Ohio Jones
Game on...
It's just about the strangest feeling I can remember," says former Canuck, now Columbus leading scorer Eric Staal of facing his long-time team in round one of the HFNHL Western Conference playoffs.
"I was drafted there, won a Cup there - at one point I thought I'd play my entire career there, so it absolutely feels weird to be getting ready to play against them at this time of year."
Staal had worn an array of Canucks uniforms over the better part of a decade before being traded to Columbus last summer in a blockbuster deal that saw Bryan Little, Chris Kelly and top prospect Dougie Hamilton go the other way. It was a move for the Canucks motivated by cost containment, as Staal is among the highest-paid players in the game.
He earned that paycheque in his first season in Columbus, finishing with 31 goals and 89 points in a full 82-game season.
"We played (Vancouver) twice this season, and I think that took care of any jitters. Both games went to a shootout with a win each way, so it's clear we're well-matched."
With Staal leading the way, the Blue Jackets posted a league-record 31 consecutive games without suffering a regulation loss. Vancouver, meanwhile, tied Colorado for the NW Division lead in points only to lose the third seed on a tiebreaker, leading to this highly-anticipated series.
"Now the focus is all on doing what we need to do each shift, and bringing what I learned in my years there to help this team go the distance. Should be a heck of a series."
"I was drafted there, won a Cup there - at one point I thought I'd play my entire career there, so it absolutely feels weird to be getting ready to play against them at this time of year."
Staal had worn an array of Canucks uniforms over the better part of a decade before being traded to Columbus last summer in a blockbuster deal that saw Bryan Little, Chris Kelly and top prospect Dougie Hamilton go the other way. It was a move for the Canucks motivated by cost containment, as Staal is among the highest-paid players in the game.
He earned that paycheque in his first season in Columbus, finishing with 31 goals and 89 points in a full 82-game season.
"We played (Vancouver) twice this season, and I think that took care of any jitters. Both games went to a shootout with a win each way, so it's clear we're well-matched."
With Staal leading the way, the Blue Jackets posted a league-record 31 consecutive games without suffering a regulation loss. Vancouver, meanwhile, tied Colorado for the NW Division lead in points only to lose the third seed on a tiebreaker, leading to this highly-anticipated series.
"Now the focus is all on doing what we need to do each shift, and bringing what I learned in my years there to help this team go the distance. Should be a heck of a series."
Last edited: