Four Lines Deep - 11/5/09

Blue Jackets @ Atlanta Thrashers

7 p.m. EST;  Fox Sports Ohio (HD)

Former CBJ blueliner Ron Hainsey went to Hotlanta and lost his helmet.

VERY brief Four Lines Deep today. In fact, so brief that there aren't four lines. If the Jackets can build momentum from a loss, they did last night against the San Jose Sharks. San Jose is arguably the best team in the league right now, and the Jackets gave them all they could handle until it was settled in the shootout. The Thrashers started the season strong, and have really been a bit of a surprise thus far. They've only played 11 games, but have already earned 13 points. The Thrashers have been decimated by injuries, but have still managed two road wins in the past week at Ottawa and Montreal.

First Line: Turn on the power.  Playing aggressive forechecking hockey will guarantee 3-5 opportunities for the PP units. Even without Brassard or Juice in the lineup last night, the Jackets moved the puck very effectively on the points and created gorgeous scoring opportunities. The powerplay in the second period - in which Nash threaded the tying goal - was probably the best powerplay I've seen from the team in three years. Highlight reel stuff. They have achieved an excellent balance between puck movement and shot generation. Hopefully, that momentum can continue into this evening.

Second Line: Play with control.  Even with a rash of injuries, Atlanta has a very effective powerplay. They are currently converting at 27.5%, which makes them one of the top five in the league. The PK unit for the Jackets is obviously stronger with the return of Hejda, but the Jackets don't want to rely upon that. Hejda is still rounding back into shape, Commodore is likely out again, and Garon hasn't played for awhile. The Jackets will be lagging after such a tough game last night and need to strike a balance with controlled aggression in all three zones.

Third Line: Continue to feast on the East.  Whether it be reduced travel time, a different style of hockey, or just old fashioned confidence, the Jackets play very well against Eastern Conference teams. As was cited by Puck Rakers this week, the Jackets currently hold the best record in the Western Conference versus Eastern Conference teams.  Mason, Vermette and Umberger really elevate their games against Eastern Conference teams. With Garon in the lineup, Vermette and Umberger will need to continue that trend. However, Garon has spent significant time - as recently as last year - playing in the East, so one would hope that he is reasonably familiar with some of the opposing forwards already.  The Jackets' style of hockey is apparently very effective at dictating the pace of the game versus Eastern teams. However, that is dependent upon keeping opposing forwards to the outside and jamming the neutral zone -- both of which will be dependent upon a high-energy style. It's been awhile since the Jackets played a back-to-back, and I'm very curious to see if they can maintain the commitment to their style of hockey that we've seen during the last three games.

Four Lines Deep - 11/4/09

San Jose Sharks @ Nationwide Arena 7 p.m. (EST)

Fox Sports Ohio (HD)

Dany Heatley is earning attention on and off the ice.

The Jackets have started some momentum after a three-point weekend that featured a visit from the Stanley Cup champs and a much-needed road win against the Southeast Division-leading Capitals. The Sharks are as hot as any team in the league. And the last time the Jackets faced San Jose...the game ended much like a seal does during Shark Week on Discovery. Messy.  The Jackets have two things in their favor ---one, it's really hard to believe that the Jackets would drop three in a row in Nationwide. Two, Dany Heatley is making the wrong kind of headlines because of a legal dispute involving his multi-million dollar bonus, the NHL and the NHLPA. At the very least, that has to be a distraction for him personally, and perhaps even for the Sharks new NHLPA rep -- Manny Malhotra.

First Line: Keep the powerplay rolling.  Clicking at a steady 22.8% conversion rate, the powerplay has remained a threat even during the Jackets recent swoon. Simply put, they're getting shots to the net and moving the puck much more effectively between the points. In addition, Stralman and Brassard seem to be much more effective at skating the puck into the offensive zone and making a smart first pass. That puck movement will be key to beating the Sharks PK unit, which is a very solid 85%. Until the team becomes more effective during five-on-five play, the powerplay has to remain a viable offensive threat.

Second Line: Make Hejda's return bigger than Manny's.  Personally, I really liked Manny Malhotra. He's a streaky scorer, but a really dependable third/fourth-line guy and certainly very skilled in the faceoff circle. The Jackets alumni, i.e. Curtis Glencross, can generate big momentum for the their whole team when they score against the Jackets. I'd like Manny to enjoy his return to Nationwide, just not too much. Unfortunately, his departure from the organization was a little salty. Safe to say, he'll be playing with some extra jump this evening. 

Getting the Big Plus back on the blueline is the perfect tonic for the Jackets. Hejda absolutely dominates top scoring lines and makes the ailing PK immediately more effective. The last time the Jackets played the Sharks, their first line had a field day and Heatley was +6. I think that his return improves the morale and confidence of the entire team, most notably young Steve Mason. It will take Hejda several games to get back into season form, but let's hope he can log at least 15-16 minutes.

Third Line: Jump the Sharks.  There's no question that San Jose is playing great hockey right now. They've won 7 of their last 8 and they have some top-tier NHL players in Heatley, Marleau, Thornton and Boyle. But they are missing four regular forwards (Pavelski, Mitchell, Vesce, Setoguchi) to injury and Thornton had six teeth blown out/chipped recently against Colorado and is dealing with the after-effects of that injury. They're on the second game of a three game road swing and they are ripe for a letdown. There will be old friends (Shelley, Malhotra) seeing each other on the ice, but you know that Shelley will hit as hard as he can. The Jackets need to match - or exceed -- that intensity right from the start (feel free to drop em' Boll/Dorsett) and keep the crowd in the game. Let's hope that the fans turn out and the cannon roars throughout the night.


Fourth Line: Listen to the puck hunger. Umberger and Voracek need the puck -- plain and simple. Nash is always ready to score, but this team really depends upon a few emotional leaders to dictate the pace of the game. Umberger is absolutely one of those leaders and he showed his value on Sunday in Washington with a two-goal performance. He was a little quiet last October as well, and then he steadily picked up momentum as the season went on. I think he took a big step on Sunday and he is ready to go on a big scoring streak. Voracek is just a beast. He has been the most consistent offensive threat on the team and he is just playing like a "driven" hockey force right now. He has an impressive +4 rating on a team without too many plus players and was a big part of Sunday's win. I'd expect another solid game from him as well.

Afternoon Scrum 11/4/09

Today's Scrum starts out with some good news/bad news for the CBJ as they prepare to take on the Sharks tonight.

Good News: Hejda is back! As with all good defensive defenseman, you don't know how good he is 'till he's gone. The 'Playa-Hejda' has been sorly missed. Bad News: Brassard, Commodore & Huselius are out with injuries for tonite and possibly Thursday (@ ATL) as well. Puckrakers with the latest.

• According to the San Jose Mercury News, the Sharks will also be playing without some regulars in the line up. Fairs fair, eh? Also from the Mercury-News (one of the better hockey papers in the league, btw) is a story about Hitch giving some props to the Sharks. I found Manny Malhotra's comments at the end interesting. And speaking of Manny, he has assumed the role of Player Rep for the Sharks.
• One final bit of news related to San Jose. You may recall that current Shark Danny Heatly at one time had what some would describe as a "bad relationship" with his former club, the Ottawa Senators. Sens owner Eugene Melnyk has filed a grievance over how a set of circumstances played out regarding a potential trade over the summer that would have sent Heatley to the Oilers. Long story short, the Senators had to pay Heatly 4 million bucks, and now Melnyk wants his money back. THN has the story.
• Puck Daddy takes a look at how Tampa Bay Head Coach Rick Tocchet has called C Vinny Lecavalier to the floor for his poor play. Super Stars don't always get called out by a coach like they should. Tocchet pulls no punches.

Afternoon Scrum 11/3/09

• Capitals Head Whiner, err, Coach Bruce Boudreau apparently got his feelings hurt when All-World forward Alex Ovechking hurt his shoulder in a scrum (synergy!) with CBJ F Jason Chimera. Boudreau complained after the game that the Jackets were making a game plan of taking a "run or hit" at Ovechkin whenever he had the puck. Hitch's response: "That would be correct." Read all about it over on Puckrakers.
• Also on the Puckrakers blog is a little nugget involving a line demotion for F Kristian Huselius. Juice is a baller when he is playing at full go... but no argument here that he has rarely been full go at any point this season.
• It is getting difficult to keep up with all the stuff going on with the Players Association. Just the other weekend the General Counsel/Interim Executive Director quit. So the union fired its director only to have the interim director walk out on them. Beauty. Here's the latest courtesy of ESPN.

Afternoon Scrum 11/2/09

Isaac may not be there, but the RBar is the place for celebrity bartenders tonite!!

Damn it was good to see the Jackets get those 2 points against the Capitals. As for the Scrum, this is going to have to be short and sweet. Here goes...

• The Toronto Maple Leafs (1-7-4) finally get to have Phil Kessel join the line up. Hossah! The savior has arrived. Toronto Globe & Mail with the sacred text.
• Some cat named Ovechkin hurt his "upper body" in the CBJ/Washington game yesterday. "Day-to-day" is the word on the street. TSN has the story.
• The Jackets are getting healthy! The Big Man (aka Jan Hejda) is expected back in the line up Wednesday against the Sharks, the incomparable Aaron Portzline reports. Also from the Dispatch is this nugget about some blokes from the Jackets playing bartender at the R-Bar to raise money for the Blue Jackets Foundation. Drinking beer + hangin' with Nash et al + raising $ for the Blue Jackets Foundation = one rad Monday evening.

Quick Hitter - Michigan Week 11/2/09

It's here. It's Michigan week in Ohio.

Well, it's one that actually means something this season anyway.

#1 Miami takes on #4 Michigan in Ann Arbor Friday and Saturday, November 6 and 7. Even if it's not football, it's still a big deal as both teams try to add credentials to their resumes and claim supremacy within in the CCHA. We'll prepare a formal preview, but here are a few tidbits to start your week.

• Last season, the two teams split four games as cluster-mates with each squad holding serve on home ice.
• The second weekend series was played in Ann Arbor during a major snowstorm. In fact, the Friday game was postponed until Sunday due to structural damage to the aging, but beautiful barn, Yost Ice Arena.
• Michigan and Miami finished tied for second last season in the CCHA, but U-M would take the second playoff seed due to having more wins in regulation than the RedHawks.
• Miami is just 20-69-3 all time vs. the Maize and Blue and an almost incredible 3-43-1 in Ann Arbor. If Miami gets any points this weekend at Yost, you have to consider that a bonus.
• Michigan coach Red Berenson (Michigan '62) is 673-310-68 in his illustrious career at his alma mater. He single-handedly rescued an ailing program in the 80s and has obviously righted the ship. The Wolverines have made the NCAA tournament for a record 19 consecutive years.
  

More to come later in the week including players to watch, key matchups and fearless predictions. In the meantime, get your good ol' fashioned Michigan hate on and prepare for a great weekend of college hockey!

Four Lines Deep - 11/1/09

Two-time league MVP, Alex Ovechkin, is a colorful character.

Game #13 vs. Washington Capitals (Verizon Center) 5 p.m. EST

The Blue Jackets, just 1-4-1 in their last six games, are still trying to regain the intensity and focus that brought them a franchise-best starting record of 5-1. The Caps sit in first place in the Southeast Division with a record of 8-2-3. Led by goal-scoring machine Alex Ovechkin (pictured above), the Caps feature a prolific offense that will surely be looking to avenge last season's two notable losses that were due in large part to sterling performances by Jackets netminder Steve Mason.

First Line: Contain the First Line! I could copy the notes from several of the previous games in this section, but the Jackets obviously haven't been shutting down the top scoring lines very effectively. Kopitar, Iginla, Hemsky, etc., have all lit up the Jackets. Surely, Ovechkin has the skill to do so and has extra motivation after getting shut-out twice by Mason last year. The Caps first line has a combined 53 points and is +18. Wow. By comparison, the Jackets top line (Nash, Vermette, Juice) is +1. Whomever is on the ice with the Caps first line has to dig deep and skate with true defensive commitment.

Second Line: Build from Friday's performance. The Jackets played a style of hockey against the Penguins that reminded everyone how the team got to the playoffs and started this season in such a strong way. Aggressive forechecking, aggressive back-checking and "weighty" hockey in the corners were all evident on Friday. As such, the Jackets built a two-goal lead and were in many respects dominating the defending Stanley Cup champs. Mason was sharp and came up with big saves. It's become clear that this entire team plays with the same degree of confidence that Mason feels -- it's both a blessing and a curse for a team with an enormously talented netminder that is still young and developing.

Third Line: Five on Five. Remember when the Jackets had the worst power play in the league last year? It was painful, and ultimately limited the potential of the team, but the Jackets made the playoffs because of a commitment to playing so well in five-on-five situations. The minuses are really stacking up for players such as Tyutin, Brassard and Stralman (combined -19). Per the Second Line, if the team play as effectively at five-on-five that it did for the bulk of Friday's game, there are much better chances for a much-needed road win.

Fourth Line: Keep the puck deep and pressure Theodore. Theodore certainly has a respectable save percentage on the year (.915), but defense is not this team's strong suit. They have already surrended more than 40 shots in three games this year. Previous to Friday's loss to the lowly Islanders, the Caps won six in a row. However, four of those wins were by a 1-goal differential and the back-up Varlamov played in four of those wins. They are getting into "track meets," as Hitch would say, and while that style doesn't necessarily suit the Jackets - it is clear that they have deficiencies in the defensive zone. An aggressive forecheck could give this team a lot of problems and the Jackets are running four lines that all have opportunistic scorers on them.