GDT: Game 65: Columbus vs. Detroit | 3/11 7PM EDT

[CBJWerenski8]

OK, so an outright loss tonight in Columbus wouldn’t totally kill the Red Wings’ chances of making the playoffs for the 23rd straight time, but it would definitely hurt them. Badly.

Consider: if Columbus wins tonight in regulation, the Blue Jackets would move two points up on Detroit for the final wild-card spot in the East, with both teams having 17 games remaining. However, that lead would essentially be three points, because the Jackets would hold a 30-25 lead in regulation/overtime wins, the tiebreaker.

“Biggest game, really, if you think about it right now after losing that one to the Rangers,” defenseman Brendan Smith said, per MLive.com. “We need to take this one, especially if there’s a four-point swing.”

Indeed, if the Wings win in regulation, it puts Columbus in a tough position, though the Jackets would still hold what could very well be the all-important tie-breaker.

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2014/03/11/wings-cant-afford-regulation-loss-to-jackets/

 

[cbjfaninmo]

LOL. Or they could be sending a message because outside of goal scoring he's been pretty useless, and he's not even scoring enough goals to be that way.

He'll be back in the lineup soon. It's teaching a young player how to play. We did it to Johansen. We did it to Calvert. Now it's Cams turn.

Perfectly fine with sending a message to Cam. It's time for big boy pants.

 

[Viqsi]

Atkinson scratched again. Wouldn't be surprised if he's gone in the summer. Front office seems really fed up with these pesky "goal scorers."

Too bad Jarmo didn't watch Cam play in college, like he did Tropp and Frattin...

Healthy scratches are a decision of the head coach, not the GM. Perhaps one shouldn't be jumping to conclusions while one is still under the effects of bitter(ness).

 

[Nordique]

Atkinson scratched again. Wouldn't be surprised if he's gone in the summer. Front office seems really fed up with these pesky "goal scorers."

Too bad Jarmo didn't watch Cam play in college, like he did Tropp and Frattin...

Undersized 20 goal scorers are nothing special, and typically have good careers...in the AHL. Cam is better than that, but he has to find a way to be effective again.

 

[Fro]

this message worked for Joey last year...

 

[db2011]

Cam being scratched a third game in a row is certainly worth noting and to suggest it might imply a willingness to deal him in the offseason is pretty far from a "conspiracy theory".

Big one tonight, definitely glad it's in our house

 

[IHeartZherdev*]

Undersized 20 goal scorers are nothing special, and typically have good careers...in the AHL. Cam is better than that, but he has to find a way to be effective again.

If Cam is nothing special, then what is Matt Frattin?

 

[jackets4life]

I don't know if it's amazing that they're still in playoff contention or if it's an indictment of the league's silly points system. They have four fewer wins in the same amount of games and they're tied with us in the standings. This is the only sports league in the world where that makes sense.

For the sake of discussion, here is what the East standings would look like if the loser point were to be eliminated:

84 boston
70 montreal
70 toronto
68 tampa bay
58 detroit
56 ottawa
48 florida
38 buffalo

86 pittsburgh
70 rangers
66 columbus
66 philadelphia
60 washington
56 new jersey
54 carolina
50 islanders

Make of that what you will. The current points system makes the league look more competitively balanced, but I'm not sure it always ensures the best teams make the playoffs at the end of the season. The idea of eliminating a point for OTL's is an interesting one for sure, and one that I wouldn't mind being seriously considered.

I still don't understand why a team would be rewarded for losing, it just doesn't make sense, regardless of the argument. Go to 4v4 5 min, 3v3 5 min, 2 points to winner, no points awarded if no winner. I know that will likely never happen, but I would love to see the teams who earn their points be rewarded instead of teams who aren't able to win games.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

If Cam is nothing special, then what is Matt Frattin?

Inactive?

 

[cbjfaninmo]

Inactive?

zzzzinnnnggg.....

 

[FANonymous]

For the sake of discussion, here is what the East standings would look like if the loser point were to be eliminated:

84 boston
70 montreal
70 toronto
68 tampa bay
58 detroit
56 ottawa
48 florida
38 buffalo

86 pittsburgh
70 rangers
66 columbus
66 philadelphia
60 washington
56 new jersey
54 carolina
50 islanders

Make of that what you will. The current points system makes the league look more competitively balanced, but I'm not sure it always ensures the best teams make the playoffs at the end of the season. The idea of eliminating a point for OTL's is an interesting one for sure, and one that I wouldn't mind being seriously considered.

I still don't understand why a team would be rewarded for losing, it just doesn't make sense, regardless of the argument. Go to 4v4 5 min, 3v3 5 min, 2 points to winner, no points awarded if no winner. I know that will likely never happen, but I would love to see the teams who earn their points be rewarded instead of teams who aren't able to win games.

How many of those wins are shootout wins? If we're going to rail against things that make no sense, shootout wins need to be accounted for as well.

 

[Crede777]

I don't know if it's amazing that they're still in playoff contention or if it's an indictment of the league's silly points system. They have four fewer wins in the same amount of games and they're tied with us in the standings. This is the only sports league in the world where that makes sense.

Speaking of which, look at Washington's ROW. They are 1 point behind us with 2 more games played yet have only 22 wins in regulation or overtime.

That's the second least in the Metro division, only ahead of the Islanders. We have 29, New Jersey has 28, and Carolina has 26.

 

[Bobcat110]

Speaking of which, look at Washington's ROW. They are 1 point behind us with 2 more games played yet have only 22 wins in regulation or overtime.

That's the second least in the Metro division, only ahead of the Islanders. We have 29, New Jersey has 28, and Carolina has 26.

So..in reality, we have about a 4 point lead on them. (We average better than a point per game, so 2 games in hand should equal at least 2 points AND we own the tie breaker, so they have to finish a point ahead of us)

There's a good chance they'll drop another 2 points to Pens tonite and we have good chance of picking up points tonight. Plus, they have a 3 game California trip in their near future. I don't think we have to worry about them.

 

[Samkow]

This depressingly small crowd is why I'm pissed off about what went on at the trade deadline. The team needs to win now or there won't be fans left.

Howard is out with the flu. We face Mrazek tonight.

 

[pete goegan]

Howard is out with the flu. We face Mrazek tonight.

Kid's got a great helmet!

 

[Columbus Jack]

Big game at home? Redwings have their backup in? Hope we dont get blown out.

 

[pete goegan]

Oh, goody, a penalty to give the Wings some confidence.

 

[Columbus Jack]

Move your ****ing feet Jack.

 

[Jorge]

That we do.

I don't know if it's amazing that they're still in playoff contention or if it's an indictment of the league's silly points system. They have four fewer wins in the same amount of games and they're tied with us in the standings. This is the only sports league in the world where that makes sense.

Non-hockey friends give me a hard time about the points system. It's nearly impossible to defend.

 

[MFRONE]

2 ****ing horrible calls

 

[pete goegan]

Bad start to an important game.

 

[Jorge]

Interesting call.

 

[Columbus Jack]

Why doe we think we can play a skill game at home? If we hit like we did in Dallas, we'll be golden.

 

[pete goegan]

Two good kills.

 

[Mayor Bee]

So far, this is like an old Don Cherry rant when he was complaining about power plays in the playoffs. The gist of it was something like, "Why don't we just have one team on the power play for the whole first period, and the other team on the power play for the whole second period, and then call nothing in the third and overtime like always?"

I'm not going anywhere with this, just pointing out how ridiculous that second call was.