Columbus Blue Jackets @ Buffalo Sabres 09/19/07 7:00 P.M. EST

Here is the lineup tonight according to Aaron Potzline's blog:

Forwards
Rick Nash - Sergei Fedorov - Gilbert Brule
Kirill Starkov - Jiri Novotny - Nikolai Zherdev
Jason Chimera - Derick Brassard - Jakub Voracek
Tom Sestito - Manny Malhotra - Jared Boll

Defensemen
Kris Russell - Rostislav Klesla
Duvie Westcott - O-K Tollefsen
Jan Hejda - Joel Bouchard

Goalies
Steve Mason
Fredrik Norrena

Pretty exciting lineup tonight. Couple of things to watch for:

Although Portzline comments that the Z experiment at center isn't over yet and that its just on hold -- I"m not so sure. Tonight is obviously a chance to evaluate him at his natural position. So far Z has gone scoreless (actually shotless even) in two preseason outings. #13 needs to get it going.

This will be our first chance to watch a couple of CBJers. Defensemen Joel Bouchard will be making his debut and this will also be winger Krill Starkov's first game action. Center Jiri Novotny is also making his debut and has been given a high spot in the lineup. Also remember that Buffalo is the team that drafted Jiri so he'll have a little extra motivation tonight. First word out of camp is that he's looked good early.

I like the looks of that 4th line. Boll will most certainly keep his engine running at a high rate as he definitely knows he's right on the cusp of making this team. Sestito is a big boy who can do some banging and get those "dirty" goals in front of the net who has impressed the coachign staff up to this point. Manny will most likely fit in somewhere on that 4th line so Hitch is definitely gonna get a look to see how those guys look next to him as energy players.

The Chimera-Brassard-Voracek line has been the best in camp. Portzline notes that this line likely won't stay together much longer as young Voracek will be sent back to his junior team soon. Still, its been a lot of fun watching this line in camp. Brassard, who has 3 points in 2 preseaon games will continue his push to make the team. Chimera has been one of, if not the best Blue Jacket forward in camp -- he's got 2g, 2a and 2 fights in 2 preseason games. The guy is hitting his prime (and unfortunately unrestricted free agency next offseson) right now and should have a helluva year for us. He should be next in line after Vyborny for a new contract.

That brings us to the Nash-Fedorov-Brule line. Portzline notes in his blog that he asked Hitch if Boll makes the team if that means that Brule starts the year in the AHL -- Hitch's reply "not neccessarily". So far we've only seen Brule play wing this preseason so that's obviously where it looks like the organization will want him to play this year should he stick. I think he's had a very good preseason thus far although not much yet to show for it on the score sheet.

Fedorov has been a dog. He looks out of shape and uninterested. Some say this is how he usually is in camp saving himself for the regular season. I just hope this uninspired play does not translate to the regular season as this team can't afford to lets guys like #91 get in game shape during the first 10 games.

Nash, on the other hand, looks to be in great shape and 100% healthy. He's only found the back of the net once so far in preseason but he has been dominant on the boards. He just needs to get some of his opportunities to drop for him.

As far as the defense. I'm excited as hell to see how Russell continues to play. If its anything like Tuesday's game its gonna be real hard to keep this kid off this team. Portzline hints that both Rusty Klesla and Jan Hejda haven't really performed well up to this point so look for them to kick it up a notch. Its intersesting that unlike the first two games that saw both Klesla and Hejda play together they will be broken up as a pair tonight. I loved Duvie's last game, especially with he and Russell running the point on the PP -- look for that to continue. Of course last but not least we have OK Tollefsen -- who has been his usual physical paint in the butt to play against self.

All in all this is a fun lineup iced tonight. Boll, Brassard, Bouchard and Russell are the big bubble players to keep an eye on.

The game can be heard on cdc101.com and 1460thefan.com.

The game is not televised but some people have had luck using http://bluejackets.nhl.tv/ to watch the preseason games online. I personally haven't had any success getting a stream that is watchable but will try again tonight.

This will be the Sabres first preseason game of the season and apparently their new jumbotron has yet to be installed. I'll post the Sabres lineup once I find it.

Edit: Found it!

Forwards
Vanek-Roy-Stafford
Gogulla-Hecht-Pominville
MacArthur-Zagrapan-Mancari
Peters-Hunter-Kaleta

Defensemen
Lydman-Spacek
Campbell-Funk
Paetsch-Sekera

Goalies
Thibault
Dennis

-LTL

Bouchard story + Mason gets the start tonight

The Dispatch has a nice read on Joel Bouchard (pictured left), the journeymen injury prone defensemen that is here on a PTO (Pro Try Out) is looking to carve himself out a spot on this team. This man has certainly seen his share of ups and downs:

Bouchard missed three days of camp and lost eight pounds last week after getting food poisoning from bad cottage cheese. The episode is emblematic of a career that has included 364 NHL games spanning 12 seasons.

Chances are you can open a medical dictionary to any page and find an affliction that has bedeviled Bouchard. Broken jaw. Torn hamstring. Torn knee ligament. Fractured shoulder. Hernia.

In 2002, doctors removed a golf-ball sized benign tumor from his neck. A year later, he contracted mercury poisoning after eating contaminated tuna.

The experience convinced him of two things: He needed to play harder and spend more time helping others.

"I talk a lot with kids who have cancer," said Bouchard, a bachelor with no children. "And I tell them, 'You have a gift -- you see life differently.' When you get through something like that, what else can scare you?"

Also, according to the Dispatch, Columbus 2006 3rd round draft choice Steve Mason will get his first start tonight between the pipes for the Jackets at Buffalo. This will be 6'3" 183 lbers' first career NHL start as the coaching staff has been very pleased with his camp.

Mason was a bit under the radar when the Jackets selected him in 2006 as he only made 12 starts that season as the backup for the OHL's London Nights. The little he did play obviously caught the Jackets scout's attentions as the following year he was not only the starter, he broke the OHL's win record by collecting 45 wins in 62 games. He also won two games for Canada this summer in the Candadian-Russian Super Series.

Mason (pictured right) likely won't stick in Columbus this season as the Jackets have two very capable guys in Fredrik Norrena and Pascal Leclaire but he is certainly the best goaltender the Jackets have in their system and should turn pro next season and make a push. I think he's at least two years away from making the Jackets as goaltenders take longer to develop but this kid is certainly a guy to keep an eye on in the system. Chances are he'll make the Canadian World Juniors team this season which is a fantastic development opportunity.

Read more Dispatch coverage here.

I'll have a game preview of the game tonight between the Jackets and Sabres later on.

-LTL

Columbus Blue Jackets @ Chicago Blackhawks 09/19/07 8:30 P.M. EST

The teams get right back at it tonight at the United Center in Chicago.

The Dispatch has posted the Blue Jackets roster for tonight and here is my best guess as to what our lines will look like:

Forwards:
Chimera - Brassard - Voracek
Glencross - Brule - Fritsche
Lindstrom - Platt - Boll
Shelley - Beech - Malhotra

Defense:
Klesla - Hejda
Tollefsen - Hainsey
Methot - Brookbank

Goaltenders:
Leclaire
Popperlee

Some key stories to watch tonight:

Will the Chimera-Brassard-Voracek continue to impress? They will be the go to line tonight for the offense so should see plenty of ice time and PP time.

I think Brule gets a shot tonight as a center but Fritsche could just as easily slide into that spot as well. Both have had strong camps thus far and they will look to keep that momentum going.

Shelley dresses for the first time tonight. Not sure if the 'hawks are going to dress their enforcer in Koci but if they do, expect some fireworks. Shelley from what I've read has had a pretty good camp for his standards but tonight we may get to hear (b/c there is no TV for this game) what he does best.

I'm sure Klesla will be paired with Hejda again tonight. Those two had an okay start to their preseason games but I would expect them both to raise their games another notch tonight.

Platt and Lindstrom seem destined for the AHL soon but they can use tonight as reason to stick around a little longer so I expect big efforts out of those two.

Jared Boll has had a great camp and has opened eyes. He's in the mix for a roll on the fourth line and will need to continue with his sandpaper game. He will certainly bring a physical element to the lineup tonight.

The game as a whole could be even more physical than last night -- then again it could also be another parade to the penalty box for both teams. The officials are certainly in full preseason form and are calling just about anything and everything. Lets hope both teams can get a little more even strength time so the coaches have a good opportunity to evaluate their players.

Oh and one more note - 1st overall pick from this season, Patrick Kane, will make his Blackhawk debut tonight. 2006 3rd overall pick Jonathan Toews made his 'hawk debut last night in Nationwide and certainly did not disappoint collecting a game winning goal in the process.

As mentioned no TV tonight but the game can be heard on cd101.com and 1460thefan.com.

Edit - here is Chicago's lineup tonight:

Forwards:
Samsonov - Lang - Havlat
Versteeg - Toews - Kane
Parenteau - Perreault - Skille
Richmond - Fraser - Hobson

Defense:
Keith - Seabrook
Johansson - Barker
Stokes - Fahey

Goaltender:
Khabibulin
Brodeur

-LTL

Russell shines in 4-3 loss to the Blackhawks

The Columbus Blue Jackets lost for the second time in two preseason games to the Blackhawks tonight 4-3. This was a penalty filled affair which saw both teams combine for 30 penalties (16-Hawks, 14-Jackets).

The Jackets struck first in period one off a pretty pass from Marc Methot to the slot which saw Jason Chimera convert on it. Kris Russell followed that up with PP goal off a beauty of a shot in the slot. Then things got messy for the Jackets in the second period when they took 6 penalties and the Blackhawks were able to convert on two 5 on 3 powerplays opportunities with goals from Rene Bourque and Cam Barker. T. Bouwer followed that up with a goal of his own off a defensive breakdown from the Jackets. Rookie Jonathan Toews pushed the score to 4-2 in the 3rd off a hard working goal down low. Rick Nash responded for the Jackets with minutes to go off a nice feed from Derick Brassard (his 2nd assist of the game) but that is all the Jackets could muster.

Lit it up:
The story of the night, at least for me, was the absolutely spectacular play of Kris Russell. I don't have enough words to describe how brilliant he was in the game -- crisp passes, patient, saw the ice extremely well, knew when to pinch, caused turnovers, avoided hits -- again a brilliant game controlling performance. I'm a big proponent of letting rookies bake properly in this system but after watching Russell tonight I'm not sure the Jackets can afford to keep this kid out of the lineup - he was that good. Russell played a whopping 25 minutes, had a goal, 1 hit and 2 takeaways.

Besides Russell I also thought Duvie Westcott improved his game dramatically from the previous game which I personally thought was a an okay game for him. He and Russell worked a fine game on the points during all the special teams play tonight. There were still a couple of plays where I'm sure Duvie would like to make a decision faster but its coming. The more I see of Westcott and Russell the more I see Ron Hainsey's role on this team shrinking. Duvie collected two assists, played 22 minutes, and had 6 shots and blocked 5.

The rookies Jakub Voracek and Derick Brassard. Lets start with Voracek first. This kid looked real good tonight, better than when I saw him in camp. He's definitely got a pro style build and I thought played both ends of the ice well. He created some scoring chances while also making some nice passes. I don't see him cracking the lineup this year but its gonna be hard to keep him off this roster next season. He ended up playing 11 minutes with 2 shots.

Derick Brassard. I thought this guy had a GREAT first period. Like Russell this kid has a skill set this team can desperately use. He carries the puck well and can see the ice. He's quick to dart in and out of areas and anticipates the play well. I thought he kind of vanished in the 2nd and most of the 3rd which I attribute more to the 3 penalties he took and all the special teams play. Its obvious he's learning the "new NHL" and the crackdown on penalties but he'll pick it up. He ended up his first pre-season game in the NHL with 12:37 of playing time, two assists, three penalties, and went 8 for 2 on faceoffs - not too shabby.

Marc Methot. Solid game for Methot who had a nice assist and picked up where he left off last season. I actually think he looks bigger and is playing bigger with more confidence. He had a couple of nice hits and played close to 20 minutes.

OK Tollefsen. Really the only player in the lineup defensively with any extensive NHL experience and he played like it. Tollefsen was the same hard nosed player we are used to seeing and had a couple of prime scoring chances at the end of the game to tie things up. It was nice to see him jump up in the play and try to create. OKT killed a lot of penalties tonight and ended up with 22+ minutes of playing time.

Brule is looking much MUCH better this preseason. He had some nice chances with 4 shtos and played hard in the corners. Looks much more comfortable out there and I think its gonna be hard to send this kid down this year if he keeps this up.

Dim the light:

Nash and Zherdev played okay tonight. Nasher did get a goal towards the end and added an assist but not much of a "wow" factor out of him tonight. So while a decent game I've come to expect even more out of #61 - he needs to be our best player every night for us to have a chance.

Zherdev was also just "okay". He was tossed into the lineup tonight after it was decided that Peca was to get the night off so I'll cut him some slack there. He only played 13 minutes and and went 3 for 6 in the face off department. The one thing that drives me crazy about Z's game is his lack of desire to battle in the corners. There were some opportunities he passed on to try to battle in the corners to get a puck.

Norrena was also another player who played okay. Its hard to fault him on the first two goals as they both came off two man advantages. Still no real "wow" saves tonight from Norrena. He did make a couple of "wow" passes up the ice in the first period -- this dude can handle the puck.

Busted bulbs:
I know its just preseason but I thought Sergei Fedorov looked completely awful and disinterested tonight. He also looked extremely out of shape. This guy is making 6 million a year and there is no excuse, even in preseason, to look just average out there. He really didn't make one play tonight that was noteworthy.

The crowd. Another empty arena in Nationwide but then again it is preseason.

All in all this game was all about special teams. Five on five play never really got established which was disappointing. I thought there were a lot of phantom calls on both sides tonight. I'm all for the crackdown on obstruction but some of the calls tonight were complete head scratchers.

The Jackets play at Chicago tomorrow night.

-LTL

Chicago Blackhawks @ Columbus Blue Jackets 09/18/07 7:00 P.M. EST

The Dispatch has posted the Jackets' roster for tonight's game. Here is my best guess as to what the lines will look like:

Forwards:

Nash - Peca - Murray

Glencross - Fedorov - Brule
Chimera - Brassard - Voracek

Goertzen - MacKenzie - Dorsette

Defensemen:

Russell Tollefesen

Westcott Methot

Smith Sipotz

Goaltenders:

Norrena

Mason

Unfortunately I haven't been able to find the 'hawks roster as of yet.

So plenty of key story lines to keep an eye on tonight.

We know from Portzline's blog that Nash will play with Peca and that Russell will play with Tollefsen. I assume Hitch will want to take a look at how Nash and Peca work together and I think Tollefsen helps open the ice for young Russell and if things get chippy he'll answer the bell. Again Russell has that puck moving skill set that this team desperately needs and I think will be in the mix for a spot right up until opening night. He is definitely a guy to keep an eye on tonight.

The Chimera-Brassard-Voracek line has impressed all camp long. This will be our first look at both Brassard and Voracek in actual game play on Nationwide ice. If you recall Brassard never made it to camp last year because of a shoulder injury he suffered in his junior team's camp. Voracek, from what I hear, has impressed with the men who need impressed thus far so it will certainly be interesting to see how this line progresses.

I think Hitch wants to get a good look at Brule, who is also off to a nice start at camp, along side of Fedorov which is why I have them paired on the same line. Five of the top six forwards look to be Nash, Vyborny, Zerdev, Fedorov and Modin so there is definitely an opportunity for a forward like Brule to claim that other spot. Brule had a rocky camp last year and quite frankly wasn't prepared and should have been sent back down to his junior team. Now this kid knows he's fighting for a job on the top 6 so lets see how he responds tonight.

Norrena in nets tonight. I would assume like Leclaire and Popperlee the game before -- Norrena will play the first two periods and Mason will finish up in the 3rd. Norrena came out of nowhere last year to become the first CBJ goaltender to finish with an above .500 record and he also finished with a respectable GAA of .278 and save % of .904. Last year was his first in the league so now that he's had some time to adapt to the league and his surrounding in North America lets see if he can improve upon those numbers.

Lets not forget about Mason either. This guy broke the all time win record in the OHL last season and some think he's the future of this franchise in net. He has certainly become a blue chip prospect for this team.

Hitch looks to have iced a pretty tough lineup tonight for the Jackets. Murray, Dorsette, Tollefsen and Goertzen are all no strangers to the rough stuff. That's not even including 6 foot 6 inch Sipotz who looks every bit of that and more on skates. This will be my first time seeing him play but I certainly won't be surprised if isn't afraid to mix it up himself. This guy is the definition of H-U-G-E!

Lots of "bubble" players to watch tonight. Brassard, Methot and Russell certainly could further their cases with strong games. Goertzen, Glencross & MacKenzie are looking to carve out a niche for themselves in this lineup in a 4th line roll.

From what I hear the 'hawks will also have some toughness in their lineup so it should be a fun one to watch tonight at Nationwide. I'll be at the game and will have a report after so feel free to stop back by.

Go Jackets!

-LTL