Columbus Blue Jackets (18-15-3, 39pts) vs.
Toronto Maple Leafs (13-18-4, 30pts)
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Thursday, December 30, 2010
7:00 PM EST
TV: FSN-OH HD / Radio: WBNS 97.1 FM
(Dispatch Preview / SportsDirect Preview)
The Jackets finish 2010 with back to back games against Eastern Conference Canadian teams: one in the hockey Mecca of Toronto, and then back at home against Ottawa. On paper, this is a game the Jackets MUST win if they hope to hang around the playoff hunt. Toronto has been spinning its wheels for a few years now, and are scuffling behind the Jackets in terms of points/results in a much easier conference. So, Columbus—if to be taken seriously—must come out and take this game early and not let it go, regardless of who’s starting in goal… or elsewhere, for that matter.
Projected Lineups
Columbus Blue Jackets:
| SC1: | Kristian Huselius | Antoine Vermette | Rick Nash |
| SC2: | RJ Umberger | Derick Brassard | Chris Clark |
| CK1: | Ethan Moreau | Sammy Pahlsson | Derek Dorsett |
| CK2: | Andrew Murray | Kyle Wilson | Jared Boll |
| D1: | Jan Hejda | Fedor Tyutin | |
| D2: | Rostislav Klesla | Marc Methot | |
| D3: | Kris Russell | Anton Stralman | |
| G: | Steve Mason |
Toronto Maple Leafs:
| SC1: | Clarke MacArthur | Mikhail Grabovski | Nikolai Kulemin |
| SC2: | Joey Crabb | Tyler Bozak | Phil Kessel |
| CK1: | Kris Versteeg | John Mitchell | Colby Armstrong |
| CK2: | Brett Lebda | Tim Brent | Colton Orr |
| D1: | Dion Phaneuf | Francois Beauchemin | |
| D2: | Luke Schenn | Tomas Kaberle | |
| D3: | Mike Komisarek | Carl Gunnarsson | |
| G: | Jonas Gustavsson |
Team Rankings
Scoring:
CBJ – 2.50 gpg (t24th NHL)
TOR – 2.29 gpg (27th NHL)
Defense:
CBJ – 2.89 gapg (20th NHL)
TOR – 3.00 gapg (25th NHL)
Power Play:
CBJ – 12.2% (29th NHL)
TOR – 16.8% (t18th NHL)
Penalty Kill:
CBJ – 80.5% (18th NHL)
TOR – 76.4% (28th NHL)
Season Matchups
This is the only matchup of the season. The Jackets went 0-1-0 vs. the Leafs last season:
12/30/10 – Columbus @ Toronto – 7:00 PM EST
Game Notes
The Leafs are in the fourth year of a “rebuilding plan” being orchestrated by the surly Brian Burke. The Toronto fan base has probably been preached patience more than the Jackets’, but instead of waiting on young high-ceiling draft picks to develop as Columbus is, Burke has spent a considerable amount of time trading away high draft picks for big name players who cannot help his franchise get moving in the right direction. For example, a solid Boston team got to cash in the second pick in this past summer’s draft because Burke was convinced it was worth two lottery picks to grab Phil Kessel. Whoops.
If you look at the numbers, this is a team Columbus should beat. But, we’ve said the same thing about other teams (Calgary and Edmonton come to mind), and have seen the Jackets struggle. For me, this game will come down to one thing: can Columbus come out early, establish a forecheck, get shots on goal, and force the Leafs to play back on their heels? If they can, I like their chances. The big question mark will be: what happens if the Leafs get the lead early? Will the Jackets push back, or fold up?
There isn’t a lot of scoring talent on this Leafs team, so it will be even better for the Jackets to limit their chances and get them frustrated. On defense, the Leafs feature a lot of big hitters, and some names you might have heard of from stops in other cities. Guys like Phaneuf and Kaberle can set up chances—the latter especially on the Power Play, where he has 14 assists on the year—but if the Jackets play solid, aggressive forechecking hockey, those guys can be neutralized.
It looks as though Mathieu Garon will get another start tonight, despite Steve Mason notching the win on Monday. Baby steps. We may see Mase at home tomorrow in the second night of the back-to-back yet again. If the club can limit the solid chances in front of Garon, I like his chances to keep the Leafs at bay on the scoreboard. Update: Per the Dispatch gang, looks like Mason will be going again tonight after the win on Monday. Plus, he’s playing basically in his home town. Jakub Voracek and Mike Commodore look to be scratches tonight, as is Derek MacKenzie who just came off of IR.
Which means, of course, that it’s going to come down to the Jackets’ forwards getting and burying chances. Guys like Derick Brassard have to focus on getting the puck on net. When Brassard shoots, he’s a force. When he and Jake Voracek, for example, settle for trying to make pretty passes, they neuter themselves as an offensive unit. Even Rick Nash is not immune to this problem. So, the solution is clear: SHOOT THE PUCK. Good things can and will happen.
All in all, the Jackets simply NEED to come home with a win tonight. They need it. With another mediocre Eastern Conference team waiting for them tomorrow night in Ottawa, it would be a great way to finish off an otherwise disappointing month.
From The Outside Looking In
Pension Plan Puppets
Down Goes Brown
Editor in Leaf
Next Game For The Jackets
Friday, December 31, 2010
7:00 PM EST
Ottawa Senators @ Columbus Blue Jackets