Interesting Info: Part XX (Jackets-related "tidbits" here)

[majormajor]

Meanwhile, in other news, we have confirmation that if it weren't for the concussion issues, Nash would have indeed gotten his "last hurrah" here:
Rick Nash and the Blue Jackets "Had a Deal Done" For Him To Return to Columbus Before Concussion Issues

Imagine if the Jackets had a healthy Rick Nash last Spring for the playoff run.

 

[Long Live Lyle]

Was interested in Rimer’s appearance on SiriusXM today in saying the starting D pairings look to be:
Jones-Murray
Werenski-Savard
Nuti-Harrington

....Jones and Z split with Harrington over Kukan.

Would prefer Kukan but I imagine he’ll get a run in Pittsburgh.

Absolutely LOVE those first two pairings. Think it’s a much better balance and more complementary than Z-Jones / Murray-Savard.

 

[db2011]

Bar down

That's what I was going to say.

 

[Toe Pick]

Cool concept.

Voted Cannon Blast but Dirty Dangle immediately came to mind.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

The 0-2 Jackets next 3 opponents are a combined 8-0-0. Good times.

 

[1857 Howitzer]

The 0-2 Jackets next 3 opponents are a combined 8-0-0. Good times.

So they’re due for a loss?

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

The 0-2 Jackets next 3 opponents are a combined 8-0-0. Good times.

Before we get all crazy and decide the season is over, 2 of those teams are Buffalo and Anaheim. Not exactly Tampa and Boston.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

So they’re due for a loss?

If they run into sub AHL goaltending they aren't.

2 of the 3 goals scored have been sheer luck due to opponent goalies whiffing or mishandling pucks.

 

[Viqsi]

DGB had an article on The Athletic earlier this week about historic bad starts that turned out to be meaningless, and one was noted as being relevant to us:

1983-84 Washington Capitals

The team: After entering the NHL in 1974 and spending the better part of the next eight seasons as the league laughingstock, the Capitals had finally put together a respectable season in 1982-83, finishing over .500 and making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. But could they keep the momentum going? They’d have to do it without their leading scorer, Dennis Maruk, who’d been traded to the North Stars in the offseason for a draft pick.

The bad start: They lost their first seven games. Give them credit for variety, though – they were shutout twice but also lost an 8-7 game in overtime. (Historical note: That was the first sudden-death game in the regular season since 1942, leading to Bob Nystrom’s immortal quote that “I forgot about the overtime thing”.)

The easy narrative: Same old Capitals.

Sample reaction: “If excuses were goals, the Washington Capitals would be the highest-scoring team in the National Hockey League.” – From the Washington Post, Oct. 17, 1983.

But then: The Caps finally snapped the losing streak with a win over the Flyers, after which they broke out the champagne. That would be the first of five straight wins, pushing the team back into the playoff picture. The addition of Larry Murphy in a mid-October trade helped too.

The Capitals wouldn’t top the .500 mark until January but followed that with a 10-game win streak that propelled them to their first-ever 100-point season. From there, they’d win the first postseason series in franchise history.

How it all ended: They lost in the second round because this was still the pre-Barry Trotz Capitals. Still, not bad for a team that looked hopeless through two weeks.

They could be inspiration for: The ’83 Caps almost work too perfectly with the Blue Jackets, right? A franchise that’s always been an also-ran or worse, coming off its most successful season ever, but missing their top scorer from the year before and everyone already lining up to count them out … it fits. The Jackets haven’t looked great so far, but they at least have a win in the bank after Monday, so they’re ahead of where the Caps were. That doesn’t mean they’re going to get to 100 points, of course, but there’s no need to write them off quite yet.

 

[Speedy Sanderson]

The 0-2 Jackets next 3 opponents are a combined 8-0-0. Good times.

Won 2 out of 3. Tough to gauge true strength of teams so early in the season.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

 

[EspenK]

So in true Jackets fashion they'll go 0-2-1

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

So in true Jackets fashion they'll go 0-2-1

 

[MoeBartoli]

@spintheblackcircle ....thanks for sharing. Clicking to the full chart provided some other good looks into offensive performance and expectations. Not surprising we hover around somewhat less than average, but success and shot quality is lacking by a greater margin....somewhat matches the eyeball test of what we are seeing.

 

[InfiniteElement]

Not sure where this belongs, but this whole 3 days in-between games thing is for the birds.

That being said, I took a look @ games played around the league - how in the world are the Rangers and Flyers only at 3?! Caps, Jets, and Stars are at 7...

 

[Forepar]

Not sure where this belongs, but this whole 3 days in-between games thing is for the birds.

That being said, I took a look @ games played around the league - how in the world are the Rangers and Flyers only at 3?! Caps, Jets, and Stars are at 7...

Flyers - In part because Flyers started season in Europe against the Blackhawks and in part because after the Flyers home opener for game 2 on Oct 9, they then embarked on the western Canadian road trip (Van, Cal, Edm). Flyers had 5 days from 1st to second game, and then another 3 days between games 2 and 3 for travel. Their first b-to-b was/is yesterday/today. They will catch up quickly. They also have 17 b-to-b's during the season, which seems higher than the norm. In comparison CBJ have 14 b-to-b's during the season, just a little more front-loaded than Philly.

As a side note, Chicago got a similar break - 5 days off after their first game (in Prague) before their 2nd game (in Chicago). Chicago has a 7-game homestand (yes 7) for games 2 thru 8. Blackhawks just played their 4th game on Monday, but then got another 4 day break and don't play game 5 until Friday against CBJ. After Friday, the Blackhawks are mostly in every-other day mode, with a few b-to-b's thrown in for good measure from now until Thanksgiving.

Rangers - no rational explanation. Many articles out there in the NYC media complaining about the inexplicable early season schedule. The Rangers played 10/3 and 10/5 but then did not play again until Sat 10/12, and then have had another 4 days off, with game 4 being Thursday (tomorrow). The Rangers' first two games were home vs WPG and away vs Ottawa, so no travel issues there. Perhaps it's simply an arena scheduling issue. Their schedule gets busy after Thursday, with only 1 or 2 instances of multiple days off during the remainder of Oct and all of Nov, and with 4 b-to-b's between now and November 30. In comparison, while CBJ will already have had 3 b-to-b's after this weekend, CBJ will will have had 2 more of them by November 30.

Much shorter version - It all evens out! I just like the nuances of scheduling I guess. games in the last 11 days of November.

 

[JohnnyJacket13]

So Portzline tweeted out earlier that Bemstrom can be sent to Cleveland after December 1st....this is the first I've heard of this. I think we were all under the impression it's Columbus or back to Sweden?

 

[InfiniteElement]

Much shorter version - It all evens out! I just like the nuances of scheduling I guess. games in the last 11 days of November.

Appreciate the info

 

[Jovavic]

I'll take the blame for Texier's slow start, I picked him on two fantasy teams, I'll drop him today and suspect he'll catch fire, I hope you all appreciate my sacrifice.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

21. Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno was rolling in his pre-game scrum Monday in Toronto. The team knows that it has to be more careful defensively in the post-Bobrovsky era. The Blue Jackets still grind you when structured, but used to take a lot more chances. Some players — like Seth Jones and Zach Werenski — still have that green light, others need to be more aware.

“The difference now is that before, all of us would go up ice, see the puck go the other way, and say, ‘Good luck, Bob. We sold the farm,’” Foligno laughed. “Now, we know we have to do a better job.” Joonas Korpisalo was very good that night against Toronto.

22. Head coach John Tortorella said he spent a lot of time in the summer reminding himself that this was going to be a very different group, and he had to be more patient. I asked Foligno if this was happening, and he got this big smile on his face. “There have been moments this season I thought it was coming, and it didn’t,” he said. Tortorella loves an underdog. And this is one.

23. Waiting outside the Columbus dressing room that morning was Michael Laurence. Laurence, from Ontario, is the goalie coach at HC Lugano in Switzerland. His prized pupil of recent seasons was Elvis Merzlikins, now in the NHL. The Jackets have high hopes here. He lost his first game 7-2 to Pittsburgh and his second 3-2 to Chicago in overtime on a fluke bounce. Interestingly, Tortorella said he didn’t want to pull the rookie against the Penguins, because a) he didn’t want to embarrass him and b) he thinks Merzlikins is competitive and wanted to fight through it.

Laurence sent a text to the young goalie after that game, saying, “Do you want to be remembered for this, or for your career? Pick up your lip and get moving.” He agreed that Merzlikins is a competitor. “He will be fine. He’s in good hands here.” What’s his best attribute? “His feet. He has elite feet.”

31 Thoughts: Pressure mounting on the Toronto Maple Leafs - Sportsnet.ca

 

[Old Guy]

Confirmed: Old Guy to be in Wells Fargo Center Saturday evening!!!

Train trip to Philly, so no travel hassles. Second row seats in the visitors attack twice zone.

Hoping to personally view a significant creaming of punks.

 

[db2011]

Confirmed: Old Guy to be in Wells Fargo Center Saturday evening!!!

Train trip to Philly, so no travel hassles. Second row seats in the visitors attack twice zone.

Hoping to personally view a significant creaming of punks.

perfect.

Enjoy the game!

 

[majormajor]

Confirmed: Old Guy to be in Wells Fargo Center Saturday evening!!!

Train trip to Philly, so no travel hassles. Second row seats in the visitors attack twice zone.

Hoping to personally view a significant creaming of punks.

Train trip through Appalachia in late October? Should be gorgeous.

 

[majormajor]

I was looking up some OT stats, you might remember the fact that Seth Jones is second in the league in OT winning goals since 2016-17.

Fun fact:

Both Texier and Milano have just one career OT shift. They both scored.

I'd love to know what Torts' intended 3v3 lines have been - the games have been ending in early OT before we get to see all the units.

 

[Fro]

Tickets purchased for away to Winnipeg next month