Unfortunately for the Jackets they did what they couldn't do if they wanted to win this game...and that was take too many penalties. The NHL's top PP by a wide margin of course made them pay with two goals... and then when Osgood gift wrapped at least a point for them with allowing an inexplicable goal from beyond the blueline the Jackets failed to capitalize and then the goaltending fell apart in the final two minutes.
..and so it goes for this team. They have been in just about every game but its special teams and breakdowns that are continuing to bite them.
STOPLIGHT GAME REVIEW
GREEN
* Even strength they were solid and generated a lot of chances..
* Loved Tyutin... his little play to buy some time and float that wrist shot on net..with traffic...is the kind of play we need consistently from our blueline.
* Even though he lost his fight, this was Jarred Boll's best game in a long time. Showed solid poise with the puck...was connecting on his checks.. working hard...solid game.
* Russell was fantastic... skated the puck well and got wrist shots through... used his speed.. his pass to Huselius for his breakaway was excellent. He had some nice defensive plays as well.
* Jackets didn't get pushed around outhitting the Wings 27 to 17.
* I thought Hejda was phenomenal defensively tonight and didn't give up a whole lot when he was out there.
* At least Syracuse and OSU hockey won tonight.
YELLOW
* Jackets tried their best to stay in this one...even strength it was a 2-2 game... alas they couldn't build momentum off that early x-mas gift from Osgood... couldn't score with the man up and couldn't win faceoffs when really needed such as in the dying minutes of the 3rd.
* Voracek has looked solid the past two games. Was nice to see him get one.
* Same with Torres.. I've liked his game the past couple of nights.. he really needs to get one... he did take a dumb penalty early in the 1st.
* Backman had his moments both positively and negatively.
* Thought Umberger and Methot were good... Huselius again had some glorious chances but has taken over from Nash in the break-away snake bitten department... we really need those goals to fall.
RED
* Pazzy..oh Pazzy... you cannot let that soft goal in by Hossa with 2 minutes left... he looks shaky and the team looks less confident in front of him.. back breaking goal. Hossa's first goal was also of the very soft variety and I was surprised the team didn't buckle after that one. He did have a nice paddle save there at the end.
* Two games in a row where the Jackets have given up the game winning goal within the final two minutes.
* Commodore a couple of real bone headed penalties.
* Jackets were brutal on the faceoffs win just 38%.
* Tough night for Brass... he was definitely overmatched tonight versus the Wings centers... although he did have a couple of passes that gave some guys solid looks. I gurantee you this kid learned a lot about where he needs to take his game tonight...
* Powerplay same ole story...contributed nothing. PK allowed two but I give the some credit for killing back to back penalties in the 3rd to keep the game alive.
* Waaay to many penalties against this squad...and they paid for it.
* Modin has been very invisible lately and looks slow. I suspect he's battling an injury.
* Another short handed goal against...albeit the net was empty.
3 BRIGHT LIGHTS ON THE NIGHT
1. Even strength was good again.
2. Tyutin with two
3. Liked the grinders.. Boll, Murray, Manny, Torres all worked hard.
Back to the drawing board against a Caps team that shutout Montreal 3-0 last night. The Jackets haven't won at home in 3 games.... they fall to 9-10-3 after two solid games with dissapointing results.
M next question is are we back in must win mode again?
I'd say hell yes we are. The Jackets have to stop the bleeding on home tonight.
-LTL
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Costly mistakes doom Jackets
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5 comments:
I went into this game thinking we were going to be embarrassed in the worst possible way. Chances were hard to come by early on, but it was great for Jake to get on the scoresheet early. For all the flack that Backman has received from day one, he didn't look anywhere near as bad as he has in the past. I guess I'm saying he's coming around, little by little.
Overall... I think our defense is getting pretty damn good. They got a little loose on occasion, but if our Offense isn't clicking, it's the D that has to hold on for the win. Who is pressured more?
By the way, I don't know if coach salaries figure into the cap at all, but at what point does management dig up a capable power play coach? The benefit of getting PP goals (NOW!) has to outweigh the salary. All the Western basement teams are catching up and it's beyond silly at this point to just sit on their hands and hope for the best. How long do you work on something before you just abandon direction? Special teams are a Dilbert project... push ahead with little regard for progress while ignoring every indication that something/anything has gone completely haywire. Just stick with the program...
PAZZY... wow... 2 minutes and change left in the third ( score tied ) against the stanley cup champs and our toughest inner division rival on the road with a critical face off in our end ...
AFTER A TIME OUT CALLED BY HITCH
and somehow you leave the post and dont even get in any kind of real position to stop any kind of shot on net with the likes of ZETTERBERG , DATSYUK , HOSSA , and LIDSTROM on the ice...?
instead you tuble into the net on your ass as the game winner flutters thru you ...
wow...
this is why this team is not ready to win at this level...
PAZZY either has to go or has to sit... period... let MASE go and let him fly...
just horrible... its at the point where im really AMAZED if anyone other than MASON makes a save at all...
Brassard's going to be overmatched by the centers in Detroit. With the exception of Joe Thornton, Joe Sakic, Patrick Marleau, and Marc Savard, I think everyone in the league is.
Yep... totally agree Max. Its a learning process he has to go through eventually so why not now.
I certainly wasn't surprised he struggled a bit but struggle he did which is why his slid down to the red.
I look for him to bounce back tonight.
Wally.... I'm not convinced Noel is the problem although why not shake it up at this point? Can't get any worse.
I think the PP struggles come down to Howson not landing a capable PPQB in the offseason. They sure aren't easy to come by but even a Marik Ziglicky type would do us wonders at this point..granted Nashville wouldn't have moved him to a division rival.
There were some out there though.. Pitkanen, Boyle, Visnovski to name a few.
Regardless we didn't get them so there is really no point in me thinkin what if about those guys. He's going to have to make a move sooner than later though b/c this PP isn't magically going to get better at this point.
-LTL
Agree that now is the time for Brassard to learn -- it will come in handy in February and March.
Part of the problem with the PP is that potential solutions are not given time to gel. You can't just slap a pair together on the point for 1 practice, give them 1 game, then declare it a failure. Tyutin and Russell showed real promise last night, and the PP really created the golden opportunity to win the game, but Chimera went wide right on an open net.
It is easy to focus on the PP QB issue now that the PP is not clicking, but to get a PP QB who is good in the defensive zone, strong on the puck in his own zone, able to lead transition is a different story. Howson was not in a position to be able to bring in somebody just for the PP, because he really had no way of being sure how the rest of the pieces would fit in.
Now that he knows the landscape after giving some time for the team to get used to playing with one another, look for at least one, and likely two, moves. Not sure who will go, but if I were Mr. Modin or Mr. Novotny, I would not have my Book of the Month Club selection sent to Columbus.
A Shot From The Point
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