WaitingForNextYear

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

The Week That Was

Week: 1-0-2, 4 points
Overall: 40-29-10, 90 points (3rd division; 6th conference)

Three games to go. A “magic points number” of 3. It’s gut check time. Time’s comin’ where we gonna have to ante up. Ante up and kick in, like men—LIKE MEN. Sorry, that’s a bit of a sidetrack. But, you get the point. The Jackets are still in sixth place, still hanging on, and still closing in on that elusive first-ever playoff spot. There are many (*cough*me*cough*) who had hoped they would have clinched a spot already. But, the Jackets insist on taking the long way to get there. Thankfully, as the remaining teams that can “pass” the Jackets in the standings fall by the way-side, the light at the end of the tunnel gets brighter and brighter.

Tuesday, 3/31 in Columbus – Blue Jackets 2, Predators – (Recap)
Saturday, 4/4 in Nashville – Predators 5, Blue Jackets 4 – SO (Box) – Highlights
Sunday, 4/5 in Cols. – Blackhawks 1, Blue Jackets 0 – OT  (Box) – Highlights

The Jackets again did their “peaks and valleys” routine this week. The Tuesday win against Nashville was a truly great game, with Raffi Torres notching another game-changing goal. Likewise, the Jackets came out on Saturday night with an edge against a tired Preds team in Nashville, and jumped out to a 3-1 lead early in the second period. It was at that time that they appeared to let off the gas, allowing the Preds to surge back with three unanswered goals to take a 4-3 lead in the third period. The Jackets had no answers for most of the period, but managed to tie the game at 4 late in the third, and weathered a crazy 4:00 penalty kill against the Preds to make it to the shootout. Despite the loss, they did earn a needed point, though they certainly left at least two magic number points on the ice in Nashville.

Sunday at homes versus Chicago was a much better effort, though with a jumble in lines due to a significant injury (ooh, a tease! See more below…) they weren’t able to generate the offense needed to get past Chicago. Steve Mason did all he could to get the win for the Jackets, but it was just not their day. Yet another consolation point, but another game that had points left out there for Columbus.

 

Playoff Update

I will try to pare this down, since I’ve been running the daily updates for the last week or so. Not much has changed since yesterday’s update, as no games of import were played in the Western Conference. The Jackets’ magic number is still at 3. The data from Sports Club Stats’ daily simulations did change slightly for some of the other teams, though. Also, Arace in The Dispatch spent a bunch of time breaking down all of the seeding scenarios here.

Several teams now have clinched or been eliminated. Anything higher than sixth place is basically impossible for anyone below.  It’s down to six teams gunning for three spots. Only three of the other five can pass the Jackets. All teams have three games remaining except for Anaheim, who only has two. This week’s Western Conference playoff probabilities standings, thanks to Sports Club Stats:

 

Tonight’s Important Matchups

Chicago at Nashville (A little help from the ‘Hawks to lower the magic#?)
St. Louis at Phoenix (A little help from the “Yotes, would be nice, too)

Up Next for Columbus

Three games to go. The magic number is three, so the Jackets basically need a win and for either St. Louis or Nashville to lose a point (i.e., one loss of any kind) to clinch a playoff spot. If the Jackets can get a win and Anaheim loses either of the last two games, the Jackets can all but wrap up the sixth seed, as well. Minnesota and Edmonton are both unable to pass the Jackets in points.

Sounds easy enough, doesn’t it? Not so fast. Two of the Jackets’ three games are on the road (Wednesday in Chicago, and Friday in St. Louis). The Jackets finish up at home against Minnesota, who may or may not be clawing for any points to try to make the playoffs. Things might clear up just a bit by Wednesday, though, as Chicago takes on Nashville and St. Louis plays in Phoenix on Tuesday night.

What it comes down to, though, is basically one win. If Columbus wins on Wednesday, they’ll all but wrap up a playoff spot.

Full Schedule

 

Injury Update

Rostislav Klesla is still out with an “upper body” injury, and Fredrik Modin is still out as well. The Jackets did get Jason Chimera back for Saturday night’s game, and he looks quick again. However, the news from Saturday’s game was not all good: forward Kristian Huselius suffered what is believed to be a concussion, and did not play on Sunday. He’s also expected out for Wednesday’s game in Chicago, and his status beyond that is unknown. Talk about bad timing.

 

Quote of the Week

There is only one quote needed this week:

This is what it takes to get in. There’s one hell of a price to pay to get in. We’re trying to get in, we’re trying to pay the price and we’re trying to teach guys how high the price is. We’re getting a lot of on-the-job training. That’s what impressed me today. We really wanted to win this game badly, and we acted accordingly.
–Coach Ken Hitchcock, after the 1-0 overtime loss to Chicago on Sunday.

There’s a hell of a price to pay to get in. That’s why it’s time to ante up and kick in like men—LIKE MEN! If this man should fall, who will carry the flag??