TOP STORY
FINALLY...POST-SEASON HOCKEY IN COLUMBUS
Fedor Tyutin scores the shootout winner to clinch the first ever Blue Jackets playoff birth
(Photo Credit: Paul Beatty - AP)
It was appropriate that Fedor Tyutin, the main acquistion in an off-season trade for Nikolai Zherdev, was the man to put the Blue Jackets in the playoffs. Columbus (41-29-10) has finally turned the corner as a franchise, and that corner was turned with a 4-3 shootout win over the Chicago Blackhawks (44-24-12). Columbus, which entered the NHL in 2000-01, was the only active team that hadn't made the playoffs. Against Chicago, the Blue Jackets overcame 2-0 and 3-2 deficits.
Center and Captain Rick Nash scored his 39th goal with 5:30 left in regulation to tie it at 3 and set up overtime. Antoine Vermette (a trade deadline acquistion) also scored and assisted on Jason Williams' goal in regulation. Brent Seabrook, Dave Bolland and Martin Havlat scored in regulation for the Blackhawks, whose four-game winning streak ended.
For the Blue Jackets, the milestone had additional meaning. John H. McConnell, the Blue Jackets' founder and majority owner, died in April 2008 at age 84. "It's great," Nash said. "We did it for ourselves, but most of all we did it for Mr. Mac. We know he's up there watching. I'm sure he's sitting in his chair and has a cigar in his mouth."
Steve Mason, most likely your Calder Trophy winner for the 2008-09 season, made 24 saves to improve to 33-18-7 on the season. While off-season and mid-season acquistionts, Ken Hitchcock, and Rick Nash are all key components in Columbus' losing their playoff virginity, Mason is the number one reason that Columbus will be playing past mid-April. A 2.23 GAA and .918 save percentage for a guy who was only supposed to see some playing time this year is remarkable. Of all of the playoff bound teams, the Blue Jackets are one of the teams that have a goalie that's truly a threat to steal a series right now.
Columbus finishes the season at St. Louis and then at home against the Wild. With the way the standings are now, they are pretty much locked in to 6th place and will face either Vancouver (bad match-up for Columbus) or Calgary (good match-up for Columbus).
The Blackhawks set a single-season attendance record of 835,972 on Wednesday night with a crowd of 21,536, their 42th straight sellout at the United Center. The record total does not include the 40,818 who attended the NHL Winter Classic, played by the Blackhawks and Detroit on New Year's Day 2009 at Wrigley Field. The Blackhawks finish their season battling to keep home ice in the 1st round of the playoffs with a home and home with the Red Wings.
Only the Capitals (ninth season) had to wait longer to make the playoffs for the first time among franchises to join the NHL in the expansion era (since 1967-68). With the Blue Jackets securing their spot in the postseason, all 30 current NHL franchises have now made the playoffs. Only two teams in the four major sports, the Texans and Bobcats, have never reached the postseason.
FINALLY...POST-SEASON HOCKEY IN COLUMBUS
Fedor Tyutin scores the shootout winner to clinch the first ever Blue Jackets playoff birth(Photo Credit: Paul Beatty - AP)
It was appropriate that Fedor Tyutin, the main acquistion in an off-season trade for Nikolai Zherdev, was the man to put the Blue Jackets in the playoffs. Columbus (41-29-10) has finally turned the corner as a franchise, and that corner was turned with a 4-3 shootout win over the Chicago Blackhawks (44-24-12). Columbus, which entered the NHL in 2000-01, was the only active team that hadn't made the playoffs. Against Chicago, the Blue Jackets overcame 2-0 and 3-2 deficits.
Center and Captain Rick Nash scored his 39th goal with 5:30 left in regulation to tie it at 3 and set up overtime. Antoine Vermette (a trade deadline acquistion) also scored and assisted on Jason Williams' goal in regulation. Brent Seabrook, Dave Bolland and Martin Havlat scored in regulation for the Blackhawks, whose four-game winning streak ended.
For the Blue Jackets, the milestone had additional meaning. John H. McConnell, the Blue Jackets' founder and majority owner, died in April 2008 at age 84. "It's great," Nash said. "We did it for ourselves, but most of all we did it for Mr. Mac. We know he's up there watching. I'm sure he's sitting in his chair and has a cigar in his mouth."
Steve Mason, most likely your Calder Trophy winner for the 2008-09 season, made 24 saves to improve to 33-18-7 on the season. While off-season and mid-season acquistionts, Ken Hitchcock, and Rick Nash are all key components in Columbus' losing their playoff virginity, Mason is the number one reason that Columbus will be playing past mid-April. A 2.23 GAA and .918 save percentage for a guy who was only supposed to see some playing time this year is remarkable. Of all of the playoff bound teams, the Blue Jackets are one of the teams that have a goalie that's truly a threat to steal a series right now.
Columbus finishes the season at St. Louis and then at home against the Wild. With the way the standings are now, they are pretty much locked in to 6th place and will face either Vancouver (bad match-up for Columbus) or Calgary (good match-up for Columbus).
The Blackhawks set a single-season attendance record of 835,972 on Wednesday night with a crowd of 21,536, their 42th straight sellout at the United Center. The record total does not include the 40,818 who attended the NHL Winter Classic, played by the Blackhawks and Detroit on New Year's Day 2009 at Wrigley Field. The Blackhawks finish their season battling to keep home ice in the 1st round of the playoffs with a home and home with the Red Wings.
Only the Capitals (ninth season) had to wait longer to make the playoffs for the first time among franchises to join the NHL in the expansion era (since 1967-68). With the Blue Jackets securing their spot in the postseason, all 30 current NHL franchises have now made the playoffs. Only two teams in the four major sports, the Texans and Bobcats, have never reached the postseason.
OTHER ACTION FROM AROUND THE LEAGUE...
Buffalo Sabres (39-32-9) over the Toronto Maple Leafs (33-35-13) 3-1
Ryan Miller and the Buffalo Sabres kept their slim playoff hopes alive thanks to Miller's 32 saves in the 3-1 win. The Sabres needed the win, and to have an extraordinary combination of circumstances to go their way, to avoid missing the playoffs for the second year in a row. They are four points behind the New York Rangers for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff position, and two points behind ninth-place Florida. All three teams have two games remaining. Curtis Joseph tied the late Gump Worsley for most losses in NHL history with 452.
NHL STANDINGS & PLAYOFF SCENARIOS
http://www.nhl.com/ice/standings.htm?type=CON&navid=NAVSTNMain
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=417334
OTHER HEADLINES
-New York Islanders head coach Scott Gordon has been named as an assistant coach for the U.S. Men's National Team that will compete in the World Hockey Championship in Switzerland. ''We're thrilled to have Scott join Ron Wilson in guiding our men's national team,'' said Brian Burke, general manager of the National Team. ''While this will be his first experience as a coach on the international scene, he's a proven winner and no doubt one of the bright young coaches in the game today.'' Gordon is in his first year as the head coach of the Islanders. Last season, he led the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League to a league-best 55-18-3 mark and earned AHL Coach of the Year honours. Gordon played on the 1992 United States Olympic Team and retired from his playing career following the 1993-94 season.
-Cory Clouston can consider his audition as head coach of the Ottawa Senators a success. The Senators signed the 39-year-old to a two-year deal Wednesday, removing the interim tag he held since taking over after Craig Hartsburg was fired on Feb. 2. With the team's run of 11 straight post-season appearances having come to an end after a dismal start to the season, owner Eugene Melnyk and general manager Bryan Murray sought to lock up the man who's had a hand in its recent turnaround. "Cory's come in and done a remarkable job really," Murray said during a news conference at Scotiabank Place, where the Senators play their final home game tonight against the New Jersey Devils. "He's made (the players) accountable. "We're watching a team now that will make it very entertaining for the fans and maybe even give (the media) something nice to write about once in a while." The Senators were 17-24-7 when Hartsburg was fired and replaced by Clouston, a native of Viking, Alta., who had been the coach of the Senators' Binghamton AHL affiliate. The Senators are 19-10-3 since he took over. On Tuesday, they beat the Eastern Conference's best team, the Boston Bruins, to run their franchise-record home-ice win streak to nine games.
-Linus Omark has decided to play in Russia next season and has accepted a two-year contract with Moscow Dynamo. The deal will pay him $1.2 million in year one and $1.4 million in the second year. The contract has an escape clause for Omark after year one, should he want to come to North America. Omark's agent Jared Bousquet and the Oilers were in negotioations, and according to Bousquet, the Oilers made a very fair offer, but simply couldn't compete with the money available in Russia. Omark caused stir when a highlight of a shootout goal he scored against Switzerland was posted on YouTube. He was originally a fourth round draft pick (97th overall) by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2007 NHL Entry draft. Omark is one of the top scorers in the Swedish Elite League this season with Luela, racking up 23 goals and 32 assists in 53 games. He is also slated to play for Sweden at the upcoming World Hockey Championship in Switzerland.
-Former Montreal Canadiens general manager Serge Savard says he and a group of partners are prepared to buy the NHL franchise if it is put up for sale. Canadiens majority shareholder George Gillett is seeking advice from financial firms in Canada and elsewhere about how he might maximize his holdings. Gillett owns the Bell Centre, where the Canadiens play, as well as 80 percent of the team. Savard doesn't know if the Canadiens will go on the block, but he has told various Quebec media he would be part of a consortium that would bid for the team. Gillett also owns 50 percent of the Liverpool English soccer team and has interests in the Richard Petty Motorsports NASCAR team and other sports entities.
Buffalo Sabres (39-32-9) over the Toronto Maple Leafs (33-35-13) 3-1
Ryan Miller and the Buffalo Sabres kept their slim playoff hopes alive thanks to Miller's 32 saves in the 3-1 win. The Sabres needed the win, and to have an extraordinary combination of circumstances to go their way, to avoid missing the playoffs for the second year in a row. They are four points behind the New York Rangers for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff position, and two points behind ninth-place Florida. All three teams have two games remaining. Curtis Joseph tied the late Gump Worsley for most losses in NHL history with 452.
NHL STANDINGS & PLAYOFF SCENARIOS
http://www.nhl.com/ice/standings.htm?type=CON&navid=NAVSTNMain
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=417334
OTHER HEADLINES
-New York Islanders head coach Scott Gordon has been named as an assistant coach for the U.S. Men's National Team that will compete in the World Hockey Championship in Switzerland. ''We're thrilled to have Scott join Ron Wilson in guiding our men's national team,'' said Brian Burke, general manager of the National Team. ''While this will be his first experience as a coach on the international scene, he's a proven winner and no doubt one of the bright young coaches in the game today.'' Gordon is in his first year as the head coach of the Islanders. Last season, he led the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League to a league-best 55-18-3 mark and earned AHL Coach of the Year honours. Gordon played on the 1992 United States Olympic Team and retired from his playing career following the 1993-94 season.
-Cory Clouston can consider his audition as head coach of the Ottawa Senators a success. The Senators signed the 39-year-old to a two-year deal Wednesday, removing the interim tag he held since taking over after Craig Hartsburg was fired on Feb. 2. With the team's run of 11 straight post-season appearances having come to an end after a dismal start to the season, owner Eugene Melnyk and general manager Bryan Murray sought to lock up the man who's had a hand in its recent turnaround. "Cory's come in and done a remarkable job really," Murray said during a news conference at Scotiabank Place, where the Senators play their final home game tonight against the New Jersey Devils. "He's made (the players) accountable. "We're watching a team now that will make it very entertaining for the fans and maybe even give (the media) something nice to write about once in a while." The Senators were 17-24-7 when Hartsburg was fired and replaced by Clouston, a native of Viking, Alta., who had been the coach of the Senators' Binghamton AHL affiliate. The Senators are 19-10-3 since he took over. On Tuesday, they beat the Eastern Conference's best team, the Boston Bruins, to run their franchise-record home-ice win streak to nine games.
-Linus Omark has decided to play in Russia next season and has accepted a two-year contract with Moscow Dynamo. The deal will pay him $1.2 million in year one and $1.4 million in the second year. The contract has an escape clause for Omark after year one, should he want to come to North America. Omark's agent Jared Bousquet and the Oilers were in negotioations, and according to Bousquet, the Oilers made a very fair offer, but simply couldn't compete with the money available in Russia. Omark caused stir when a highlight of a shootout goal he scored against Switzerland was posted on YouTube. He was originally a fourth round draft pick (97th overall) by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2007 NHL Entry draft. Omark is one of the top scorers in the Swedish Elite League this season with Luela, racking up 23 goals and 32 assists in 53 games. He is also slated to play for Sweden at the upcoming World Hockey Championship in Switzerland.
-Former Montreal Canadiens general manager Serge Savard says he and a group of partners are prepared to buy the NHL franchise if it is put up for sale. Canadiens majority shareholder George Gillett is seeking advice from financial firms in Canada and elsewhere about how he might maximize his holdings. Gillett owns the Bell Centre, where the Canadiens play, as well as 80 percent of the team. Savard doesn't know if the Canadiens will go on the block, but he has told various Quebec media he would be part of a consortium that would bid for the team. Gillett also owns 50 percent of the Liverpool English soccer team and has interests in the Richard Petty Motorsports NASCAR team and other sports entities.
TONIGHTS ACTION:
Montreal @ Boston - 7PM
Buffalo @ Carolina - 7PM
Philadelphia @ NY Rangers - 7PM
Florida @ Atlanta - 7PM
%Nashville @ Detroit - 7:30PM
New Jersey @ Ottawa - 7:30PM
NY Islanders @ Pittsburgh - 7:30PM
Washington @ Tampa Bay - 7:30PM
Dallas @ Colorado - 9PM
Los Angeles @ Vancouver - 10PM
Phoenix @ San Jose - 10:30PM
% = Game of the Night
^All Times are Eastern
~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch comes out on Thursdays
TO EMAIL FTS, write fromtheslot@gmail.com
Montreal @ Boston - 7PM
Buffalo @ Carolina - 7PM
Philadelphia @ NY Rangers - 7PM
Florida @ Atlanta - 7PM
%Nashville @ Detroit - 7:30PM
New Jersey @ Ottawa - 7:30PM
NY Islanders @ Pittsburgh - 7:30PM
Washington @ Tampa Bay - 7:30PM
Dallas @ Colorado - 9PM
Los Angeles @ Vancouver - 10PM
Phoenix @ San Jose - 10:30PM
% = Game of the Night
^All Times are Eastern
~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch comes out on Thursdays
TO EMAIL FTS, write fromtheslot@gmail.com
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