Columbus Blue Jackets (Official Thread)

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Michael Arace commentary: If smart, Jackets will resist trade urge

Thursday, December 20, 2007 3:33 AM
By michael arace

From the moment Jan Caloun pulled on a Columbus sweater, the Blue Jackets have lacked skill, especially among their top six forwards, most notably at the center position. They've tried upgrading with Andrew Cassels, Todd Marchant and Sergei Fedorov, to name a few. At this juncture, they're more needy than ever. Rick Nash and Nikolai Zherdev are burgeoning stars and cry out for a wheelman, the team is approaching legitimacy, and a skill injection could pay off in the standings.

So what does general manager Scott Howson have up his sleeve?

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Blue Jackets notebook
Antsy Vyborny ready to play
Winger gets the go-ahead to return Friday
Thursday, December 20, 2007 3:21 AM
By Aaron Portzline


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Right winger David Vyborny is expected to return to the Blue Jackets' lineup Friday against the Los Angeles Kings.

"Can't wait," Vyborny said. "Last two weeks ? drive me crazy."
Vyborny also revealed this: A strained left groin has kept him out of the lineup since Dec. 1, not a sprained hip, as the club stated.
"I've never had a groin injury, so that was part of the (frustration)," Vyborny said. "Nobody could give me a time when I would be better, so I just had to wait. The last five days, everything started feeling much better. I'm ready to play now."

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Blue Jackets: High-intensity Chimera promoted to No. 1 line

Friday, December 21, 2007 3:06 AM
By Aaron Portzline


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

JAMES D. DECAMP Dispatch
Jason Chimera will get a chance to show what his speed, size and work along the wall can do on a line with Rick Nash.



There is joy and mock empathy in the Blue Jackets' dressing room these days for Jason Chimera's family.
Cale Chimera was born at 7:07 p.m. Wednesday in Riverside Methodist Hospital, a bundle of joy who arrived six days before Christmas weighing 6 pounds, 1 ounce.
"Little bugger," Chimera said. "Future grinder."

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Dispatch

Jackets notebook: Russell starting to hit stride
Hitchcock praises rookie defenseman
Friday, December 21, 2007 2:58 AM
By Tom Reed


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Blue Jackets defenseman Kris Russell skated swiftly into the defensive zone Tuesday night to retrieve the puck before looping in front of his goal and zooming up the right side like a pinball propelled from its plunger.
He zipped past Calgary forward Daymond Langkow and gained the Flames' blue line, feathering a pass into open space that Curtis Glencross quickly occupied. Glencross skated in alone and beat Miikka Kiprusoff for the Blue Jackets' lone goal in a 3-1 loss to the Flames.

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[CCI]

how many power plays is LA going to get tonight
1-1 2nd Intermission.

 

[TexasBuck]

Good news is: They've been totally dominated and have taken countless penalties and the game is tied 1-1. Hitchcock should throw a fit during the intermission. Jackets should come out fired up and might be able to steal this one.

 

[jking222222]

FYI:
Free Blue Jackets Ticket Giveaway: Digg - Columbus Blue Jackets Ticket Giveaway

 

[Mike80]

Reason(s) to be happy: After playing the last 2 games (and a couple even before that) and having every break go the other way, the Jackets finally got someone other than Nash or Zherdev only on the board (although Z scored the 2nd goal it could've gone to Hainsey I think).....

The PK was awesome tonight. having LA go only 1 for 7, especially on the back to back to back PPs in the 2nd period was impressive.

Reason(s) to be worried:

LA is easily the worst team in the West but they carried the play for most of this game. Only putting up two goals on LaBarbera is a problem too, he is only as good as his defense and 50 foot wrist shots from the blue line will get stopped in High School much less the NHL.

This team needs to learn how to stay out of the penalty box. The only really questionable call was the roughing penalty on Tollefsen, who likely got the penalty for dropping his gloves ( ). Now I will say there were a LOT of non-calls both ways, and Rick Nash was roughed up at least 4 times I can remember. But you can't count on the Refs to help you win the game.


Still and all, I doubt the CBJ will give this one back. Teams like this one have to learn how to win when they don't have their best stuff like the Western Elite can from time to time.

 

[Mike80]

BTW I should note that the cheap shot on Zherdev in the 3rd by Jack Johnson was straight out of the Crawford-Lemieux-Bertuzzi playbook.

Crawford is one of the dirtiest coaches in the game (if not THE dirtiest) and will likely be the next one to be fired. And hopefully no one will give the prick another job this time.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

A few good breaks: Blue Jackets come to each other's aid to produce hard-fought victory

Saturday, December 22, 2007 2:56 AM
By Aaron Portzline


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

NEAL C. LAURON Dispatch
The Blue Jackets' Rick Nash, left, and Jan Hejda lend goalie Fredrik Norrena help against the Kings' Rob Blake in the first period.



Points? Two. Style points? Zero.
That's what the Blue Jackets got last night out of a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings in front of 14,034 in Nationwide Arena.
"Who cares?" right winger Dan Fritsche said. "We didn't need to look pretty. We just needed two points. The kind of team we are ? we're not going to make many highlight shows."

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Dispatch

Jackets notebook: Norrena receives a few assists
Teammates, referee play role in goalie's fifth win of season
Saturday, December 22, 2007 2:54 AM
By Tom Reed


The Columbus Dispatch

NEAL C. LAURON Dispatch
The Blue Jackets' David Vyborny gets the puck by the Kings Tom Preissing in the first period.



The goal posts are supposedly a goalie's two best friends.
Last night, the Blue Jackets' Fredrik Norrena was more partial to quick-reacting teammates Ron Hainsey and Curtis Glencross. He also was pretty pleased with referee Chris Rooney.
Norrena made 33 saves in a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings, but two of the game's biggest stops were made by his teammates. And a favorable ruling by the officials spared the Blue Jackets from falling behind 2-0 in the first period.

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Blue Jackets
Blue line transition problems resurface
Inability to escape own zone limits offense
Tuesday, December 25, 2007 3:13 AM
By Aaron Portzline


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Early in the season, the Blue Jackets looked surprisingly proficient at getting the puck out of danger, a real departure from previous seasons when they struggled mightily to clear the zone.
Lately, the Jackets have fallen back into bad habits.
More accurately, they have been forced back into them.
Since the Blue Jackets' hot start -- they were 8-3-2 in early November -- opponents have begun applying more pressure on the forecheck, sending extra skaters in deep to force the Jackets defensemen into either skating or passing the puck out of danger.

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Michael Arace commentary | Nash: Thanks to parents, star athlete's humility, generosity know no bounds

Tuesday, December 25, 2007 3:13 AM
By michael arace

There's an athlete in town who tries his best to do the right thing, but he doesn't want it trumpeted. This being the holiday season, there is a surplus of trumpets. I'm holding one right now. I'll try not to blow it too hard, but it's going to be difficult.
This athlete's story, as most stories of this sort, begins with good parents. They didn't have much, but they weren't destitute. The kids' clothes were all hand-me-downs, and their sports equipment was what a car dealer might call pre-owned. When it came to playing in pricey leagues, mom and dad volunteered for endless fundraisers to provide the opportunity. That was life.
They understood who they were, which is to say they didn't focus on what they did not have. Rather, they made sacrifices to facilitate. They also made sure their kids knew that, despite the difficulties in their paths, there were others far less fortunate. All a kid had to do was walk down the street to understand.

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Blue Jackets
Marquee attraction
Jackets fans will be seeing more of the league's best young players
Wednesday, December 26, 2007 3:04 AM
By Tom Reed


The Columbus Dispatch

Chris Lee | MCCLATCHY
Goal-scoring machine Ilya Kovalchuk of the Atlanta Thrashers is one of the NHL's best, yet he hasn't played in Nationwide Arena since 2003.

Beasts of the East

The Blue Jackets don't see teams from the Eastern Conference on a regular basis. Several members of the organization were asked to name five Eastern Conference players they would pay to see. Here's a sampling:
Coach Ken Hitchcock:

• Alexander Ovechkin (Washington), Ilya Kovalchuk (Atlanta), Martin St. Louis (Tampa Bay), Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley (Ottawa)

Left winger Rick Nash:

• Mats Sundin (Toronto), Daniel Alfredsson (Ottawa), Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh), Vincent Lecavalier (Tampa Bay), Jaromir Jagr (N.Y. Rangers)

Goaltender Pascal Leclaire:

• Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh), Martin Brodeur (New Jersey), Jason Spezza (Ottawa), Alexander Ovechkin (Washington), Jaromir Jagr (N.Y. Rangers)

Atlanta Thrashers forward Ilya Kovalchuk is a witch's brew of hockey talent, a wicked blend of speed, strength and skill, with a splash of hubris.
Since entering the NHL in the 2001-02 season, Kovalchuk has scored more goals (231) than any other player.
His wrist shot, honed as a child by firing pucks for hours a day at rubber targets his father placed on a wall, is powered by forearms on loan from Popeye.
"He never misses the net," Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock said. "You can just feel the goal coming. If you are in your zone and he is there and you can count to six, you know something bad is about to happen."

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[Mike80]

good game by the Jackets tonight. If they play solid defense both Norrena and LeClaire are good enough to shut anyone out (well except for probably Detroit and Ottawa), but scoring is the issue.

I hope if they are going to do some trading they get some forwards who won't only work hard but don't have issues getting the puck into the net. That's what they need obviously....