This weekend I travelled down to Nashville to visit my family and watch my other family get at it with the hometown Predators.  More about that in a moment.

But first the night before.  It seems like everytime the Jackets get a good streak going, they let off at a strange time.  Coming off of a 3 game win streak, including a road win last week in Dallas, Columbus laid down and took it on the chin 3-0 at home against those same Stars.

To be fair, it was an ugly game for both teams.  Marty Turco was perfect, stopping 30 shots for his W, while Fredrik Norrena saw 31 shots, stopping 28 of them.  The big difference in this game was that Dallas cashed in on 2 of their 5 powerplay opportunities while Columbus was 0 for 3 in theirs.  After being victimized by the Jackets twice straight at home, the Stars were happy to claim the 2 points they need in their playoff run.

Saturday saw this blogger putting on his armor and heading out to war with his team.  Donning my Columbus Blue Jackets 3rd jersey and heading to the ####lord Entertainment Center with my wife, brother and his wife.  Let me just say before we go into the game that I thoroughly enjoyed the Nashville Predators hockey experience.  It was alot different than the Nationwide Arena experience, that is for certain.

The arena was alot smaller than Nationwide.  It reminded me of Mellon Arena did when I lived in Pittsburgh and went to watch the Penguins.  The atmosphere was very charged and there were alot more people there than I had expected for a game against a non-playoff bound competitor.  I took the time to interact with a good number of fans while I was there and they all had said to me that they too were surprised with the turnout.  When I asked them about the game experience, they all were pretty much together on it too.  They'd stated that it did not turn into the frenzied, loud, exciting arena-rocking thunder that it was this night until the Predators started winning.  That part of the experience reminded me of the days when the Blue Jackets were a new fledgling team, looking to carve their niche into Columbus sports.  It confirmed for me what I had thought for quite some time: The honeymoon phase is over Jackets, we know what we need to do.

Another thing I noticed was that because of the smaller arena, I could hear myself scream quite audibly.  So could the fans around me.  Unlike Columbus, where if you wear the opposing jersey, you're going to hear it for 60 minutes win or lose, the Nashville fans seemed content to ignore me and didn't start talking trash until the last few minutes of the game and after.  hmm.  That kind of disturbed me.  Maybe I was in the old folks' section.  Who knows?

Anyways, the game itself was quite a different game for the Jackets.  I had to take my excitement when I could get it.  After flashing a smile at country singer Kellie Pickler sitting in the box next to us, I got an early cheer as Gilbert Brule continued to click with the pairing of Jason Chimera and Manny Malhotra, putting Nashville down by a goal early.  From that point on through the rest of the first period, Nashville completely dictated play, shutting the Jackets down and flushing them from their end of the ice repeatedly, creating two different second chance opportunities that they capitalized on.

The second period began the same way, but after putting out a bit of the physical play, the Jackets took hold of the game and dominated the Predators the rest of the way through.  The difference between these teams tonight though was what allowed the Predators to hang on for the win.  It's the same thing that may carry the Predators through some games of the playoffs.

The Jackets were short on real scoring chances because the Predators played a solid 5 on 5 game.  At full strength, they were able to force the Jackets to the perimeter and clear the slot again and again.  The only time the Jackets had quality opportunities was on the powerplay, but they were stopped by two things.  Vokoun and the absolutely #### condition of the ice.  That is a huge home-ice advantage to have in the playoffs.  At some points in the night, it looked like the Jackets were skating on solid concrete.  The puck made awkward bounces from the ICE, not the BOARDS.  Players frequently lost their edge and the puck frequently stopped in mid-motion.  Obviously the Predators are used to playing on this kind of surface, whereas most teams are not.   know that not every venue can be like Edmonton or other places that have 100% perfect rinks night in and night out, but one thing I would think about doing with the ####lord is improving the conditions of the ice.

I do want to close this with giving some love to those Predators fans that are hanging in there amid all the 'speculation' that your team should be moving.  It was obvious to me this weekend that you guys are a market that is staying.  Although, like the Jackets, your team is often relegated to pages of the sports report behind the Titans and the college teams even after big wins, your true fans are behind you and that's a big plus.  The arena experience is great and hey, maybe I went on a strange night, but it didn't seem to me like you were having a big problem filling seats.  If I heard correctly, the Detroit home game coming up is also a sell-out.

While Nashville continues its run at the top of the Western Conference, Columbus will look to bounce back and gain momentum on the road, like it has done, strangely enough, many times this season.  the week ahead is another brutal one, visiting Anaheim on Wednesday before going back to back on Friday and Saturday in San Jose and then Los Angeles.

With less than 20 games left to play and with the team mathematically eliminated in many playoff speculation calculations, the Blue Jackets seem to be waking up and getting at it.  One thing is for sure though, these are not the Jackets we are used to seeing.  Literally.

GM Doug Maclean has officially announced more players that will be out for the rest of the season.  Duvie Westcott has not yet recovered from a nasty concussion and they have decided not to chance rushing his rehabilitation.  Dan Fritsche, suffering from a lacerated wrist, will not be making a return appearance either.  Bryan Berard, recently waived, will not be seen in anymore games this season,citing a back injury.  That likely spells the end of Berard's career as a Blue Jacket, and possibly in the NHL.  The jury is still out on captain Adam Foote, having a high ankle sprain interrupt his game last week in Dallas.  Maclean seems to be speculating that he won't be playing him for the rest of the year either, but no word has been made official on that.

This has opened up the roster for the young kids and callups immensely.  The biggest to benefit has undoubtedly been Geoff Platt.  For the last few games, Platt has been centering the top line for the Jackets and the experiment has been strangely successful.  The line of Platt, Rick Nash and David Vyborny have single handedly carried the team through the last few victories.  The game last night at Nationwide was no exception.

Geoff Platt scored his first NHL goal about 10 feet in front of G Mathieu Garon, tipping in a shot and opening up the scoring for Columbus.  Columbus dominated the first period, but seemed to go back on their heels in the second.  They came back out and stepped up in the third period, with Vyborny tying the game after 2 unanswered Los Angeles goals and sent the game into overtime.

The overtime period was one of the most exciting of the season.  Los Angeles could not convert on a high sticking penalty called on Sergei Federov, with Alexander Frolov nullifying it by taking a hook 30 seconds into the penalty.  Columbus made no mistake, cashing in on the second shot of their powerplay, with Vyborny burying the GWG and sending the Kings out with just a point.

After this restful week, the Jackets have a busy weekend, hosting the Dallas Stars and then travelling to Nashville for back to back games.  This blogger will be travelling with the team and visiting the ####lord Entertainment Center to see if the Jackets can avoid a horrific season sweep, hopefully stopping the Predators from taking all 8 games this season.  Look for more late heroics and more of the young guys stepping up this weekend.

Ken Hitchcock finally found some scoring and some lines that work well together, but it might be a bit too late.

Before the two road games began, Hitch had some rather physical practices with the boys, trying to find out who the real players are and who is just there for the paycheck.  One of the things he did was have a shootout competition.  Rostislav Klesla won that competition, barely beating....get this....minor league call-up Zenon Konopka.  Nash, Vyborny, Federov, none of them were win, place or show.

Columbus controlled the play more often than not in Dallas, working Hitchcock's physical style and creating many quality chances.  Call-up D Marc Methot proved his worth in just his second game with the club, notching an assist and his first NHL point.  He was a +2 for the night as well.  Columbus played exceptionally well defensively, but as they often do, a few minutes of sloppy play resulted in a pair of goals for Dallas.

After the overtime period, Hitchcock's master plan developed.  Hitchcock filled out his lineup for the shootout and likely gave GM Doug Maclean a minor heartattack.  Instead of the skill players or big guns, Jason Chimera led the shootout and scored what would be the only goal in it, ending the game at a 3-2 decision.  The other names on the paper?  Zenon Konopka and Rostislav Klesla.

D Adam Foote was hurt early on in the game and did not play this past evening in Phoenix.  Replacing him was the recently waived Bryan Berard.  Fredrik Norrena, solid in the net in Dallas, was given the night off.  Replacing him in net was new waiver call-up Brian Boucher.  The rest of the lineup, including the four other kids called up from the minors, was kept the same.

Columbus came out again and dominated much of the game, forcing Phoenix G Curtis Joseph to stand on his head and stop many quality shots.  C Geoff Platt collected his first two points of the season, both assists feeding Rick Nash on the first goal of the game and the GWG. 

Nash and Fredrik Modin have finally come on as of late.  Rick Nash now has 21 goals for the season, whereas Modin's 16th goal of the year puts him at 199 career goals.  Both of these nights saw these two players getting great chances to bury the biscuit.  Their leadership inspired the younger players to get at it just as hard as they did and made Columbus honestly look like the playoff contender that they were supposed to be this year.

One interesting note tonight, with 3 seconds left in the game, Wayne Gretzky took exception to the fact that the faceoff after a fight and the net coming off of its moorings was outside of the zone (due to the fact that it was Phoenix's infraction).  Referee Don Koharski refused to budge on it and this drove Gretzky to utter a few magic words and throw his clipboard across the bench.  Koharski called Gretzky for a bench minor, abuse of officials.

The Jackets will get a few days off this week, coming home to host the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday and then the Dallas Stars on Friday.  Hopefully in the extended time off, they will not forget the team that they have been this weekend and will finish the season with their heads held high.

As I speculated earlier in February in this blog, GM Doug Maclean confirmed I was correct.  Pascal Leclaire will miss the rest of the season, attempting to rehab his knee.  That solidifies Fredrik Norrena as our number one goalie now and recent waiver claim Brian Boucher as our number two.  Due to injuries and the team playing in front of him, Leclaire had a very disappointing season this year, going 6-15-2 this year with a 2.97 GA and .897 save percentage.  To be fair to Leclaire, only three of those games were with the team under Ken Hitchcock.

D Duvie Westcott, out since January 7th seems to be dealing with post-concussion and will likely miss the rest of the season as well.  The injury bug has plagued Duvie too this season, only allowing him to play in 23 games this season.  Westcott is, by my own opinion, one of our top 4 defensemen and has been sorely missed this season.  He is an unrestricted free agent after the end of the season, and I'm certain that his rehab will have a big effect on whether he re-signs in Columbus or whether he'll be released.

Injuries to Dan Fritsche and Alexander Svitov have forced us to dig even deeper into AHL affiliate Syracuse.  Starting tonight against the Dallas Stars in big D are four kids with alot to prove.  C Geoff Platt has inexplicably been given a golden ticket, being moved into the top line to start, centering Rick Nash and David Vyborny.  I will be shocked if he does not produce tonight being with our top goal scorer and our top playmaker.  D Marc Methot has been somewhat of an impressive force in the past 2 games he has played for the Blue Jackets, and likely he will continue to fill in while Westcott is out.  On our checking line the last two will be filling in, LW Curtis Glencross and C Zenon Konopka, both acquired in trade earlier this season from Anaheim.

D Bryan Berard cleared waivers and has not been assigned elsewhere.  He has travelled with the team for the road trip, but is a healthy scratch this evening.  It is still not known if he will be bought out or if he will serve a purpose for the rest of the season.

Last night when I was formulating my blog entry and watching Atlanta at Boston on VS, I was explaining the concept of restricted and unrestricted free agents to my wife.  She is a hockey fan and a rabid Blue Jackets fan like myself.  After I explained to her why the Jackets have made the moves they have made, I commented that when Chicago put Brian Boucher on waivers, they created a situation that perhaps Columbus could take advantage of.

It is no secret that Ty Conklin has been a disappointment this year.  I suggested that maybe they save themselves about $100k and waive Ty Conklin or attempt to put him into a deal for a low draft pick and pick up Boucher.

Perhaps Doug Maclean was listening in on my conversation.

I was rather surprised, however, to see that the Buffalo Sabres bit on this one.  Putting Conklin as Miller's backup would be folly in my opinion, especially if you are an Edmonton fan and recall the fiasco that he created last year.  Getting ANYTHING from them for Conklin is a big win for Columbus.  Roughly it equates to paying about $750k for a 5th round draft pick.  The fact that Conklin drew more than Berard who had to be waived makes me scratch my head.

That being said, tonight Boucher will be backing up G Fredrik Norrena against the Colorado Avalanche in Denver.  Whether or not Boucher will be a band-aid or be signed will be decided in the rest of the season.  However, he has a good chance to prove himself with Leclaire out of the lineup for what probably will be the rest of the season.

Unless you're under a rock, by now you've heard that Fredrik Modin, the first star of last night's game, has re-signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets.  Many in this market thought it would be a 2 year deal, however he has signed on for 3 more campaigns.  The unofficial word is that he'll be taking home an average of 3.25 million per year.  Not bad at all I'd say for the production he's putting forth as of late.

Provided his stepping up in his play is not directly due to the possibility of a trade, he will be one of the Jackets' cornerstones for the next few years, both working hard with the young roster and hopefully lighting the red lamp.  He currently has 15-15-30 in 60 games with Columbus.

Columbus has waived D Bryan Berard today as well.  Berard has been a bit of a disappointment, having only contributed 0-3-3 in 10 games since returning from back surgery.  Poor Berard has been through alot in his career and this may be spelling the end of it, at least in the NHL.  Hitch scratched him from the lineup for the past two games, saying that he wanted to make room for the younger guys on the roster.  Obviously Berard was shopped and Maclean either did not get what he wanted or got very little interest.  Nonetheless, if he clears waivers, he will likely be bought out.  I cannot see him reporting to Syracuse.

Unfortunately for Columbus, they also lost the services of Dan Fritsche last night, suffering a lacerated wrist in the 4-3 shootout loss against the Nashville Predators.  I was proud of the Jackets' effort, at least for about 50 minutes of the game.  Enforcer Jody Shelley notched his first goal of the season finally and D Ron Hainsey tallied to tie the game 3-3 halfway through the third period.  The Jackets cut a 2 goal deficit made when young D Aaron Johnson made a few mistakes that led to turnovers and eventual scoring situations for the Predators.

Columbus dominated the play in the third period and in the overtime stanza, outshooting the Predators 16-7 in the third and 5-0 in overtime.  Nashville's Chris Mason put up some mastodonic goaltending to steal this game from the Blue Jackets, countering their massive effort and offensive explosion every step of the way.  Columbus could not find a goal in the shootout either, dropping it on a conversion from Alexander Radulov.

Although last night's game was extremely competitive, Nashville has bought and sold the Blue Jackets this season, commanding a 7-0 domination in the season series.  Their last game will be in Nashville on March 10th, and I will be travelling to be in attendance for it to see the Jackets squeeze that last game out and rob them of at least 2 points.

It is unknown if the Blue Jackets will be making anymore moves or picking anyone up that has been waived in the massive waiver plunge that happened today.  Hopefully if they do, they'll be looking to improve their shaky defence corps or perhaps scouring the bargain bin for a certain goalie that Chicago waived today.  God knows we need someone to back up Fredrik Norrena while Pascal Leclaire decides if he'll be able to play again.

Ken Hitchcock made it plain before the game that he's not going to miss the services of Anson Carter.  That being said, Hitchcock made D Bryan Berard and RW Nikolai Zherdev healthy scratches.  No reason was given for Berard, but it was obvious to this blogger after tonight that it was to make way for the 'youth movement' for the rest of the season.  That spells it all out to me 100% that he can and will be dealt.  Zherdev, on the other hand, drew the coach's ire for failing to follow his instructions or doing something he wanted him to do after the Edmonton home loss.

GM Doug Maclean stated during the first intermission that he was excited about dealing Carter, clearing the way for more young guys to get some ice time.  D Aaron Johnson was back in the lineup tonight, as well as call-ups from Syracuse Geoff Platt and Curtis Glencross.  Johnson made a few bad mistakes pinching and Glencross was not much of a factor, however Platt played one hell o####ame tonight, getting some good opportunities from his hard work.

The Blue Jackets skated into Madison Square Garden looking like the same team that took a hard loss a few nights ago, failing to match the speed an intensity of the playoff hungry Rangers.  After giving up two goals and only getting one for themselves in the first, they headed to the locker room looking for more.  More energy, more effort and more intensity.

The Jackets and the Rangers gave it to each other in the final two periods, however the Rangers could not stop the comeback from coming.  Columbus scored two unanswered goals in the second, both of them coming shorthanded as they foiled the Rangers' deadly powerplay.  Jason Chimera outworked the Rangers to knot up the game and then Rick Nash sealed the deal with the GWG, again taking care of business while a man down.  Fredrik Norrena sealed the door after giving up a rather soft wrap around in the first, stopping 40 of 42 shots to secure the win for Columbus.

The Blue Jackets are likely boarding a plane as I write this to get home for a game hosting Nashville tomorrow.  From there, they will be heading out west on a three game roadtrip that sees them in Colorado on Tuesday, the day of the trade deadline.  Next weekend they'll be invading Dallas on Friday and tackling the Yotes on Saturday.

The Columbus Blue Jackets looked to respond to many different types of frustration:  their inconsistent play, the longshot chance of reaching the playoffs, trade rumors and many other things.  One of them was Edmonton's Petr Sykora's comments to the press, stating that because they were facing Columbus, they would be getting a lift out of their sad situation.

The best way to respond in this blogger's humble opinion would have been to hang a big W on them.  Instead, the Blue Jackets responded in a different way, but sent a similar message.  The referees completely lost control of the game, choosing to call the usual calls against each team.  You know, hooking when the stick isn't even touching the player, holding when the hand isn't clenched, etc.

The calls that they let go were many questionable hits, including two knee-on-knee hits from Edmonton, one from Patrick Thorensen on Rick Nash saw Nash taking out his own vengeance at his aggressor, much like he did in the San Jose game after receiving a stick to his groin.  The other was Zack Stortini and was almost instantly retributed by Jody Shelley.

This game also added another tally in the one column that the Blue Jackets surely lead the league in: goals called back which turn out to be horrible officiating decisions only after the game.  On the powerplay, Alexander Svitov redirected a point blast to put the Jackets back within one, but the goal was called back by the referee whose vision was screened by Dwayne Roloson.  The referee called no-goal, saying Svitov's stick was above the crossbar.  All angles shown on the replay supported an overturning of that, but for some odd reason the war room ruled there was not enough evidence to support the overturning of the call and Roloson's shutout stood.

To his credit Roloson was absolutely solid in net and earned every bit of that shutout, frustrating the Jackets until all they could do was get physical in the hopes of wearing down an Edmonton team that has their eyes on a remote playoff possibility.  Obviously we know that the 4-0 final score showed who played the game best this evening.

In other news, as has already been announced on Spector's Blog, Anson Carter was sent to the Carolina Hurricanes today for a 5th round pick in 2008.  It is completely unknown how useful this will be, but it speaks volumes for how Carter's image has soured this year in the league.

Just last year he was battling for more money and a long-term contract in Vancouver, coming off of a career year on a line with the Sedin twins.  This year, the Sedins have continued their scoring ways and Carter has failed to click with any line combination that Ken Hitchcock has put him with.  Anson Carter's best hockey this year has been played as a grinder, opening up ice for the playmakers and goal scorers in his line to work with.

Carter did not play that identify often, nor did he find his own here in Columbus.  Lost without linemates to feed him assists (with the exception of David Vyborny who has probably fed an assist to every Jackets player that has scored a goal this year), he failed to contribute to match the 2.5 million dollar salary he picked up this year.  Fortunately, Maclean decided to at least get something for him instead of just wishing him well at the end of another fruitless season.

It was a failed venture to be sure, but Carter's tenure is over and the Jackets will no doubt try to lure a few new free agent or two this year in an attempt to find the right kind of player for the system Hitchcock runs.  Having Hitchcock at the beginning of the season running the training camp and helping pick the team, not to mention at the draft, should be a good deal better than just having him half the season.  His acquisition likely has bought Doug Maclean another year in the eyes of the fans.

As we look ahead on the trade deadline, it is almost a sure bet that Bryan Berard will be travelling before the end of it.  Also, no word has been reached on a finality of Fredrik Modin's contract.  Expect to hear that sealed up or that he is moving on as well.

My last note for the day is that Rick Nash now has an official website.  Go check it out today!

Just what we needed in Columbus, something else to happen to the team.  Sources from Columbus have revealed sketchy details regarding Pascal Leclaire.  Ever since Leclaire's injury and subsequent knee surgery, the former first round draft pick has not played nearly as well as he used to.  GM Doug Maclean stated that it appears his knee is still bothering him, possibly aggravated in the 3-2 loss to Montreal this past weekend.  It is likely that Leclaire will not be returning to the team this season.

This raises more than eyebrows and red flags concerning the goalie that was being groomed to be the franchise goaltender.  Leclaire has failed to make a successful comeback this season after rehabing that knee before or after the surgery.  My concern is matched by many of the Columbus faithful.  Will he ever be the same again?  Will he ever be able to play a full game without undoing it again?  This blogger knows all too well what that entails, having his hockey career cut short due to reconstructive knee surgery.  For a defenceman like me it was bad, but a goalie who relies on his knees for hours on end, it can be downright fatal.

Thankfully, rookie goaltender Fredrik Norrena has been more than pulling his weight this year, however he is not a young rookie.  He has some good years left, there is no doubt about that, but it is highly unlikely he'll be spending the next 10 years in the NHL.  Maclean will have to give some serious consideration on looking for goaltending in the next few years.

This news was bad enough, but coming off of the most poorly officiated game we have played in thus far, it is yet another stab in the heart.  St. Louis held on for a shootout victory against the Jackets 5-4 in a game that saw both teams getting hosed by extremely bad calls or even worse no-calls. 

Besides the officiating inconsistencies, so bad that coach Ken Hitchcock was lightly reprimanded by the league for just insinuating he thought there might have been some issues with it, this game saw more offense than we are used to seeing from the Blue Jackets.  3 out of the 4 goals were unassisted, and G Manny Legace had to be wiping the sweat from his brow pulling out the W after letting a few soft goals float past him, including one shot by Ron Hainsey from the blue line with 2 seconds left in the period and no one within miles of them.

The Blue Jackets will look to play the role of the spoiler for the rest of this week, meeting with Edmonton tomorrow at home before putting a back-to-back together this weekend at NY Rangers and then back home against Nashville.

Coming off of a 3-0 shutout and dominance of San Jose, Columbus flipped the coin over and took it on the chin, losing at home to Montreal 3-2.

The Good:  Not much.  Young stars Gilbert Brule and Nikolai Zherdev found their scoring touch in this game.  For Brule, that makes a pair of games with a goal.  Zherdev got a #### off of his back, netting his first in 14 games.  One of many underachieving forwards this year, he seemed to have more confidence, often leading the charge trying to get that tying goal.

The Bad:  Do not let the score fool you.  Though it was a competitive game in the first period, the Blue Jackets took their foot off of the accelerator and sat back, watching three goals go against them before waking up in the third period.  That kind of inconsistent play is one of the major factors in deciding that they will be playing golf instead of hockey in April.

Columbus made Montreal G Jaroslav Halak look as if it was another day in the office in his first ever start, not getting good quality shots towards him until the third period.  He hung on for the victory, stopping 31 of 33 shots he faced.

With 7 days left before the trade deadline, Columbus seems to be on the verge of signing Fredrik Modin to a multi-year contract.  Most likely it will be finished up mid-week and will all but take him off of the trade block.  That leaves Bryan Berard and Anson Carter as the most likely trades from Columbus.  All I have heard thus far is rumors, nothing substanial from the organization or the press.

Not 24 hours before last night's game, San Jose saw themselves on the losing end of a shutout.  Vesa Toskala, normally solid, gave up a few soft goals and opened the door for a thorough domination by Nashville.  The next night in Columbus, Evgeni Nabokov started in goal and must have thought he was in the sequel of Groundhog Day.

From start to finish Columbus played the game that we have been waiting to see from them for a long time.  Fredrik Norrena was perfect from start to finish, pitching his third shutout of the season.  The defense was solid, allowing very few actual scoring chances, keeping the shots out on the perimeter making easy stops for Norrena.  And then there was the offense.

Three of our more underachieving forwards chipped in for this team effort.  Fredrik Modin opened up the scoring on a wrap around, catching Nabokov completely flat-footed, picking up the only goal Columbus would need for only his 2nd goal of this month and only his 5th goal in the last 27 games.  Gilbert Brule also put a rather soft goal past Nabokov, taking a pass from Sergei Federov and putting it past Nabokov from around the face off circle.  It was Brule's first goal in 16 games.  Federov finished the effort himself, scoring a PPG in the 3rd, his first goal in 11 games.

Most of the talk around the city of Columbus this week as far as the fans are concerned seem to be around the frustration that Columbus is turning in yet another losing season.  They have not been over .500 since their inception for the 2000-2001 season.  This season, it seems that they are capable of having big games against teams like San Jose, but then are unable to overcome other teams with dismal records.

It is not the first year that fans have pointed the finger at GM Doug Maclean, but most of these fans are the same ones that cheered him at the beginning of the season for putting together a team of paper champions.  This was the first year on record that Columbus went out to sign some major firepower and prepared at the beginning of the season for what surely would become a playoff run.  Maclean put together a hell of a squad, but the players have not done their part this year.

Looking down the roster, most of the higher paid players and veterans have all underperformed and disappointed not only the fans, but their fellow teammates.  Alot of the life this season has come from more unlikely sources.  I would like to commend Doug Maclean for not only keeping many of the young guys and draft picks, developing them in Syracuse or other places and providing a future for our team as opposed to handicapping us by trading them away for short-term gains.  As we should take from this year's example, signing one-year contracts and bringing in short-term players has proven completely fruitless.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that is an Ohio State fan to note that the same fans that are so used to a winning tradition, those that have drank the purple kool-aid given to them by the Buckeye Nation and celebrate it as a religion, have trouble standing behind an organization when it is not a proven winner.  That includes not only the Blue Jackets, but the Destroyers and Crew as well.  Although we are having absolutely no problems putting fans in the seats, many of those fans are equally apt to jeer the team as they are to cheer for them, depending on if the weather holds.

The front office is still pretty mum on definites as the trade deadline draws near.  Modin improved his stock a bit last night providing a goal, an assist and some gritty play.  Bryan Berard's name is all over the rumor mills and I personally think he would be a great asset for another team.  Berard is a solid offensive defenseman and plays a great powerplay, but is a bit of a liability when he pinches in.  There has been less buzz about Anson Carter as of late, but I definitely wouldn't rule out a late trade with him.  I may be the only person in Columbus that thinks this, but I would love for Carter to follow the trend of rental players and be resigned in Columbus next year.

The buzz is greatest around a kid named Zherdev.  I've said it before and I'll say it again.  Columbus would be absolutely nuts to trade him, no matter how frustrated they get.  It would be a good idea to remove him from the NHL, send a message to him as he skates for Syracuse in the AHL.  Let him dominate down there to get his confidence back and to work on what he lacks: work ethic and team play.  If he would get back on D every so often and learn to pass the puck, he would not frustrate people so much.  His contract is good until next year.  Re-evaluate things then.

It was a hard fought game on both sides.  Scoring chances had been limited by both defenses.  That is until the game breaking goal.

Only that goal was waved off in yet another questionable goal review by Toronto, likely costing the Jackets the game on the go-ahead goal that would have put them up 3-2.  Instead it was waved off, paving the way for St. Louis to get that go-ahead goal instead and take the game, adding an empty netter to make it a 4-2 final.

Anson Carter unleashed a wicked wrister, causing Manny Legace to fall back into the net with the puck still going forward underneath him.  After putting down his goal pads and having the entire pad cross the line, the play was blown down.  In the middle of the scrum that followed, Keith Tkachuk is seen pulling the puck out from under Legace's pads and pushing it into the crease.  After a short review, because of the camera angle, it is ruled inconclusive that the puck crossed the line and since they didn't physically see the puck enter the net, it is called no goal.

This is completely reverse of another call that went against the Jackets on December 29th in Minnesota.  In overtime, the game was decided on a disputed goal by Wes Walz of the Wild, having had the puck shot into his equipment.  Walz crossed the goal line and even though the puck was not physically seen crossing the goal line, they gave him the goal on the assumption that since it was in his equipment, it crossed the line.

So let me get this straight.  Puck goes under goal pads.  Goal pads go across line.  No goal.  Puck goes in forward's equipment.  Forward's body crosses goal line.  Goal.

Obviously many NHL teams are not understanding how to play in the new NHL.  Simply pick up the puck, stuff it down your pants, and make a mad run for the goalie.  Instant offense.

And let's not forget the goal that wasn't in Vancouver.  Roberto Luongo makes a save on Sergei Federov to keep the game from tying at 1-1.  The puck appears to slide across the line and the play is blown down and reviewed.  The verdict?  Inconclusive.  The verdict in the morning?  Embarassing.  Or so I would hope as the pictures in the Vancouver paper show the puck across the line and the war room in Toronto having once again negatively affected a close game that could have gone the other way.

To be certain, Columbus is now playing for pride, not the post-season.  The Jackets will be hosting the San Jose Sharks Friday night at Nationwide Arena, attempting to right the ship as it sinks during an abyssmal homestretch.  I can find very little drama in this game, except for one interesting note.  Former CBJ prospect Mathieu Darche has been called up from San Jose's farm team.  It should be interesting to see him play against the team that drafted him and got him started in the big leagues.

It has been rather quiet on the trade front, although rumors are definitely abound.  I will keep you posted as always.  Until then, it's still Jackets Time.

Reports from the Columbus Dispatch indicate that Nikolai Zherdev was kicked out of practice around 10 minutes into yesterday's regiment by coach Ken Hitchcock.  This expression of frustration in the young Russian is most likely the result of his disappointing play over the course of the year.

Ask any Columbus fan and they'll tell you.  Zherdev's ugly contract negotiation at the beginning of the year led many to believe that the Blue Jackets' front office was playing hardball with him, denying him the respect and the money that he earned playing his first full year with the club last year.  However, his performance this year was a tremendous bust.

Last year, Zherdev's creative play and support earned him 27-27-54 over the course of 73 games.  This year, he has slumped to 7-14-21 over 46.  Zherdev's plus/minus rating, currently at -17, is a serious cause for concern as it drops from season to season, not improving as many young forwards do when they start to understand their defensive responsibilities.

Couple that with the fact that Zherdev has failed to simplify his game, continuing to try much too hard to make an individual play on the puck or to try a cute move instead of moving the puck from north to south and you have a young, developing talent that is giving everyone involved fits.

GM Doug Maclean had said mid season that he had no wish to deal Zherdev.  He had compared it to the trade that he had made a few years ago sending Darryl Sydor to Tampa Bay in exchange for Alexander Svitov.  Svitov was just the same as Zherdev, underperforming for the Lightning until his coach had had enough, enough to trade him toward playoff time to build his team for a run.  Obviously as time has progressed, Svitov has finally found his identity, making great improvements this year on our squad.

Ken Hitchcock, on the other hand, does not seem to have the same patience with Zherdev as does Doug Maclean.  Alot of fans I'd spoken with over the course of the past week would love to see Zherdev have 'a nice jersey with a #### on it'.  This refers to the Syracuse Crunch, our AHL affiliate.  It remains to be seen whether or not Zherdev will be dealt or sent to the minors, but it seems his lack of effort in practice and in the games may be forcing an unfortunate end to the fuse that holds Ken Hitchcock's temper back when it comes to him.

Fredrik Norrena had a strange day yesterday.  In the morning, it was officially announced that he'd signed his 2 year deal with the Columbue Blue Jackets, much to the delight of the fans.  Later that evening, he and his teammates spotted the Chicago Blackhawks a 3-0 lead after only 12 minutes of the first.

After replacing him with Pascal Leclaire, the bleeding slowed but did not stop.  Do not let the score at the end, 5-4, fool you.  This game was anything but close.  The hometown boys were outskated, outchanced, outhit and outplayed from the start.  The Blue Jackets failed to play with much energy or enthusiasm, mustering only 3 shots in the first period.  Some of them seemed to wake up in the second, but it was much too late.  The last four minutes of the game found them a frenzied mess, trying desperately to score that tying goal, having drawn within one with ugly goals on broken plays.

After the game, coach Hitchcock stated that it was apparent to him that the same people that put out a good effort in this game were the same that had been putting out a good effort in the past, and those that did not come to play were also the same.  That is also the general opinion around here.  After the game I spoke to a good number of fans, all of which had an opinion of which game it was that they lost hope in.  This one, unfortunately, was mine.

No doubt the front office will be looking to move some players before the trade deadline to start building for next year.  Fredrik Modin seems to be at the top of the short list for the fans around here.  He has been a disappointment this year, falling from an effort last year of 31-23-54 in 77 games to 13-12-25 as of 53 games currently.  His contract expires at the end of this year, and it seems he is just not fitting into our system or clicking with our lines.

Opinion is divided on Anson Carter.  Some fans think that he has put a good amount of effort into his play even though his numbers do not reflect it, while others are not impressed.  He is also someone that may be relocated on the tail end of his one year contract.

Bryan Berard opened his scoring for the campaign in his fifth game back from back surgery, netting 2 assists in the loss.  He still doesn't look like he's 100% out there, but as long as he's producing and improving, you won't hear many complaints from the fans.  Anders Eriksson's contract expires as well at the end of the season, but they would be hard pressed if they moved him.  Eriksson has been the Blue Jackets' plus/minus leader throughout most all of the season, sadly he is currently at +3.

We will have to see how things go in the next few weeks as the trade deadline looms over our heads.  A few breaths of fresh air that we can draw on to build our team for the future is all we can hope for at this point in time.

One sad statistic.  Provided the Eastern Conference continues on the pace that it is going and Atlanta makes the playoffs, that will leave the Jackets as the only existing team that has not reached the postseason yet.  The most we can hope for is the possibility of digging far enough out of the hole we have created to have our first season at .500 or above.

Thursday night's game at Nationwide Arena was a brief throwback to old time hockey.  Actually, it felt more like a playoff game.

The hits were hard, fast and often as the Blue Jackets turned the tables on the Calgary Flames 2-1, a payback win following a 6-2 slaughtering at the Saddledome last week.  G Jamie McLennan gave up 2 goals in a span of less than a minute as the Jackets cashed in on great scoring opportunities from David Vyborny and Fredrik Modin.

Calgary's only goal came on the tail end of a controverisal powerplay.  Dion Phaneuf slammed into Rick Nash at the boards, hitting him from behind well after he had dished the puck.  The referees controlled the scrum that followed, but failed to penalize Phaneuf for the obvious boarding call.  Unafraid to take matters into his own hands, Adam Foote came off of the bench and challenged Phaneuf verbally, a challenge that he wisely turtled away from.  Foote was given for unsportsmanlike conduct for this verbal sparring and Phaneuf ran to his bench with his tail tucked between his legs.

Today, G Pascal Leclaire was activated from IR.  Leclaire has been troubled by his knee for most of the season, causing Fredrik Norrena to take the lion's share of ice time this season.  Amazingly, Leclaire has only been available for 3 games since Ken Hitchcock took over.  It is unknown who will start in net on Sunday when the Blue Jackets host the Chicago Blackhawks on the NBC game of the week.

The Jackets are exercising their right to home ice advantage this week, hosting the Blackhawks on Sunday, then hosting St. Louis Wednesday, San Jose Friday and Montreal the Sunday following.

No new discussion has been afoot regarding the possibilties of trades or sales, however the Blue Jackets are a long shot at best for the playoffs at this point.  We will have to see as the trade deadline gets closer how things go.