GDT: Game 4: Columbus at Colorado | 9:00pm EST FSO| "Forget Last Night" Edition

[Matt]

This team is going to achieve another very high draft choice to go with the 3 or 4 we already have. Looking at what is going on in Springfield this year, a lot of players currently on the roster won't make the team next year. It is going to take a couple of years for this team to be competetive but it is going to get there. A lot of young talent is in the system and the system is only going to get better. Don't think the reason this team suck is because of coaching. These coaches are very good ones. The problem is the talent they have to work with. Can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear

 

[Kev22]

Saturday is going to be a bad prison movie beat down. So glad I paid money to see it.

I know that JD is asking for patience (I truly believe that he's going to get it turned around here) but I know that I find that hard to do when we keep seeing the same kind of results game after game, year after year.

It's sad, I really don't feel bad about the players or the "leadership", I feel bad for the city I love so much. They're dragging the name of this town into the mud. Between OSU's antics last year and the Jackets, well, forever, I'm surprised we're not a punchline on the Tonight Show every night.

I pray that JD shows us some light at the end of tunnel, soon and the fanbase can hope it's not a train.

 

[Spartin03]

Hey guys- Recently moved from Boston to Columbus, so I am new to the Blue Jackets board. I understand that historically as well as this year that this team hasn’t been good at all, and don’t get me wrong they haven’t played well this year, but I also don’t think they have been as bad as some think here.

A major problem I see with this team are awful penalties, especially in the offensive/neutral zones. It is almost impossible to get into a flow of a game while you are consistently on the PK. Let’s face it, you have to now play 4 lines in this league to be successful, and when you cant roll the lines out because of bad penalties it is tough to sustain any offensive pressure.

Their lack of puck possession is also an issue. They honestly do not have a lot of toughness along the wall up front (in either zone). They make panic outlet passes on the breakout which causes turnovers in their end. This has caused their breakouts to be a huge issue so far this year. In the offensive zone they just flat lose battles for pucks. I don’t doubt that the bottom six guys are tough, but the top six players need to grab their lunch pale and go to work because outside of a few possessions this year they have not had any sustained pressure.

If they can clean up the penalties, and be tougher and patient along the wall, I think you will see drastic improvements in their play.

 

[Hooks]

Hey guys- Recently moved from Boston to Columbus, so I am new to the Blue Jackets board. I understand that historically as well as this year that this team hasn’t been good at all, and don’t get me wrong they haven’t played well this year, but I also don’t think they have been as bad as some think here.

A major problem I see with this team are awful penalties, especially in the offensive/neutral zones. It is almost impossible to get into a flow of a game while you are consistently on the PK. Let’s face it, you have to now play 4 lines in this league to be successful, and when you cant roll the lines out because of bad penalties it is tough to sustain any offensive pressure.

Their lack of puck possession is also an issue. They honestly do not have a lot of toughness along the wall up front (in either zone). They make panic outlet passes on the breakout which causes turnovers in their end. This has caused their breakouts to be a huge issue so far this year. In the offensive zone they just flat lose battles for pucks. I don’t doubt that the bottom six guys are tough, but the top six players need to grab their lunch pale and go to work because outside of a few possessions this year they have not had any sustained pressure.

If they can clean up the penalties, and be tougher and patient along the wall, I think you will see drastic improvements in their play.

Well said. I agree with every word.

 

[Fro]

welcome to columbus....hope you enjoy our fair city! and great post

 

[blahblah]

Well said. I agree with every word.

It was well said, having said that we did have sustained pressure for some periods last night.

 

[Spartin03]

It was well said, having said that we did have sustained pressure for some periods last night.

Correct, there was some sustained pressure last night. What I see from that pressure is a lot of point shots with traffic in front. It isn’t a bad way to play, but it becomes predictable, and you can see opposing teams collapsing low and waiting for them to move the puck up top and then they fill the shooting lanes (see COL 26 blocked shots).

They pressure that they sustain has to create more opportunities from their skill players. The problem is the skill guys aren’t battling for position consistently enough and relying on scoring off the rush, and then they go right into getting shots from the point.

I want to see some toughness out of them, more cycling, and create more quality opportunities. Obviously they have to finish these opportunities, but I want to see more from the forwards.

 

[pete goegan]

8 of the next 9 (or something like that) at home. I'm not calling for some major run to make the playoffs seem possible, just that if the issues of rust, chemistry, fitness and effort are going to be addressed, we should see the results over that stretch. By the end, we should know what we have, IMO. That, for me anyway, includes the coaching staff, too.

I agree, this upcoming stretch should go a long way to demonstrating which way the rest of the season may be expected to go. A win over Chicago, while perhaps not critical, might reasonably labeled as key, considering how poorly the last two games were played. Another bad loss and the cries of "here we go again" will echo through the halls of HF and the Arena. A win at least gives us some hope for competitive hockey in the near future.

I'm not going to get too up or down about anything that happens this season. To me, this year is nothing more than a transitional one. Any success achieved is a bonus. The transformation will continue this offseason when the team can use the draft and the rest of the summer to structure the roster closer to what JD feels it needs. Even next season to me is one with low expectations, but hopefully the season after that they will begin to turn the corner.

This truly is the bottom line for this team.

 

[blahblah]

Correct, there was some sustained pressure last night. What I see from that pressure is a lot of point shots with traffic in front. It isn’t a bad way to play, but it becomes predictable, and you can see opposing teams collapsing low and waiting for them to move the puck up top and then they fill the shooting lanes (see COL 26 blocked shots).

They pressure that they sustain has to create more opportunities from their skill players. The problem is the skill guys aren’t battling for position consistently enough and relying on scoring off the rush, and then they go right into getting shots from the point.

I want to see some toughness out of them, more cycling, and create more quality opportunities. Obviously they have to finish these opportunities, but I want to see more from the forwards.

You are correct, the PP was getting extremely predictable as well. We did get a few chances from the forwards, later in the game, off the forcheck. However, that might be simply a product of a team playing with a lead.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

To me, this year is nothing more than a transitional one. Any success achieved is a bonus. The transformation will continue this offseason when the team can use the draft and the rest of the summer to structure the roster closer to what JD feels it needs.

I share this assessment.

It's also way too early to pass judgement on ANY NHL team this season. Under normal circumstances, the boys would still be in training camp and have more exhibition games under their belts than the 4 regular season games that they've played. While every other team is playing under the same condition, most haven't had the roster turnover that the Blue Jackets have had in the forward positions and none are transitioning from a superstar (Nash) based team to a more blue collar, everyone pulls the oars more equally model.

There are numerous high draft picks upcoming and JD gets an abrieviated season to fully evaluate the organization from the on-ice NHL product on down to the most minute detail. He wouldn't have been hired had the Blue Jackets been on the cusp of high level competitiveness.

A close to .500 record would be an enormous success by my expectations of this season.

 

[db2011]

I share this assessment.

It's also way too early to pass judgement on ANY NHL team this season. Under normal circumstances, the boys would still be in training camp and have more exhibition games under their belts than the 4 regular season games that they've played. While every other team is playing under the same condition, most haven't had the roster turnover that the Blue Jackets have had in the forward positions and none are transitioning from a superstar (Nash) based team to a more blue collar, everyone pulls the oars more equally model.

There are numerous high draft picks upcoming and JD gets an abrieviated season to fully evaluate the organization from the on-ice NHL product on down to the most minute detail. He wouldn't have been hired had the Blue Jackets been on the cusp of high level competitiveness.

A close to .500 record would be an enormous success by my expectations of this season.

This is pretty much the perspective I return to after getting so disgusted while actually watching the games. However many wins this team achieves and however many goals they score, the majority of both will be gotten in the latter half? three-quarters? of the season, after they've played together for awhile. And for some, rounded into shape.

The games against Nashville and Detroit were evidently not telling

 

[Crede777]

The one thing that I want to bring up is that JD said he's assembling a team of physical guys who are hard to play against.

That's not what I'm seeing. I see the lack of offense he mentions, but I don't see hustle, physical pressure (besides Boll/Dorsett fighting), and character. We are better at bouncing back it seems (character), but I was expecting something along the lines of what Nashville has and this is not that. These guys don't look hard to play against because they just let the other team carry the puck over the blueline, don't apply forechecking pressure to create turnovers, and aren't sound with the puck in their own end.

One of the few who really goes against what I said is Calvert. He is always hustling and goes into the corners. Johansen and Prospal seem to be playing (or attempting to play) quality hockey as well. But I certainly expect much more from the other guys.

 

[Zarathustra]

The one thing that I want to bring up is that JD said he's assembling a team of physical guys who are hard to play against.

That's not what I'm seeing. I see the lack of offense he mentions, but I don't see hustle, physical pressure (besides Boll/Dorsett fighting), and character. We are better at bouncing back it seems (character), but I was expecting something along the lines of what Nashville has and this is not that. These guys don't look hard to play against because they just let the other team carry the puck over the blueline, don't apply forechecking pressure to create turnovers, and aren't sound with the puck in their own end.

One of the few who really goes against what I said is Calvert. He is always hustling and goes into the corners. Johansen and Prospal seem to be playing (or attempting to play) quality hockey as well. But I certainly expect much more from the other guys.

I'd like to Foligno in that bunch too. He's had a few good chances, and I've seen him crash the net and throw the body around.


Colorado always seems to have our number. The speedy teams always seem to tear us apart. But Johan, Umberger, Foligno, and Prospal all got robbed, (Prospal by a player blocking an open net). I think Colorado was just kind of one of those nights. I think some of it still has to come together, so I wouldn't be too concerned about it not quite coming together when they didn't have much chance to play together. If we make the playoffs I will be both happy and surprised. If we don't, I won't be that disappointed. We're watching meaningful hockey in January after all, haha.

But in a year where we have three first round picks, and a season of 48 games, I wouldn't be horribly disappointed if we finished low, either.

 

[Straight Jacket]

And that's why we are where we are. Poor leadership and decision makers, as well as too cheap to bring in a decent coach last season because they didn't want to pay a big salary during the lockout.

I mean how you can say you're building a defensive team and then have (statistically) two of the leagues worst goaltenders from last year I have no idea. That doesn't mena Bob or Mason can't become a good/great goalie but if you're saying that you are a defensive club you better solidify your goal tending.

The forwards are what they are. A lot of real solid 3rd line guys (including a couple guys who could become legit top 6 forwards) with not a play maker among them. I understand Nash is gone (was never a big fan of his anyways) but why they didn't pursue someone like a Ray Whitney who is still effective offensively to help anchor one of the lines I have no idea (just throwing Whitney out as an example as a playmaker, not necessarily someone who will score 30+ goals). Instead we have 6 guys who are likley 15-18 goal scorers playing beside each other and since there aren't enough playmakers those guys would be challenged to score 12-15 goals.

Anyways I'm sure over the next 9 games (8 of them at home) that we will win a few and folks will get back on the band wagon, but the only way this team has a shot is if they go "All Out" and get Solid Goal Tending. We've not had a complete game so far (Nashville was close) and last 2 games have shown me the goaltending is average at best. No questions (I hope) that we severly lack on offense. Scoring 3 goals in regulation is a big game offensively.

I have had laundry less hung out to dry than the goalies the last two games. Looking at replay on their first goal last night, we had 4 (count them, 4) guys swarm one to leave huge gift goal. What happened to position and accountability? I thought the swarming was to win puck battles against the boards. I couldn't blame Bob for this loss.

 

[Doug19]

Wisniewski needs to pull his head out of his own rear, his defense has been atrocious.

 

[NotWendell]

The one thing that I want to bring up is that JD said he's assembling a team of physical guys who are hard to play against.

That's not what I'm seeing. I see the lack of offense he mentions, but I don't see hustle, physical pressure (besides Boll/Dorsett fighting), and character. We are better at bouncing back it seems (character), but I was expecting something along the lines of what Nashville has and this is not that. These guys don't look hard to play against because they just let the other team carry the puck over the blueline, don't apply forechecking pressure to create turnovers, and aren't sound with the puck in their own end.

One of the few who really goes against what I said is Calvert. He is always hustling and goes into the corners. Johansen and Prospal seem to be playing (or attempting to play) quality hockey as well. But I certainly expect much more from the other guys.

JD hasn't really had a chance to build anything yet.

 

[IBleedUnionBlue]

The one thing that I want to bring up is that JD said he's assembling a team of physical guys who are hard to play against.

He has had about 12 days since the CBA has been signed and in which he has been able to do anything with this roster.

 

[CBJMark]

Chicago

Let's just hope that the hustle appears Sat night, or I will be at Nationwide witnessing another whoopin'.

 

[stickguy]

[uQUOTE=Doug61;58337215]Wisniewski needs to pull his head out of his own rear, his defense has been atrocious.[/QUOTE]

I would put Nikitin in that group as well. Hope this isn't another case of a guy having a decent year, getting a pay raise and seeing they aren't really a 1/2 d-man but really a 4-5 d-man.

 

[Crede777]

JD hasn't really had a chance to build anything yet.

They said the acquisitions over the offseason helped move us in that direction.

 

[NotWendell]

They said the acquisitions over the offseason helped move us in that direction.

Acquisitions he didn't make, but you're right, he DID say that. Four games on one week of training camp is not enough of a body of work for me to say if that an accurate assessment or not.

 

[JACKETfan]

Richards has lost his mind

According to Puckrackers...
Yet coach Todd Richards said his team took a “decent” step forward in a 4-0 loss at Colorado on Saturday.
“The things we wanted to be better at coming out of the Phoenix game, I think we executed,” Richards said. “But there are now some other holes we have to patch. And it’s difficult when you don’t have days to practice.”

"Decent" after a 4-0 loss is the new "tickled pink".