Good but bad

It was a good the Jackets were able to salvage a point in Nashville last night but..

..it was bad that they not only blew a two goal lead but had to come up with some late game heroics (thank you Willams and Vermette!) just to get to get a point.

I'm sure I'm like a lot of Jacket fans out there saying "can't we just clinch this thing already and give my heart a rest!"...

Alas this is the ride of a team trying to get into the playoffs for the first time ever. We'll look back on this in a few years and say this was without a doubt the best time to be fan..... the year when they finally turned that corner... 90% of the fun is to be on there for the ride -- yes it was anxious, uneasy and restless.. but it was also exciting, thrilling and jubilant!

A total mixed-bag of emotions as we watch our lovable losers blossom into wondrous winners.

STOPLIGHT GAME REVIEW

GREEN
* Their losing streak in Nashville continues but they manufactured a point and every point is significant at this stage.

* Resilience... I thought "game over" when Bonk scored their go ahead goal in the 3rd (their 3rd straight tally) but the line of Umberger-Vermette-Williams (all Howson acquisitions btw) scored a key game tying goal with 5 min left in the 3rd to essentially lock up a point for the good guys.

* Great start. I was worried about the Preds over-whelming the Jackets early but they didn't.. the Jackets were prepared for it and it showed.. now about that 2nd period.

* The PP went 1 of 3. It did it's job to grab a goal.

* Torres had a real nice hit on Tootoo in the corner of the defensive zone.

* Congrats to Nash on tying Ray Whitney for most points ever by Blue Jacket with 76 points. Still 4 games to go so Nash should surpass him and will most likely become the first Jacket to the 80 point mark.

* Was good to see the 4th line generate a goal. Fabulous pass by Voracek to find Novonty for a near open net. Speaking of Voracek.. he's got 37 points which is just two points shy of the total another Jacket you may have heard of had when he was a rook....big 61. This kid is going to be a real good one folks.

* Hejda's job behind the net I think it was at the end of the 3rd shorthanded when he basically saved a goal with an unbelievable play to stop a pass to a wide open Pred in front of the cage... just a great play at a critical stage of the game.

* Jim Day about brought us all to tears with that segment on Ryan Salmon and how he continues his fight... when his dad mentioned they had to discuss the funeral and how Manny and Chimera agreed to be pallbearers....waterworks. We are all thinkin of you Ryan and the Jackets are gonna do it!!

* Great job to all of the Backers and CBJ fans who made the trip down to Nashville.. way to carry the flag everyone!!

YELLOW
* Nash wasn't as dominating shift to shift as I'd hope he'd be but there is no denying his two goals and his sweet hands that kept the Jackets in this one. He took a couple of chances on the PK that didn't work out and put a lot of folks out of position.. but we know if he picks off one of those passes he's off to the races.

* The PK gave up a goal but was pretty good.. especially killing off Tyutin's 4 min penalty at the end of the 3rd and into OT.

* I thought Mase was pretty good.. not a lot he could do on any of those goals. He made a couple of good blocker saves in the shootout but the boys have to get him a goal to work with.

RED
* Not one but two bad breaks with both Peca and Methot scoring on their own nets... big games like this can't have those kinds of big mistakes... got to forget about it and move on..

* Only 2 shots in the second.. luckily our PP was able to score on one of em... like Hitch said the boys just stopped playing for whatever reason over that 20.

* I think everyone I was watching the game with went "NOOOOO!" when they saw Novotny's name pop up as a shooter... Hitch made a gut call but with Voracek, Vermette and Umberger at your disposal you have to go with one of those guys... of course if Novotny scores Hitch is a genius.

* Officiating was bad on both sides... the Jackets caught a break when Smithson was sent off for a double minor for a high stick that Novotny committed on Umberger..... but using the jumbo tron to make calls? They were ultimately the right calls but you can't use video replay to make em....or if last night was an example, maybe you can.

* Note to game ops -- see how the Predators utilize their jumbo tron for home ice advantage? You know actually show replays to fire up the crowd and keep them engaged on what they are actually there for -- which is the hockey game!! Not pizza shuffles, dancing contests or burrito drops!

* 0-3 in our last 3 OT games. Those points sure would look good right about now.

* Too many penalties... Tyutin's 4 minutes came at a very bad time... Umberger took a bad offensive zone penalty as the Jackets were buzzing... although after watching I still don't know what he did.

* Rimer and Gare... sorry guys but you were brutal. How does it take guys who get paid to do nothing but watch and follow the Jackets almost a half a period to realize Kristian Huselius was not playing... we all noticed it the minute he limped to the bench after that first shift. Instead we get "looks like Hitch switched up the lines".

* Speaking of Juice let's hope that isn't a prolongued injury. Perhaps we'll see Filatov afterall?

* Only 17 hits to the Preds 37? Boll with 1 hit? It didn't seem quite that lopsided watching it so perhaps a little home ice goggles played into it.

* Chimera still looks tentative in his stride. No way he's even 90%.

* Anaheim and Edmonton won. The Blues also grabbed a point.

* Can we clone Shea Weber and put him in union blue? Man that guy is good and no doubt in my mind he will win a Norris trophy or 3.

3 BRIGHT LIGHTS ON THE NIGHT
1. At least we got a point.
2. Great start against a desperate team.
3. Jackets show resiliency with Williams late goal. How many big goals has Williams scored for this squad....

The Jackets now sit with 89 points with 4 games to play. That keeps them in 6th spot with a game at hand on all the threats behind them except for Minnesota.

The chances of them clinching tonight at home versus the 'hawks have vanished.

It's just another "biggest game in franchise history" up next at 5 p.m. On one hand since the 'hawks have clinched the Jackets may catch them sleeping.. on another this is now a loose 'hawks squad who is rested and waiting for the Jackets. The Jackets have also won their past two games against them.

On top of that the Jackets have been horrible this season on Sunday games losing both games at home by significant margins. On top of that they have only won just once on Sunday all together and that came at Vancouver back on Jan 18th and it took a shootout to get it done.

Still plenty of work to go. Boys have to dig deep and play with controlled desperation. A loss tonight in regulation and things could get real dicey.

Just take care of our own business and the playoffs are ours! I believe.

GO JACKETS!!

-LTL