GDT: Game 12: Columbus vs. Carolina | 11/4 7PM EST

[SuperGenius]

More and more I think Dubie's absence is really noticeable. "C" on his jersey or not. That guy is the one who seemed to make everyone else accountable and will ten to play "BlueJackets hockey".

Yes. A thousand times, yes.

 

[WannabeFinn]

I agree about Dubi, but watching Foligno's play and pre/post game interviews this season it just seems like he's really stepped up into a leadership role. Volunteered to play center, which he's excelled at, leads our team in goals and is right up there with Joey for the lead in points. He's been playing big minutes and with different linemates almost every night. Despite all of the circumstances he doesn't give any excuses and he just wants to win.

I'll admit, over the summer I didn't hold Foligno in such high regard as Dubinsky. I certainly do now.

 

[db2011]

We've lost 5 in a row after a strong start. Important contributors are down. Do you feel any moxie for the next game? Our guys are playing their hearts out but where are the reinforcements? The season may be hanging in the balance!

Jarmo, I know you're good at the things you're good at, like the draft; but we need help now! Make some kind of move!!

 

[WannabeFinn]

We've lost 5 in a row after a strong start. Important contributors are down. Do you feel any moxie for the next game? Our guys are playing their hearts out but where are the reinforcements? The season may be hanging in the balance!

Jarmo, I know you're good at the things you're good at, like the draft; but we need help now! Make some kind of move!!

6 in a row actually

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Chaput, Gibbons, Boll, Wennberg and Dano combined for 1 shot on goal. One.

Why is Johansen playing full time on the PK when half the line up of scrub forwards can do that-well on second thought, maybe they can't do that either. Johansen's TOI the last four games has been-20:13, 22:36, 22:48 and 21:13. To put that in perspective, Claude Giroux leads the league among forwards in TOI/game at 21:13. The 10th most TOI per game forward is at 20:27 (Ryan Getzlaf). Richards is overusing Johansen. He doesn't need to be on the f'ing PK all night long. He is being overused in defensive situations and it's not helping his offense which is needed most of all.

As the Jarmo sits on his a** and the Jackets fall to 4-8, the post season is becoming almost completely impossible to realistically imagine. The last 3 full seasons, the minimum number points required to make the playoffs among the 2 Conferences has been: 93, 91, 92, 95, 93, 97. Average of 93.5 points.

If the minimum of the past 3 full seasons is needed (91), then the Jackets need to play at .593 the rest of the season. If 93 are needed, then .607. I won't even do the math for 95 and above.

The Jackets had a win percentage of .573 two years ago when they lost the tie breaker to make the playoffs and a win percentage of .570 last season when they were 3 points to the good in making the post season.

Longest losing streak since 2006-07. Keep staying the course, Mr. GM.

And I'm with a lot of the others here. Dubinski is missed for many more reasons than his solid 2 way gritty play.

 

[Timeless Winter]

Looks like we're heading into the draft lottery.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Looks like we're heading into the draft lottery.

You never post on the CBJ boards anymore other than to spread negativity and pessimism. Weren't you the one who used to post pickles after every CBJ goal? What happened?

 

[CBJx614]

So Mcdavid or Eichel?

Seriously though we need Dubi Arty and Letestu back, our strength has turned into our weakness. Lack!if center depth is killing us right now. And I can't believe I'm saying this but we need Wiz back. You know that guy who had 50pts last season.

 

[Wendy Clear]

Didn't watch the game and can't pretend to be positive, but it's insane how over-the-top people go. Both ways, usually, but it's suicide watch now of course - after 12 games. All these stats about on-pace and blah blah blah. It doesn't work like that. The Jackets are FOUR points out of 3rd place in the divison, six points out of 2nd. It literally would take two or three games for the ENTIRE division to flip-flop. I can't believe how little people seem to realize a hockey season is full of hot streaks and cold streaks, slumps and peaks. Obviously the Jackets are in a complete and utter ice cold streak, a combination of injuries and poor play.

I won't predict the Jackets categorically will be in X or Y spot at any point, but I absolutely guarantee that at some point before Christmas, the Jackets will be right in the thick of things such that this kind of absurd panic looks foolish. They may go on to slump again after that, we'll just have to see how good the team is over a marathon season, but mailing the season in after 12 games is comical at best, pathetic at worst.

 

[thebus2288*]

The Hartnell and Johnson hits were clean. The Johnson one I can see maybe giving 2 for charging but idk. 1st penalty happened again after a no call hook on Foligno that was way worse than the **** that they called. I really think as a team our guys are not liked by a big group of the refs. BUT I'd rather have our boys runnin guys over and getting called than us being the ones getting ran with no call. Wiz and Murray or not I think a move on D is needed. Erixon, Golobeuf and Prout aren't enough right now, St. Denis looked better than all 3. If we're stuck with Wiz for now maybe we should look to move JJ for a different type of D man. All our defensemen are offensive defensemen. Tyutin as our best defensive guy is not good. The Johnson to wing thing imo is a legit option, I think it should be seriously looked at. Savard/Murray>Wiz/JJ at this point.

McElhinney looked good before the Foligno collision...hasn't since. And again, Foligno is just as important to Johansen as Johansen is to the CBJ. Dudes been invisible last few games. Earn that 10 mil big boy. Dubi would do SOMETHING with all those minutes. Checking the icetime, Dano and Wennberg's times should be the swapped.

Bob is missed. Our captain Dubi is missed.

Foligno, Anisimov Letestu all extentions...Wennberg/Milano/Bjork/Rychel+JJ+? For?

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Erixon, Golobeuf and Prout aren't enough right now, St. Denis looked better than all 3.

St. Denis is a quality organizational depth guy. He can step in and play his role without making too many mistakes. He has the ability to function as a short term NHL fill in. When Montreal was caught short of dman a few years back, he was a worthy fill in for 17 games. He's a smart player who has a ton of AHL experience. Probably has the ability to be a #6 or #7 dman with someone in the NHL.

 

[Wendy Clear]

Far too soon for an AA extension IMO. He's practically 1/3rd into his current deal. If he plays big this year, extend him in the offseason. If not, let's see how he does next year and extend him at the right time if he earns it. Otherwise he'll be trade bait.

But that's a long way away and ignores the real point: Foligno and Letestu are first up (and probably expensive), and then you've got Bob, Atkinson and Calvert as RFAs, which won't be easy.

 

[pete goegan]

Bob, Dubi, and Wiz are badly missed. CMac's rebounds are near suicidal, Johnson is playing even worse than his reputation, and the entire team has absolutely no puck luck.

I left, again, before the end and, again, heard the cannon go off as we hit the street. Next game I should leave halfway through the first. This team was expected to be good. It's now as bad as ever, killed by a ridiculous string of injuries. I haven't given up hope quite yet, but hanging on is not very easy.

If Wiz' finger needs a pin, Murray needs another scope, Arty's concussion lingers, and Bob doesn't make it back in a game or two and return in full "Bob" mode, this will be one of my all-time worst fan experiences. And I've had too many wretched ones in all sports to count!

 

[KJ Dangler]

Since it was such a similar game, here is the real leader of this team Dubi talking after last November's debacle vs. NYR. Foligno did the team proud tonight but holy crap do we ever need this guy back in the room.

I remember that interview like its yesterday. He was instant captain material in my eyes. Instead of the mantra we need to work harder game after game, he called team out and said people need to look in the mirror. If Boone is rumored to possibly be the next captain, he better be stepping up like Dubinsky did . Last night was a disgrace , the players play like they feel sorry for themselves. This would also be a perfect time for ryjo to step up his leadership role. Yes he's scored some points, but he also becomes invisible if he's not scoring. I really hope we consider starting forsberg fri. The soft goals just deflate the team . Mac rebounded to have respectable overall numbers , but a couple softies to get in a big hole was a big reason we lost last night.

 

[EDM]

A goalie who lets in softies can break team's back and their will to win. The players have to feel that if they fight and battle back the goalie will shut the other team down. When the goalie is giving up easy goals, the team's will to win gets damaged. We saw this over and over with Mason in his last two years. We saw it with Marc Denis. CMAC is right up there with them. Of all of JK's decisions in the off season, the decision to go with CMAC as Bob's backup seems the most senseless. There were NHL caliber backups available.

 

[Jackets Fan]

Hey guys, remember when the Jackets' motto was "we will not be outworked"? Well, just look at the effort level of the Jackets the last few games.
Besides the final 2 minutes of the 1st period, and the last 5 minutes of the 3rd, this was easily the most pathetic game I've ever seen the Jackets play. Injuries aren't an excuse. Especially last night after Boone and Calvert returned.
You would think that with all the guys that are injured, the ones that are playing, and the ones that get an opportunity to play a bigger role would step up, but nope. That has not even come close to happening. The Jackets were outworked last night, and it was an utter disappointment that I took time out of my day to watch a team that played maybe 7 or 8 minutes ( at the most ) of decent hockey. The fans that showed up to the game last night deserve a refund.
It's kinda sad in a way. The fans have been showing up and filling the arena, and backing this team 100%, and yet, the team continues with this lackluster effort. Pathetic.

 

[EspenK]

As the Jarmo sits on his a** and the Jackets fall to 4-8, the post season is becoming almost completely impossible to realistically imagine. The last 3 full seasons, the minimum number points required to make the playoffs among the 2 Conferences has been: 93, 91, 92, 95, 93, 97. Average of 93.5 points.

If the minimum of the past 3 full seasons is needed (91), then the Jackets need to play at .593 the rest of the season. If 93 are needed, then .607. I won't even do the math for 95 and above.

The Jackets had a win percentage of .573 two years ago when they lost the tie breaker to make the playoffs and a win percentage of .570 last season when they were 3 points to the good in making the post season.

Longest losing streak since 2006-07. Keep staying the course, Mr. GM.

And I'm with a lot of the others here. Dubinski is missed for many more reasons than his solid 2 way gritty play.

I think your analysis is spot on. From this point forward essentially the Jackets need to play at a 6-4 or 6-3-1 pace for the rest of the season. Granted they came back from a 5-10 start last year but that wasn't easy, included an 8 game winning streak and a miraculous late season road trip to the West Coast, not to mention NJ's 0 fer the shootouts.

Looking forward through November I can easily see a 5-6 record the rest of the way for a total of 18 points 2 months into the season. At that point the required performance would need to be 77 points in 59 games or a 6-3-1 pace every 10 games. Tough job.

The only place I differ with you in your analysis is Jarmo sitting on his ass. You don't overcome the injuries the Jackets have suffered by signing AHL/KHL or even remaining NHL free agents. And there is nothing to trade and no team willing at this point to give up a top 6 F or top 4 D for anything less than a kings ransom.

 

[pete goegan]

... Of all of JK's decisions in the off season, the decision to go with CMAC as Bob's backup seems the most senseless. There were NHL caliber backups available.

I agree that, to me, this is the biggest failing of the off-season. I rarely felt comfortable with CMac in net, last year, and he flat-out terrifies me, this year. I am not experienced enough to second-guess an NHL GM, but Jarmo's faith in CMac as a dependable backup seems to have been totally misplaced. Having Bob out exposes how weak the team defense is and Curtis is just not good enough to pick them up. Sadly, no matter how good Forsberg looks, throwing him out there with this bunch in front of him could damage him beyond repair. They need Bob back asap and immediately in top form. That's an awful lot to ask of a guy coming off an injury and who seems to always start the season slowly.

 

[We Want Ten]

A goalie who lets in softies can break team's back and their will to win. The players have to feel that if they fight and battle back the goalie will shut the other team down. When the goalie is giving up easy goals, the team's will to win gets damaged. We saw this over and over with Mason in his last two years. We saw it with Marc Denis. CMAC is right up there with them. Of all of JK's decisions in the off season, the decision to go with CMAC as Bob's backup seems the most senseless. There were NHL caliber backups available.

There still are far better options out there, I hope they are looking at them. This team stands no chance of winning with McBackup. Last years team maybe, not this years team.

 

[ca5150]

...and a top four defensive defenseman. Forget upgrading the forwards for now.

I've been saying all summer that we need to upgrade our defense considerably, not our forwards. Nobody really agreed because they were busy blaming Boll for everything...

 

[EDM]

Do you really have to get a Boll comment in on everything? No one, other than you, is talking about Boll.

 

[Sam I Am]

The Hartnell and Johnson hits were clean. The Johnson one I can see maybe giving 2 for charging...

2 for charging...what world do you live in? Johnson will surely be suspended and deservedly so. I'm guessing 5 games:

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=737858

Here's the hit:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/is-jack-johnson-s-head-shot-on-jiri-tlusty-suspension-worthy---video-051505017.html

 

[BluejacketNut]

Like i had mentioned, Johnson's to have a disciplinary hearing for his hit. The hit Johnson laid out is what the league is trying to get rid of, regardless of the hit on AA which is suspendable IMO as well

http://www.tsn.ca/blue-jackets-d-jo...ng-after-hit-to-hurricanes-lw-tlusty-1.125803

Opps, didnt see the post with the link before this one

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Not convinced the principal point of contact is the head. Not convinced JJ unnecessarily elevated. But am convinced he took a poor angle of approach. Don't like it at all. Would expect he gets 2-3 games, deservedly.

 

[BluejacketNut]

Yeah, the head wasnt the primary target, but his shoulder seemed to rise up a bit. The fact that its a blind side hit, he didnt have the puck, and JJ could have pulled up making the hit un necessary, which is why i think it went to the league. This isnt the old NHL, youre allowed to admire your pass without getting hit just because. In the old NHL, its a legal hit, but not now