Columbus Blue Jackets 2011-12 Preview/Ramblings

In the two-plus years that I've had this blog, the only thing I've done consistently is a Columbus Blue Jackets season preview. I didn't get a chance to do one before this hockey season started, but I think that may have been for the best. After all, it's not like I was in Columbus watching the team practice or play preseason games...a preview pretty much would have been talking about the moves the Jackets made this offseason, which has already been done by writers and message board junkies ad nauseam.

So instead of a "traditional" season preview, this will be more of my thoughts through the first four games of the season. I recently subscribed to NHL Gamecenter so I can watch the CBJ this season. And now that I'm locked into my purchase, I think it will force me to be a better hockey fan than I have been the last couple years...now that I'm pot committed I feel like I have to get my money's worth.

Yes, I realize four games isn't a huge sample size, but I've at least seen the team play and can form some of my own opinions, rather than re-hashing what I read online. Just think of this as part preview, part review(yes, that is the tag line from my days working on Bobcat Blitz, I'm sure everyone's familiar with it).

Goaltending

I usually end with goaltending, but I figured I'd start with it this season since it's probably the most important thing for this year's team. The Blue Jackets' only playoff berth was made possible by the play of Steve Mason. Has Mason been good in the two seasons since? Certainly not. But I love that after four games, plenty of folks are already back on their "when are the Blue Jackets going to get a new goalie?" and "Same old Mason" kicks. I'm not trying to say that Mason is definitely a guy who can get this team back to the playoffs...obviously the team thinks he is and he did it as a rookie, but he clearly hasn't been on that level since.

Honestly, I still just don't know how good he is. People are always so quick to blame the goalie. Again, I'm aware that he hasn't been good the past two seasons, but I dare anyone to tell me his defense was good in front of him. The Blue Jackets have never had a really good defensive corps, and you can't ask a goalie, especially a young one, to stand on his head every night. You do need to depend on him to make a couple big time saves most games, but there's a difference. A perfect example is the goal Alex Burrows scored Monday to win the game for the Canucks. The defense allowed him to just waltz right in front of the net for a point blank chance. And Mason stopped the first shot! But Burrows got multiple whacks at the puck a foot from the goal...shocking that he scored.

Again, Mason has definitely struggled since winning the Calder Trophy. He needs to step it up for this team to have any shot at the postseason. But give him a chance to get used to his new defensemen and new goalie coach before you blame him for every goal the Blue Jackets allow.

Defense

Speaking of defense, this is the part that's toughest to write because, frankly, I just don't know what the Jackets have. Scott Howson made the biggest free agent signing in club history to bring in James Wisniewski as the team's top D-man, and he won't see the ice until game nine.

Side rant: after some of the other hits players have received suspensions for, eight regular season games is a joke. I get that he's a repeat offender, and it definitely was a dumb play and warranted a few games, but Clutterbuck was looking right at him. Are you gonna sit there and tell me it was worse than this hit FROM THE SAME GAME? Gimme a break.

Anyway, I'm reserving complete judgement of the Columbus defense until Wiz plays a couple games...though they could be out of the playoffs by then. That being said, they've been pretty awful so far.

I've always wanted Kris Russell to be good, but I'm really worried that he just isn't. He's made some terrible turnovers and has looked awkward when trying to jump in on the rush, which is supposed to be the part of his game he's known for.

I could go more in-depth with the rest of the defensemen, but it would mostly be more of the same: nobody has looked great, especially with the puck. There have been some nice defensive plays, but they've been overshadowed by turnovers and generally sloppy play. I will say that I like what Grant Clitsome has done at times in the offensive zone. He's not afraid to ask for the puck and try to make something happen, which the Jackets definitely need more of. Still, the defense in general needs to step up big time. I don't know that one guy can fix such a widespread problem, but if anyone can, the guy who makes $5.5 million a year is probably a strong candidate.


Offense

For once, this should be a strength for the Blue Jackets. The addition of Jeff Carter gives them their first number one center ever(yes, ever). I've always liked Carter and think he's a great addition to the team, especially to center a line with Rick Nash. And while the trade was clearly the biggest splash Howson made this summer, I LOVE the Vinny Prospal signing. He's no spring chicken, but the guy puts up points(already has 4 points through four games). The Jackets signed him purely as a replacement for Kristian Huselius while he recovers from injury, but if Prospal stays healthy I think he's an upgrade.

For the first time, the Jackets finally have a line that opponents will have to fear. The Nash-Carter-Prospal combo has been dynamite through four games. Unfortunately, they're the only ones who have been consistently good. Part of the reason for that could be how much shuffling Scott Arniel has done with lines 2-4. And after Cam Atkinson was sent to Springfield today, I'm starting to worry that the head coach is doing too much tweaking. Clearly you can't keep everything the same when you're losing, but it's hard for guys to develop chemistry when they're constantly playing with different players. And personally, I thought Atkinson was one of the better forwards during the first four games. Not only did he score his first NHL goal, but he was creating chances, battling for pucks, and wasn't afraid to take hits to make plays.

From the quotes I read from Arniel, it sounds like he basically sent Atkinson down so he doesn't have to be with the Blue Jackets while they struggle. It kind of makes sense, but I'd rather give him more playing time than than sending him to the AHL. Still, I'm not passing judgement on Arniel...obviously there are several reasons why he's an NHL coach and I never made it past high school hockey.

The main problem I have with the forwards, and the team in general, is their inconsistency(sound familiar?). I've watched about two-and-a-half of the Jackets first four games, and I've seen about two periods of good hockey from them. One was the first of the season against the Predators, but unfortunately Pekka Rinne basically stole that game for Nashville. The other, probably the best one of the season that I've seen, was the first period against Vancouver. Columbus outshot the defending conference champs 11-2 in the first, but were tied 1-1. The Blue Jackets were all over the Canucks in the first, forechecking and creating all kinds of chances. Then, they effectively quit playing. From what I hear the Blue Jackets know they need to work for everything they get...even with a legit first line, they still "don't have enough talent to win on talent alone." But whether they know what's necessary or not, the Blue Jackets definitely haven't shown the work ethic needed for them to become a playoff team.


Let me make it clear: I'm not giving up on this team or this season. I understand that there are 78 games left on the schedule. But the fact is, right now, there's not much to be happy about when it comes to this team. I'm not saying they can't become contenders, and there have been some good things through four games, but they've got plenty of work to do. Again, I'm not even sure what they have. Get Wisniewski on the ice...heck, get Huselius back...and then we'll talk.

A Fond Farewell

One of the great things about sports is the passion it can bring out in people. Not just the participants themselves, but the spectators, especially those who are fans of particular athletes and teams. I'm not here to say that fans care more about the outcome of games than players do(though in some cases I guarantee they do), but it's remarkable to see just how invested fans can be in their teams. They outfit their wardrobes, houses, and even their children in the colors of their favorite teams. Not only do they unconditionally cheer and rejoice with their teams, they hurt with them as well.

Take "The Decision" for example. When LeBron James created an hour-long special to announce that he would not return to Cleveland, Cavs fans everywhere went off the deep-end like none other. They weren't just angry or shocked, but legitimately felt betrayed by LeBron. And they aren't even part of the team he left. Granted, without fans there are no professional sports, but this was in no way a shot at the Cleveland fans. I don't know what went on in Lebron's head, but the consensus seems to be that he left Cleveland so he could win. The Cavs simply didn't make the right moves or build the right team around him to do so, so after seven years he left. I'm in the camp of people who don't fault LeBron at all for leaving Cleveland, given how inept the management is, but I don't agree with how he did it. Nor do I agree with Dan Gilbert's ridiculous letter he wrote in response...sometimes you have to take the high road, sir.

This may seem like an incredibly late reaction to something that happened last July, but I bring it up only as an example of how invested fans can be in sports. I mean, people were burning LeBron jerseys in the streets when this guy announced he was leaving. You have to really care about a team to react that strongly when you think it got screwed over.

I've always loved sports, and while I have teams that I root for, I have more of a connection to some than others. For one, as a graduate of Ohio University, the Bobcats will always hold a special place in my heart. I've said before that college sports teams are quite literally representing their schools and anyone who is a part of that school, so in my opinion you should never root against the school you attended.

The other team that I have a unique attachment to is the Columbus Blue Jackets. I've always loved hockey, but for a long time I didn't have a real connection to an NHL team. Then the Blue Jackets came along. Since it was first announced that the franchise was for real, I've been there. My dad and I attended the unveiling of the team's original jerseys, ordered some before they came to stores, and wore them when we attended the first game of franchise history. I suffered through the growing pains most expansion teams suffer, and then some. And I got to experience the high of finally seeing the Jackets make it to the postseason, even if they were swept out of the first round. In fact, as I've written on this very blog, the fourth game of that series is, thus far, the most incredible live sporting event I've ever experienced.


Just as I've always been a die-hard Blue Jackets fan, I've always had a favorite Blue Jacket - Rostislav Klesla. There are plenty of reasons why I quickly adopted him as my favorite player. He was a defenseman, just like me. His first full-time NHL season also happened to be my first year in high school as one of the only freshmen on our hockey team. He was the franchise's first draft pick ever and, even though he spent most of the team's inaugural season back in juniors, he provided a face for the franchise when it didn't really have one. I've not only been a fan of the Blue Jackets since they were created, but I've been fan of Rusty ever since he was drafted.

One problem with picking a favorite athlete is the amount of turnover that now exists in professional sports. Nowadays it is much less likely to see players stay with one team for most or all of their careers. This was always something that worried me about Klesla, partly because of the injury problems he's had the past few seasons, partly because his name was often one that came up when CBJ trade rumors surfaced. On Monday, this fear finally came to life when Klesla was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes. I'm not here to break down the trade and whether or not it was good for the team(I already did some of that in my latest CSC podcast with Matt Barnes), but just to reflect on time he spent in Columbus(yes, I'm aware that the Dispatch hockey writers did this earlier, but this is for me).

Until this past week, Klesla's entire NHL career was played in a Blue Jackets sweater, and as someone who followed this team since its inception, I had the unique opportunity to watch him grow up as a person and player. He went from being the prospect who was sent back to juniors in his first season to one of the team's most consistent defenders when healthy. Once the youngster trying to adjust to the speed of the NHL game, he became one of the team's leaders sometimes seen with the "A" of an alternate captain.


Never was his development as a player better displayed than the Blue Jackets' aforementioned lone playoff appearance. I maintain that Rusty was the best player for Columbus during that sweep at the hands of the Red Wings. He may have only played 34 games during the regular season, but in the playoffs he did not at all look out of place against the Red Wings, who couldn't be more used to the pressure of the postseason.

I often heard fans complain that he played poorly and didn't do anything on the ice, which always irked me. Not to say that he always played great, that's far from the truth. But because I was always a fan of his, I probably kept my eye on him more than most. Sure, he wasn't flashy, didn't have a Chara-like shot or Rob Blake's hip check, but over the years he turned into a legitimate top-four defenseman, which is why his name continued to come up during trade talks(before you say so, I do realize that I'm biased in my praise of Klesla's play and improvement, considering I just talked about how I've been a fan of his since before he even played an NHL game).

Klesla was the last of the original Blue Jackets to leave the team, and his is by far the departure that hurts me the most. I don't harbor any kind of ill-will towards him or the team, but it still stinks that he's gone. The Blue Jackets are the sports team I feel most connected to, and Rusty has always been the player I've watched the closest and rooted for the hardest. And I'll continue to do so. While it's not like I wish ill upon other former Blue Jackets, he's the first player to leave Columbus who I genuinely want to see succeed in the NHL.

I don't plan on getting rid of the shelf's worth of hockey cards with Klesla's picture, and I'll probably still occasionally wear that original CBJ sweater with his 44 on the back. And when his name makes a box score, as it did his first game as a Coyote, I'll give him an "atta boy" in my mind.

It may be a different set of emotions than Cavs fans feel towards LeBron, but that doesn't mean they aren't as strong. I just wish it didn't take my favorite player leaving my favorite team to bring them out.