Blue Jackets - Predators Game Journal

If you’ve followed my blog since I started it a few years ago, I’m not sure how you’ve done it. As you can tell by the history on the right, I haven’t exactly made a lot of posts, and certainly haven’t done so with any sort of regularity. One idea I’ve toyed with in the past is live-blogging during some sort of sporting event. I don’t know why, but it seemed like a cool thing…essentially keeping a log of my thoughts throughout a game. It’s one of those unique writing formats that I’ve found can be pretty entertaining as a reader. 

Unfortunately, with my current job, when I get to watch a game live I'm usually working, so the "live" part doesn't really work for me. I figured I'd get my feet wet by keeping a sort of journal with random thoughts throughout a game, and Thursday presented a perfect opportunity. Despite my NHL Gamecenter subscription, I haven't gotten to watch as many CBJ games as I would like. I missed most of the point streak that put the Jackets into playoff contention(did watch the game that ended the streak...awesome). For some reason I was really set on watching the Blue Jackets-Predators game after work...I'm guessing the main reason is the Marian Gaborik trade. It's not that I thought the CBJ all of a sudden became a playoff team...they have a shot, but almost every team does in this ridiculous season. I think part of it was hearing national/international media talk about the Blue Jackets in a positive light. For most of their existence the Jackets have, deservedly, been a hockey punchline. So, to hear multiple people say they were one of the winners of the trade deadline was exciting. That being said, I'll believe it when I see results on the ice. It's easy to be excited and have adrenaline going right after your team adds a superstar player...the true test will be seeing Gaborik's impact next year, when he starts the season as a Blue Jacket.

Anyway, after making it through the day without hearing the outcome of the game, I decided to try out the game journal thing for this game...not sure how entertaining it will actually be, but whatever. I feel it's also important to note that I considered going through and correcting all the spelling/capitalization errors, but at this point I just want to get it posted, especially since the CBJ-Blues game is about to start. Basically what I'm saying is don't get mad at all the un-capitalized proper nouns and grammatical/spelling errors...I know they're there. Here we go.


1:31 a.m. – “broadcast” underway. Couldn’t get CBJ version to work at first, then waited for food to finish 

1:32 – if you’re curious, my provisions include chicken and cheese taquitos, some weird garlic cheese bread thing and Leinenkugel Summer Shandy

1:32 – “traditional” road whites, says Rimer…I remember when you wore white at home

1:34 – great chance for Umberger, gotta hit the net

1:34 – Gaborik’s first shift, like the jump on the rush

 1:35 – Predators somehow have 7 shots in 2 and a half minutes…already several big stops by bob

 1:37 – letestu probably would have scored if he was still #10

 1:38 – gamecenter finally shifts to good quality…still don’t get how games that are finished don’t always look like this

1:40 – like seeing Gaborik get back in the d zone…not a great play though, behind the net to nobody

1:44 – Davidge says the Predators have a step on the Jackets, seems more like 2 or 3

1:45 – gamecenter lag in the middle of a gaborik chance…kind of ruined it but still could tell it was a nice play. Such a smooth and fast skater

1:48 – bob getting a little vezina buzz according to rimer…I find it hard to believe but could be

1:54 – jackets look pretty bad on the breakout. Defense tightening up a bit but not making solid passes

1:55 – first on-bench interview, if you can call it that…”what are your thoughts on the game?”

1:56 – gotta spend less time writing and more time watching, missed some good chances by Foligno

1:56 – Jackets on the powerplayyyyyyy

1:57 – Gaborik getting sneaky trying to go backdoor, didn’t get it to him though

1:59 – got a couple shots on the PP, gotta finish though

2:02 – regardless of how gaborik played they were gonna make a big deal of it, but he really is getting involved in the play.

 2:03 – 0-0 after one. Jackets were under fire for a while but finished strong, especially last 5 minutes or so

2:04 – advantage of tape delay: no intermissions

2:08 – again, probably partly due to it being his first cbj game, but the big thing I notice about gaborik is he demands attention when he has the puck…really the only jacket to ever have that ability was nash

2:12 – vinny looks great like always…I hope I have half the jump he does at that age

2:15 – wow, jack Johnson got smoked by kostitsyn…nice recovery though, even though it was probably a penalty

2:16 – 4 on 4 now, btw…this is where gabby could really shine

2:18 – nice little dangle by umberger draws a penalty on weber…not a one-on-one I would expect him to win…4-on-3 now

2:18 – GOAL!!! Wisniewski lets it fly at the top of the umbrella...that’s what he gets paid for

2:21 – yikes, bad looking play by wiz at the other end leads to another preds chance. looked a bit like me in transition. Bob bails him out

2:22 – oh good, another bench interview

2:23 – keith acton always goes on forever in those, it’s amazing

2:24 – WOW, what a save by Bobrovsky on bouncing re-direct

2:25 – predators score…too much for even the number one cop in town. Jackets watching the puck too much

2:26 – aaaaand now a penalty on Gillies…such an easy call, can’t argue that one. Huge kill here

2:28 – for as shaky as CBJ have looked in their own zone, PK looking really solid

2:29 – I’m such a big Matt Calvert fan. He’s kind of like a much better and more likable Jason chimera

2:32- Weber floats a backhand into bobrovsky on the rush…must have been the slowest shot of his career

2:33 – Johnson gonna be sittin, waitin, wishin the ref didn’t see that…another pk coming up

2:34 – BOBROVSKY

2:37 – Johansen makes strong move for a wraparound chance…gotta see that more often from the kid. He can be real strong on the puck when he wants to

2:38 – wow, Kevin klein hit in the dome by a shot and gets right back up

2:39 – second period over, 1-1…second kind of the opposite, seemed like nashville grabbed some late momentum, should be an interesting third that has ALREADY STARTED BECAUSE THERES NO INTERMISSION

2:44 – YES! GABORIK SCORES! Didn’t even realize he was on the ice because the play was all Dubinsky working down low...his return tonight is huge, adds so much to the lineup. 2-1 Jackets

2:45 – Dubinsky, Calvert and Atkinson were on the ice together briefly leading up to that goal…not sure if that’s actually a line but I like it

2:48 – Jay Onrait would love that bobrovsky montage

2:49 – YES CALVERT GOAL! Turns out it is a line, Atkinson-Dubinsky-Calvert...seriously love it

2:50 – uh oh, goal under review

2:51 – last replay looks like a kick…goal waved off, still 2-1

2:51 – still love this line, really hope it stays together

2:53 – great follow-up shift after the disallowed goal, Jackets keeping the pressure on

2:57 – YEAAHHH! Calvert gets his goal back! Pretty weak goal by Rinne, not sure what happened on that one…3-1 Jackets

2:58 – yes Bill, Calvert is fun to watch

3:05 – Foligno got his face mashed pretty bad, hope he’s not hurt again

3:06 – While seeing Foligno on the bench, I notice the edges on mackenzies fu manchu are especially sharp tonight

3:08 – foligno back on the ice…good stuff

3:08 – rinne pulled with just under 2 minutes to go, would love cbj to ice the game here

3:09 – icing called with rinne on the bench…I’ve thought it would be a crazy wrinkle if the “no line change on an icing” rule included the goalie not being allowed to come back in if he got pulled

3:10 – BOBROVSKY

3:10 – WOW, another great stop by Bob as time expires

3:11 – Jackets win 3-1! Exciting for so many reasons…huge to get a win on the road, especially against a team in the same part of the standings. Really hope CBJ can keep playing like that. Other than some defensive lapses looked solid and dominated the third