While this is typically a Flames blog, I've developed a soft spot for the the maligned BJs recently. Partially because I'm a not-so-secret fan of Kristian Huselius and partially because I've liked a majority of what the organization has done since MacLean got the boot.
There's been talk of dwindling support in Columbus this year. It's understandable: there's only so much losing and futility the faithful can take before cheering becomes something cruelly masochistic. The "Young Guns era" still evokes gags and grmiaces amongst Flames fans that remember it, for example.
The BJ's are currently 4th in the Central division. They have a negative GD and (-6) and have won only 5 of their first 13 games. So things look pretty grim.
Since I've been following them a bit this season, I've noticed Columbus has lost a few games they probably should have won. In fact, the Blue Jackets have the 10th best shot/game average in the league (30.8) and on of the better shot differentials (+3/game). Which made me look at their team-wide corsi/SV% stats.
Those are some pretty positive numbers for a basement dwelling team. The club is +73 by the corsi metric thus far, with guys like Huselius (+47) and Nash (+33) leading the way. Only 4 guys are in the red: Jan Hejda, Mike Commodore (tough match-ups?), Andrew Murray and Jared Boll (4th line muckers).
It looks to me like Columbus has been pretty unlucky so far. Leclaire has been mediocre/injured, with Fredrick Norrena doing his best Raycroft impression. Not a single one of Columbus' goalies has a SV% above .900 right now, which strikes me as something that can't possibly continue on a Hitchcock coached team.
In addition, the shooting percentages with guys like Nash and Juice on the ice are ridiculously low (5.4% and 7.3%). Nash himself is shooting at just 9.8%, around 4% below his career average, smaller even his rookie rate of 11.0% (his worst to date). No way that a sniper of his ability doesn't start putting more pucks in the net. In addition, RJ Umberger (0%) can't shoot blanks forever and the return of both Modin and Torres should help the club. If Brassard and Voracek don't fall off a cliff half way through the year, things should start to turn around for this team. Especially if they can get some goaltending.
In short - don't give up all hope just yet Blue Jackets fans. Your team seems to be doing the right things and fortunes are bound to turn around if/when the bounces start going the other way. Take it from a Flames fan; victory, long delayed, is all the sweeter once it arrives.
