GDT: Game 11: Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Calgary Flames |2/7 7PM EST FSO|

[alphafox]

Well on a positive note LA got blanked by the Preds.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

WTF was Anisimov doing on the GWG. Had no motivation to backcheck the pinching dman.

 

[CBJx614]

If the draft were today we could potentially have 2 out of the top 3 picks. At the very least 2/5

 

[jackets4life]

Sorry but to me the obvious screw up was the idiot behind the bench. Tie game, two minutes left, you have a power play and you send out Umberger, Dubinsky and Foligno who have a combined ******* ZERO GOALS BETWEEN THEM. You leave Letestu (4 goals), Anisimov (4 goals), Prospal (3 goals) and Brassard (2 goals) on the bench ?????? With the friggin score tied? There is bad coaching and then there is sh** for brains. Richards set up for that PP falls into the later category. I have got to believe that from his box, JD was writing a note to himself "coach is *********** idiot". I am done with Richards. I have tried to stay sanguine about the results of the games this season and I will try to do so in the future. But while we are lacking in talent there is no reason to tolerate complete stupidity from the head coach. Umberger, Dubinsky and Foligno on the power play with the score tied with 2 minutes left? Just unbelievable.

All of this.

 

[alphafox]

seconded

I personally don't have anything against richards, but if this rebuild is going to work we are going to need 3 things going forward

1. Hockey knowledge and a team Vision from the front office (JD, we've never had this before so its a major step forward)
2. Talent (, we have 3 firsts this year and other kids i.e. Johansen/Moore/Savard/Atkinson are looking pretty solid given the bad situation)
3. Coaching. Coaching is something often overlooked, but look at what the right coach can do just in the last few seasons. Hitch in St. Louis, Boudreau in Anaheim, Paul Maclean in Ottawa. If we can find a good/great coach this team can become more than the sum of its parts.

 

[Columbus Jack]

Sorry but to me the obvious screw up was the idiot behind the bench. Tie game, two minutes left, you have a power play and you send out Umberger, Dubinsky and Foligno who have a combined ******* ZERO GOALS BETWEEN THEM. You leave Letestu (4 goals), Anisimov (4 goals), Prospal (3 goals) and Brassard (2 goals) on the bench ?????? With the friggin score tied? There is bad coaching and then there is sh** for brains. Richards set up for that PP falls into the later category. I have got to believe that from his box, JD was writing a note to himself "coach is *********** idiot". I am done with Richards. I have tried to stay sanguine about the results of the games this season and I will try to do so in the future. But while we are lacking in talent there is no reason to tolerate complete stupidity from the head coach. Umberger, Dubinsky and Foligno on the power play with the score tied with 2 minutes left? Just unbelievable.

So much this. Richards is a ****ing idiot.

 

[punk_o_holic]

The stats would show the opposite tonight: Nikitin, Johnson and Tyutin end the evening at a combined -5 with 1 point. Erixon, Holden and Goloubef end the evening +3 with 1 point.
Nikitin does not impress me... in 8 games he is -5 with 2 lousy points yet gets decent powerplay time. He needs to do something when he is on the ice besides getting scored on. This team is going nowhere (as we knew) so either send all the kids to the AHL to gel & grow together or leave them all up, live with their mistakes and start getting rid of any veteran for anything a team will offer.

A couple of games ago, either from the Columbus feed or the other teams, they mentioned how last season Nikitin used his slap shot to score some goals but this season, he hasn't been using it as much.

 

[Dudley Poodlehead]

I was one of the 8000 or so in attendance tonight and Umberger looked just as bad as everyone around here has been saying. So sad he can't find the gym in the off season. I have no idea why he is seeing any special teams action at all. I'm not trying to pile on, I'm just mad because I became a fan of his due to his work ethic and I just don't see it anymore.

 

[bizzz*]

I thought that Richards was told to lose the game. Fixed games is a common thing in Europe.
BTW Buffalo tied the game an 59:58 and won it in SO. Mist be really exciting.

 

[jackets4life]

I thought that Richards was told to lose the game. Fixed games is a common thing in Europe.

This thought actually crossed my mind as I sat in my seat tonight. The guys he chose to put out there left me no other explanation.

 

[CapnCornelius]

If Mason were in net tonight, there would be 50 posts blaming him for this loss.

Bob didn't play god awful but he's had better nights.

Just not many of them.

Managed to score 3 goals (despite poor showing in second). Still found a way to lose. Painful.

 

[WhereIsIt]

And another Rimer mispronunciation as the cherry on the **** sundae.

Actually your guy is saying it more correctly than most announcers. It should be more like Tawn-gay, not Tang-gay.

So props to that guy, it's a pet peeve of mine.

 

[Columbus Mike]

Dubinsky: no goals in 11 games
Umberger: no goals in 11 games (but one assist!)
Foligno: no goals in his last 10 games

There is so much bad on this team it's hard to know where to start.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Yep. Our Umpteenth rebuild. My only hope is that JD realizes the true issues are within the structure and are organizational and gets some good hockey minds in here to help him with the rebuild. He cant do it himself. Need to overhaul everyone below him. Whats the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results. Therefore, get some different people in here to help with this rebuild!! Get the losing culture out of here!

Not taking issue with this but rather adding on, if you will. But two things I think about this:

1) What makes a "culture"? Everything about this team, including the owner, has changed since the team was founded (not that long ago in the grand scheme). Seems to be a pretty difficult thing to nail down.

2) Which is why it's going to take some time. I'm assuming JD would have taken a full season before beginning a makeover. He's going to get just over half that. Is that enough? I expect it will be, but the task is not that clear-cut.

Which makes me think of 3) What if Davidson decides that someone who's out of favor (Howson, Richards, Umberger, Mason) is part of the long-term solution moving forward. About whom will we change our tune - JD or the other individual?

 

[JacketsDavid]

Totally agree with Edm on Richards. Again I keep saying it but the only reason he has a job is because ownership/management didn't want to pay a big salary to a coach during the lockout. He'll be gone next year, but he's coaching because of the tightwads running the team.
Also next year we better have a #1 goalie. Mason is not the answer and neither is Bob. Now both of those guys are young but they both sucked out loud last season, so whoever decided that two poor options were the solution needs their head examined. it's ok if they keep one of the two next season as a BACKUP but if you can't score goals consistently, and your plan is to build from the net out then you need a legit goalie.
The effort of this team is a bad as it's every been. They play hard for 20 minutes (last night it was the first 20, other times it's int eh middle, other times at end). Yes some of that may be on the coach, but players that want to be good get themselves going. Yes the losing sucks, but let's be honest alot of these guys have only played here 11 games and they already have joined the Circle of Suck or Commitment to Mediocrity. Embararrising for a group with so little talent to not play hard.

 

[Fro]

Dubinsky: no goals in 11 games
Umberger: no goals in 11 games (but one assist!)
Foligno: no goals in his last 10 games

There is so much bad on this team it's hard to know where to start.

i may be in minority, or not, but i don't mind that Foligno is goalless currently...he's on the ice giving a lot of effort nearly every shift...Dubi has contributed with effort...and Umby...well....yeah

 

[JacketsDavid]

Not taking issue with this but rather adding on, if you will. But two things I think about this:

1) What makes a "culture"? Everything about this team, including the owner, has changed since the team was founded (not that long ago in the grand scheme). Seems to be a pretty difficult thing to nail down.

Very good question. You are right we have changed everything - players turnover every season, multiple coaches, 2 GMs, 3 Presidents, 2 owners (JMAC and Jr).

IMO we need a total house cleaning. Start at the top.

President - I think right now we all feel good that JD is the right man in charge.
Coach/Operations - This should be the guys that JD wants from head coach to scouts, to GM, etc. Right now he has largely an inherited staff (in fact did he bring anyone with him)?
Assistant Coaches - Needs to be picked by the New Head Coach - not assigned from above. Let JD pick the next coach (who will have their own system), then that coach picks his own assistants.
Players - This is what will take time. The Coaches need to let the GM know who fits and who doesn't and what type of players they need to win. Maybe we have a lot of peices, maybe we have none. To be honest noone knows until JD selects the coach (who has their system). This may take a long time to clear out and acquire what we need.

Recapping the past. We typically do band aids. Team sucks - so fire the coach in mid-season. Off-season means pretty consistently moving out 5-8 players and bringing in new guys (trades, young guys, free agents). Then repeat (fire coach, bring in new players).
Occasionally replace the GM, or a scout, or a new President.
But if you look at everything except in the Hitchcock years the team had no identity. JD understands that. Point with Hitchcock was he was just the head coach. He couldn't control anything above him (like Mac Jr saying the CBJ will play Hitchcock hockey, then firing him a year or so later when team didn't want to play like that anymore).
Their needs to be a total gutting of this team. Bring in guys that JD wants, not guys that have been here. That goes from the front office to on the ice.

 

[Columbus Mike]

I know they're giving effort, and that has to happen, but I expect that from the fourth line. Boll can be an effort guy, and any goals are a plus. A combined total of one goal from those three players is pretty weak.

 

[Nordique]

i may be in minority, or not, but i don't mind that Foligno is goalless currently...he's on the ice giving a lot of effort nearly every shift...Dubi has contributed with effort...and Umby...well....yeah

I have zero issue with Foligno being on the ice. Stats don't always tell the tale, and remember he got screwed out of a goal vs CHI. That being said, you don't need RJ on the ice if you have Nick out there. You'd be better off with Anisimov and Brassard, 2 guys that are good at gaining the zone and moving the puck. Brassard's pass to Letestu on the 1st period PP goal alone should have dictated he be on the ice. Overall I agree with EDM, you need the right guys on the ice and Todd crapped his pants on that one.

 

[Doug19]

Been calling Todd a joke sense he was hired, bout time you all come to relize I'm a genius disguised as an idiot.

 

[Paisano*]

i may be in minority, or not, but i don't mind that Foligno is goalless currently...he's on the ice giving a lot of effort nearly every shift...Dubi has contributed with effort...and Umby...well....yeah

Yes, but with the game on the line, you go with the guys who are producing NOW!

 

[Fro]

Yes, but with the game on the line, you go with the guys who are producing NOW!

i don't disagree there...the PP thing was terrible...putting those three out there was a terrible lack of good decision making

 

[blahblah]

Been calling Todd a joke sense he was hired, bout time you all come to relize I'm a genius disguised as an idiot.

Since I realize you call everyone you don't like a joke and do it with regularity, I sense that you are have the advantage of being right on occasion. No, I sense there is no disguise in use.

I think I saw something from someone declaring Richards an idiot for not playing Brassard on the PP in the last couple of minutes of the game, I can't say I remember how many minutes Brassard played after that lazy hooking penalty earlier in the period. Anyone remember?

I have been questioning a lot of decisions made by Richards all year long. When the team is losing games it is certainly far easier to second guess him. All I can say is that he is far and away better than Ariel, but I don't think he is the Jackets coach long term.

To the game, this pattern of playing well the first 20, not so much after that, and the 4th line being the main line that can sustain pressure has to end. We also need our goal tenders to give up less questionable goals. They are rarely stealing games, they tend to only keep us in games. We have to play better in front of them, but we need some outstanding games instead of good or decent games.

 

[Nordique]

Since I realize you call everyone you don't like a joke and do it with regularity, I sense that you are have the advantage of being right on occasion. No, I sense there is no disguise in use.

I think I saw something from someone declaring Richards an idiot for not playing Brassard on the PP in the last couple of minutes of the game, I can't say I remember how many minutes Brassard played after that lazy hooking penalty earlier in the period. Anyone remember?

I have been questioning a lot of decisions made by Richards all year long. When the team is losing games it is certainly far easier to second guess him. All I can say is that he is far and away better than Ariel, but I don't think he is the Jackets coach long term.

To the game, this pattern of playing well the first 20, not so much after that, and the 4th line being the main line that can sustain pressure has to end. We also need our goal tenders to give up less questionable goals. They are rarely stealing games, they tend to only keep us in games. We have to play better in front of them, but we need some outstanding games instead of good or decent games.

Yes, mediocre goaltending isn't going to cut it here. We need one of these guys to step up and steal a game or two. Bob imo is more capable of that, but that 3 goal first period (10 minutes?) vs STL makes him seem the more volatile of the two as well.

IMO Brass should have been on the ice. He has taken a few lazy/stupid penalties this season, PHO game comes to mind as well, but you need playmaking skill on the ice on that PP, and with Nick in front of the net, RJ becomes redundant imo.

 

[Paisano*]

I have been questioning a lot of decisions made by Richards all year long. When the team is losing games it is certainly far easier to second guess him. All I can say is that he is far and away better than Ariel, but I don't think he is the Jackets coach long term.
.

How? I see the same dumb decisions Arniel made, with the same result, losing! Did you hear the presser when Porty asked about Brassard on the bench at the end of the game? If that wasn't an Arniel answer I don't know what was! To me we just have an Arniel clone behind the bench.