This is the last time this regular season we play a team from another division. And it's the Jackets, with their newly minted Captain Nash.
Couldn't happen to a nicer team - they're down a couple of key vets (traded on deadline day), their starting goalie is out (though we've seen Norrena this season before, and it wasn't pretty. Except the view I got from just behind the bench). They've been playing well lately, but hurt by the fact that they tried to give up the ghost about two weeks back (losing to us last time we played them two weeks ago in a stultifyingly dull 1-0 game is what drove me to render that verdict).
Still, they've got some terrific young talent, and it'll be interesting to see whether Nash flourishes in his new (though hardly unexpected) role.
As for us... I could spit out the same cliches I've been spouting since November but it wouldn't really make a difference. Tanguay is supposed to be a gametime decision, but the smart money says he's out tonight. Nystrom isn't playing (boy should clearly make love, not war) thanks to the fight with Burish the other day... expect to see Boyd or possibly Moss back in.
I hope we're not deliberately counting down to Iggy scoring 50 goals. That sort of dynamic (let's set him up for a hat trick, let's make sure he bags this record) always seems to make the team crack under pressure. It's just a terrible distraction for the team.
So here's hoping we get those two points, WI manages to approximate the effect of a tupperware party by surrounding herself with plastic container goodness, and ignore anything mean Bethany has to say about us. But go read her, do.
The name "Blue Jackets" was chosen to celebrate "patriotism, pride and the rich Civil War history in the state of Ohio and city of Columbus."
- Wikipedia
Ohhhhh, it was Western night at the Saddledome last night. Harvey was wearing his best flannel shirt, country music was blarin' off the speakers (I take a moment here to whimper, slightly), and the ice girls... probably have never looked hotter, in their mini-denim skirts and... whatever. They're not my type anyways.
Game was amazing.
What, we lost? Yes, but I was sitting in the second row behind the Flames' bench. We could have gone the way of Carolina last night, and I might not have minded. That said, I started off the game real well behaved...
The game saw Iggy do his superhero captain act again, singlehandedly jolting the team (and 20 000 bystanders) awake by scoring a goal, picking a fight, notching his 700th point and throwing the team on his back and letting us enjoy the ride.
Overall, I thought we played just as well as the Blue Jackets - the one major flaw in our game was goaltending, really. Kipper did let a couple of them go which should have stayed out. And as a result of his recent play, you can see the entire team tense up in the defensive zone. I wonder if this might be why the defense has been leses than stellar lately - the difference between confidently playing ahead of an amazing goalie, and wondering if this time, it's going to bounce off you makes a lot of difference.
In the offensive zone? Can't really blame that on Kipper. But the guys are second-guessing themselves out there too - cycling the puck way longer than they have to in order to get the perfect shot. Which means they run out of time or turn the puck over before they get any shot of any sort away.
Quick notes from the game:
We lost Moss to a leg injury of some sort, and Huselius went into the boards a bit hard, from a hit in behind, though he stayed on. Huselius, for that matter, looked a bit more engaged this game than he has for a while.
Phaneuf and Nash were a matched pair the entire game. And they're both HUGE. Jaw-droppingly so from my vantage point.
We're not the only ones frustrated by the Flames' ineffectual special teams. Rich Preston did this spastic thing where he smacked the glass behind the bench during a power play which wasn't working. Twice.
Kris Beech (of ex-Hitmen glory) had a real strong night in his old barn. Hope he gets to stick around for the Teddy Bear Toss later this afternoon.
I haven't been that wide-eyed with delight at a game since I saw the Kings in town when I turned 11 (I was sitting about 15 rows up, sigh). I should have brought a damn camera, but I'm in the habit of not doing so, since I'm usually way at the top of the upper bowl with the rest of the unwashed masses.
I still don't understand the point of banging on the glass. I really don't.
It's been a disheartening couple of days, as the volume of those dark mutterings gets louder and louder.
Time is going to be a factor, as the boys work on winning games. The Western Conference is much more ridiculously competitive than it was last year, with the recent resurgence of the Central Division, as teams like St. Louis, Chicago, and Columbus have started to kick ass and take numbers. Good for them but, um, we have to play Columbus tonight.
The Blue Jackets won't be in a good mood. This is Part 3 of their swing through Western Canada, and so far, they're 0 for 2. They'll want to head back with one win.
Given as much time I spend talking to Bethany (of Bethany's Hockey Rants fame), I really should know more about the Jackets, but I confess I don't really. We won't be seeing Leclaire in net tonight - something happened to him in Edmonton, but that's fine. I'm not sure I can handle seeing an awesome goalie in net right now. Rick Nash has improved rapidly under Hitchcock's regime - something about how being responsible defensively will lead to more offensive chances. And ice time. Rings a bell but I can't quite put a finger on it.
As for our guys... hmmm. Ramholt had a pretty dismal initial game the other night, with only 45s of ice time, I'm hoping they'll start him again, and he'll redeem himself. 'Sides that, I can run through the usual litany of things we'll need to do right, I guess. Um, solid defense, decent special teams, goaltending, etc etc etc blahblahblah.
I'm not going to hold my breath for any miraculous improvements in our situation. It's going to be baby steps all the way.
I will be at the game tonight, so it'd better be a, hmmm... 4-2 win.
With all those superstars on Columbus I should never have favoured the Flames in my prediction. I stand corrected.
That said, Flames fans may as well start circulating petitions to end hockey games after two periods and to eliminate the shootout. Perhaps a coin toss as a tiebreaker? Or a game of rock paper scissors. Any other suggestions?
Also, Noodles played very well. Team let him down. The Chinless One extended his pointstreak to 14 games.
Another should-win game tonight. Though I have to say, I don't have a good feeling about this one. (Wait, that sounds familiar)
For much of the same reasons as last time, too. This time add in that this is a road game, which needs no further clarification. Columbus has also historically given us some problems, likely because they historically play a game so boring that even the Flames players sleepwalk through the game.
What is potentially a redeeming feature is the total suckfest that was the end of the Chicago game. I think our boys will want to redeem themselves and prove they can be a dominant road team with the addition of Craig Conroy, too. He just has to stay out of the box, so he can be used on the PK...
On the brighter side:
Ah. Clearly I'm here to point out the good parts.
...over such an undeserving team. As of now Dion Phaneuf and Robyn Regehr are injured. Brutal. A lot of other close calls too. Is Columbus one of the dirtiest teams in the league now? They sure look like contenders after all that crap tonight. My hatred for Mick (not Michael, damnit, Mick) MaGoooooo reaches new levels each night.
Which brings me to a completely unrelated tangent: How awful would a Roger Millions/Ray Ferraro tandem be for calling a game? Oh, shoot me now.
Overall the game was decent. Not good. Not bad. Good in parts, bad in parts -- more good parts than bad. Conklin is my hero, of course, and he won that game for us. When the game was clearly in the bag I was a bit of a fruit, 'cause I started feeling sorry for that goalie (what was his name, Papperle?) playing in his first NHL game playing behind an awful team killing constant penalties. But I gotta say, he played way better than Conklin ever has.
Conroy seemed to go invisible after the first 5 minutes of the game, with the exception of solid penalty killing. I continue to be uneasy about demoting Langkow, and slightly uneasy about demoting Lombardi for Conroy, though. While I love Conroy, Langkow and Lombardi are both having career seasons and things were working with them...so why are we toying with that? I can understand if our offense was as awful of Edmonton or Vancouver, but we're scoring goals in bunches so why screw with our mojo?
Maybe Playfair knows more than I do, but I'm more willing to bet I'm just smarter than that guy just 'cause I know not to wear those damn shirt/tie combos. He makes so many bizarre decisions so often. But who am I to complain so long as we win...and that's what counts, the mark "in the win column!!" The two points. Lots of hard work by my boys out there tonight.
Tomorrow though, that'll be a challenge. The Flames will be completely tired from this game and Vancouver seems to have our number recently. But I've got confidence. I'll make a prophetic prediction for fun, we'll see how awful I am: 3-1 Flames (Iginla, Lombardi, Huselius; Sedin).
[PS: Why did Kipper play this game?]
Edit: Addendum: Training staff says Phaneuf is a "lower body" injury, and Regehr and Phaneuf should "both be okay"...
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