The Columbus Blue Jackets Need A Fast Start

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Opening night for the Columbus Blue Jackets is ONE day away, and my brain has stopped processing any information unless it has something to do with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The major thing my brain has been processing is what the Blue Jackets need to do to get off to a fast start, and keep this momentum building in this city, for this team.

I wanted to take a look at the first 10 games of the season, and see how the Columbus Blue Jackets could get this season off on the right foot instead of stumbling out of the gates as they did last year, which ended up ultimately costing them a playoff berth.

Jun 5, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing

Jarome Iginla

(12) keeps the puck away from Boston Bruins left wing

Milan Lucic

(17) during the first period in game three of the Eastern Conference finals of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

As everybody in this city knows, or should know, opening night kicks off October 4th, against the Calgary Flames. Now this should be a great game to get the fast start off and running. The Flames lost their long time goaltender in Miikka Kiprusoff, and will be starting Joey MacDonald, in all likelihood in his place.

The Flames have nothing special happening on the offensive side of the puck, as they lost long time captain Jarome Iginla to the Pittsburgh Penguins last Spring. With the atmosphere in Nationwide Arena rocking on Friday night, the Columbus Blue Jackets should extinguish the Flames in no time.

Prediction: CBJ 4  Calgary 1

Up next is a team in the same position as the Blue Jackets, former push overs, but a team currently on the rise. The Blue Jackets have to travel to the Nassau Coliseum to face the New York Islanders. It will be their first Eastern Conference tilt, as well as first division game.

Sep 21, 2013; Brooklyn, NY, USA; New York Islanders center

John Tavares

(91) carries the puck during the first period against the New Jersey Devils at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Fresh off of their playoff berth in the shortened 2012-2013 season, the Islanders should give the Columbus Blue Jackets a much better test than the home opener did. Evgeni Nabokov will test the Blue Jackets offense, and the newly appointed captain John Tavares should be a test that the defense and Sergei Bobrovsky didn’t see the night before.

These two teams finished last season with the exact same record 24-17-7, however the Islanders made the playoffs while the Blue Jackets did not. The Blue Jackets are the team that got better over the off-season, and proved last season they learned how to win on the road. I see this being a hard-fought game, but I will have to give this one to the Blue Jackets.

Prediction: CBJ 3  NYI 2

After back to back games to start the season, the Blue Jackets get a 4 day break until their next Eastern conference battle, when they travel to play the Buffalo Sabres The Sabres are a team that shipped out a good amount of “older” players last year to bring in some new faces and rebuild their franchise.

Oct 2, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Buffalo Sabres goalie

Ryan Miller

(30) makes a save in the third period against the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. Detroit won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The Sabres still possess quality in their goalie, Ryan Miller, and in dual captains, yes you read that right. A captain for home games and a captain for away games. This is an approach that I have yet to see, but who knows, maybe it will be all the rage in the coming seasons. Thomas Vanek will serve as captain during home games and Steve Ott will be the captain during the away games.

The Sabres are a team that is looking to rebuild, and I have no reason to believe anything other than that the Blue Jackets will tame the Sabres and move on to 3-0.

Prediction: CBJ 3  Buffalo 1

The Blue Jackets get to come back home and play in front of the Nationwide faithful on October 12th, when they take on the Boston Bruins. This will be the Blue Jackets toughest test of the young season, and should serve as a litmus test to see where the Blue Jackets stack up with the Eastern Conference elite.

Jun 24, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins defenseman

Zdeno Chara

(33) and goalie

Tuukka Rask

(40) make a save against Chicago Blackhawks right wing

Patrick Kane

(88) during the second period in game six of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Harry How/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Sports

The Blue Jackets will more than likely face Tuukka Rask, as well as a suffocating, hard-hitting defense. Now, the Blue Jackets style of play is more suited to play against the Bruins than say the Penguins, but either way it is a rough style to play against. This is the game that I am looking forward to most in the early season, because we will get to see what the Blue Jackets are made of and what kind of heart this team carried over from last season.

I see this game as very low scoring and probably going to overtime and possibly a shootout. In the end the Blue Jackets will pick up their first loss, but still pick up a point in the process.

Prediction: Boston 2  CBJ 1  SO

Three straight road games follow the Blue Jackets possible first loss of the season, the first of which comes against the hated Detroit Red Wings. The Blue Jackets ended years of domination at the hands of the Red Wings last year when they went 4-0-1 against their rivals.

March 10, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Red Wings center

Henrik Zetterberg

(40) splits Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman

Dalton Prout

(47) and defenseman

Jack Johnson

(7) during the third period at the Joe Louis Arena. Columbus won 3-2 in a shoot out. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

I firmly believe that the brand of hockey the Blue Jackets have adopted gives the Red Wings and their finesse style of hockey they play the fits. The Blue Jackets are no longer in awe of the Red Wings, and I think that continues for the foreseeable future. Though CBJ will not beat them every time, they will not be dominated by the Red Wings game in and game out anymore.

Another close, hard-fought game ends with the Blue Jackets extending a points streak to 5 and beating the Red Wings in the two teams’ first meeting of the year.

Prediction: CBJ 4  Detroit 2

Up next is a trip that the Blue Jackets haven’t made that many times in their existence, as they go to Montreal to play the Canadiens. This will be a learning experience for each team as they have only played a handful of times over the past five years.

Sep 26, 2013; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens defenseman

P.K. Subban

(76) skates with the puck as Ottawa Senators forward

Mike Hoffman

(68) defends during the first period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

The Canadiens have Carey Price, picked up Danny Briere in the offseason and have a great young defenseman in P.K. Subban. I don’t know why, but I don’t feel the Canadiens are as good as they were last year, I do not think they will be the second seed this time around in the East, come playoff time.

They will be coming off a 4 game Western road trip, which is a perfect time for the Blue Jackets to catch them. I can see Price keeping the Canadiens in the game until late and then someone like Cam Atkinson scoring late in the 3rd to put the Blue Jackets ahead for good. The Blue Jackets continue their strong start and move to 5-0-1.

Prediction: CBJ 3  Montreal 2

The Blue Jackets end their 3 games in 5 days road trip with a game in the Capital of the U.S.A against the Washington Capitals. The Blue Jackets might start backup goaltender Curtis McElhinney if he is healthy, or whoever might be backing up Bobrovsky at that time, to give Bob a rest.

Sep 15, 2013; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender

Curtis McElhinney

(31) stops a puck during the 1st period of the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Leifheit-USA TODAY Sports

If that’s the case, I can see the Blue Jackets getting their first regulation loss of the season, and ending their points streak at 6. Not to say McElhinney isn’t a quality backup, because he is, but I think the Jackets will be tired and the Capitals will be ready. That will be the fifth home game in a row, and the Caps will have had two days off before the Blue Jackets come to town. It will be a case of right place at the right time for the Caps.

Alex Ovechkin will have a big night and the Blue Jackets offense falls into a lull, and can’t seem to produce enough goals to keep up with the Capitals offense. The Blue Jackets fall to the Capitals, but have 3 home games in a row to close out the first 10 games of the year.

Prediction: Capitals 3  CBJ 1

The Vancouver Canucks and Roberto Luongo come calling the next night, and the Blue Jackets look to make up for their first regulation loss of the year.

Sep 26, 2013; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets right wing

Blake Comeau

(14) picks up a rebound after goalie

Sergei Bobrovsky

(72) stops a Carolina Hurricanes shot at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

Bobrovsky is back between the pipes for the Jackets, and he puts on a show for the fans at Nationwide Arena. He is masterful throughout the game, shutting down the Sedin twins all night long, and Vancouver will be playing their second game in two nights after traveling from Pittsburgh. It is the Canucks fourth straight road game in the East, and the Blue Jackets get their energy from a raucous crowd and BOB stopping everything that comes his way, bringing back memories of the amazing performance he put on last year to close out the season.

With two goals and Sergei’s first shutout of the season, the Blue Jackets get back on the winning track. The Blue Jackets continue to wow everybody in the hockey world, besides themselves and their fan-base.

Prediction: CBJ 2  Vancouver 0

After a much-needed day off, the Blue Jackets get right back on the horse a day later when the New Jersey Devils come to town. The only thing that makes this look like the Devils is their uniforms and the fact they have father time, Martin Brodeur, in net.

Sep 26, 2013; Newark, NJ, USA; New Jersey Devils goalie

Cory Schneider

(35) makes a save against the Philadelphia Flyers during the second period at the Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The Devils are going to have a hard time scoring goals this year, and with their defense being suspect, Cory Schneider and Brodeur are going to have to be lights out for the Devils to make a playoff run. Something tells me the battle between the two goalies, and the decisions yet to be seen by management, and the coaching staff, do more to hurt the team than to help it. It is time for Brodeur to start fading into more of a backup role, but how will he take it? He still has talent, but can he keep it up for an entire season?

I say the Blue Jackets easily dismantle the Devils defense in this game, and chase Brodeur early, then tack a couple more on for good measure when Schneider comes in to replace him. The Blue Jackets defense has little trouble with the Devils poor excuse for offense, and this contest is not even close.

Prediction: CBL 5  NJ 1

The Blue Jackets come into the 10th game of the year with a 7-1-1 record, and it’s safe to say that they will be sitting atop the Eastern Conference standings. If not at the top, then they will be no worse than 2nd or 3rd in the standings.

Oct 2, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs right wing

Phil Kessel

(81) celebrates his goal with teammates center

Nazem Kadri

(43), right wing

Joffrey Lupul

(19) and defenseman

Jake Gardiner

(51) against the Philadelphia Flyers during the second period at the Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Visiting Nationwide Arena will be the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the lumberjack Phil Kessel. As of this post, the Maple Leafs have started 2-0 and their goaltending has looked pretty good. I have no reason for this, but I just feel this will be a loss for the Blue Jackets. Maybe it’s the fact that Kessel only got a 3 game suspension, preseason games by the way, for trying to use his stick to cripple John Scott. It just seems the Hockey Gods are on the Leafs side.

Toronto will be running high on the return of David Clarkson from his 10 game suspension for leaving the bench during “the brawl”. The Blue Jackets come out flat in the first period and can’t overcome a two goal deficit.

Prediction: Toronto 3  CBJ 1

There you have it, my official prediction for the start of the Blue Jackets season, and some reasoning for it. If the Blue Jackets start the season 7-2-1, I wouldn’t consider that a fast start, I would consider it a heavenly start. Could my love for the Blue Jackets and optimism for this season have jaded my view of the first ten games? Sure, but where is the fun in thinking they will start the season off slow again? I also feel that this start is definitely attainable, this team is primed for a great season, and what better way to start it off than with a fast start.

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