Company

Every Tuesday Wednesday when DP has the flu on Tuesday, WFNY’s The 5-Hole brings you up to date with the goings-on of the CBJ…

The Week That Was

Week: 1-3-0, 2 points
Overall: 6-4-0, 12 points (2nd division; t8th conference)

Aaaand, the other shoe droppeth. Obviously, we’ve pointed out how tough a scheduling stretch this was, but the Jackets didn’t do themselves any favors with their play. They gave up 22 goals in four games this week, which is not only “un-Jackets-like” but nearly impossible to overcome. What’s really frustrating is that Columbus scored plenty of goals themselves, scoring almost four a game (15 in the four games). But, when you give up more than five a game, it doesn’t much help.

Tuesday, 10/20 in Calgary – Flames 6, Blue Jackets 3 (Box Score) – Highlights
Thursday, 10/22 in Edmonton – Oilers 6, Blue Jackets 4 (Box Score) – Highlights
Saturday, 10/24 in Anaheim – Blue Jackets 6, Ducks 4 (Box Score) – Highlights
Sunday, 10/25 in Los Angeles – Kings 6, Blue Jackets 2 (Box Score) – Highlights

I apologize for the flu-shortened write up here, but I hope you can give me a pass given my normal propensity to write thousands of words each week.

The Jackets stumbled on this trip in a big way. They’re missing Jan Hejda on defense. The goaltenders did not play well. The forwards are taking chances, playing sloppily, and turning the puck over too much in their own zone. It’s all inter-related, but the end result is that the Jackets’ defense that was so stellar in the first six games was non-existent in these four. Steve Mason looked ordinary: partly because he himself gave up more than a couple soft goals, and partly because of that defensive lapse. Mathieu Garon contributed to the team blowing a 4-1 lead in Edmonton. Basically no one showed up on Sunday against the Kings.

As I was discussing with a co-worker on Monday before falling ill, there are two ways to look at this: the Jackets have had two very tough road trips, playing seven of their first ten games on the road. If, at the beginning of the year, you’d told me they’d be 6-4-0 after those 10 games, including winning all three at home, I’d have been more than happy with it. However, finishing this first 10 6-4-0 after starting off 5-1-0 is what makes it tough to take. And, they were tied with Calgary in the second period 3-3 and led Edmonton 4-1 on the first two games of this trip. All of that makes it a bit tougher to take. That said, you still have to be happy with a 6-4-0 start considering how tough the schedule has been, and the fact that they’ve been missing their best defenseman for the last five games.

Up Next

The Jackets have three games this week, with two of them being at home. They host Pheonix (6-4-0, 12pts) tonight; have a huge matchup with Pittsburgh (9-2-0, 18pts) on Friday; they then travel to Washington (7-2-2, 16pts) on Sunday to face Alex Ovechkin and company. The Jackets then have two days off to get back home and settled again.

Full Schedule

Who’s Hot, Who’s Not

Hot: No One. No one deserves it this week. Except maybe the flu bug throwing a kegger in my body.

Not: Anyone Associated With Defense. Which, in a Hitchcock system, means EVERYONE. Everyone gets called out when you give up 22 goals in four games, and you’re supposed to be a “defense first” team. Bonus mention to my immune system, which is decidedly not hot this week.

Injury Update

Defenseman Mike Commodore rejoined the team this week, and is now back full-time. Jan Hejda is still out, though Aaron Portzline said in his weekly chat today that there’s a chance he could be back this weekend. That would be a huge help, though I’ll believe it when I see it. He is skating today, however, so we shall see. Also this week, the Jackets lost forward Andrew Murray for four weeks with a muscle tear in his shoulder.

Simple Enough Quote of the Week

We let a game slip away there in Edmonton where we stopped playing. Hitch always tells us how much trouble you can get in for letting up just five minutes.
–Forward Jared Boll

That pretty much sums it up. They have not played their game, and in the times that they have played well, they have not sustained it. They had better right the ship, because teams like Pittsburgh and Washington can bury you in a hurry if you are not playing hard 100% of the time.