Been trying to cap this game for a bit. I was wondering what everyone else's thoughts were. Here's what I see.
I was reading Eric Duhatshek column today from the Toronto Globe and Mail reguarding Columbus Steve Mason.
Here's what he said: "Columbus Blue Jackets' goaltender Steve Mason, the London Knights' grad, who continued his exceptional early-season run this past week, by out-and-out stealing a 2-1 overtime victory from the Sharks. Mason stopped 47 shots in the victory – third-most in franchise history – and allowed just a single goal to the highest-scoring team in the NHL.
With the win, Mason improved to 9-5-1, with a .929 save percentage and a 1.91 goals-against average. Among goaltenders with 15 or more appearances this year, that is the top GAA. Mason has essentially pushed Pascal LeClaire to the back-up position for now, quite an accomplishment considering LeClaire led the NHL in shutouts a year ago with 10. Mason is 20, LeClaire 26, so goaltending – long an organizational weakness – may now be a strength for the Blue Jackets.
Mason is so entrenched that the Blue Jackets bid goodbye to Fredrik Norrena this week. Norrena cleared waivers and is seeking work in Russia, or elsewhere in Europe."
Sounds pretty impressive and he's starting tonight. And looking further, Mason's last GA were 1,3,1,1,3,3,2,0,3,0. Pretty impressive indeed.But digging deeper I see He's only won one game this year on the road at that was @Atl.
Goalie Games:
Score Shot/Save GA GAA SV % SO Opp
Nov 15 Mason L 2-3 28/30 2 1.85 0.933 0 Min
Nov 18 Leclaire L 2-7 12/19 7 7.00 0.632 0 Edm
Nov 22 Mason W 2-0 15/15 0 0.00 1.000 1 Atl
Nov 26 Mason L 2-3 22/25 3 3.06 0.880 0 Phx
Nov 28 Leclaire L 3-5 30/34 4 4.03 0.882 0 Det
Nov 29 Mason W 3-0 26/26 0 0.00 1.000 1 Wsh
Dec 1 Mason W 3-2 30/32 2 2.00 0.938 0 Van
Dec 4 Mason L 2-3 19/22 3 3.05 0.864 0 Sjs
Dec 6 Mason L 0-3 15/17 2 2.02 0.882 0 Lak
Dec 7 Leclaire L 3-5 29/34 5 5.01 0.853 0 Ana
Dec 11 Mason W 2-1 25/26 1 0.92 0.962 0 Nsh
Dec 13 Mason W 3-1 24/25 1 1.00 0.960 0 Nyi
Dec 14 Mason L 1-3 28/30 2 2.03 0.933 0 Chi
Dec 17 Mason W 2-1 47/48 1 0.96 0.979 0 Sjs
Dec 18 Leclaire L 5-6 12/17 5 4.62 0.706 0 Dal
And with Jason Chimera and Derick Brassard nursing injuries tonight, they know they must buckle down defensively to have a chance.
So then I read the preview to tonights game and it sound like Phoenix is in an aweful nice groove about right now:
Phoenix is 3-0-2 since losing back-to-back road games to St. Louis and Chicago on Dec. 6-7. The Coyotes (15-13-4) haven't earned at least a point in six consecutive games since an 8-0-1 run from Dec. 23, 2006-Jan. 9, 2007.
Plus, they're 4-0-1 at home this month.
Even though it's just December, this game ends the season series between these Western Conference foes. The teams have played four times in every season since Columbus joined the league in 2000-01, but neither one has ever pulled off a sweep.
The Blue Jackets lost 3-1 in Phoenix on Oct. 11 before the Coyotes won twice in Columbus last month. Shane Doan and Martin Hanzal lead Phoenix with four points apiece in the season series as Columbus has been outscored 11-5.
Phoenix is coming off a 2-1 victory over Nashville on Thursday night as Kyle Turris notched his first career two-goal game. The 19-year-old center scored off a pass from Ed Jovanovski in the first period and recorded the game-winner with 9:58 remaining.
"I feel the best I've felt all year," said Turris, who had an assist in each of the Coyotes' three victories over Columbus this season. "I feel great, I have my legs under me and I'm feeling very confident."
Having center Joakim Lindstrom as a mentor has helped the rookie.
Lindstrom, who had three goals and four assists in 25 games for Columbus in 2007-08, has two goals and an assist in five games for Phoenix since being acquired from Anaheim on Dec. 3.
"Lindstrom and (Turris) seem to feed off each other," Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky said. "They play a similar style, move the puck to the open man, go to open areas to get pucks back. It's a nice combination right now and they're doing a nice job for us."
So is goalie Ilya Bryzgalov. After going 1-6-1 with a 3.89 goals-against average from Nov. 13-Dec. 7, Bryzgalov has a 2.14 GAA during Phoenix's last five games.
Bryzgalov is 2-0-0 with a 1.50 GAA in two starts against the Blue Jackets this season.
Columbus is trying to snap a six-game road skid, dating to 2-0 win over Atlanta on Nov. 22.
Some what do we do?
Is this a tight checking under play?
What's your guys thoughts?
I was reading Eric Duhatshek column today from the Toronto Globe and Mail reguarding Columbus Steve Mason.
Here's what he said: "Columbus Blue Jackets' goaltender Steve Mason, the London Knights' grad, who continued his exceptional early-season run this past week, by out-and-out stealing a 2-1 overtime victory from the Sharks. Mason stopped 47 shots in the victory – third-most in franchise history – and allowed just a single goal to the highest-scoring team in the NHL.
With the win, Mason improved to 9-5-1, with a .929 save percentage and a 1.91 goals-against average. Among goaltenders with 15 or more appearances this year, that is the top GAA. Mason has essentially pushed Pascal LeClaire to the back-up position for now, quite an accomplishment considering LeClaire led the NHL in shutouts a year ago with 10. Mason is 20, LeClaire 26, so goaltending – long an organizational weakness – may now be a strength for the Blue Jackets.
Mason is so entrenched that the Blue Jackets bid goodbye to Fredrik Norrena this week. Norrena cleared waivers and is seeking work in Russia, or elsewhere in Europe."
Sounds pretty impressive and he's starting tonight. And looking further, Mason's last GA were 1,3,1,1,3,3,2,0,3,0. Pretty impressive indeed.But digging deeper I see He's only won one game this year on the road at that was @Atl.
Goalie Games:
Score Shot/Save GA GAA SV % SO Opp
Nov 15 Mason L 2-3 28/30 2 1.85 0.933 0 Min
Nov 18 Leclaire L 2-7 12/19 7 7.00 0.632 0 Edm
Nov 22 Mason W 2-0 15/15 0 0.00 1.000 1 Atl
Nov 26 Mason L 2-3 22/25 3 3.06 0.880 0 Phx
Nov 28 Leclaire L 3-5 30/34 4 4.03 0.882 0 Det
Nov 29 Mason W 3-0 26/26 0 0.00 1.000 1 Wsh
Dec 1 Mason W 3-2 30/32 2 2.00 0.938 0 Van
Dec 4 Mason L 2-3 19/22 3 3.05 0.864 0 Sjs
Dec 6 Mason L 0-3 15/17 2 2.02 0.882 0 Lak
Dec 7 Leclaire L 3-5 29/34 5 5.01 0.853 0 Ana
Dec 11 Mason W 2-1 25/26 1 0.92 0.962 0 Nsh
Dec 13 Mason W 3-1 24/25 1 1.00 0.960 0 Nyi
Dec 14 Mason L 1-3 28/30 2 2.03 0.933 0 Chi
Dec 17 Mason W 2-1 47/48 1 0.96 0.979 0 Sjs
Dec 18 Leclaire L 5-6 12/17 5 4.62 0.706 0 Dal
And with Jason Chimera and Derick Brassard nursing injuries tonight, they know they must buckle down defensively to have a chance.
So then I read the preview to tonights game and it sound like Phoenix is in an aweful nice groove about right now:
Phoenix is 3-0-2 since losing back-to-back road games to St. Louis and Chicago on Dec. 6-7. The Coyotes (15-13-4) haven't earned at least a point in six consecutive games since an 8-0-1 run from Dec. 23, 2006-Jan. 9, 2007.
Plus, they're 4-0-1 at home this month.
Even though it's just December, this game ends the season series between these Western Conference foes. The teams have played four times in every season since Columbus joined the league in 2000-01, but neither one has ever pulled off a sweep.
The Blue Jackets lost 3-1 in Phoenix on Oct. 11 before the Coyotes won twice in Columbus last month. Shane Doan and Martin Hanzal lead Phoenix with four points apiece in the season series as Columbus has been outscored 11-5.
Phoenix is coming off a 2-1 victory over Nashville on Thursday night as Kyle Turris notched his first career two-goal game. The 19-year-old center scored off a pass from Ed Jovanovski in the first period and recorded the game-winner with 9:58 remaining.
"I feel the best I've felt all year," said Turris, who had an assist in each of the Coyotes' three victories over Columbus this season. "I feel great, I have my legs under me and I'm feeling very confident."
Having center Joakim Lindstrom as a mentor has helped the rookie.
Lindstrom, who had three goals and four assists in 25 games for Columbus in 2007-08, has two goals and an assist in five games for Phoenix since being acquired from Anaheim on Dec. 3.
"Lindstrom and (Turris) seem to feed off each other," Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky said. "They play a similar style, move the puck to the open man, go to open areas to get pucks back. It's a nice combination right now and they're doing a nice job for us."
So is goalie Ilya Bryzgalov. After going 1-6-1 with a 3.89 goals-against average from Nov. 13-Dec. 7, Bryzgalov has a 2.14 GAA during Phoenix's last five games.
Bryzgalov is 2-0-0 with a 1.50 GAA in two starts against the Blue Jackets this season.
Columbus is trying to snap a six-game road skid, dating to 2-0 win over Atlanta on Nov. 22.
Some what do we do?
Is this a tight checking under play?
What's your guys thoughts?
hno:
