The Jackets did it, again - built a lead, played solid, sound hockey, went into prevent mode, and well...
* Nice to see Hejda and Klesla playing solid defense - here's hoping that pairing continues. I think continuity of pairings could be one problem that's occurred, particularly with Tyutin's early season struggles.
* Another PP tally, and 1 of 2, overall...is this really the same team who was 30th, in this category, last year?
* Nice to see that large crowd of 17,772. Yes, it was a Saturday, and yes, OSU's regular season is over - but, also recall, in a transient - so many folks being from other parts of the country, visiting their families over the holiday weekend - city, such as ours, and, having come off a 4-game swoon - not that we're bandwagon-jumpers, here in the capital city...no, not us...quite a pleasant surprise, and a throaty crowd, at that.
* Nice to see Methot register a goal. I think he's been an underrated performer, this season.
YELLOW
* Mase, for the first 54 minutes, was pretty darn good. Then came the 79 second span, in which those two behind the net goals continued to plague him. Wait, I'm not done in my assessment of his performance...
* Brass picking up, an assist. While he was upping his game, a bit, he still looked tentative and was a bit loose with the puck.
* Chimera. 10 games (no points), and counting. So much for the "garbage" I'd heard that I was wrong about Chimmers - like last year's hot start, he's back to being Chimmers.
* Nice to see those game replays, after calls were made, something that's slowly improving, with the game ops crew. We could still do without the "standards" like Kiss Cam (hey, 2000 called, and that's over).
RED
OK, here goes:
* Mase in the shootout. No excuse for being 1 of 4 in that portion of the game. Wasn't this the guy who stopped, in succession, Malkin, Letang and Crosby in a shootout? Is it me, or does he not challenge the shooters, as much, in the shootout? Mase, I love ya, but, the next time Garon's in a shootout, take copious notes. Before certain analysts say this wasn't Mase's fault, in this portion of the game, yeah, it was.
* Voracek and Umberger. Both are really struggling - might be a case of paralysis by analysis.
* Well, the league's onto our achilles heel - it's the lack of digging out and moving out pucks behind the goal line. This had shades of 2003-2004...heck, shades of all seasons up to 2008-2009, written all over it. Might want to devote loads of practice time to correct this.
* Commodore. Ugh - there's not enough deodorant for this analysis. It might be time for a few healthy scratches, until he gets back in game shape. He's killing us.
* Going into prevent mode, right up to the 2-goal onslaught. Get the pucks deep, stay on the attack, and bury them.
3 BRIGHT LIGHTS ON THE NIGHT
1. The 54 good minutes.
2. Juice's performance, two games in a row.
3. The crowd.
The Jackets stay 3 games above .500, and gain a point. Now comes the team who became last season's Preds, the St. Louis Blues. They need to come out, with energy, and take 'em out, early, then bury them. No more prevent mode, no more blown leads. This fragility's got to end.
GO JACKETS!
-Mase 1
