“Well, at least we have hockey.” I said that more than once last night.
The outcome of last night’s game was abysmal but, in the midst of being down early (again), some bigger picture lessons are seeming to crystallize. Now if we can do something about it. There isn’t a lot to break down from last night’s game, so let’s start with some observations:
Jonathan Audy-Marchessault: overall I liked what I saw. The guy brought true enthusiasm and excitement to getting his NHL ticket punched. Early in the contest the size and speed of the big league seemed to catch him on his heels, but he seemed to settle in as the night went on. I’d be intrigued to see him stay up after Cam heals. I saw the Cam-JAM-Joey line in Springfield and I’d be curious what that energy could bring to the Jackets.
Steve Mason: Boy played pretty well last night. Coming in 3 goals down early in the first is a sure obstacle but Steve played very well and the crowd thankfully acknowledged it. Many still are polarized on the Mason issue. Some seem to think that defending Mase or approving of his performance are endorsements to keep him in Union Blue for the remainder of his career. I’m not on that bandwagon, but I’m confounded by folks who seem unwilling to give the guy props when he actually plays well.
Power Play: awful.
RJ Umberger: the rumblings have started around RJ. Smarter hockey minds than me will be able to opine on his true value and the steps he needs to take to improve. I will simply point out that the final power play opportunity happened right in front of our seats. With our guys buzzing around the net, RJ stood off to the side of the crease and did. not. move. There really is no excuse for that. You’ve got to move your feet – even a horrible E-league player like myself knows this. What is worse is that RJ spent his off-time coaching, so in theory he’s been seeing and teaching kids that very lesson: “you have to move to give your teammates options.” Not sure what it’s going to take for RJ to plug in fully but it has to happen soon.
Ryan Johansen: The guy is our best offensive player on the ice right now. Can’t believe he doesn’t have a goal yet.
and finally….big picture…
The Slow Start: Last season we were the team that just couldn’t finish, now we’re the team that just can’t start. How many games have we now given up the first goal? We know we are not one of the top teams in the league in terms of scoring potential or skill – giving up the early points only makes bringing home the win that much harder. I don’t know if these guys are now too focused on trying to save something for the end so we don’t end up burnt out at the end of a game, or if they still are all looking around for someone to step up (seems Richards was right to hold off on just awarding someone the C), but this has got to change. The goal of playing a full 60 minutes remains elusive.
That being said, I’m not calling for panic or doom and gloom. This season was to be a year of proofing out what we have. We are in the beginnings of building a new identity – that’s a lot harder than it sounds. I am liking what I hear from people like Dubinsky who last night stated that a lot of the change needs to happen “between the ears”. There are cliche hockey statements being thrown around such as “we’re giving our opponents too much respect” or as Brass said “we need to come out on our toes and not on our heels”. But those statements are true. This entire organization needs to get some swagger. We need to expect to win, play to win and work hard enough to win. In this compressed season, if we can show that we made progress by becoming a team that no longer accepts being the punching bag of the NHL, we may just be starting to turn this ship around. One brick at a time.
Go Jackets.
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