Ten games ago, Ken Hitchcock probably sat down his players in the locker room and talked about the importance of wins. Ten games ago, they were sitting in a massive group around 8-12th in the conference, hoping they could propel themselves into a playoff position. Ten games ago, they had games against San Jose, Detroit, and other opponents that typically are daunting enough to send shivers up a players spine.
Ten games ago, Steve Mason had mono.
But somehow, ten games later, they are tied for 6th in the conference, and only one point out of 5th. Somehow, Chicago is only 9 points (and only three victories) ahead. Somehow, the team is getting healthier, and the puck is going into the net. They took it to Carolina and Detroit this weekend, showing their defensive mentality against the divisional beast, and flexing their offensive press against a recent Stanley Cup champion team with the same record they hold. Finally getting the 5 on 3 monkey off their back, and getting much needed goals from Huselius and Malhotra.
These facts makes you wonder where they will stand ten games from now. What great things can we expect after another ten games? Will they keep feeding off their crowd, and taking each game personally? Will Mason continue to build his incredibly impressive rookie campaign, giving analysts and GMs even more of a reason to consider him for three trophies this year? Can late add on Jason Williams continue to feed off the flying J line, providing the Jackets top line with some much needed secondary scoring.
One thing is for sure…. It is going to be a great ride.
Carry the Flag!
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