Columbus Not So Blue Anymore

(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

The Columbus Blue Jackets have come out of the gates on fire yet are doing it differently every night, whether it be a 2-1 squeaker on home ice against Calgary or a 5-3 drubbing of the Vancouver Canucks on the road.

They are one point behind the Western conference central division leading Chicago Blackhawks and are 5-2.

In their two losses both on the road, they have been outscored by a total of 12-6 and yet have been outscored by a total of only 15-11, so they are generating something on the road.

Columbus has dominated so far on home ice and stands undefeated there. They sit 15th in goals for averaging three per game and are eighth in goals against averaging 2.57.

Captain Rick Nash has been tearing it up early with highlight goals we may still be watching at the end of the season and will surely continue to excite. Kristian Huselius, Derick Brassard, and Antoine Vermette have been the other main contributors. The scoring goes across the board from there with the likes of R.J Umberger, Sammy Pahlsson, and Raffi Torres.

Averaging seven minutes of ice time and almost nine shifts per game, young Russian sniper Nikita Filatov has just one goal, but is also a plus one, the critics of his defensive zone coverage may be quieted if he keeps it up and starts feeling more comfortable in the offensive zone.

Fedor Tyutin, Jan Hejda, Rostislav Kesla, and Anton Stralman have been averaging around 20 minutes per game and are a combined minus five.

Steve Mason, 21, though 4-2 has been showing some signs of a sophomore jinx—his save percentage is .899 and his GAA is 2.99. Luckily, veteran Matheiu Garon, though with limited time has been stellar with his only start being a shutout of the Phoenix Coyotes, is sure to be able to coax the youngster along with guidance and ensure more of excellence we say from him last year.

Head coach Ken Hitchcock is going to be in the Hall of Fame and has a record of 475-316-117 throughout 1008 games. Hitchcock has surrounded himself with capable personnel in assistant coaches, Gord Murphy, Gary Agnew, and Claude Noel and they give the team every chance from a coaching stand point to succeed.

This team seems to be on the edge of breaking it to the next level but I think they are just a piece or two away. They should get their share of wins and if the goal tending gets back to anywhere near where it was last year with Mason and they could sneak in the playoffs again but this time hopefully put up more of a battle.

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