The Puck Drops Here 1/3/17 #BlueJackets #CBJ

By Chris Lulovics, @CLulovics

Well here we are at the start of 2017 and the Columbus Blue Jackets are one of the hottest teams in the NHL.  Who would of thought that at the beginning of the season?  Head coach John Tortorella  (head coach of the USA team in the World Cup of Hockey) ran what players and analysts call a boot camp in order to get his players in top physical condition so come the 3rd period they aren't out of gas and can put away teams.  Well his plan is definitely working because the Blue Jackets play their best period in the 3rd.

On Saturday the Blue Jackets extended their franchise best winning streak to 15 games by winning 4-2 against the Minnesota Wild. The Wild were winners of 12 games in a row before Saturday. The Blue Jackets have outscored their opponents 62-26 during the streak. In fact they went a perfect 12-0 during the whole month of December. Leading the way has been goalie Sergei Bobrovski who seems to be back to his old self from a couple of years ago when the Jackets made the playoffs. Cam Atkinson is leading the way accounting for 16 points in the last 12 games. Nick Foligno has also returned to his old format after a disappointing season a year ago. Boone Jenner and Brandon Dubinsky while not producing on the score sheet like they would like too, have been playing a huge role with tremendous play away from the puck which helps other guys on the line to produce. And last but not least rookie defenseman 19 year old Zach Werenski. Last year at this time he was playing for the university of Michigan and then turning pro and helping the Lake Erie Monsters win the Calder Cup. Not only does Werenski hold the club record for most points by a rookie defenseman  (before the first half even ends) he is also the quarterback of the leagues best power-play. For a 19 year old to have that much responsibility shows the confidence that head coach John Tortorella has in him.

The Jackets are 2 games away from tying the NHL record.  They play Tuesday against the Edmonton Oilers and Thursday against the Washington Capitals. They can set a new record at home Saturday night against the New York Rangers. I can only imagine the crowd that will be at that game. So far this season has been amazing after experts predicted the Jackets wouldn't amount to anything. There is a lot of hockey left and anything can happen but with their mentality of one game at a time let's just live in the moment right now and enjoy the ride. If you're not on the bandwagon you can always jump on now.

The Puck Drops Here 4.24.15: Columbus #BlueJackets & Lake Erie Monsters #CBJ

By @CLulovics

The question of many hockey fans in the state of Ohio that has been asked for many years has finally been answered. The Columbus Blue Jackets and the Lake Erie Monsters have come to a multi year agreement in which the Lake Erie Monsters owned by Dan Gilbert and the Cavs will be the farm team (AHL) of the Columbus Blue Jackets. At a press conference in Cleveland representatives from the Cavs in Len Komoroski, CEO, Cavs and The Q and Kerry Bubolz, President of Business Operations for the Cavs as well as Blue Jackets John Davidson (President of hockey operations) and Chris MacFarland (assistant General Manager) answered questions and introduced themselves to fans of both teams. The deal has finally happened after years of fans wanting both teams to come together as it is only a 2 or 2 and a half hour drive depending on if you do the speed limit or not between both cities. As an organizational standpoint it makes perfect sense because at times during a morning skate or if a player becomes sick it is a lot easier now for a player to drive down to Columbus and get their quicker as opposed to trying to catch a flight at the last minute as was the way it was done in years past.

Fans of both organizations can now watch both teams and how well the prospects are doing in Cleveland. Before when the Monsters were the farm team of the Colorado Avalanche it was hard for fans to watch the players they became fans of play when they were called up to the NHL because the games were not carried in Ohio. Now fans can watch their favorite players in Cleveland play in the NHL when they are called up on Fox Sports Ohio.

Personally I can't wait until October when the puck drops as hockey in Cleveland and Columbus. When the Blue Jackets have an off day and the Monsters play at The Q everyone can benefit and watch the future of the Jackets play. Another benefit is that the Monsters have finished in the top 10 in attendance the past couple of years as this past year they finished 3rd overall in league attendance. Another great thing about this agreement is not a lot of players in the minor league will have the amenities that The Q has to offer and with an owner like Dan Gilbert who doesn't like to lose will help this team reach its full potential.

Hockey is growing in the state of Ohio and the greater Cleveland and Columbus area and this will help both cities continue to grow. The future just became brighter and fans of both cities and both organizations will benefit. As always Carry The Flag, Battle On, We Are The Fifth Line, and a new one #AllofUS

Leadoff with Lee 4.27.14

-The Giants were just to big for the Indians. With a 3-0 lead headed into the 5th inning, San Francisco's bats became GIANTS literally. They scored four runs on four hits to go up 4-3. Michael Morse singled to start the rally. Brandon Crawford singled to right, then Brandon Hicks loaded the bases. Pinch hitter Gregor Blanco hit a single to make the score 3-1. Later, Hunter Pence hit a two run double to take the lead 4-3. Buster Posey came up in the sixth inning and hit a solo shot off of CC Lee. Tribe pitcher Zack McAllister started off strong, putting out 12 of his first 13 batters he saw. McAllister went 5 innings with 5 hits and 4 earned runs. On a bright note, he did strikeout 6. Cleveland and San Francisco finish the series tomorrow with Ryan Vogelsong (0-1 7.71 era) facing Cleveland's Danny Salazar(0-3 7.85 era). If Salazar doesn't have a quality start his next game, I expect him to be demoted to AAA.

-Vinsanity is back! Vince Carter hit a crazy 3 at the buzzer to get the victory for his Mavs against the Spurs. Dallas takes a 2-1 lead after a 109-108 victory at home. Dallas guard Monta Ellis tied his playoff career high with 29 points with a clutch 12 in the fourth quarter. Tim Duncan had a team high of 22 points for the Spurs. Game 4 is Monday in Dallas at 9:30.

-The Indiana Pacers tied the series 2-2 with a 91-88 win over the Hawks. Paul George had a double-double, scoring 24 points to go along with his 10 rebounds. Paul Milsap went 3-6 from 3 point range and had 29 points, a playoff career high for Atlanta. Kyle Korver scored 15 points for the Hawks including 9 boards. This game shouldn't have been as close as it was. Atlanta shot a measly 35 percent versus Indiana. The Pacers will meet the Hawks again on Monday in Atlanta.

-Lebron James and the Heat took an overpowering 3-0 series lead with their 98-85 win over Charlotte. King James had team highs of 30 points with 10 rebounds. Dwyane Wade had a respectable 17 points for the Heat. Al Jefferson had the hot hand in the first quarter scoring 15 points, but only finished with 20 for the game. The "whiteout" by Charlotte's fans didn't do enough as it was more of a cry of "We Surrender". Miami looks to close out this series on Monday in Charlotte.

-Behind the strength of Reggie Jackson, not Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook, BUT Reggie Jackson, the Oklahoma City Thunder held off the Memphis Grizzlies, 92-89 in overtime. It was the third straight overtime in this series. Jackson lead with 29 points, while Durant and Westbrook struggled but chipped in 15 points apiece. Marc Gasol led the Grizzlies with 23 points and 11 rebounds. With the series tied, it now heads back to OKC Tuesday night for Game 5.

-At UFC 172, Jon "Bones" Jones defended his UFC light heavyweight title successfully for the 7th straight time, defeating Glover Teixera by decision after 5 rounds.

-The Columbus Blue Jackets fell 3-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pittsburgh takes a 3-2 series lead as the series heads back to Columbus on Monday. Game time is 7 PM.

-Sometime today I will drop a special piece about Bernie Kosar being taken off doing the Browns pre-season games.

Leadoff with Lee 4.25.14

-Former Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Bradley Roby was arrested early Sunday morning and charged with OVI. Roby was reportedly found passed out in a parking lot behind the wheel in Columbus. It was has not been disclosed if the keys were in the ignition. When approached and questioned by Columbus police, Roby was cooperative and submitted to a field sobriety test. His BAC was recorded at .008 which is considered to be intoxicated in the state of Ohio. After being booked by Columbus Police, Roby was released on a personal bond. He is due in court today and most likely will plead not guilty, until his lawyer can get additional facts concerning his arrest. Bradley Roby is expected to be a first round draft pick in this years NFL draft. So the bigger question should be will his stock go down after this latest incident? Please note Roby was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assult in Indiana last July. Urban Meyer suspended Roby for one game last season. Those assault charges were later reduced in a plea bargain to disorderly conduct.

-Call him "Complete" Corey Kluber! Kluber improves his record to 2-2 and led the Indians to a 5-1 win over the Kansas City Royals yesterday afternoon. Kluber had a complete game while recording 11 strikeouts, 0 walks, while only throwing 101 pitches. Carlos Santana got his bat going in the 5th inning, hitting a double. Michael Brantley followed up with with a single, scoring Santana. Royals pitcher Bruce Chen walked Ryan Raburn, then Yan Gomes singled to load the bases. David Murphy comes up and hit a single of his own scoring Brantley and Raburn. Asdrubal Cabrera smacked a double to left. The Tribe won the series against Kansas City winning 3 out of 4. And return to .500 evening their record to 11-11. They will travel to San Francisco to open against the Giants. The series starts today with game time being 10:05pm.

-The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Indiana Pacers 98-85. Jeff Teague led all scorers with 22 points. Kyle Korver added 21 points for the Hawks. Lance Stephenson led Indiana in scoring with 21 points. Atlanta holds off the top seeded Pacers to seize a 2-1 advantage in the series. Game 4 will be Saturday at 2 PM in Atlanta.

-The Oklahoma City Thunder fell to the Memphis Grizzlies, to take a 2-1 series lead. Despite Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook's efforts (both had 30 point games), it just wasn't enough. Game 4 will be Saturday at 9:30 PM in Memphis.

-The LA Clippers held on to win against the Golden State Warriors 98-96, after a controversial no foul call in the final possession for the Warriors. Blake Griffin had 32 points, while his teammate DeAndre Jordan had 14 points and 22 rebounds. High scorer for the Warriors was Klay Thompson with 26, while Steph Curry poured in 16 points and 15 assists.