leclaire has had some real good success so far against the 'hawks - need to continue that. Jackets need to take advantage of rookie netminder who has been playing well but like any rookie, all it takes is a bad goal to rattle this kid and open the flood gates.

Home crowd. Lets get this home crowd a 'W' tonight boys -- lets get them into this game early.

No dumb penalties -- especially in the O-zone.

SCORE FIRST!!!

Secondary scoring showed up against Tampa. Chimera, Peca, MacKenzie, Vyborny, Novotny all get on the board......could certainly use more of that tonight.

Nash is due for a goal... he's gone scoreless in his past 3.

Game spotlight

1. Nash will make his debut tonight as team captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

2. Keep an eye out for this "secret weapon" Hitch has talked about over the past few days. It appears to be something to do with the powerplay so pay close attention there.

************

This game scares the hell out of me. 4 days offs, coming off a much needed victory at home over the Lightning.

I don't have that good of a nose but I can smell let down big time for this one. Jackets can't let that happen. No time for rust or to come out with no jump -- there hasn't been any room for error since the ASB and there certainly isn't any now.

7 o'clock start tonight. RBar pre-game per usual.

GO JACKETS!

-LTL

Crystal ball time - a look at your 2008-2009 Columbus Blue Jackets v1.0

I've been thinkin about this for a while and wanted to give you a look at just what a guy like Scott Howson could do next year with all his financial flexibility and available assets. I want to show that although this season's playoff chances are bleak the future of this team is bright...and I'm talkin next year bright...for real this time....really I'm serious!

I'll revisit this a lot as we work our way towards the draft and unrestricted free agency but knowing what we know now, here is an attempt to look into my crystal ball and present you with your 2007-2008 Columbus Blue Jackets:

First here is what we know:

Nash (6.5) XXX Modin (3.5)
XXX XXX Zherdev (3.25)
Chimera (1.875) Malhotra (1.5) Brule (850k)
Boll (570k) Novotny (800k) Murray (600k)

XXX XXX
Klesla (1.65) XXX
Russell (575k) Tollefsen (750k)
Methot/Rome

XXX
Norrena (900k)

RFAs: Fritsche, Leclaire
UFAs: Hainsey, Vyborny, Peca, Hejda, Tarnstrom

Signed for next year: 23.27 mil
Dollars available assuming 45 mil budget: 18.03 mil

Okay - so here is a scenario of what Howson could do with his available dollars and assets - explanations follow:

Move #1 - Goaltender Pascal Leclaire signed to 4 year 16 million dollar deal.
Explanation - Leclaire has proven this season that he can be durable and can be that franchise goaltender he is projected to be. Howson takes a bit of risk signing him to this big of contract as he's only been exceptional for one year but Lecalire is a RFA and goaltenders are the most important position on the ice. Howson doesn't take the chance of Leclaire getting an offer sheet and gets the deal done.

Move #2 - Defensemen Jan Hejda signed to 3 year 6 million dollar deal.
Explanation - Hejda has quickly proven his worth as a shutdown d-man. Its even become more apparent with his improved performance since Adam Foote's departure. Howson sees that and gives Hejda some long term security and a fair contract with the idea of keeping he and Klesla together at their shutdown pair.

Move #3 - Jackets trade for 23 year old center Jeff Carter at the draft. They move Giblert Brule and Colorado's first round pick for him. They sign Carter to 5 year 20 million dollar deal.
Explanation - The Jackets kick the tires on Patrick Marleau and Oli JOkinen. They've been told Marleau is a Canadian version of Sergei Fedorov who many times just goes through the motions and that leaves a sour taste - especially for what San Jose wants in return. They have to give up to much for Jokinen which they aren't prepared to do. Instead they target young Jeff Carter who is a RFA with the Flyers and wants more than the Flyers are willing to pay given their cap crunch so they part with him for a young inexpensive player in Brule and a pick. Carter gives the Jackets a young big North American center with 3 years of NHL experience under his belt, is a "now" player yet still has a very high ceiling. The idea here is to pair him with Nash for years to come. His point totals have risen every year and he's projected to finish with 54 points. Hitch also has experience with this player and Carter should hit the ground running with the system.

Move #4 - Jackets trade Manny Malhotra, Joakim Lindstrom and 4th round pick to Dallas for 37 year old center Mike Modano at the draft.
Explanation - This move reunites Modano with his old coach and gives Hitch that dependable reliable presence down the middle we know he loves. Yes Modano is older at 37 but he's got 2 years left on his deal at 2.25 mil a piece. He's projected to hit 56 points this season. His role in Dallas has declined over the past couple of years so I think with the arrival of Richards they may be ready to move on from the Modano era. They take on Manny in return to fill a center hole further down their lineup and we move a Lindstrom and a draft pick to sweeten the deal as well. Every lineup needs veterans to compliment youth and that, among offense b/c Modano can still bring 40-50 points a year, is what he brings. Plus can you really find anything better for a 2nd line center for 2.25 mil? Mike Modano is not Sergei Fedorov either in terms of cost or in terms of what's left in the tank. Another guy who understands the Hitch's system.

Move #5 - Ron Hainsey, David Vyborny, Michael Peca, Dick Tarnstrom not resigned
Explanation - The Jackets need serious upgrades in their top 6 thus David Vyborny is not resigned. After Carter and Modano are brought in, Michael Peca no longer fits the big picture is not resigned. Ron Hainsey wants to much money and the Jackets want an upgrade so both parties respectfully move on. Dick Tarnstrom is tenderd a low offer of around 1 mil to play in the bottom pair but he moves on wanting more money.

Move #6 - Jackets sign 28 year old left shot defenesemen Brian Campbell to 6 year 42 million dollar deal.
Explanation - Here is the biggie and lets not kid ourselves this is overpayment -- Jackets will have to overpay to get this kind of talent in Cbus as he will be coveted if not resigned by San Jose. The trades at the draft draw some serious attention to the Jackets which reflects positively on the team during the UFA period. This enables the Jackets to make a serious big time offer to the coveted mobile defensemen. This deal is for 7 mil a year with a no movement clause. This move finally gives Hitch his puck moving defensemen this team desperately needs and provides a huge splash for this franchise. The season ticket renewals really start coming in now.

Move #7 - Jackets sign 34 year old left winger Cory Stillman to two year 4.5 million dollar deal.
Explanation - With the trades at the draft and with Campbell signing on the Jackets grab the attention of Stillman. With an open top 6 winger position and a big need to increase scoring the Jackets grab this 15 year vet to solidfy their top 6. Stillman is on pace for 67 points this season.

Move #8 - Jackets sign 35 year old right shot defensemen Aaron Ward to 1 year 2 million dollar deal.
Explanation - This move gives Hitch a veteran d-man with a right shot. Howson is patient looking to fill this hole as he wants to make the numbers work. Ward is left on the market for a while so his price comes down and the Jackets get a bit of a deal to round out their defensive group.

Move #9 - Jackets resign coach Ken Hitchcock to new 3 year deal effective after the 2008-2009 season.
Explanation - This is a no brainer. The bigger threat here is if Howson can't add the key pieces needed to ice a winning team will Hitch even want to stick around after next season? Lets not let it get to that.

Move #10 - Forwards Voracek and Brassard both make the team out of camp and play on the 3rd line.
Explanation - Two spots will be open on that 3rd line and my money is on these two kids stepping up and grabbing them in camp. Remember how well Brassard and Voracek meshed with Chimear at last year's camp? I won't rule out Picard, Pineault, Sestito or Dorsette also competing for spots.

Move #11 - Defensemen Duvie Westcott bought out.
Explanation - Since Howson was unable to move Westcott via trade or waiver - the organization will be forced to buy him out at 75% of his remaining contract this summer.

So without further adu here is your first look at your 2008-2009 Columbus Blue Jackets:

Nash (6.5) Carter (4) Modin (3.5)
Stillman (2) Modano (2.25) Zherdev (3.25)
Chimera (1.875) Brassard (850k) Voracek (875k)
Boll (570k) Novotny (800k) Murray (600k)
Depth: Pineault/Picard/Sestito/Dorsette/Konopka/Legein

Campbell (7) Ward (2)
Klesla (1.65) Hejda (2)
Russell (575k) Tollefsen (750k)
Depth: Methot/Rome

Leclaire (4)
Norrena (900k)
Depth: Mason

Total spend: 45.92 mil

Our current top six projected points from this year:
Nash 42g, 25a = 67p
Zherdev 28g, 37a = 65p
Peca 5g, 31a = 36p
Modin 8g, 7a = 16p
Chimera 15g, 18a = 33p
Vyborny 6g, 21a = 27p

Total: 104g, 139a = 243p
Cost: 15.265

Proposed top six projected season point totals from this year:
Nash 42g, 25a = 67p
Zherdev 28g, 37a = 65p
Carter 30g, 24a = 54p
Modin 8g, 7a = 16p
Stillman 27g, 39a = 67p
Modano 21g, 35a = 56p

Total: 156g, 167a = 323p
Cost: 21.5
*note - Nash built in raise of 1 mil, Modin 750k, Zherdev 750k - total 2.5

Is 6.235 million worth 52 more goals, 28 more assists and a combined 80 more points? I'd say hell yes it is.

I think that lineup gives Hitch a whole lot more to work with. His skill is greatly upgraded. He gets his #1 puck mover in Campbell. He gets an experienced vet in Mara and retains his #1 shutdown pair in Klelsa/Hejda. He gets a much better look down the middle of his lineup with a young player in Carter who is approaching his prime and a veteran in Modano he can rely on in any situation. He also gets more scoring in his top six with Stillman.

He also gets tons of flexibility. Carter not meshing with Nash? Well lets see what Modano can do or maybe Brassard. Modin in a slump, well how does he look next to a vet like Modano? Its a bit weak on toughness but you do have guys like Sestito, Dorsette and Konopka available if you need that extra shot of grit against some opponents.

It also gives Howson a good mix of veterans and young talent in which will make not just one run at the playoffs but a sustained run over the next 6 or 7 years. Modin, Modano and Stillman's contracts will all expire in 2 years leaving plenty of budget room to resign Nash and to 1. bring in younger veterans to reload with or 2. sign younger guys like Brassard/Voracek/Russell to long term extensions after their rookie deals expire.

Of course I did go above my self imposed budget of 45 million but I would hope that ownership would losen the pruse strings in order for Howson to accomplish what he needs to accomplish.

Now of course this team won't look exactly like this but I think it accomplishes just what it has the potential to look like next year given the money and assets available.

Now its up to Howson to make it happen and I think you'll start seeing him execute the big pieces of his plan (he's done some stuff already in Chimera/Murray resigns and AJ/Westcott/Shelley/Foote/Feds moved) come draft time.

-LTL