The Sky Shouldn’t Fall Because of Delonte
January 16, 2009A Follow-Up on Those LeBron James/Browns Pictures
January 16, 2009New Jersey Devils (25-15-3, 53pts) vs
Columbus Blue Jackets (21-18-4, 46pts)
Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
Friday, January 16, 2009
7:00 PM EST
FSNOH/WWCD(fm)/WBNS(am)
The Jackets are riding a wave, having won seven-of-nine overall (and also eight-of-nine on home ice). However, it appears that they will not be getting either leading scorer and Captain Rick Nash or forward Andrew Murray back from injury for this game, which will make it that much tougher. Nash, coming back from a sprained knee, says “it’s close”. The Jackets do get winger Raffi Torres back tonight, and will also have newly acquired center Jason Williams skating on the fourth line as well. Whether he is on the Power Play remains to be seen.
Projected Lineups
New Jersey Devils:
LW Zach Parise – Patrik Elias – Brian Rolston – Jay Pandolfo
C Travis Zajac – Dainius Zubrus – Bobby Holik – John Madden
RW Jamie Langenbrunner – Brian Gionta – David Clarkson – Mike Rupp
D Paul Martin – Johnny Oduya – Mike Mottau
D Bryce Salvador – Andy Greene – Jay Leach
G Scott Clemmensen/Kevin Weekes (see notes below)
Columbus Blue Jackets:
LW Kristian Huselius – Nikita Filatov – Raffi Torres – Craig MacDonald
C Manny Malhotra – Michael Peca – R.J. Umberger – Jason Williams
RW Jakub Voracek – Fredrik Modin – Jared Boll – Derek Dorsett
D Jan Hejda – Fedor Tyutin – Kris Russell
D Mike Commodore – Marc Methot – Ole-Kristian Tollefsen
G Steve Mason
Team Rankings
Scoring:
NJD – 2.98 gpg (10th NHL)
CBJ – 2.63 gpg (20th NHL)
Defense:
NJD – 2.58 gapg (7th NHL)
CBJ – 2.65gapg (8th NHL)
Power Play:
NJD – 17.9% (15th NHL)
CBJ – 11.1% (30th NHL)
Penalty Kill:
NJD – 81.5% (15th NHL)
CBJ – 80.9% (19th NHL)
Prior Matchups
None.
Game Notes
On paper, this would appear to be a defensive struggle. The Jackets’ successful play of late has been because they have played solid defense and gotten outstanding goaltending. New Jersey also plays solid defense. Columbus is catching them in the midst of a six-game road trip that has taken them from the east coast to the west coast, to western Canada, and now to Columbus.
Steve Mason might have a little extra incentive tonight, though it looks like he won’t get his wish to play against his idol, New Jersey’s future Hall-of-Fame netminder Martin Brodeur. Brodeur, recovering from surgery, will not be with the team. Another bonus for the Jackets is they may be facing the Devils’ third-string goalie, journeyman Kevin Weekes. Scott Clemmensen has been filling in as the starter in Brodeur’s absence, but has started 15 of the last 16 games for the Devils. As of this writing, Clemmensen is listed as the starter, though ESPN has a note on his page that Weekes will start per the Newark Star-Ledger, though the only confirmation I could find was in the Fire and Ice blog (see below).
The Jackets have been winning with moxie and effort, and have had two days off at home to prepare for this game. New Jersey has been on the road. The key will be for the Jackets to come out and establish their physical presence early, all while working Torres and Williams into a lineup that has been playing well together for the past three games since Nash’s injury. Mason also needs to rebound from what was a very lackluster start for him Tuesday night against Colorado. If they can keep the defensive effort high, limit New Jersey’s scoring chances, and score some timely goals of their own like they have been doing over this hot streak, they have a good chance to beat a road-weary Devils team.
From The Outside Looking In
NJ.com
Fire and Ice
In Lou We Trust
NorthJersey.com
Next Game For The Jackets
Sunday, January 18, 2009
8:00 PM EST
Columbus Blue Jackets at Vancouver Canucks
8 Comments
Oooooh, I like this format!
What happened to 1-43?
They were nicely recapped in various 5-Hole columns.
Yes, Rock, I might have pilfered your format, but I believe in blog consistency!
I really wish they weren’t playing on the same night as the Cavs – I’m actually considering watching this.
Jackets got jobbed… 1-0 lead in the 3rd, a bad turn-over on a penalty kill by Umberger = 1-1.
A horrible call on a goal that appeared to be scored AFTER the goal had been knocked off its moorings = 2-1 loss.
I was there tonight. Great crowd. They booed the refs for a good 15 minutes after the game-deciding goal. If nothing else, Columbus is buying into this team.
Have the Jackets EVER been on the good side of an NHL review? Was this one as awful as the ‘kick’ goal earlier?
Well, since they didn’t show any replays in the building, I can’t say for sure. I do know that Toronto has never been kind to the Jackets on reviews, as you point out.
Arace in the Dispatch had this to say:
“Before Jackets defenseman Marc Methot could tackle him, (Devils forward David) Clarkson got a primo, Reggie-Jackson, two-handed whack at (goalie Steve) Mason, who was waiting for a whistle – desperately so, because he wasn’t 100-percent sure where the puck was. Well, it was under his left pad until Clarkson whacked at him and fell on the post. As the left post was leaving its moorings, the puck trickled out from under Mason’s pad – and (Devils center John) Madden tucked it over the goal line. (Referee Don) Koharski pointed at the net, a signal for a good goal.
And then there was the review. Toronto got a look at the play and – according to Koharski, as told to Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock – Toronto left the final decision to Koharski. Obviously, Koharski wasn’t going to overturn his own call of a good goal. And he didn’t.”
Also:
“Toronto looked at it. The best angle was from overhead. Clearly, the left post was 3 to 5 inches behind where it’s supposed to be when the puck went over the goal line.
Rule 78.5 (x) states that a goal is to be disallowed “when the net becomes displaced accidentally. The goal frame is considered to be displaced if either or both goal pegs are no longer in their respective holes in the ice, or the net has come completely off one or both pegs, prior to or as the puck enters the goal.”
Apparently, no one could ascertain the moment the net came off its left peg, least of all Koharski, who was looking at the other side of the net, where the puck was. There wasn’t a second referee to help.”
The other ref had left the game in the first period with an injured shoulder, so they were short-handed. The Jackets really are an honorary Cleveland Sports Team, with all of the requisite luck that comes along with it.