Twelve days ago the Columbus Blue Jackets were four points out of the playoffs, injected with a supposed boost courtesy of the trade deadline dealings of general manager Scott Howson. With a Dallas win Friday, they'll be 10 points below the bar.
Heck of a playoff run, eh?
Friday's 4-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings at Nationwide Arena is the seventh straight for the free-falling Blue Jackets. Sure, they've picked up the odd point here and there with three overtime losses -- two via the skills competition -- during the stretch. But three points out of 14 possible does not a playoff team make.
The games have been close. Each loss has been by a one or two-goal margin. They've had chances. After bringing the Blue Jackets within one earlier in the third Derick Brassard rung one off the post with only about 20 square feet of net to shoot at with less than 4 minutes remaining.
The Union Blue responded by giving up a brutal goal to Justin Williams 2 minutes later. Defensemen Grant Clitsome was completely and utterly inept defending a 2-on-1, committing the cardinal sin of failing to cut off the pass not once, but twice. He made Dustin Penner look like Adam Oates.
Oh and Anze Kopitar -- you know, that hulking Slovenian pivot that Doug MacLean passed over for Gilbert Brule in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft -- scored a hat trick. The dagger, his third, came via a breakaway in the second frame. Kings captain Dustin Brown floated a puck to center ice as Kopitar was exiting the penalty box and the Jackets had concluded their most productive -- albeit unsuccessful -- man-power advantage of the evening.
The ol' mano y mano isn't exactly Columbus netminder Steve Mason's forte. Kopitar flat-out abused him, faking the backhand before bringing it back to the forehand to stuff it past Mason low on the glove side. That put Los Angeles up 3-1 8:47 remaining in the second period. The goal wrapped up Kopitar's second career hat trick.
Brule didn't play tonight. He's sidelined with an intestinal problem. He has nine points in 37 games for the Edmonton Oilers this season. Kopitar has six points in four games against the Blue Jackets this year. Moving on...
There's little solace to take in this most recent loss. Scottie Upshall, who has yet to enjoy a 'W' since coming to the Columbus from Phoenix at the trade deadline, scored his third goal since the deal and career-high 19th of the season. That knotted the game up at one apiece with 8:12 remaining in the first.
Kopitar redirected a blast from the point from Drew Doughty less than 4 minutes later to retake the lead for LA.
Folks can theorize all they want. After all, if the Blue Jackets win, oh, 13 of their remaining 15 games they'd have a comfortable 97 points, which will get you into the playoffs -- even in the West -- most years. But this isn't most years. Nope, not with three teams above the Blue Jackets in the standings, all within four points of the bar.
So pour one out for the Columbus Blue Jackets. After all, they've already given fans enough reasons to hit the bottle.
Loose Pucks
-- It was a tough game for Clitsome. While the Williams goal was his most egregious error of the night, he struggled mightily in the defensive zone. He was like a pylon out their at times, blown past by the opposing forward on a number of occasions and nabbed himself a minus-two rating. I wouldn't be surprised to see him get the healthy scratch when they take on the Hurricanes Saturday.
-- His defensive parter Kris Russell, on the other hand, enjoyed one of his better games. He skated the puck in the zone with regularity and was a real rover with the rubber on his stick. He also did an admirable job handling some of LA bigger forwards. But, he was unable to corral the puck on the blue line with 1:43 remaining, which sent Penner and Williams on the odd-man rush.
-- Rick Nash registered an assist for the third straight game. But he was unable to find the net for the eighth straight game, matching his longest drought of the season. Nash is and will probably always be a streaky scorer, but he's coming up dry at the absolute worst possible time for the Blue Jackets.
-- There was a bit of a scary moment in the second. RJ Umberger finished a check on Doughty at the blue line and the young defensemen got in the head by the stanchion at the end of the Blue Jackets bench. Play was whistled dead and Doughty went to the locker room but returned to the ice later. Pacioretty-Chara moment averted, but scary nonetheless.
-- The Blue Jackets may not be in town this weekend, but there's still going to be hockey in Nationwide Arena. The OHSAA Ice Hockey Final Four will be played on the sheet, the semifinals on Saturday and the championship on Sunday. Shout out to my cousin Jon Edwards, who's an assistant coach for the Olentangy Liberty Pioneers -- the represenatives from the Central Ohio region. They take on Toledo St. Francis de Sales Saturday at noon.
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