By @CLulovics
Well let's face it. The start to the 2015-2016 NHL season for the Columbus Blue Jackets did not start how anyone including national annalists envisioned it. After starting the season 0-8, Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen to fire head coach Todd Richards and replace him with John Tortorella. Tortorella who previously coached for the Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers and most recently the Vancouver Canucks brings an overall head coaching record of 444-371 to go along with 8 playoff appearances and 1 Stanley Cup Championship.
Boone Jenner, Brandon Saad, Scott Hartnell and Brandon Dubinsky have been their usual selves providing the offense with the needed spark along with scoring points. Sergei Bobrovsky has not been his usual stellar self. Not all the blame can be put on Bobrovsky though. As national writers along with annalists said before the season even started, the Blue Jackets defense hasn't helped out their goalie. Some lapses along with miscues have spelled doom for both Bobrovsky and the blue line in the early stages of the young NHL season. But with Tortorella at the helm now it seems to be that those little yet huge mistakes seem to be disappearing and the Blue Jackets are playing a better overall game.
The Blue Jackets minor league affiliate the Lake Erie Monsters currently sit at 8-3-0-2 on their young season for 14 points and 3rd in the Central Division in the Western Conference as of this writing. Leading the Monsters in points is Kerby Rychel sitting at 4 goals 7 assists for 11 points while splitting time between the Monsters and the Blue Jackets. With a lot of young talent the Monsters will continue to be fun to watch downtown at Quicken Loans Arena and is a good event to take the family too.
While the Columbus Blue Jackets are currently 7-12, anything can happen in the NHL and they certainly are not out of it. But they have to pick up the pace soon otherwise their playoff hopes and dreams might fade quickly. This team has the talent to turn this whole thing around as long as they play their type of game which they didn't in the start of the season but seem to be coming back around too. Tortorella might just be the spark that this team needs especially with a lot of hockey left to be played.
As always CARRY THE FLAG, MARCH ON, WE ARE THE FIFTH LINE, ALL OF US and see you guys either at Nationwide Arena in Columbus or in downtown Cleveland at Quicken Loans Arena.
No comments:
Post a Comment