The NHL Weekend Roadie: Halloweekend

The 2010-2011 NHL season is upon us, boys and girls. It’s time to start thinking seriously about hitting the road – perhaps to follow your favorite team on a road trip, or maybe to see a compelling matchup in person…or, if you’re like the OGA Boys, you probably want to see at least one game in every NHL barn. We’re working on getting our “NHL arena passport” stamped, and you can, too!

Unless you’re independently wealthy and have plenty of free time on your hands, you’re not going to hit all 30 NHL arenas in one season. You can chip away at your goal, however, by checking out The NHL Weekend Roadie. In it, we offer our suggestions for a road trip for every weekend of the season. We’ve already covered weeks one (too late), two (hurry up!) and three (still a little time!). This week, we’re looking at Halloweekend, the fourth weekend of the NHL season.

The itinerary:

NHL Week Four (Thursday, 28 OCT – Sunday, 31 OCT)

Thursday, 28 OCT: Phoenix @ Detroit – This roadie begins on Thursday, as the NHL is dark on Halloween. The second meeting of the season between these two clubs should be a good one (they meet in Phoenix on 16 OCT for the Coyotes’ home opener). After losing to Detroit in the playoffs last spring, Phoenix would like nothing better than to beat the Red Wings in their own building. The rest of the free world would probably enjoy it, too.

Friday, 29 OCT: Philadelphia @ Pittsburgh – Hey, it wouldn’t be a true “roadie” if you didn’t drive anywhere, right? Get up early, hop in your rental and hit the road to Pittsburgh (285 miles, approx. 5 hours drive time). You’ll surely be hungry when you get there, so do not pass go, do not collect $200, go directly to Primanti Brothers for your meal-in-a-sandwich fix. If you’re not in a sammich mood, try Pierogies Plus for some old-school, Eastern European comfort food. After you’ve stuffed your face, head over to the brand-spankin’-new CONSOL Energy Center to watch the Penguins take on the cross-state rival Flyers. This will be their third meeting of the season (Philly spoiled the Pens’ debut in their new arena, defeating Pittsburgh, 3-2, on 7 OCT).

Saturday, 30 OCT: Nashville @ Detroit – After you awaken from your food coma, drive back to Motown (still 285 miles, still about 5 hours drive time) for another game between division rivals. Detroit’s aging stars strive for one more shot at the Cup, while the young Nashvillians look to topple the (Red) Wing Dynasty. If you’ve regained your appetite by the end of the game, follow the crowd to Lafayette Coney Island for a chili dog (or three).

Sunday, 31 OCT: No NHL games today. Go home!

HOTELS - As always, we recommend checking Hotwire.com for your accomodations. Currently, a three-star hotel room in Downtown Motown can be had for just $59 on Thursday night, while a comparable room in Dearborn (a short drive from the Joe) on Saturday night will set you back $74. (Note: While staying in Windsor, Ontario is a cleaner, safer alternative to Detroit, rooms there are slightly more expensive and you'll need a valid passport to cross the border.) Friday night in Pittsburgh, a three-star room near the airport is currently $49, while three stars downtown will cost you $86.

FOOD - If the choices mentioned above won't work for you, check out either Roadfood.com or this Diners, Drive-ins and Dives-related website. The OGA Boys have eaten at over half a dozen establishments featured on Triple D, and we've never been disappointed.

TICKETS - Great seats are still available for both games in Detroit, either through Ticketmaster or season ticket holders. While the Pens-Flyers game is sold out, plenty of season ticket holders are willing to sell.

GETTING AROUND - Even if you fly into Detroit, you'll need to rent a car to get to Pittsburgh and back, so check Hotwire for deals. As long as you're paying for it, you might as well get your money's worth. If you want to avoid the hassle of arena parking, however, try Detroit's People Mover. At just $.50/ride, it's a very reasonable option, and it'll take you right to The Joe. While not as convenient as Detroit's People Mover, there's a T Station just two blocks from the CONSOL Energy Center.

The last NHL Weekend Roadie in the month of October will get you three games in three days - one in a brand-new arena, and two in an aging classic. You can catch some great hockey, eat fantastic food, and still be home in time to go trick-or-treating Sunday night.


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The NHL Weekend Roadie: California Dreamin'

OGA’s second installment of The NHL Weekend Roadie highlights a road trip for the second weekend of the 2010-2011 season. For Opening Weekend, we suggested a very doable four games in three days on the East Coast. Our theme for Week Two is (drum roll please)…California Dreamin’.

Here’s the itinerary:

NHL Week Two (Friday, 15 OCT – Monday, 18 OCT)

Friday, 15 OCT: Vancouver @ Los Angeles – Though this will only be the Kings’ fourth game of the season, it’ll be their second against the Canucks. Vancouver eliminated Los Angeles in six games in the Conference Quarter-finals last April, so expect a physical game on Figueroa.

Saturday, 16 OCT: Detroit @ Phoenix – After two games in Prague to start the season, the Coyotes return to the desert for their home opener against the Hated Red Wings. Last spring, these two clubs went the distance in the Conference Quarter-finals, with Detroit coming out on top. Obviously, there’s no love lost here. From El Lay, Phoenix is just 370 miles east on I-10 – less than six hours by car. Easy drive.

Sunday, 17 OCT: Phoenix @ Anaheim – If you spend Saturday night in Phoenix (we recommend it), don’t plan to sleep in on Sunday, as the Coyotes and Ducks drop puck at 5:00pm local time. This will be the first meeting of the season for these Pacific Division rivals. Catch this game and save a little money by flying home on Monday.

There it is: three games, in three arenas, in three days. ‘Nucks, Ducks, Kings, Wings and Desert Dogs. Playoff and division rivals. Sand. Sun. Surf. Wearing t-shirts and shorts to hockey games. Beats the hell out of Edmonton in February, says I.

HOTEL – Again, we suggest Hotwire.com (if only they’d pay us for saying that!). One valuable tip regarding Hotwire: ONLY book rooms at hotels rated three stars and up. Don’t even get me started about the two-star dive in Harrisburg, PA, with bedbugs and a haunted shower.

FLIGHTS – As always, allow yourself a healthy time cushion if you’re flying in on game day, to account for possible flight delays. We recommend an early morning flight for a Friday night game, as that gives you plenty of time to get your rental car, have a good lunch, check into your hotel, and maybe grab a pre-game nap. The nice thing about flying to the West Coast is the time you gain along the way. The bad thing about flying home from the West Coast is the time you lose.

FOOD – Never been to Los Angeles or Phoenix and want something good you can’t get anywhere else, but don’t know where to go? Two good places to find what you seek are Roadfood.com and Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (yet another free advertisement, dammit). In particular, I have to say Guy Fieri (host of Triple-D) has good taste. I’ve eaten at a half-dozen establishments he’s raved about on his show, and every single one has lived up to the hype. You just can’t go wrong with one of his recommendations.

TICKETS – Single-game tickets for the Canucks @ Kings tilt go on sale 9 SEP. Tickets for Coyotes @ Ducks go on sale 28 AUG. As for tickets for the Hated Red Wings @ Coyotes, well…the ‘Yotes ain’t tellin’. Early September is a good guess, though.

GETTING AROUND – You’ll need to rent a car to get to Phoenix and back, so you might as well make it your primary transportation for the weekend. Traffic in Los Angeles is some of the worst in the U.S., so budget your time accordingly. I-10 between LA and Phoenix should be smooth sailing.

So that’s your second NHL Weekend Roadie: a Pacific Division trifecta. What are you waiting for? Book it, Dano.

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Return of Hump Day Hockey Thoughts

Between getting married and watching my day job "...catch the last train for the coast", I've been a bit distracted for the past few weeks. Lack of regular paycheck aside, I must say it's good to be able to focus on hockey again. I can't think of a better way to climb back into the saddle than to discuss the odds & ends which caught my eye recently, so here goes:

With his shootout-winning goal late last night, Colorado's Matt Duchene merely confirmed what we OGA boys have known since last October: The Avalanche are IN the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Did anybody see this coming back in September? Did anyone in the Avs organization see this coming? Surely not this year, but maybe after their core group of talented kids had a season or two under their belts. While a number of factors are responsible for Colorado's success, my nominee for team MVP is goalie Craig Anderson. Talk about making the most of an opportunity: Anderson's GAA (2.64) and Save pct. (.916) aren't stellar, but they're quite good for a career backup who, prior to 2009-10, hadn't played more than 31 games in a season. After 70 appearances, Anderson leads all NHL goalies in Shots Against (2200), Saves (2016) and...Penalty Minutes(?!?) (16). While my October launch of an "Anderson for Vezina" campaign proved premature, the follicularly-challenged netminder has been worth every penny for Colorado...

After ringing up four straight wins, it looks like the Chicago Blackhawks are starting to get the hang of playing without Brian Campbell on the blueline. With injuries to Campbell, Brent Seabrook and Kim Johnsson, the 'Hawks have struggled since returning from the Olympic break...and so have the San Jose Sharks: both teams are 9-7-2 since March 2nd. Currently, the Sharks lead the Blackhawks by two points in the standings, but Chicago has a game in hand. Unlike most seasons, when the top teams spend the last week or two of the regular season merely trying to stay healthy for the playoffs, both of these clubs have plenty of motivation to win their remaining games, as there's a good chance the no.2 seed in the West will have to play Detroit in the first round...and nobody wants to play Detroit...

My hometown team, the Dallas Stars, won't be selling any playoff tickets again this season, so let's discuss their uniforms, instead: Blatant marketing ploy or abject stupidity? You be the judge:

According to Icethetics - THE source for all things jersey-related - the Stars will swap their road and third jerseys for the 2010-11 season. Thus, the "new" road jersey will be white, with "DALLAS" across the chest. The "new" third jersey will also be white, but will feature the Stars logo on the chest. I'm fine with that change, BUT...I expect the next change to be the unveiling of a NEW home jersey, which will be a black version of the "new" third jersey, replacing the current home jersey, which is black and says "DALLAS" across the chest. Now, I have nothing solid on which to base this theory, but it only makes sense: WHY would you splash a city name across the chest of your home jersey? Do your fans not know where they live? From Day One, I wondered if the Stars' "DALLAS" home jersey was a very expensive design error. Now, I suspect it was actually part of a cynical marketing strategy designed with the knowledge that fans would buy the new home jersey, no matter how stupid it looked, and then shell out more money for the "new and improved" home jersey a couple of years later. Unfortunately, this strategy will undoubtedly work, as the "DALLAS" home jerseys are simply asinine. Right now, I don't know if I'm more angry at the Stars organization for (possibly) taking advantage of their loyal fans, or at myself, because I know I'll be first in line for one of the "new and improved" home jerseys.

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Odds, Ends, and FREE TICKETS - by Big Tex

A few odds, ends and random hockey thoughts going into the weekend:

ANOTHER GAME-WINNING SAVE: Tuesday night, NYR @ VAN. With the Canucks leading, 1-0, early in the 3rd, Ales Kotalik rings a slapper from the point off the post during a four minute Rangers power play. Chris Higgins gets his first of the year (FINALLY!) roughly a minute later, but it doesn’t matter: Vancouver wins, 4-1. That makes THREE Game-Winning Saves so far this season. It’ll be interesting to see how long the theory holds up…

DURING THE RANGERS' STINKFEST IN VANCOUVER, rookie call-up Dane Byers racked up 29 Penalty Minutes in the 3rd period. That's a good start for the kid, but he's no Randy Holt.

OFFICIALS 1, STARS 0 (OT): Wednesday night in Dallas…in Overtime…Stars’ d-man Nicklas Grossman is sent to the sin bin for chipping the puck over the glass from OUTside his own blueline. Last time anyone checked, that wasn’t a Delay of Game penalty. Refs win, but donate the “W” to Calgary in recognition of Jerome Iginla’s goal on the ensuing PP.

BIG TEX @ VANCOUVER @ DALLAS: Yes, I’ll be at the game tonight, Tweeting away on all things tweet-worthy. Follow along by following me @OGAs_BigTex

WITH ALL THE INJURIES to big-name players right now, why is it that there are still fantasy hockey leagues in which the likes of Rich Peverley and Ales Kotalik are free agents?

SPEAKING OF RICH PEVERLEY…Though I’d picked Thursday nights’ San Jose @ Detroit tilt as my Game 2 Watch for the week, I found myself caught up in the Blue Jackets – Thrashers game instead. I was left with the following impressions from the exciting, back-and-forth affair: Uppermost in my mind, these two clubs can no longer be dismissed as “expansion teams”, as they’ve both formed (if not fully formed) identities now. Atlanta is FAST and has a power play which is both exciting and lethal, even without Kovalchuk. In Columbus, Ken Hitchcock continues to preach defensive responsibility, but is beginning to embrace the offensive aspects of the game as the Blue Jackets’ skill level increases (among other things, this means that the ‘Jackets PP has improved dramatically since last season). I expect both clubs to challenge for playoff berths this season, and at least one of them to make it in.

LAST, BUT NOT LEAST: FREE TICKETS! It seems I’ve won two tickets to the Detroit @ Columbus game next Wednesday, 11 NOV. Unfortunately, I cannot justify spending over $500 on a plane ticket to attend the game, so I’m offering the tickets to the first BLUE JACKETS fan to Tweet or email me at matt@ongoalanalysis.com (Detroiters need not apply).

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OGA SPR: The Detroit Red Wings - by Big Tex

Welcome to the 11th installment in On Goal Analysis' ongoing series of Season Preview Reports. Today, we examine a team which shall henceforth be known as the "2008-09 Defending Stanley Cup Runners-Up" (phrase Copyright 2009, OGA Enterprises, LLC. All rights reserved. Patent pending. Void where prohibited. Shake well before using. Refrigerate after opening. Keep away from children or pets.)

Last Season versus the Playoff Qualifying Curve (PQC): The Detroit Red Wings were Chasing Stanley as of 29 October, the third team called IN the playoffs by OGA in 2008-09. Detroit got off to their characteristic strong start, compiling a record of 14-2-4 through their first twenty games (so much for the so-called “Stanley Cup Hangover”). The Winged Wheel kept rolling, with a 4-4-2 record in Games 41-50 the only hiccup…until the homestretch, that is: Detroit stumbled across the finish line, going 5-6-1 in Games 71-82 and entering the Stanley Cup Playoffs with, well…what’s the opposite of ‘momentum’? Nonetheless, they finished the regular season at 5.6 vs. the PQC, good for 2nd in the Western Conference.

Post Lockout Average versus the PQC: In their first three post-Lockout campaigns, the Red Wings averaged 5.93 vs. the PQC, with a high of 6.2 in 2005-06, a low of 5.65 the following season, and rising again to 5.95 in 2007-08. Last season, Detroit finished at a four-year low of 5.6 vs. the Playoff Qualifying Curve, but still managed to make it back to the Stanley Cup Finals. In each of the last four campaigns, the Red Wings have been one of the first teams called Chasing Stanley by OGA. It’s very difficult to say this of a team which has won at least 50 games in each of the last four seasons, but…appearances in the last two Stanley Cup Finals notwithstanding, the Red Wings look to be trending downward. This trend is evidenced by their ‘peak-and-valley’ performance vs. the PQC over the past four seasons (6.2-5.65-5.95-5.6), in which both the highs and lows are gradually getting lower. Could this be the beginning of the end of an era in Detroit?

How does Detroit look heading into the 2009-10 season?

Team Play: ISSUE – Filling in the blanks. The Wings enter the 2009-10 campaign facing several issues, of which the most critical is filling the holes left in the lineup by departing players. Gone are: Marian Hossa, Jiri Hudler, Mikael Samuelsson and Tomas Kopecky (and let us not forget Chris Chelios, who has finally taken his rightful place in the Smithsonian). Between them, they accounted for 88 of Detroit’s 295 goals last season (that’s 29.8%, for those of you keeping score at home). The Wings plan to fill those gaps with the likes of Ville Leino, Jason Williams, Todd Bertuzzi and…Patrick Eaves? Barring a disaster of epic proportions, Detroit will make the playoffs again in 2009-10. The play of the four “replacements”, however, will be a major factor in determining whether the Red Wings finish as a top-three seed or open the playoffs on the road.

Fantasy Value: While they’ve lost some of their luster, the Red Wings still possess a veritable gold mine of talent for the fantasy GM. The shiniest nuggets are as follows:

Forwards: Pavel Datsyuk (81GP, 32-65-97, +34) is, and should be, a 1st-round pick. 31 years old, he’s at the peak of his powers, and has missed just four games in the last three seasons...Henrik Zetterberg (77GP, 31-42-73, +13) has exhibited a ‘peak-and-valley’ scoring trend over the last four seasons. If the trend continues, 2009-10 should be a ‘peak’ season for Z...Johan Franzen (71GP, 34-25-59, +21) looks, at age 29, like he’s starting to get the hang of the North American game. He was a key cog in the Wings’ run to the Cup Finals last spring, exploding for 12 goals and 23 points in 23 games. It’s not unreasonable to expect 40 goals from The Mule this season...Last, but certainly not least, expectations are (justifiably) high for young Ville Leino (13GP, 5-4-9, +5) going into October. Expect to see him on the 2nd line (if not higher), and don’t be surprised if he racks up 30+ goals. You Heard It Here First: Leino is this season’s Loui Eriksson.

Defensemen: Is it even necessary to mention Nicklas Lidstrom (78GP, 16-43-59, +31)? Though at age 39 he’s nearing the end of his career, Lidstrom is still one of the top three or four d-men in the league. Put him at the top of your list of blueliners…How is it that Brian Rafalski (78GP, 10-49-59, +17) had a career year for Assists and Points at age 35? This guy is still trending slightly upward, and he’ll be 36 by the time the season starts! Grab him – grab him now…If his playoff performance is a harbinger of things to come, you should keep an eye on Jonathan Ericsson (Playoffs: 22GP, 4-4-8, +9).

Goalies: Hmmm…which Chris Osgood will we be drafting, the painfully struggling Regular Season model (26-9-8, .887 Sv%, 3.09 GAA, 2 SO) or the rock-solid who-are-you-and-what-have-you-done-with-Chris-Osgood Playoff model (15-8-0, .926 Sv%, 2.01 GAA, 2 SO)? Either way, he’s going to get you Ws simply because he plays for Detroit, but Ozzie could do more harm than good in a rotisserie-style league. This is another caveat emptor pick.

Schedule Analysis: ISSUE – Don’t be fooled by the two home games near the end; Detroit begins the New Year with what is essentially a ten-game, 20-day road trip: @PHO, @ANA, @LAK, @SJS, @NYI, vs. CAR at home, @DAL, vs. CHI at home, @WSH, @MIN. In fact, the Red Wings play just 7 of 21 January and February games at home.

Check your Oil? Friday, OGA examines Edmonton…

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Starring the Columbus Blue Jackets as Rocky Balboa

Watching Game Four unfold in Columbus last night, I realized early in the second period that I’d seen this movie before. The year was 1976, and the movie was Rocky. The 2009 version was recast thusly:

ROCKY (2009)

The Columbus Blue Jackets as Rocky Balboa
The Detroit Red Wings as Apollo Creed
Ken Hitchcock as Burgess Meredith...I mean, Mickey
The Columbus Fans as Adrian

Despite the rather radical recasting, the producers (The Hockey Gods) stayed true to the original script: A nobody, from nowhere, steps into the ring with The Champ. It’s supposed to be a glorified exhibition (and with the Jackets down 3-0 going into the game, it was a foregone conclusion, so the analogy holds), but Rocky didn’t get the memo. After Apollo Creed knocks down Rocky early (with a PPG by Lidstrom at 2:58 of the 1st), Rocky picks himself up and lands a solid blow of his own (Huselius PPG at 6:12).

This only serves to anger The Champ, who unleashes a combination and floors Rocky again (Holmstrom at 7:09 and Cleary at 10:02). Rocky struggles back to his feet and holds his own against Apollo until the bell.

Between rounds, Mickey slaps Rocky around a bit and gives him what for…but only because he sees the Rock’s potential and believes in him. Though he’d never admit it, Mickey loves the big lug.

Rocky answers the bell and comes out swinging; now it’s Apollo Creed’s turn to taste the canvas (Nash at 1:44 of the 2nd, followed by Umberger’s PPG at 5:38). There’s a reason Apollo Creed is the Heavyweight Champion of the World, however, and he again demonstrates his powers, administering a beating Rocky won’t soon forget (Hossa at 6:59 and again at 11:26 on the PP). The Rock climbs up the ropes and onto his feet as the ref counts nine, then reaches deep within himself and steps back into the fray…and surprises everyone by dropping The Champ again (on goals by Russell at 15:45 and Modin at 18:04). As the bell rings, Rocky has Apollo on the ropes and is working him over.

More encouragement/tough love is forthcoming from Mickey between rounds, as he has to cut Rocky’s swollen eyelid so the Rock can see. Meanwhile, Apollo Creed’s trainer is asking him why he hasn’t finished the kid yet.

The two exhausted pugilists step back into the center of the ring for the final round. They eye one another warily, an air of mutual respect between them. Suddenly, they lunge toward each other, fists flying. Back and forth, the momentum swings. The crowd roars, and Adrian is one of the loudest. In a flash, they both go down. As the referee counts, both fighters slowly pull themselves back up. The bell rings, ending the match…and Rocky gets jobbed by the officials (who, after simply letting the two teams play throughout the 3rd period, whistled Columbus for a very marginal Too many men penalty with 1:34 remaining, allowing Franzen to win the series for Detroit with a PPG at 19:13. Methinks a certain linesman didn’t want to work OT). Nonetheless, both Rocky and Adrian now know that he has what it takes to go toe-to-toe with The Champ (and The Champ has a newfound respect for the Rock), and they emerge from the arena, bloodied but unbowed, their love for each other stronger than ever.

It was a great movie in 1976, and a great hockey game in 2009. Congratulations to Adrian...I mean, the Columbus fans – after all these years, now you know what playoff hockey looks and feels like. While it ended on a less-than-satisfying note, wasn’t it worth the wait? You should be proud of your Blue Jackets – they played their hearts out in Game Four. Just think of what you have to look forward to in 09-10…remember how Rocky II ended?

VAN, DET & NYR at (roughly) Game 60

Some observations from the (roughly) Game 60 mark...

Vancouver Canucks: After a nightmarish 2-5-5 January, the Canucks bounced back in a big way, going 8-2-0 in their last ten games to climb back into the thick of the playoff hunt (note: We at OGA have never wavered from our original call of 'Chasing Stanley' on November 20th, but we were a bit concerned at the end of January). There is certainly much to cheer about at GM Place: Luongo has regained his pre-injury form, Sundin has played himself into game shape, and the Canucks have scoring threats distributed throughout the lineup (8 players have 10+ goals). Scoring is up in Vancouver, from 2.84 G/gm (15th) at Game 50 to 2.97 G/gm (T-8th) at Game 60.
Not all is well, however: Since topping out at 82.6% efficiency (11th in the NHL) at Game 30, the Canucks' PK has steadily declined. At Game 60, they're only killing 79.0% (25th) of penalties. And, while Vancouver is improving, their win pct. when leading after 2 periods is .857, which is 19th in the league. In fact, when looking at ten statistical categories (G/gm, GAA, PP, PK, Sh/gm, Shots Against/gm, Win % when scoring 1st, Win % when trailing 1st, Win % when leading after 2, and Faceoff Win %), the Canucks only rank in the top ten in two - G/gm and Faceoff Win %. This doesn't bode well for Vancouver's Stanley Cup aspirations.

Detroit Red Wings: 7-2-1 in the run-up to Game 60...Scoring seemingly at will, 3.70 G/gm (1st)...Five players with 20+ goals...Ranked in the top FIVE in 7 of 10 statistical categories, including 1st in PP (27.8%), Sh/gm (36.0) and Faceoff % (55.8)...The Winged Wheel rolls on...
But there are weaknesses: At 77.5%, the PK is 28th in the NHL...Team GAA of 2.92 is 19th...Win pct. when leading after 2 is .867, tied (with San Jose, no less) for 17th. It's going to take a team with an agile yet bruising blueline corps and a red-hot goalie to beat DET in a seven-game series, but the Red Wings are beatable...sort of.

New York Rangers: The Blueshirts took full advantage of a hot (13-5-2) start, OT and Shootout wins to get this far, but the wheels have now come off...2-6-2 in Games 51-60, followed by an OT loss at home to the Toronto Maple Loafs, cost Coach Tom Renney his job. His replacement, John Tortorella, is 0-1-1 and counting. At Game 60, the Rangers were scoring just 2.33 G/gm (29th). Their 28th-ranked PP (14.0%) would be laughable if they hadn't allowed more shorthanded goals (13) than any other team (Your trivia for the day: The Rangers are the ONLY team in the NHL this season to allow a shortie with a 2-man advantage). Bonus trivia: At Game 60, the Rangers' +/- leader was Zherdev, at +1, followed by Callahan and Anisimov, at 0. Every other Blueshirt is a minus.
If there's any hope to be found, it's in the recent past: Last season, Dallas went 2-7-2 in March, then regrouped and advanced all the way to the Western Conference Finals. Ranger fans have to hope their team can duplicate that feat, and as long as New York occupies a playoff spot, there's hope...

More Game 60 reviews coming soon!

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Nash 3, Detroit 2 (OT)

The first two times Columbus met Detroit this season, the Blue Jackets were A)dealing with injuries to multiple key players, and B) on the road. Those factors contributed to 5-3 and 3-0 Red Wing victories. Last night, Gary Bettman and the Hockey Gods evened it up: Datsyuk and Lidstrom sat (a result of their injury-induced absence from the All-Star Weekend festivities), Zetterburg left late in the first period with back spasms, and the Blue Jackets took advantage of Detroit's 10 remaining forwards to delight the home crowd with a 3-2 overtime win.

Rick Nash was, as Tex Jr. would say, a BEAST, scoring all three Columbus goals. Were it not for a heads-up play by the right post in the 1st period, Nash could've had a fourth. Nash's 1st goal, a shorthanded breakaway created by his anticipation and interception of a D-to-D pass, was electrifying. The hallmark of a superior player and Captain is the ability to strap the team to his back and carry it to victory when necessary, and Rick Nash did just that last night.

Credit for the W must extend beyond Nash, however. Steve Mason was solid, if unspectacular. Truthfully, the D in front of him was pretty solid, so Mason wasn't forced to be spectacular. To this observer, though, it looked like there were a few too many occasions in which the D backed in on Stevie Franchise, effectively screening him. Overall, however, I'd give the blueline corps an A-, as they did a good job of shutting down the low slot and hustled to rebounds, denying Detroit second chances.

I agree with Aaron Portzine of the Columbus Dispatch: Give Jason Chimera a C for his work at Center last night. Considering it was his first game at that position in a long, long time (since he was in the minors, perhaps?), and it came against Detroit, a C isn't so bad. Chimera won 3 of 5 faceoffs, tops among Columbus forwards.

Speaking of faceoffs...I think Detroit won all but ONE draw in the 3rd (at last count, they'd won 7 of 8), and they outshot Columbus in that frame, 9-2. Coincidence? I think not. The Jackets are a respectable 10th in the NHL in faceoff win pct. right now (50.8%), but up against the top-ranked Red Wings (55.7%), they won just 45%.

Overall, it was a good win for the Jackets. They needed to take advantage of a shorthanded Detroit club, and did so. Because the Wings are so far ahead in the standings, it doesn't matter that they picked up a point - what matters most is that Columbus earned two, and are still very much alive in the playoff race.

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Musings on Trades and the Big-Game Greatness of Detroit

Just a few thoughts/questions before bed:

1. Is there a team in the NHL capable of beating the Red Wings in a seven-game series? Boston, perhaps...um...hang on; I'm still thinking...Boston (maybe), and...

2. If I were Glen Sather, I'd be wondering if the Panthers were foolish enough to take Wade Redden, Dan Fritsche, and my 2nd round pick this year for Jay Bouwmeester.

3. If I were Scott Howson, I'd have several questions: First, is Nikita Filatov the Real Deal, worth the time investment necessary to allow him to develop and reach his full potential, or is he worth more to Columbus in the long run if he can be dealt for a player who can put the Blue Jackets over the top (and into the playoffs) NOW? Second, if making the playoffs this season is more important, would the Senators take Filatov and this years' 1st round pick for Jason Spezza? Third, what if we throw in Christian Backman? Fourth, if the Sens won't deal for Spezza, will they still take Backman? Fifth, will Toronto give up Pavel Kubina for Methot and a 2nd round pick (or are the Leafs foolish enough to take Backman)? Sixth, what in the world am I going to do with Pascal Leclaire?

4. With Minnesota apparently out of the running in the Ilya Kovalchuk Sweepstakes, Montreal is supposedly the front-runner now. If he lands in Montreal, Kovalchuk will be the SEVENTH "K" on the Kanadiens' roster. The kwestion is: Why is Montreal trying to korner the market on players whose surnames begin with a "K"? I kould go on like this, but I'll spare you...this time.