Game Day - Blue Jackets vs. Wild 01.19.15

[IanP27]

Columbus Blue Jackets (19 - 21 - 3) vs. Minnesota Wild (20 - 19 - 5)

 

Puckdrop: 8PM ET
Network: FS-O, FS-N
Season Series vs Blue Jackets (0-1-0)
 

The Players

 

Minnesota Wild
Goal Leader: Zach Parise & Jason Zucker (16)
Assist Leader: Jason Pominville (27)
Points Leader: Jason Pominville (36)
+/- Leader: Jonas Brodin (+8)
PIM Leader: Ryan Carter (48)
Hit Leader: Charlie Coyle (82)
Block Leader: Jared Spurgeon (80)
Faceoff Leader /min 100: Mikko Koivu 557/1011 (55.1%)
TOI/GP: Ryan Suter (29:34)
 
Columbus Blue Jackets
Goal Leader: Nick Foligno (18)
Assist Leader: Ryan Johansen (26)
Points Leader: Ryan Johansen (43)
+/- Leader: Nick Foligno (+4)
PIM Leader: Jared Boll (63)
Hit Leader: David Savard (115)
Block Leader: Fedor Tyutin (59)
Faceoff Leader /min 100: Mark Letestu 104/190 (54.7%)
TOI/GP: Jack Johnson (24:07)
 
 

 
 

Season series: Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 28 saves for the Columbus Blue Jackets in a 3-1 win against the Minnesota Wild on Dec. 31 at Nationwide Arena. Minnesota is 16-5-4 against Columbus all-time at Xcel Energy Center.
 
Blue Jackets team scope: Columbus defeated the Boston Bruins 3-1 on Saturday, ending a four-game losing streak. Forward Ryan Johansen had a goal and an assist, extending his point streak to 13 games, and goaltender Curtis McElhinney made 35 saves. The Blue Jackets assigned forward Sean Collins to Springfield of the American Hockey League on Sunday. Collins was recalled on Dec. 30 and had two assists in eight games.
 
Wild team scope: Minnesota won 3-1 against the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday, securing a second consecutive win for the first time since mid-November. Goaltender Devan Dubnyk made 25 saves, improving to 2-0-0 since being acquired in a trade from the Coyotes on Wednesday. Ryan Suter will return to the lineup Monday following a two-game suspension for elbowing Pittsburgh Penguins forward Steve Downie. Forward Mikael Granlund also returned to practice following surgery on his wrist in late December. Granlund won’t play against Columbus, but coach Mike Yeo didn’t rule him out for the game Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings. The Wild reassigned defenseman Jonathon Blum and forward Jordan Schroeder to Iowa of the American Hockey League.

 
 

 

 

[pilldoc]

I'm liking the Wild's chances.  With Dubnyk in the fold now, it is interesting to see how he does.  His 1st two starts with the Wild have been very impressive.  I'm curious to see if he can continue that streak.  I like the Wild ...especially at home.

 

(Full Disclosure... I have Dubnyk in my Fantasy League...so yeah I want him to win!  )

 

Seriously...besides that...the Wild have been playing better hockey of lately.....

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

With no disrespect to players on the Sabres and Coyotes who really are out there trying to compete, I think this Minnesota matchup against a usually rugged, grinding Columbus team will be a better test of the team's overall ability to play cohesive hockey.

 

The only thing really holding the Blue Jackets back this year are the crazy amounts of injuries they have had up and down their lineup.

Fully healthy, I think most people expected Columbus to be very much in the mix for the playoffs.

 

Still though, they have been getting guys back healthy here and there, sport a VERY lethal PP, a decent PK (as of late anyways) and are coming off a stretch where they beat a streaking Bruins team, and had two tough, close losses to good teams such as Montreal and the NY Rangers.

 

I expect Dubnyk (assuming he will start today) to see much more pressure generated by the Columbus forecheck and he will need to be acutely aware of Jackets snipers as Minnesota D are kept busy with big bodies in their own zone.

 

Sergei Bobrovsky will provide some very good opposition for the Wild's forwards as well.

Once again, it will be  case of Minnesota getting their chances....but needing to FINISH on them, as Bob is the type of goalie who will perhaps give some premium chances here and there, but not much else.

 

I realize Mike Yeo isn't a huge fan of aggressive grinders on the ice, but he may want to play some of those guys out there tonight a bit more regularly given the opponent here.

Ryan Carter, Matt Cooke, Kyle Brodziak line should see some key playing time tonight, while Nate Prosser (and perhaps even Justin Falk) should be given some key defense time, as they are the Wild's more aggressive D-men behind Marco Scandella.

 

Nino Niederreiter and especially Charlie Coyle will need to double as snipers/playmakers as well as big time forecheckers tonight as well.

 

Columbus will certainly like to keep this a trudging, defensive affair turnings up only if the Wild relent...while Minnesota wants to keep this as up tempo as possible, giving no breaks to the larger Blue Jackets team, and hit, hit, hit Columbus players whenever possible.

 

Wild for 3 in a row? We will see....

 

Go Minnesota, GO!

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Zach Parise gets the PP goal to tie the Jackets in the 1st, then plays hard to the net to earn himself a penalty shot to take the lead...unfortunately for he and the Wild, Bob was on point.

 

That said...is it just me, or is the Penalty Shot no longer "the most exciting play in hockey"?

 

Maybe it's because goalies are so darned good compared to 15-20 years ago plus having extensive footage of all NHL players helps tons I am sure.....or maybe its because we see so many flippin shoot outs that the 1 vs 1, shooter vs goalie matchup seems diminished.

 

Regardless, the penalty shots simply aren't THAT exciting...nice to get for your team, don't get me wrong, but hardly the same as it used to be.

 

I dunno...maybe its just me, but I almost prefer, if a breakaway player is hooked or tripped, to see a penalty called and see my team go on the PP in terms of better drama to see a goal possibly scored.

Ah, well...

 

Anyways, as I finish this post, Jackets-Wild still tied at 1 with about 7 min to go in the 2nd....Jackets currently on their PP....Minnesota better pay attention...

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Still tied after 40 min.

 

Minnesota let a GOLDEN chance to take the lead get away.

The Wild were awarded a double minor on a high stick by Columbus, and this came with 4:19 in the period.

 

So, with basically the rest of the period to play a man up, Minnesota has the supreme upper hand right?

Nope.

Got nothing going on the PP, not even some good looks. And the crowd in St. Paul let the team know about it.

 

What made that even worse was that the penalty was called right when Ryan Suter put in a rebound for what would have been a goal and the lead....but of course, that was done under the 'delayed penalty' for Columbus, so as soon as Bobrovsky touched the puck, play was dead, the rebound didn't matter, Suter's followup to put that rebound in the net didn't matter....but ahhh, Minnesota would get 4 min to make the Jackets pay, right?

 

Errr....no....

 

Third period coming up, and I don't mind saying this Wild fan is a bit irked and worried. This is the type of game that Columbus wants to play...low scoring, to the vest....all the Jackets would need to do is score on a PP of their own or even strength, and I can see them squeezing out the clock and take a low scoring 2-1 road game.

And with their top line headed by Ryan Johansson, that isn't out of the realm of possibility.

 

Wild better get the next goal or else..

[hf101]

I didn't get much time to watch much of this game.  These are the types of games the Wild need to win if they are going to catch up to the playoff teams.   They have to get more scoring.