Ohio Jones
Game on...
We're officially in "garbage time". None of the teams 5-9 jockeying for position in the Western Coference standings can catch Columbus for the fourth seed. Nor can the Jackets catch Detroit for the Division, Conference and League lead. So, rest your stars and give your depth guys some icetime? Not necessarily.
"We want to get back in the zone we found midseason (when Columbus set a league record with 31 consecutive games with a point)", explains Head Coach Mike Babcock. "We've been playing a little loose lately, haven't been doing as good a job of backchecking, limiting our opponents' chances. We have to get back to that if we want to go anywhere in the playoffs. No game is a throw-away."
There might be an even more compelling reason to give it their all in the remaining four games: the Jackets need an improbable 7 of 8 points in their final four games to set a new franchise record for points in a season.
Columbus won a Western Conference Title in 2005/06 with 118 points. That team, studded with future Hall of Famers Modano, Shanahan, Roenick, Sedin and Brodeur, went all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals before losing to Buffalo. The Jackets have never been back to the finals. (GM Doug Emerson also won a Conference title back in 2000-01, putting up a 109-point season with Washington before taking over the Blue Jackets.)
"It would be something to set a new club record for points in a season," said leading scorer Eric Staal. "Might take a little of the sting out of failing to catch Detroit for the President's trophy. We've played really well, and as of now we have nothing to show for it."
GM Doug Emerson says that although he'd be pleased if the team he assembled can set a new regular season mark for the franchise, it doesn't really matter.
"We're going to finish with a better record than 28 other teams, and our guys can be proud of that," says Emerson. "But we know none of it means anything when you get to the playoffs. It's not how many points you had in the regular season, it's how hard you're willing to work to gut out those 16 wins. That's how we're going to measure success."
While home ice in the first round offers the potential of a little extra revenue, it hasn't guaranteed an easier matchup.
"You look up and down the standings," says starting netminder Tomas Vokoun, "and any of the top nine teams in the West could make it to the Cup Finals, and people couldn't say it was a surprise. Whether we face Anaheim or Vancouver in the first round, we know we'll have our work cut out for us."
Vokoun is expected to split the remaining starts with Devan Dubnyk, who has enjoyed a Calder-worthy season as backup, in order to keep both goalies fresh and focused coming into the post season.
While the team waits to find out who their dance partner will be, they will chase the franchise points record.
"It's a pride thing," explains Captain Kimmo Timonen. "We want to win. We got a taste for it this season. Now we want to do it more. We owe it to our fans, and to each other."
"We want to get back in the zone we found midseason (when Columbus set a league record with 31 consecutive games with a point)", explains Head Coach Mike Babcock. "We've been playing a little loose lately, haven't been doing as good a job of backchecking, limiting our opponents' chances. We have to get back to that if we want to go anywhere in the playoffs. No game is a throw-away."
There might be an even more compelling reason to give it their all in the remaining four games: the Jackets need an improbable 7 of 8 points in their final four games to set a new franchise record for points in a season.
Columbus won a Western Conference Title in 2005/06 with 118 points. That team, studded with future Hall of Famers Modano, Shanahan, Roenick, Sedin and Brodeur, went all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals before losing to Buffalo. The Jackets have never been back to the finals. (GM Doug Emerson also won a Conference title back in 2000-01, putting up a 109-point season with Washington before taking over the Blue Jackets.)
"It would be something to set a new club record for points in a season," said leading scorer Eric Staal. "Might take a little of the sting out of failing to catch Detroit for the President's trophy. We've played really well, and as of now we have nothing to show for it."
GM Doug Emerson says that although he'd be pleased if the team he assembled can set a new regular season mark for the franchise, it doesn't really matter.
"We're going to finish with a better record than 28 other teams, and our guys can be proud of that," says Emerson. "But we know none of it means anything when you get to the playoffs. It's not how many points you had in the regular season, it's how hard you're willing to work to gut out those 16 wins. That's how we're going to measure success."
While home ice in the first round offers the potential of a little extra revenue, it hasn't guaranteed an easier matchup.
"You look up and down the standings," says starting netminder Tomas Vokoun, "and any of the top nine teams in the West could make it to the Cup Finals, and people couldn't say it was a surprise. Whether we face Anaheim or Vancouver in the first round, we know we'll have our work cut out for us."
Vokoun is expected to split the remaining starts with Devan Dubnyk, who has enjoyed a Calder-worthy season as backup, in order to keep both goalies fresh and focused coming into the post season.
While the team waits to find out who their dance partner will be, they will chase the franchise points record.
"It's a pride thing," explains Captain Kimmo Timonen. "We want to win. We got a taste for it this season. Now we want to do it more. We owe it to our fans, and to each other."
