GDT: Game 7 | Columbus @ Montreal | 7 PM EST

[SteelCityCannon]

Apparently Vincent's recent talk about having 1A/1B PP units meant nothing. Jackets get a PP in the last minute of a tie game, and of course it's the first unit that gets the chance to win it despite the fact all of their goals in the game had come from the 2nd unit. Not that it's the only reason they lost but you don't deserve to win with these kind of lineup decisions in crucial moments.

Jackets have scored ZERO PP goals in preseason and regular season with Werenski on the ice.

Z has looked shaky this season for sure. Maybe a combination of missing so much last year and immediately getting hurt already this year. I’m not worried yet but he definitely needs to kick it into gear eventually.

 

[I3LI3]

I haven’t posted in the GDT.

this’ll be my only post.

even if we lost, I’m all aboard the pascal train. this team is showing so much more heart than last year’s team. the team we are seeing this year is totally different in a good way than the team we saw last year. give Pazzy time. this team is gel’ing. we’re witnessing it every game. the blown leads are growing pains. i’m literally 30-70 an optimist in the past with the Jackets, take my word for it. these blown leads are showing us what we need to overcome to become a playoff team.

positives:

we had a higher xGF percentage than the canadiens and still lost. this is the second/third time this has happened this season. the results will come.

Z had 16 shots for and only 5 against at even strength. since coming back from injury, Z has been stellar. we need him to step up and be that undisputed #1 D. he’s on his way.

Fanta continues to get national recognition. rightfully so. I was afraid Bedard would literally consume all national media. wrong. fantilli has been the talk of the town and the talk of most NHL media. rightfully so. how delightful has he been? a gift given to us. Leo is going to be solid but man. this franchise really needed adam.

okay i’m done.

onto the next one.

guess what? saturday night’s game is going to be my first game in NWA in 13 months. I used to have season tickets.. moved out of state. taking my girlfriend to the game. we watch every jackets game together (in nebraska) gonna be awesome to be there in person.

BEAT THE ISLES!!!!!!

 

[koteka]

I'm curious how the defensive structure will look once they fully get used to it. But one downside is that it really puts them on their heels and let's other clubs get moving on the perimeter. We seem to lose our legs some of these long defensive shifts.

I said before the season that we are not building the kind of defense that can hold one goal leads in the third period and that would be a problem. The types of players we have been acquiring are move the puck up the ice kind of defensemen, not have a long shift in your own defensive end without giving up good scoring chances kind of defensemen.

 

[Marioesque]

I said before the season that we are not building the kind of defense that can hold one goal leads in the third period and that would be a problem. The types of players we have been acquiring are move the puck up the ice kind of defensemen, not have a long shift in your own defensive end without giving up good scoring chances kind of defensemen.

Avalanche has a similar model, they're just currently deeper so it works better for them. I'm sure the plan is to play more in opponents end and that's why it's built for it. Just need the entire cast to mature to sustain that.

 

[EspenK]

Yep, this is an 80-85 point team. They’ll tighten up as the year goes on as they learn each other and the system. I’m not happy about the third period collapse but there was enough that was encouraging that I’m not upset.

While encouraged by the start of the season the Jackets have had a pretty favorable schedule so far. I still see them with a point total in the 70s.

 

[BB88]

It’s a completely different looking team than last year but you can see they are a young team and there will be plenty of frustrating growing pains this year.

But this is the year to have them while taking the next step in the rebuild process

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

I said before the season that we are not building the kind of defense that can hold one goal leads in the third period and that would be a problem. The types of players we have been acquiring are move the puck up the ice kind of defensemen, not have a long shift in your own defensive end without giving up good scoring chances kind of defensemen.

Don’t we want them to not turtle with a lead? That seems like a thing I read a lot.

 

[Cheddarcheese]

I love Boone Jenner but he needs to be better with the puck on that goal against

 

[koteka]

Don’t we want them to not turtle with a lead? That seems like a thing I read a lot.

Yes but the other team will shorten their bench, playing their top guys more. Eventually they will pull the goalie. They will be controlling the puck more when the Jackets are in the defensive zone. That is what we are not built to deal with. In the past we would throw out Jones and Murray or Savard and Gavi. We are missing that.

The plus side is it is more fun to lose a game 4-3 if you were leading that game in the 3rd period than losing a game 4-3 that you always trailed.

 

[Monk]

Yes but the other team will shorten their bench, playing their top guys more. Eventually they will pull the goalie. They will be controlling the puck more when the Jackets are in the defensive zone. That is what we are not built to deal with. In the past we would throw out Jones and Murray or Savard and Gavi. We are missing that.

The plus side is it is more fun to lose a game 4-3 if you were leading that game in the 3rd period than losing a game 4-3 that you always trailed.

Plus in that situation, the onus is still on the other team to actually put the puck in the net. If you go into the third period leading instead of losing, you're more likely to win. Surely that's not only a more fun team but a better team.

 

[CBJx614]

It's like people forget we have the youngest team in the league, this is the type of shit you expect from the most inexperienced team in the league. Now if this is still happening at the end of the season we have a problem.

 

[Monk]

It's like people forget we have the youngest team in the league, this is the type of shit you expect from the most inexperienced team in the league. Now if this is still happening at the end of the season we have a problem.

I'll be pedantic here since Jody & Rimer talked about this w/ a graphic last night - they're the third youngest team in the league. Buffalo #1 and Montreal #2. But it was something like.. 25.5, 25.6 and 25.7 average ages

 

[Cowumbus]

It's like people forget we have the youngest team in the league, this is the type of shit you expect from the most inexperienced team in the league. Now if this is still happening at the end of the season we have a problem.

TBF
Goal 1 - Dzone turnover by Jenner
13-38-96 8-78 on the ice

Goal 2 - PPG off a Severson interference penalty

Goal 3 - PPG off a Fantilli interference penalty

Goal 4 - 3 on 3
96 11 9 on the ice

@CBJWerenski8 start at 8:15 then at 8:22-8:23 you’ll see the pass I was hoping Gaudreau would see.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

It's like people forget we have the youngest team in the league, this is the type of shit you expect from the most inexperienced team in the league. Now if this is still happening at the end of the season we have a problem.

I'll be pedantic here since Jody & Rimer talked about this w/ a graphic last night - they're the third youngest team in the league. Buffalo #1 and Montreal #2. But it was something like.. 25.5, 25.6 and 25.7 average ages

How is this year any different?

We have been "one of the youngest teams in the league" for like the last 10 years.

Might as well make a Matthew McConaughey meme about it.

 

[Monk]

How is this year any different?

We have been "one of the youngest teams in the league" for like the last 10 years.

Might as well make a Matthew McConaughey meme about it.

View attachment 758751

Different from what/when? I'm not sure anyone's saying something is different...

Here's a chunk of recent past years if you want to compare.

 

[Bobcat205]

When is the next time we play Montreal? I wanna see Xhekaj and Voronkov throw hands again in a more open environment.

I loved how physical we were to start, feels like it was more physical than we ever were last year.

 

[BB88]

Yes but the other team will shorten their bench, playing their top guys more. Eventually they will pull the goalie. They will be controlling the puck more when the Jackets are in the defensive zone. That is what we are not built to deal with. In the past we would throw out Jones and Murray or Savard and Gavi. We are missing that.

The plus side is it is more fun to lose a game 4-3 if you were leading that game in the 3rd period than losing a game 4-3 that you always trailed.

They are one of the youngest teams in the league with a new coach

They are not going to be elite this season defensively.
That does not mean they can’t be great defensively moving forward

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

Overall, I like what I see. They aren't a rudderless ship like last year. They seem engaged. The question is how much they can stay the course even if losing piles up because of the flaws. The weakness late in the games and OT is a concern. I just hope they are learning from it and finding out what players truly work and don't work in those situations. If that happens things can begin to fix themselves.

 

[CBJx614]

I'll be pedantic here since Jody & Rimer talked about this w/ a graphic last night - they're the third youngest team in the league. Buffalo #1 and Montreal #2. But it was something like.. 25.5, 25.6 and 25.7 average ages

Yeah yeah yeah. Hahaha I saw the graphic I just lump the bottom 3 teams as the youngest considering any given night that numbers gonna change depending on who's in and the next closest was 26 something.

 

[Monk]

Yeah yeah yeah. Hahaha I saw the graphic I just lump the bottom 3 teams as the youngest considering any given night that numbers gonna change depending on who's in and the next closest was 26 something.

True - I think the stat was also based on the opening night lineups, so they'd probably already shuffled around.

 

[ThirdPeriodTurtle]

When is the next time we play Montreal? I wanna see Xhekaj and Voronkov throw hands again in a more open environment.

We play Montreal at Nationwide on Wednesday 29th of November. Mark it down!

The end was a bit of a letdown but I'm fine with the overall game. I saw a lot of good little things that hopefully lead to bigger better things in the near future as the season goes on.