The Jackets came out on top again in New Jersey last night. The Jackets who battled through two scoreless periods came out with a 3-1 victory and a highlight save for Bob. One of the most impressive saves any goalie could ever have. Torts however, was much like McKayla Maroney in the 2012 Olympics… not impressed. While the Jackets came out on top and got three impressive goals in the third they were outshot by almost double (40-25). They also were busy on the penalty kill going 3-4 and not scoring a single goal on their “massive” two power play chances.
Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
Torts took the blame for the poor performance in his post game interview, stating improvement is still in the making. His team isn’t doing the things they need to do yet, but with a two day break before heading to the Nations Capital lets hope that turns around.
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The Caps are arguably the hottest team in hockey right now. Having won five of their last games. and being +19 in their goal differential. The Jackets will not walk away with a win if they perform how they did last night. We will have to lay more shots on net and check harder in front of our own.
Puck Prose
Now I said it on Monday and I’ll say it again today. There is something about the Jackets and they are really good at ending winning streaks. Going into D.C. no one is batting an eye at the 2-8-0 record the Jackets have posted. They are all under the assumption that the Caps are going to win this thing 9-0. This could prove to be their downfall if the team thinks like this. They will look to bury 2-3 goals per period. However if the Jackets can come in and play good solid fundamental hockey and limit their chances and getting shots through (especially with Ovechkin on the power play). There is a good chance they can cause the Caps to play too aggressively which can lead to mistakes that the Jackets can capitalize on.
Look for the Jackets to start out slow and really feel out how the Capitals want to play. Once that has been determined the Jackets will look to attack any weaknesses they can find and plug away to a win. What absolutely cannot happen is that if the Jackets should concede a goal they must play as if it were a 0-0 game. Columbus has a terrible tendency to fall apart when the slightest thing goes wrong, which eventually leads to utter self destruction and a loss. If they keep their heads above water and really pepper the Caps and keep it in the offensive end, there is a solid chance for the Jackets to come out with a win.
Also with Joey apparently on the mend look for him to return to action soon. No official statement has been released to when he will be back. However if it is not too serious it could be as early as Friday or Saturday. Stay tuned with Union and Blue by following us on twitter for any breaking news updates concerning the matter.