Paul Berthelot: Post Battle #21 vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning Blue Jackets win 5-1 over the Tampa Bay Lightning

Sure is a pleasant surprise that anderson kid.

Paul Berthelot: Post Battle #21 vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning
Blue Jackets win 5-1 over the Tampa Bay Lightning
- Paul Berthelot

Anderson is a vestige from the scott howson era

Sure is a pleasant surprise that anderson kid.
- SRam19

Columbus is full of pleasant surprises this year. I hope they extend Gagner but I have a feeling he may be a Golden Knight next season.

It is great to see this team play so well. Except for Boone Jenner the veterans are playing well, and the young players and rookies are getting better and contributing.

It's interesting to note that David Savard was almost run out of town on a rail by fans last year who considered him an overpaid useless defenseman. Jack Johnson was universally hated for his horrible fancy stats, Folingno was overpaid because of one great season, Dubinsky was overpaid because he was one of Tort's boys, even Dalton Prout was a worthless body thrower who couldn't play in the NHL. Even Bob was questioned because of his injuries.

All of them are playing well this year, and there is no reason to think they cannot play this well all year long. Hopefully the vets can carry the team when the rookies hit the rookie wall in January or February.

The next few weeks seem like a golden opportunity to put a foot down and go for the top of the division with a very favorable December schedule:

Colorado, Arizona twice, Detroit, the Islanders, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, then the tough week of LA, Pittsburgh, Montreal, Boston, then Winnipeg and Minnesota. It is also the last long western swing of the season.

I know its only 20 games in, but this looks like a team that will play well all season, not just a flash in the pan club.

BTW, where are all the Torts haters? He is doing a great job it seems to me, showing more maturity and professionalism, at least in public.

It is great to see this team play so well. Except for Boone Jenner the veterans are playing well, and the young players and rookies are getting better and contributing.

It's interesting to note that David Savard was almost run out of town on a rail by fans last year who considered him an overpaid useless defenseman. Jack Johnson was universally hated for his horrible fancy stats, Folingno was overpaid because of one great season, Dubinsky was overpaid because he was one of Tort's boys, even Dalton Prout was a worthless body thrower who couldn't play in the NHL. Even Bob was questioned because of his injuries.

All of them are playing well this year, and there is no reason to think they cannot play this well all year long. Hopefully the vets can carry the team when the rookies hit the rookie wall in January or February.

The next few weeks seem like a golden opportunity to put a foot down and go for the top of the division with a very favorable December schedule:

Colorado, Arizona twice, Detroit, the Islanders, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, then the tough week of LA, Pittsburgh, Montreal, Boston, then Winnipeg and Minnesota. It is also the last long western swing of the season.

I know its only 20 games in, but this looks like a team that will play well all season, not just a flash in the pan club.

BTW, where are all the Torts haters? He is doing a great job it seems to me, showing more maturity and professionalism, at least in public.
- jkumpire

No one ever doubted Bobs ability and Torts is still a head case.

It is great to see this team play so well. Except for Boone Jenner the veterans are playing well, and the young players and rookies are getting better and contributing.

It's interesting to note that David Savard was almost run out of town on a rail by fans last year who considered him an overpaid useless defenseman. Jack Johnson was universally hated for his horrible fancy stats, Folingno was overpaid because of one great season, Dubinsky was overpaid because he was one of Tort's boys, even Dalton Prout was a worthless body thrower who couldn't play in the NHL. Even Bob was questioned because of his injuries.

All of them are playing well this year, and there is no reason to think they cannot play this well all year long. Hopefully the vets can carry the team when the rookies hit the rookie wall in January or February.

The next few weeks seem like a golden opportunity to put a foot down and go for the top of the division with a very favorable December schedule:

Colorado, Arizona twice, Detroit, the Islanders, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, then the tough week of LA, Pittsburgh, Montreal, Boston, then Winnipeg and Minnesota. It is also the last long western swing of the season.

I know its only 20 games in, but this looks like a team that will play well all season, not just a flash in the pan club.

BTW, where are all the Torts haters? He is doing a great job it seems to me, showing more maturity and professionalism, at least in public.
- jkumpire

I still hate torts with a passion

I still hate torts with a passion
- Alexzanki

I say don't expect this effort to carry on into the second half. Canucks did similarly well with torts but he works the players into the ground.

I say don't expect this effort to carry on into the second half. Canucks did similarly well with torts but he works the players into the ground.
- SRam19

It's possible , they are playing a very up tempo style, but this was not the case in NY and Tampa, I would look into that if it was a repeating trend during his career , but thanks for the warning !

I say don't expect this effort to carry on into the second half. Canucks did similarly well with torts but he works the players into the ground.
- SRam19

Yeah, I just don't see it. The way he's giving players so many days off isn't exactly working them into the ground.