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.

Four Lines Deep - 10/24/09

Columbus center Sammy Pahlsson has fond memories of weight lifting in Anaheim.

The Jackets play the third game on a four game road trip this evening in Anaheim.  Neither team is playing particularly well right now. Anaheim is off to a 3-4-1 start this season and is only 1-3 at home. They have lost three of their last four. The Jackets have surrendered 12 goals in the last two games and lost both.

First Line:  Make a strong start. The Jackets have surrendered goals in the first two minutes in each of the last two games. That's really not a great way to start a road game. They need to come out with much sharper focus and take the body early and often. Setting the tone early in the game will go a long way in erasing the memories of the horrific meltdown in Edmonton. I'd look for Pahlsson to have a very strong game. He'll have big emotions playing in the Honda Center for the first time as a visitor, and I can't think of a better player to send a message to the Ducks.

Second Line: Play Jackets hockey.  I can't remember - nor do I feel like researching - the last time the Jackets built a three goal lead on the road and squandered it. This is a defense-first club. Giving up six goals in two consecutive games is simply not acceptable. The Jackets need to keep the likes of Perry, Getzlaf and Selanne on the outside, consistently check and make responsible passes out of the defensive zone. The defense needs to make sure that Mason can see the shots, and he in turn needs to sharpen up his coverage on the angles and watch the wrist shots with a greater sense of urgency. Enough said.

Third Line: The stars need to shine.  The multi-million dollar veteran forwards, such as Nash, Vermette and Umberger, need to get on the scoreboard. Juice showed up in Edmonton, and I hope he continues to look for more scoring opportunities. Nash had a very unusual game, in which he was held without a SOG and was (-3). I fully believe he will make up for that tonight. The bottom line is that when this team faces adversity, it needs players such as Vermette and Umberger to respond and re-establish the momentum. Vermette has been playing well defensively and has been chipping in with some assists, but he simply needs to be a more consistent scoring threat. Umberger will have the opportunity to make an immediate impact on the first line, and he needs to continue his solid performance in the faceoff circle.

Fourth Line: Follow the Hair.  Give Jake Voracek the puck. He wants the puck. He needs the puck. He has taken his game to the next level during the last few games, and certainly has been the most consistent offensive threat during 5 on 5 hockey. As we anticipated, he built some confidence after his first goal and built upon that in Edmonton. His line (Juice, Vermette, Voracek) showed great promise -- he's going hard to the net and his linemates need to make the most of that tonight. To that end, Juice needs to be ready to shoot, as Voracek has shown he also has excellent vision and is a very capable passer.