Be honest now... How many of you actually stayed awake and watched any part of that game last night?

..at this point I'm not sure if it's fair to even call it a game?  I mean don't you have to have players from each side competing against another to call it one?

Shots: 35 - 11

Wow.  Talk about rolling over Beethoven.

I can tell you I didn't watch one second of it.  I had the DVR rolling and I had it tuned in on the bedroom TV but I was out cold the minute I hit the mattress - as was this team the minute they hit the ice.

I can also tell you that the game will be deleted from my DVR as soon as I can find the remote.

You know what though?  I'm not upset they lost.  If fact if you look big picture it's a good thing that they keep losing.

...but...but... how can you root for your team to lose?  We need to engrain a winning culture not a losing one! What kind of fan is that?

Please spare me that BS. 

Somebody should have told this team/management that before they lost 20 of 25 games (or whatever in the hell that was).  After that streak the rest of this season has always been about setting the team up the best way possible for next year.

The best thing this team can do for next season right now is to play the kids and rack up the losses.  That accomplishes a variety of things:

1. Nobody gets the illusion that Claude Noel or anyone on this coaching staff is the answer.

2. It should give the Jackets a top 3 pick and by all accounts the top tier in this draft is 3 players deep.  That's one helluva of an asset to put on the trade table... and who knows, maybe the hockey gods finally grant the Jackets the #1 overall pick.

3. The young players get lots of ice time and management should know exactly where these players stand in terms of development.

4. It puts pressure on Howson and ownership to make significant upgrades to this roster.  Shopping in the bargain bin will not cut it if they really want to compete.

I'll still watch the games and I'll be happy if they win... but believe me I won't be upset if they lose either - in fact, I'll be happy with that too.

What I won't like is that after this season concludes and we are all finally put out of our misery and real changes don't occur.

Coaching staff gone.  Scouting staff gone.  Game ops gone.  A bloated contract or two gone.  Draft picks gone for real players.

I'm not saying to blow the entire thing up but significant changes must occur to this roster and the organization as a whole to get this train back on it's tracks.

Howson has his work cut out for him as does the rest of the organization. 

Tanking is the easy part.

In the meantime sit back, relax and treat the rest of these games like a car wreck.... you know you shouldn't look but you do anyways just to see how bad it is.

-LTL

Comments (8)

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written by dcorson17, March 09, 2010

I agree that in terms of positioning the team for next year, losing if the best thing for us. However, this team already shows zero heart, and one can't help but wonder if tanking hard from here on out isn't going to motivate some of the players we need to keep into taking less money to get out of Columbus. I've never seen Nash so listless.

The whole situation stinks. What an unholy mess we have on our hands. And what a year for it to happen, what with the arena lease issue. I guess the only thing left to do is cross our fingers.

Rest of the season
written by swinzo1010, March 09, 2010

I am basically indifferent on how the Jackets finish the season out. If they keep losing hopefully we get a better draft pick. If they finish strong maybe they can regain some of that "winning attitude" they have been missing. I'm just glad the Dispatch stopped saying they still had a chance at making the playoffs.

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written by LTL, March 09, 2010

Your comment begs another question dcorson..

If Nash doesn't want to be here then perhaps we should oblige him?

Trading Nash would be a short term hit in all aspects but winning keeps memories extremely short.

If I'm Howson I don't rule anything out. He cannot allow another season like this to occur. The NHL in Columbus is in bad enough shape as it is - not sure it can sustain this hit let alone another one.

-LTL

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written by LTL, March 09, 2010

Agree about your comment regarding the Dispatch swinzo1010. Then again after last night's loss the Jackets were officially eliminated from the playoffs so they have no choice!

Not to worry though - we keep it real here at LTL. We've been sayign the Jackets season was over for a few months now.... fortunately and unfortunately.

I'm not a big believer of a strong finish would translate into success next year though. I think a strong draft and offseason has a much better chance of making that happen.

Thanks for the comments as usual guys!

-LTL

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written by dcorson17, March 09, 2010

The way I look at it is, if we were to trade Nash we'd (hopefully, I'm looking at you, Howson) be getting top 5 value for a player giving us nowhere near top 5 effort or production. Teams are capable of winning without a superstar to build around; just look at Buffalo. Yes, Miller is out of his mind, but I still think Mason has that type of capability if he can get over the obstacles he seems to create for himself. Put a solid team around him that plays hard every night, and there's no reason we couldn't win without Nash.

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written by Mase1, March 09, 2010

Not sure I put too much on the Dispatch - I personally think their projections (to make the playoffs) were more in jest than anything.

Which is far more than I can say for the TV (gruesome) twosome, who repeatedly, when the team was in full freefall, kept feeding the masses as to how many points we were out.

And, in their case, they're just following thru on what they're told to say by Hoepner and his ilk - AKA the gestapo. So, once again, Hoep and his crew think we're just that stupid.

It's too bad they can't fire Dougy's old (heavy) drinkin' buddy, the Hoep, seeing that the game ops, firing of Danny Gare and Jim Day (two of the best guys, around) are continued disasters that any of us would have been fired, long ago (to have been that incompetant)...

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written by Mase1, March 10, 2010

LTL: The BIGGEST key is this: We know you're (CBJ 'brass') C-H-E-A-P, so, for Gawd's sake, pump the money into getting the best scouts and player development people you can get. The current crop isn't getting it done.

Year 9, and still no no. center, nor a legit first pair (note: not a no. 1 D-Man, a first pairing - see the Preds D corps) - nuff said.

Arggh
written by eplagge, March 10, 2010

Dcorson17 is 100% right.... this team shows ZERO heart... last night Nash and Juice are out of the lineup and we put away a Ducks team that is desperatly battling for a playoff spot.. The rookies are hungry and push this team, it happened last year as well with LaCosta and half the Crunch team against the Sharks and Bruins I believe (not 100% sure about the Bruins)...

It has become obvious to me at least that this team as constructed doesn't gel, they are TOO LAID BACK... not enough heart, drive and determination.. Nash is a good player but he's not the captain that can change that culture or lockerroom. Nash himself is a bad fit in that regard..

Howsen needs to severly shuffle the roster, we have some skill and some pieces but the chemistry is just out of whack... Otherwise we wouldn't be getting such a boost every time we have regulars go down to injury..

Regarding a Nash trade, If he fetches a big return I wouldn't be opposed to it... I like Nash but I am not blown away by him ..

The bottom line is that the chemistry has to change... and that only happens when you trade away 4/5 regulars..