Tuesday, January 27, 2009


Blue Jackets - Ladies and Gentlemen from Skraut on Vimeo.

Every time I watch this, I get major chills.

Puck drops at 7 PM tonight and the push for the playoffs begin.

CARRY THE FLAG.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

I liiiiiive.

If I'd been blogging about this season so far, it would have involved a lot of keyboard smashes, a lot of tears, and a lot of love for Steve Mason. And I've tried not to get my hopes too high. Because this season, there's a lot to hope for. For this season, and for seasons to come.

All season the Jackets have been looking for traction. This is where the rubber has to meet the road.

The first four games bring Detroit, Ottawa, Dallas and St. Louis. That needs to be at least six points (3-1).

Among the three road games – Pittsburgh (Feb. 6), Carolina (Feb. 14) and Toronto (Feb. 19) – all are in the Eastern Conference and two are very winnable. That should be at least four more points (2-1).

It leaves six remaining home games with the Sharks (Feb. 7), Avalanche (Feb. 10), Red Wings (Feb. 13), then the Stars (Feb. 16) and Blues (Feb. 18) and finally the Ducks (Feb. 21). The Jackets need nine points here (4-1-1).

That would be a 9-3-1 stretch good for 19 points. It would almost certainly get the Jackets above the eighth-place bar and pushing hard toward fifth or sixth.


I look at this, taken from Puck-Rakers, and I just stare at that record. 9-3-1. Against those teams. Is it possible? 19 points.

Part of me says no, it's not, because I look at the teams we play in that time span. But then, the more I think about it, the more I realize that the majority of those teams, are teams we should be able to beat. Should be. Whether we will or not, remains to be seen.

I think what it all comes down to, is those last six games listed. Can we pull 9 points out of games against those teams? We'll face Detroit and San Jose in that time span. Can we beat them both, or take one of them to overtime, or both? Can we beat three other teams that, if we play good solid hockey, like we all know they can, we should win?

We're just going to have to wait and see. When I step into Nationwide Arena in April, for the season finale, will I be seeing a team going to their first post season? Or will it be another mantra of "There's always next year." for the boys in blue?