Posted by Jackets 3 Stars 7 (Neal C. Lauron - Columbus Dispatch)
Three games in the books with thirty-two to go and the Blue Jackets sit at 2-1-0 since the All Star break. By all accounts, not a bad start in the final push for their first playoff appearance. A gritty win over the Detroit Red Wings, somewhat of a snoozer shut-out against the Ottawa Senators and a horrible effort versus a determined Dallas Stars team that showed up to win.
The big story of the week happened after the Stars game Saturday night when it was revealed that rookie net-minder Steve Mason has been battling Mononucleosis for about three to four weeks. He was yanked for the first time in his short NHL career in the first period with Wade Dubielewicz taking over between the posts. From Puck-Rakers (Columbus Dispatch):
“Nothing has changed in terms of how the Blue Jackets plan to handle goaltender Steve Mason, even though Mason was diagnosed with mononucleosis on Thursday. They figure he’s had it for three or four weeks, so the worst is behind him. That’s the hope, anyway. Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock said Mason was feeling much better today. He refused to rule him out of Tuesday’s game vs. St. Louis. He refused to rule him out of playing both ends of a back-to-back next weekend vs. Pittsburgh and San Jose.”
His less than stellar play comes into sharper focus now. I’m amazed that he was able to play through it. Mononucleosis is the kind of virus that saps your strength severely and leaves you wanting nothing more than to lay in bed. He definately had help from the rest of the team with the shut-out win over Ottawa on Friday. This is most certainly a kid who needs rest if the Blue Jackets expect to make the playoffs. You can’t ride him indefinately and expect him to be 100% at the end of the regular season. That said, Wade “Dubie” Dubielewicz needs to shake off the rust that has accumulated and bring on the play that helped the New York Islanders make the playoffs last year. Add to that the fact that after seeing Mason in goal so much lately, when Dubie made his Blue Jackets debut on Saturday he looked like a small little pile of goalie pads. Granted, they were stock pads as he is still waiting for the league to release his personal pads. That might partially explain all of the rebounds on Saturday.
The Blue Jackets have shown this year that one bad loss doesn’t beget more losses on top of it. They have shown a resiliency to bounce back hard after a loss such as that suffered to Dallas. They take on the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday in Nationwide Arena. Look for them to come out fast and with a ferociousness to erase the memory of the loss to the Dallas Stars. The Blues are sure to play a tough, hard checking game. This from the Morning Skate (stltoday.com/blogzone):
“Blues forward David Backes was a guest on “The Low Down” with Reed Low and myself Wednesday night on KFNS 590 The Fan and said he has no problem calling the Blues a desperate team right now…
…“I have no problem calling it ‘desperation hockey,’” Backes said. “That’s what the St. Louis Blues are right now, a desperate team that desperately needs two points every game. We’ve got guys desperately fighting for their careers, for their spot in the lineup, for their ability to continue playing this game. When you’ve got 20 guys desperate like that, playing as hard as they can because they’ve got something at stakes for themselves and their team and the group of 20 guys in the locker room putting on the jersey, it’s a dangerous combination and a force to be reckon with . . . rather than guys who are cruising into playoff spots, or guys that are just comfortable with where they’re sitting. I’ve got no problem calling it desperate hockey. I’ll classify it that myself . . . we’re a desperate team.”
All in all, another tough three games on the board for the Blue Jackets starting Tuesday with the St. Louis Blues and continuing Friday and Saturday with back to backs against the Pittsburgh Penguins and San Jose Sharks. Remember, nobody ever said it would be easy to make the playoffs in a very tight Western Conference. Even though the Blue Jackets sit in 9th place, they are only 2 points out of 5th.
Until next time…
Carry The Flag!!!
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