Update: Third Quarter Report

[CapnCornelius]

This is the one that gets me. I know there have been injuries, lots of new guys and new combos, and no preseason, but I expected better play from the backend. We've all unloaded on how miserable the offensive output has been, but they're giving up far too many goal for even an average offense to overcome. No one in the west has given up more, and that has been my biggest disappointment.

While I agree it is disappointing, Pete, I think the goals against is largely attributable to (1) an offense that can't generate sustained pressure and (2) two poor goaltenders. This isn't a great defense, but it also isn't quite as bad as the numbers might suggest.

I think a bigger disappointment that I didn't mention above is the seeming lack of work ethic. To be "hard to play against" you have to play hard. For 60 minutes. This team routinely doesn't. This was supposed to be a lunch pail type of team and it is not showing. I suspect a lot of fans would have an easier time watching the team lose if they felt like they were giving it their all and I don't think, pre-season marketing aside, that most people feel that way.

 

[SuperGenius]

The team has been doing terribly since 2000. There are no excuses for that. No other teams have trouble drafting talented players, we do. Someone should be held accountable, and yet no one ever is.

At some point, it's probably a good idea to judge the team and organization on what's going on currently, and leave the past in the past. North.

 

[CapnCornelius]

At some point, it's probably a good idea to judge the team and organization on what's going on currently, and leave the past in the past. North.

Not sure how that would help given where we sit.

If we were on the bubble of the playoffs, I could see your point.

 

[pete goegan]

While I agree it is disappointing, Pete, I think the goals against is largely attributable to (1) an offense that can't generate sustained pressure and (2) two poor goaltenders. This isn't a great defense, but it also isn't quite as bad as the numbers might suggest.

I have no comment on the effort portion of your post, Cap, because I have a very hard time separating effort from results. As for the tenders, neither has stolen a game for us and both seem to give up just enough to lose. This team is not being routed, as they often were in the past, but that's cold consolation. Of the two, I see more potential in Bob. No, he's not been great, and often been short even of good, but I prefer his demeanor in the net and have seen enough to believe he's capable of becoming an average or better NHL goalie. A #1 guy? Not so sure, but he's the best we've got, right now. As for Mason, it really matters little what he does, I believe the team, the fans, and (at last!) management have lost faith in him. His future, for whatever it's worth, is elsewhere.

 

[EspenK]

Its been rough, but it will get better imo. This team is young, and has many new faces in the lockeroom. The growing will continue, lines will get settled in, and the goal tending will get better.

I don't expect the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th quarters of the season to be this bad. By the end of the year we'll be sitting in 10th or 11th in the West and playing .500 hockey imo.

Does winning 1 of the last 2 count?

Omverall the grade has to be an F. Tied for 26th in the league (with all teas having at least 2 games in hand) is what it is. Even if we are grading on a curve I'm not sure it is much better.

Our touted goalie improvement and stronger defense ain't exactly shuttin' 'em down.

Our offense is as bad and possibly worse than we hoped/expected.

Johansen still isn't ready. Not being critical just pointing out another situation that hasn't lived up to (unrealistic?) expectations.

Dorsett on the "first line" - enough said.

Penalty kill is actually a bright spot and would get the highest marks from me.

Being a tough team to play against has been an up and down thing. Last night we were tough to play against yet still lost.

Other teams are struggling in this fast starting season. LA, Washington, Philly (although they are showing signs of life). St L & SJ started great but have slumped. We have been one of the most consistent. Although if I remember correctly we had 4 pts after 3 games.

Overall not surprising but disappointing because most of us wanted to believe that Bob and the new guys would show some minimal improvement over last year.

 

[Roadman]

This team was never going to be good.

At the very best it would, and still might be, a .500 team. It had everything going against it, large roster turnover, short training camp, no preseason, a very young squad, questionable in goal, new coaching staff. Then add in the avalanche of injuries and under-performance of some veterans and you have the recipe for a disastrous start.

And thus far, that's just about what we have, but still better than last year.

They will improve, the youth will learn, the vets will find their legs, the team will adjust to the systems. But they will never be an offensive juggernaut, and average goal-tending (at best) won't let them be a defensive behemoth. They won't win enough to satisfy some and won't lose enough to satisfy others.

And as most of you know....

... I'm an optimist.

Go Jackets !

 

[cslebn]

I think a bigger disappointment that I didn't mention above is the seeming lack of work ethic. To be "hard to play against" you have to play hard. For 60 minutes. This team routinely doesn't. This was supposed to be a lunch pail type of team and it is not showing. I suspect a lot of fans would have an easier time watching the team lose if they felt like they were giving it their all and I don't think, pre-season marketing aside, that most people feel that way.

This is the thing that gets me. Suddenly we were built to play like a team full of grinders that would hit, smack, and push other teams to play hard. In reality, I watched the Utah Grizzlies play the Idaho Salmon last weekend and both worked harder (ECHL teams) than the CBJ.

Did I think we would win a lot more games? No.
Did I think other teams would regret coming into Nationwide more than previous years? Yes, if only for the bruises they would have afterward.

The effort and heart and ability to be hard just isn't there. This team is full of soft third liners.

 

[CAMSANITY]

I've seen every game, like most of you have, and have only missed two home games. This team seems to find a way to break my hear a la Calgary and last night against Edmonton just to name a few. BUT, they show signs of life which is more than I can say for the product I have seen the past few years. Our new additions have been pretty good. The numbers on the stat sheet don't completely justify a player as good or bad. Dubinsky and Foligno play hardnosed hockey. If you put Foligno on a line with Anisimov and Cam (when he gets back) he would be dangerous. I could go on and on but the bottom line is I am not terribly disappointed because of the situation our team is in (rebuild) but I would sure like to see a couple more of those close games go our way. The team is headed in the right direction. I believe.

 

[BlueJacket2]

Last in the NHL again. I can't come up with anything good about that, but I'm sure the Howson police can polish this turd well.

Thank you.

 

[EspenK]

Little Johnny to his parents after first test of second grading period:

"See, I told you that F in the first grading period was a fluke. I aced my first test this quarter."

 

[Nanabijou]

Half of the season is now in the books. Thought I'd update the First Quarter Report post so that the previous comments are there for comparison.

Lots has changed. Howson is now gone, and Richards has got the boys playing hard. We are a respectable 5-5-2 in the last 12, and seem to be on an upswing.

As is evident by the mood around here, the hard work is winning people over and this team seems to be the best-liked team we've had in awhile.

Offense is still frustrating, but the team is doing what it can without high-level offensive skill. The number of 1-goal games this team has been in is crazy but they are starting to win some of them.

Good second quarter - keep it up!

 

[BluejacketNut]

Hopefully we're not falling into the not good enough to make the playoffs, and not bad enough to get a top pick area.

 

[KeithBWhittington]

The biggest disappointment so far has to be the "part time" signing of James Wizniewski.

Look, I like Wiz, when he's in the lineup, the offense seems to be better. And I'm not saying his injuries are his fault, but this is the second season in a row where were are basically getting a fraction of what we thought we were getting when he signed.

I should qualify this as saying "he" is not disappointing, rather, the "situation around him" is disappointing. Injury after injury... its disheartening.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Hopefully we're not falling into the not good enough to make the playoffs, and not bad enough to get a top pick area.

Smells like 2010-11 season to me.

 

[BluejacketNut]

Smells like 2010-11 season to me.

Well, it smells like 2000-2013 (save 1 season). We've always sucked, but once the pressure of making the playoffs was gone, they always seemed to turn it around near the end of the season to gain some useless spots and get stuck in the 8-14 range of the 1st round

 

[GrimReeper]

Well, it smells like 2000-2013 (save 1 season). We've always sucked, but once the pressure of making the playoffs was gone, they always seemed to turn it around near the end of the season to gain some useless spots and get stuck in the 8-14 range of the 1st round

We aren't out of the playoffs, yet. We just need to beat the teams in front of us. We have a tough schedule ahead of us but it's all teams we are chasing. Quickest way to catch up is to beat them.

I believe we have enough skill, I really do. Umby-Joey-Foligno line has been fantastic. We just need the Cam-Anisimov-Calvert line to get hot. Prospal-Letestu-Brassard can be dangerous also. We don't have a super star but we have essentially 3 second lines, which can get the job done.

Worried about tanking for our draft pick??? That's coming from the same people who bvtch about the boys not competing. This team is fighting hard for each other, grinding it out. I applaud and support them massively!!!!

Let's go Jackets!!!! You can do it!

 

[Nanabijou]

36 games in and 3/4 of the season in the books. If this was a company, the graph showing the earnings across the 3 quarters would look like this:

1st quarter record: 3-7-1
2nd quarter record: 5-5-2
3rd quarter record: 7-2-3

Who would have thought after the first quarter we'd be in the playoff race on April 1st.

MVP - Bob has clearly established himself as #1 goalie, team MVP, and potential Vezina candidate

Biggest surprise - the Jackets record this quarter

Biggest disappointment - I'm going to put John Moore here. Not that it's been his fault entirely, but with his injuries and relatively non-descript play when he's in the lineup, he's falling down the depth chart. I had high expectations for him this year, which is why he is here.

If the 4th quarter is anything like the third....(I won't say the result to avoid the jinx)