Will Mathieu Garon ever admit that he is ticked off from losing his net? Probably not but you know he is. The unwritten rule in hockey is that you don't lose your net until you get scored on.
In this case Head Coach Ken Hitchcock has decided to break this long standing rule and put Steve Mason back in net who got rung up pretty good at San Jose. Hitchcock has even said he doesn't like the term "backup goalie" as he feels that the Blue Jackets have 2 really good goalies. Then why isn't he acting like it? If he isn't a "backup goalie," then he should be in net tonight against the Flames.
Both Scott Howson and Hitchcock have said that they brought in Garon to push Mason. If Mason know he isn't going to have the chance to lose the net, what kind of pushing is that?
Does anybody remember in 2006 when Fredrick Norrena (3-0 by the way against the Flames for his career) had a shutout on the road against Edmonton? Did they pull him? No. He went on to shutout the Colorado Avalanche, again on the road and at the time no small feat. They didn't pull him there either and he went on to give up 1 goal against St. Louis on the road again and again earned the victory. Norrena was a backup goalie in the truest sense but when any goalie gets hot, you ride it out until they cool off.
Speaking of going from hot to cooling off, can you say the Calgary Flames. Last night they had a 5-0 lead in the 1st period against the Blackhawks and lose in overtime 6-5. I guess the 5 goal lead is the most dangerous in hockey and not the 2 goal lead.
The team that the Blue Jackets will meet tonight will either be very upset or totally dejected. My guess that the Flames will come in tonight wanting to make a wrong into a right by any means necessary. This means that it will be a very "HEAVY" game tonight.
Expect extra curricular activity from Dion Phaneuf, Robyn Regehr, and their captain Jarome Iginla who was in a fight last night. This also means that Nikita Filatov might get scratched tonight as this won't be a game for the faint of heart. Filatov's minutes continue to decline but the team has said that there is no plan to send him to Syracuse to get him minutes. Expect a lineup that will include Jared Boll, Michael Blunden and Derek Dorsett and possibly all together on the 4th line. Raffi Torres will also be out there with no problem of mixing it up. This is a game that will separate the men from the boys.
The Jackets will have to be killers tonight, penalty killers that is and to this point in the season it has been no problem. At 94.4%, the Union Blue at 1st in the league in that department. Credit a high pressure approach with improved personnel even if it's only 1 guy. Sammy Pahllson has really added a missing element on the penalty kill that has made the unit elite.
On the other side of the things the Blue Jackets power play percentage has started it's slide. They are 23rd in the league at 18.2%. If the Jackets keep the percentage in this range, things will even out and they will be a middle of the pack power play which is all the CBJ need. If though, the unit continues to struggle and the percentage continues to slide, it could mean trouble. I can't see the Jackets pulling off what they did last year by earning a playoff birth with the worst power play in the league.
Calgary on the other hand is having no problem with their power play with a 43.8% success rate. Phaneuf and Rene Bourque each have 2 power play goals this year. This will be a clash of the titans tonight as who's special teams win the battle will probably end up winning the war for their team tonight.
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