The Red Ryder BB gun was available beginning in 1938 and for many years afterward (and indeed, still is), but never in the exact configuration mentioned in the film. The Daisy "Buck Jones" model did have a compass and a sundial in the stock, but these features were not included in the Red Ryder model.[11]The compass and sundial were placed on Ralphie's BB gun but on the opposite side of the stock due to Peter Billingsley being left-handed.
I considered a lot of other classic Christmas toys for this game but kept comin back to the ole Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle. I mean, after the Jackets used Luongo for target practice in the shootout was there any other option? Hell, the only thing they didn't shoot out was his eye!
Ralphie would be proud.
1. My first beer goes to the bottom six - specifically the Boll-Letestu-Johnson line. The Jackets owned the 1st period but were getting absolutely dominated by the Canucks for the first half of the 2nd. Then these guys came out and single handily changed the momentum of this game. They hit the ice like they were shot out of the cannon and then hit every thing with a C shaped whale thingy on it. Not much ice time for Johnson or Boll but they made a huge impact with that one shift and that is what a 4th line is supposed to do.
2. I'll be the first to admit that I didn't think these guy had a chance in this game but overall just a solid effort all the way around. They weren't going to outscore/outskill the Canucks so they had to shut them down. Everybody did their jobs. I thought the team defense really limited quality chances against - especially 2nd and 3rd opportunities. Goaltending was there when the team needed it to be. Special teams were great.
3. Could this game be the confidence boost that is needed for Steve Mason? Time will tell. For this game anyways, he was solid stopping 30 of 31 shots including all 7 on the Canucks #1 ranked PP. I was especially impressed with his rebound control and his glove was pretty good (nice snag on Sedin on the PP). One thing I didn't like, is that he is still over-committing on plays. He got away with it in this game but needs to clean that up. All in all very good showing and I was impressed to see him get back in there after his injury.
4. Special teams did their job in this game. The league's worst PK kept the league's best PP off the board despite the Jackets giving them 5 chances. The ability to kill those off was the biggest factor in this win IMO. The PP did a decent job getting a goal as well. It's a good thing as well b/c other than that play, it was a wreck most of the night.
5. Shootout. I'm used to see the Jackets getting 3 for 3 scored on them so when we do it to someone else -- I have to watch it a couple of times before I finally believe it. Letestu, Nash and Wiz were all money. The scored in 3 different ways. Letestu right and high. Nash left and low. Wiz right and low. Just damn fine shootin' by all 3 of these guys. The Jackets are now 3-3 in the shootout this season which is 4th best in the NHL. They won just 5 last year and lost 8.
6. While the guys plucked eyes out of eagles at night in the shootout, overall the offense continues to fire blanks. Just one stinkin goal -- one. It's been clear for a while that this team is going to have to win games the hard way (ie low scoring, hard checking mistake free Hitch hockey) but with guys like Nash and Carter in this lineup it just baffles my mind how they can't manufacture more goals.
EXTRA SHOTS:
Carter starting to heat up...finally. That is 3 goals in the past 3 games. Of all the celebs you would have guessed to travel to watch Carter play -- who would have guessed Kevin Harvick? Tyutin and Wiz combined for 13 of the 30 shots. Never would have thought I'd be worried about Nikita Nikitin going down with an injury but that dude has been our best dman. Glad to see him get back in there. How did that trip on Nash go undetected? Team fought through another bad call. Wiz now with 16 points in 22gp good for 3rd best on the team. Grant Clistome is pointless in his past TWELVE games -- need to git sum points GC! Decent crowd of 15,808 in the house for this one --- hey, all you can eat night packs em in! Glad to see this team not only deliver the fried goods, but also two points!
Finally, with the win, the Jackets are no longer the worst team in the NHL. That honor now falls to the Anaheim Ducks.
The Jackes are now 1-2 on this home stand. Next up is the Kings on Thursday.
-LTL
