The Columbus Blue Jackets 1st period of play in one picture (Photo by Cornell University Library)

By Rick Gethin

     “We really got schooled today” ~ CBJ coach Ken Hitchcock

     There is absolutely no way to sugarcoat the play of the Columbus Blue Jackets after losing to the Detroit Red Wings 9-1 in Nationwide Arena Wednesday night. It was a train wreck that started with the drop of the puck in the 1st period and went speedily downhill from there. At times, it was painful to watch. They gave up 4 goals in the 1st period, 2 goals in the 2nd and 3 more goals in the 3rd. The lone Columbus goal came courtesy of Rick Nash midway through the 2nd period. The 8 point gap ties the Blue Jackets record for largest margin of defeat with an 8-0 loss to Boston on 2/4/02 and a 10-2 loss to San Jose on 3/30/02.

     The Blue Jackets skated away from the style of play that wins them games. Poor passing, neutral zone turnovers and a lack of checking contributed to the poor play. “We didn’t play the right way or do the right things,” said an upset Jason Chimera. Columbus got back on their heels early and never recovered. The lessons learned in their playoff series against the Red Wings in April seemed to be forgotten. Mike Commodore summed up the feeling in the locker room after the game, saying “It was a total disaster.” They were not making smart dumps of the puck which gave Detroit ample opportunity to get the puck out of their zone quickly.

The Blue Jackets after 2 periods of play (Photo by Cornell University Library/Flickr)

     Columbus goalie Steve Mason was pulled in the 1st period, replaced by back-up Mathieu Garon. He played well enough that the collective thought was that he would finish out the game in net. Alas, it was not to be. Mason returned at the beginning of the 2nd period and pretty much picked up where he left off. Mason never seemed to find his groove. After the game Garon addressed Mason coming back into the game. “Sometimes you want to put the goalie back in so he kind of forgets about what happened. It didn’t turn out that way,” he said. The loss cannot be layed totally at Masons’ feet; it was a team breakdown. “It’s been a long time coming, I think,” said Steve Mason. “The things we’ve been making mistakes on has been over and over. It really blew up in our face tonight. We knew going in (to the game) that they were a top team and it was going to be a tough effort to play against them. We just backed right down,” he said.

     Detroit shrugged off their 5-1 loss to Toronto over the weekend and came into Nationwide Arena focused on winning. Columbus, on the other hand, lacked any focus and it showed. “This wasn’t our team tonight,” said RJ Umberger, ” we’re way better than this. Hopefully it’s an eye-opener for everybody here.” That is what’s disheartening for the Blue Jackets faithful; they’ve seen this team play so much better.

This sums up the loss to Detroit, 9-1 (Photo by Gregory Palmer/Flickr)

     Columbus coach Ken Hitchcock held a rare meeting of the players in the locker room after he was done with his press conference. One could feel that the guys in the room were not looking forward to the coach walking through the door. The assembled media could tell that the coach wasn’t happy with the way his guys executed the game. “When you don’t check, you look slow,” said Hitchcock. “When you don’t check, you don’t win a board battle. When you don’t check, you get beat to every loose puck. When you have that mindset, you’re in trouble.” As the coach is fond of saying, Detroit put their foot on the Blue Jackets throat and never let up. “We’re not going to put it behind us (the loss) and just write it off,” he said. “We got schooled by a hungry team that got beat 5-1 in their last game and they were ready to play; we weren’t.”

     Columbus has to find a way to put this humiliating loss behind them, yet not forget the lesson to be learned. If there is one positive to be taken from this game, it’s this; the Blue Jackets are still in 2nd place in the Central Division, one point ahead of Detroit. It was a bad loss Blue Jackets fans, but it’s not the end of the world. They’re not quite a quarter of the way through the season and there are many more games to be played. It wasn’t competitive and it sure wasn’t graceful. And in the words of Warren Zevon, it “Aint that pretty at all.”

Next Stop..Jobing.com Arena....Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Ever since the Coyotes moved their home to Jobing.com arena in Glendale in 2003, East Valley fans have been up in arms. Complaining that the 20+ mile trip was just too far, it’s been cited as a contributing factor for the poor attendance the team has suffered over the years. The idea of a bus service has been thrown around quite a bit this off season and apparently the organization has taken notice and put a plan in action.

The “Coyotes Express” will depart 90 minutes prior to faceoff at the Arizona State University Main Campus (Lot 16) in Tempe and the Gila River Wild Horse Pass Casino (casino entrance) in Chandler. Note: The Wild Horse Pass Casino location will only shuttle fans for weekday games. The shuttle will depart from Jobing.com arena 20 minutes after game’s end.

The following is the list of the games for which the “Coyotes Express” will operate.

Monday, Nov. 16 vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Saturday, Nov. 21 vs. Philadelphia Flyers
Friday, Nov. 27 vs. Dallas Stars
Thursday, Dec. 3 vs. Calgary Flames
Saturday, Dec. 5 vs. Ottawa Senators
Monday, Dec. 7 vs. Minnesota Wild
Saturday, Dec. 12 vs. San Jose Sharks

Empty Seats That Need Filling...Image Courtesy of Author

Perhaps this Coyotes Choo-Choo, along with the team’s “We Win, You Win” promotion will help draw out some of the on-the-fence fans. If it doesn’t, it could be my Coyotes on a train..headed out of town.

The “this” I speak of is, of course, the brutal, embarrassing loss to the offensively-anaemic Minnesota Wild. The Leafs were handled by a score of 5-2–not a game to write home about if you are Jonas Gustavsson.

The ACC: Not always a place for celebration (Photo Courtesy of RoninKengo/Flickr)

After an over-achieving week in which Phil Kessel scored his first goal and the team upset the defending Western Conference champion Detroit Red Wings by a whopping score of 5-1, the Blue and White crashed back down to reality.

They did not carry their momentous win over the weekend into last night’s game, and they did not take advantage of facing a lower-calibre team.

The new-look Maple Leafs are new-look no longer. The fumes they were running on with a Kessel-infused offense seemed to run out until Philip scored a meaningless goal late in the game.

Mike Komisarek risked injuring himself for a prolonged period of time by playing last night.  He did not last very long and is now questionable for Friday’s game. Not that Komisarek’s presence really matters—he is yet to register a point and is a minus-seven on the season.

So what’s next for the Leafs? After travelling to Chicago to meet the Blackhawks on Friday, they have a date with the Flames at the ACC the following night. On paper, those two games look like two losses. But then again, how many people actually thought that they could beat the Wings?

I suppose it has been a tale of two teams, a Jekyll and Hyde story, if you will. On the one hand, the Leafs look absolutely impotent, it’s as if they have no fight in them whatsoever.

On other nights, they look like the scrappy, rough-and-tumble team that Brian Burke envisioned. They seem to be road warriors. Tomas Kaberle is a point-scoring machine of a defenseman and Phil Kessel, at times, can be an opposing goaltender’s nightmare.

These two guys cannot, however, win every game on their own. Without consistent secondary scoring, the team is just a lack-lustre bunch with two shining stars and an up-and-coming rookie goalie. Not enough to win, not in this league, at least.

With a win last night, the Leafs could have moved to within three points of the Montreal Canadiens, yet another team that has struggled with consistency early in this 2009-2010 season. With the loss, they remain five points back.

Brian Burke wants his team to succeed

The smart money says that they will have an awfully difficult time gaining ground in the next two games they play.

But who knows? That’s why they play the games, right?

Manny Legace Image courtesy of Wikipedia

As the early season has slipped into November, the ‘Canes have continued to struggle. Last Saturday night, the Hurricanes were handed another set back when Cam Ward suffered a serious injury. During a first period scrum, Rick Nash’s skate sliced Ward’s upper leg, which landed the all-star goalie in the hospital and sent General Manager Jim Rutherford to the waiver wires. The ‘Canes went on to lose 3-2 to the Blue Jackets, but the club stands to lose much more with the loss of its star goaltender. Ward is expected to be out 3 to 4 weeks. But neither the ‘Canes nor Rutherford have 3 to 4 weeks to save the season. So, with the team on the ropes and their best player in the infirmary, Rutherford has signed veteran goalie Manny Legace to help stop the ‘Canes month long losing streak.

Cam Ward - image courtesy of Dan4th/Flickr

Ward will be difficult to replace. Ward had been slated to start between 65 and 70 games this season, with backup Michael Leighton picking up the rest of the goalkeeper duties. Leighton is a career backup, and he was never intended to backstop this team over the long term. Leighton was drafted by Chicago in the 6th round (165th overall) in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, and has played in the league for parts of 6 seasons. Although Leighton has seen action in 72 NHL games, he has only played in 25 contests over the last three years in Carolina. Most of his big league experience came when he played 34 games for Chicago in 2003-04, going 6-18-8 for a bad Blackhawk team. As highlighted in Tropical Storm Warning: Five Prospects For Hurricanes Fans To Watch This Season, the ‘Canes minor league options include Justin Peters and rookie Mike Murphy. In Albany, Peters has posted a 5-4-1 record over 10 games, while Murphy has gone 2-2-0 over 4 games. Although both are considered solid prospects to someday back up Ward, neither is ready to handle full time major league goaltending duties.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

With a lot of hockey left this season and with no real concrete timetable for Ward’s return, Rutherford quickly surveyed his goalie options and probably considered making a quick trade. Instead, Rutherford picked up Legace, an 8th round (188th overall) 1993 draft pick of the Hartford Whalers. Like Tim Thomas, most of Legace’s success has come later in his career. Legace never made it to the NHL as a Whaler or a Hurricane, spending his early career in the Hartford farm system. He was traded to Los Angeles in 1998 for a conditional pick in the 1999 draft. After a year in southern California, Legace found most of his success in Detroit, playing 180 games over 6 seasons with the Red Wings. While Legace is probably most recognized for his play in Detroit, he spent the last 3 years in St. Louis, playing 140 games and making an All-Star appearance in 1998. With his skills starting to decline and the financial challenges of the salary cap, Legace couldn’t find a roster spot this summer and started this season with the AHL Chicago Wolves.

Surprisingly, many have criticized the decision to add Legace to the club. Legace’s detractors often cite his long minor league career and his early playoff exit with Detroit in the 2005-06 season. But Legace was an All-Star in 2008, and he did win a Stanley Cup with Detroit in 2001-02. Over his career, he has posted an NHL record of 177-92-36 with a 2.38 GAA. It’s hard to believe that Rutherford could pick up a better veteran goalie, with something to prove, for next to nothing. At this point, Legace is a great option for the ‘Canes, and Rutherford made a nice move picking him up on a one year, two-way contract. Rutherford didn’t have to move a prospect to bring him onboard. If he plays well early, look for the team to rally around Legace’s veteran presence. If Legace falters, look for Rutherford to make another move.

To some degree, Legace has come full circle. Almost a decade ago, Los Angeles gave Legace his first chance in the big leagues. Tonight, Rutherford will give him another shot at the NHL when Carolina hosts the Kings at the RBC Center. And after 16 years, Legace will finally start an NHL game for the franchise that drafted him, a franchise that needs him more now than ever.

Dan Canavan is an attorney in Hartford, Connecticut. Dan regularly covers business and legal issues facing the hockey industry for ctsportslaw.com. He has appeared as an on-air guest with regard to the NHL and the Phoenix Coyotes bankruptcy proceedings on CBC Radio’s World Report. His analysis and commentary have also been published in various media outlets including The National Post, The Windsor Star, The Star Phoenix, The Montreal Gazette, The Edmonton Journal, The Ottawa Citizen, The Vancouver Sun, The Province, Faceoff.com, and the Sports Litigation Alert. You can follow Dan on Twitter at twitter.com/DanielRCanavan.  Dan can be contacted directly at dcanavan@ctsportsgroup.com.

No he is not scoring goals in bunches, but what he is doing is giving opponents fits with his defensive play. He has become a true threat not only in the offensive zone, but in his own end as well.

After posting a -14 rating last season, Spezza knew this season would have to be different. The fact that he was snubbed from the Team Canada orientation camp roster in August may have caused him to come into the season with a chip on his shoulder.

With the departure of his wingman Dany Heatley, Spezza has been forced to forge a new identity, and so far in this young season, it is one where there is a balance of offence AND defence.

With Heatley gone, Spezza has been forced to forge a new identity. (Photo from shutterbug 989)

He gave the Senators a huge boost last week, returning with a 3 point effort when they played the Lightning, including the game winning goal. Yet again last night, he scored another shootout goal to seal the victory for the Sens over the Edmonton Oilers. 

To say that Spezza has played a small part in the Senators resurgence this year would be a massive understatement. Not only has he helped the team with his defensive and offensive abilities, He has made the transition from San Jose much easier for his Czech winger Milan Michalek. A regular linemate of Spezza, Michalek has thrived so far playing with the playmaking center. Of Michalek’s 7 goals, 4 have been assisted by Spezza, with 3 coming directly from the center.

The only thing Sens fans have been able to question Spezza about is his incredibly akward laugh.

Besides that Sens fans have not had much to complain about, when it comes to the usual Ottawa whipping boy. It seemed like every game last year would have to include a Spezza giveaway that would end up with a quality scoring chance for the opposing team.

This year there seems to be a changing of the guard as the giveaways have become less and less frequent.

If any hockey fan were to look at Spezza’s stats, they would most likely think he was going through a slump. In years past, they would probably be right with that assessment, but this year the numbers don’t represent his play.

Cory Clouston has no care for Spezza’s stats. All he worries about is the W column of the standings and right now Spezza is succeeding in that regard. When he was out of the lineup, the Senators were unable to win a game.

He has clearly been a factor so far this year. The only question is, as there has been in years past, is whether or not he can keep it up.

So far, all indications are that he is ready to take that next step in his career and escape the shadow of one Dany Heatley.

Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto - image courtesy of Ian Muttoo/Flickr

Based on a total accumulation of hardware, the 2009 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee list was one of the stronger classes in recent years. Between the five inductees who were immortalized last Monday night in Toronto, there is an impressive ten Stanley Cups, three Olympic medals, two Norris Trophies, two Calder Memorial trophies, two Conn Smythe Trophies, and a Hart. Also, it doesn’t hurt to have the last name Yzerman, Hull, Leetch, or Robitaille. Oh, and don’t forget about one of the most successful managers in NHL history in Lou Lamoriello.

But before you read about all of the stats and accolades, it’s important you realize that to Stevie Y, Hully, Leetch, “Lucky” Luc, and Lou, all of their personal success means nothing to each of them in light of the game of hockey itself. In an incredibly humble and eloquent fashion, each of the hall-of-famers expressed their gratitude not only to the scores of people who helped them along in their careers, but to the game itself.

Brett Hull put the whole night in perspective: “It’s the greatest honor ever,” Hull said. “Are you kidding me? It’s hard to put into perspective. It’s hard. I think about the implications. Why did it happen for me? The game almost picked me. I didn’t pick the game.”

As if it needed to be reiterated to hockey enthusiasts around North America, the speeches presented by the five inductees confirmed that no player (from Gretzky all the way down to a fourth-liner in a beer league in a remote part of saskatchewan) is above the game and that hockey truly is the ultimate team sport. Not once during his speech did Yzerman go Michael Jordan by declaring that “There will never be another Steve Yzerman.” Brian Leetch didn’t get up to the podium with a Rickey Henderson-like grin and announce that he was one of the greatest players to ever play the game. On the contrary, all five men, all of whom are still involved with the game in some capacity, simply expressed their childhood dreams of just making it to the NHL and how they owe all of their success to the game that they love.

Steve Yzerman

• 22 NHL seasons  (all with the Red Wings)
• Ranks sixth all-time in career points (1,755)
• Won three Stanley Cups (took home a fourth as an executive with the Wings)
• Won a gold with Canada at the 2002 Olympics

Brett Hull

• Played 19 years with with Calgary, St. Louis, Dallas, Detroit and Phoenix
• Joins his father, Bobby, marking just the second time a father and son have both been enshrined as players
• Ranks third all-time in career goals (741)
• Won the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 1991

Brian Leetch

• Played in 18 NHL seasons (Rangers, Bruins, Leafs)
• Won two Norris Trophies as the league’s top defenseman (’92 & ‘97)
• Became the first American-born player to earn the Conn Smythe Trophy when the Rangers took home the Cup in 1994
• Won a silver with the U.S. at the 2002 Olympics

Luc Robitaille

• Played 19 seasons, starting and ending with the L.A. Kings and having stints with the Penguins, Rangers and Wings in between
• Most goals scored by a left winger in NHL history (668)
• Won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 1987
• Won a Stanley Cup in 2002 with Detroit

Lou Lamoriello

• Served as President and GM of the New Jersey Devils since 1987
• Has taken over twice as the team’s coach, in 2005-06 and 2007
• The Devils have won the Stanley Cup three times under his leadership
• Played a key role in the settlement of the 2004-05 NHL lockout.