OFFICIAL Columbus Blue Jackets Thread

[scarletandgrey]

Wow what a game. Leclaire looked good out there tonight.

[jimotis4heisman]

http://dispatch.com/bluejackets/blue...01.html&chck=t

JACKETS 3 | WILD 2, SHOOTOUT
Leclaire’s first win comes in shootout
Balastik scores winner on Jackets’ third attempt
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Aaron Portzline
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
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ST. PAUL, Minn. — It was hard for the Blue Jackets to decide which milestone to celebrate last night.
Goaltender Pascal Leclaire earned his first NHL victory, center Sergei Fedorov played in his 1,000 th NHL game and the Blue Jackets beat the Minnesota Wild 3-2 in a shootout last night in the Xcel Energy Center.
It’s only the second time all season the Blue Jackets have won backto-back games, and the first time they’ve done so on the road.
"More than anything else," Fedorov said, "we needed a win. . . . That’s the most important thing."
Jaroslav Balastik, the third Jackets shooter, scored the only goal in the shootout, a simple but effective little wrist shot that passed over the right shoulder of Minnesota goaltender Manny Fernandez.
"We won a second straight game," Balastik said. "That’s very good for us."
The only sobering thought on this night concerned rookie forward Gilbert Brule, who suffered a left leg injury midway through the third period and did not return. More will be known today, but the club might have to call up yet another player from Syracuse.
Leclaire, appearing in his seventh NHL game, was at his flexible, flashy best. In the shootout, he became impenetrable, stopping Marian Gaborik, Mikko Koivu and Randy Robitaille.
He had been 0-6 for the Blue Jackets.
"They say the first win is always the most difficult," Leclaire said. "This being my (seventh) game, obviously I was thinking about it a little bit, when it was going to happen.
"This was a fun night. It’s real exciting. Now it’s off my head a little bit."
Leclaire made 32 saves, including stopping 14 of 15 shots in the third period.
"I felt he was the best player out there, for sure," Wild coach Jacques Lemaire said. "He kept them in the game.
"We put a lot of pressure on him in the second and third periods."
Leclaire stopped several primo looks for the Wild, including two in the final 20 seconds of the second period. With 1.9 seconds left, Gaborik snuck in on the near post and bounced the puck off the far post.
Other than that, Gaborik’s many scoring chances were swallowed whole by Leclaire.
"(Leclaire) played well," Gaborik said. "Maybe we should have put more shots high on him. He was down on most of them."
Trevor Letowski and Duvie Westcott scored for the Blue Jackets, both in the first period. With Westcott’s goal at 18:53, the Jackets led 2-0 for only the second time all season.
The Wild slowly crept back into it. Koivu scored early in the second and Robitaille tied the score with 6:33 left in regulation. Robitaille was parked in the slot when he redirected a shot by Filip Kuba, skipping the puck down and past Leclaire’s right pad extended.
"I think that’s the only way they were going to beat (Leclaire), honestly," Blue Jackets coach Gerard Gallant said.
The Blue Jackets could have — should have? — won it in overtime, but they failed to score despite having a 4-on-3 advantage for four of the five minutes.
On to the shootout, when Gallant showed some guts in his shooter selection.
Letowski went first because he scored to give the Jackets a shootout win over the Wild on Oct. 28 in Nationwide Arena.
Fedorov was next in line. No questions there, he’s Sergei Fedorov.
Balastik was a curious choice, especially with skillful forwards David Vyborny and Nikolai Zherdev on the bench.
"The third choice was Balastik because he shoots the puck very hard," Gallant said. "I think he was 3 for 4 in the preseason.
"He’s a sniper. He shoots the puck. I just had a good feeling with him."

aportzline@dispatch.com

and on manny malhotras injury

http://dispatch.com/bluejackets/blue...201-D8-03.html

BLUE JACKETS | NOTEBOOK
Back spasms keep Malhotra on bench
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Aaron Portzline
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
<!--PHOTOS--><TABLE class=phototableright align=right border=0><!-- begin large ad code --><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>CHRIS POLYDOROFF | KNIGHT RIDDER </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Sergei Fedorov of the Blue Jackets applies a hit to Stephane Veilleux of the Wild. Fedorov played in his 1,000 th NHL game last night. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Manny Malhotra, one of the few offensive bright spots for the Blue Jackets, was a late scratch from last night’s game against the Minnesota Wild in the Xcel Energy Center.
Malhotra experienced back spasms toward the end of yesterday’s morning skate. He’s questionable for tonight’s game in St. Louis.
Jaroslav Balastik, who likely would have been a healthy scratch last night, took Malhotra’s spot in the lineup.
Malhotra had been centering the Blue Jackets’ No. 2 line, with rookie Gilbert Brule on his left and David Vyborny to his right.
In recent games, that line has been the Blue Jackets’ most dangerous in terms of creating scoring chances.
Malhotra, with 15 points (two goals, 13 assists) is third on the team in scoring. His 13 assists have already matched a career high set during the 2003-04 season, and his minus-1 rating is tops among Blue Jackets who have played more than eight games.
Malhotra’s 54 percent faceoff winning percentage is 13 th in the NHL among players with 300 or more faceoffs.
Welcomed move

Defenseman Ron Hainsey joined the Blue Jackets yesterday morning, a day after he was claimed off waivers from the Montreal Canadiens.
"I’m absolutely excited," Hainsey said. "I want to play in the NHL, and I look at this like it’s a fresh start for me."
Hainsey, 24, was the 13 th overall choice in the 2000 draft but had played only 32 games with the Canadiens.
He’s the second defenseman the Canadiens have lost on waivers to the Blue Jackets in 14 months. In September 2004, the Blue Jackets took defenseman Francois Beauchemin, who recently was traded to Anaheim in the Sergei Fedorov trade. Last night, the Blue Jackets paired Hainsey with Luke Richardson on the No. 3 group.
Slap shots

Fedorov played his 1,000 th NHL game last night, becoming the first Russian to do so. Fedorov will be honored before the Dec. 8 game against the New York Islanders. Among the gifts from the organization will be an engraved watch. . . . Hainsey will wear No. 6, previously worn by Jamie Heward (2000-02) and Jamie Pushor (2003-04). . . . Defensemen Cale Hulse and Aaron Johnson were healthy scratches.

aportzline@dispatch.com

no word yet on this years first round draft pick gilbert brules injury. he left the game after being slashed in the leg. last i heard his skates were off in the third period and he was headed for x rays.

[jimotis4heisman]

<TABLE cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=2 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=headline align=middle width="100%" bgColor=#ded8b6 colSpan=2>Columbus at St Louis</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center align=middle width="50%"></TD><TD vAlign=center align=middle width="50%"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- End Header Table --><!-- Begin Head-to-Head Stats Table --><!-- End Head-to-Head Stats Table --><!-- <span jwcid="visitingTeamName" />-<span jwcid="homeTeamName" /> Preview
--><!-- Begin Article Body --><!--This is a GAME PREVIEW-->Blue Jackets-Blues Preview
<!-- Begin Article Body -->GAME: Columbus Blue Jackets (7-18-0) at St. Louis Blues (4-15-3).
TIME: Thursday, 8 p.m. EST.
The hapless St. Louis Blues look to snap a franchise-record seven-game home losing streak when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets in a matchup of the worst teams in the NHL.St. Louis has just four wins in 22 games and an NHL-worst 11 points. The Blues have already set a team record for consecutive losses with an 11-game skid from Oct. 20-Nov. 12.
Their run of 25 consecutive playoff appearances, the longest in U.S. professional sports, appears to be in serious jeopardy only a quarter of the way through the season.
"I think everyone agreed we should have done far better than this," defenseman Christian Backman said. "Everyone feels we're capable, but we've got to find a way to do it. We're going through a tough stretch and I hope everyone can step up and get out of this together."
St. Louis had dominated at home with a 217-118 record over the decade, but fell to 2-9-1 at the Savvis Center this season with a 4-3 loss to Columbus on Saturday.
Barret Jackman scored his first two goals of the season for the Blues, who have lost three straight while surrendering 15 goals. St. Louis has been outscored 8-0 in the third period in those losses.
"I don't know what it is," St. Louis coach Mike Kitchen said. "We sure have to improve in that area because we've blown a lot of leads."
Aaron Johnson scored his first goal of the season Saturday to lift the Blue Jackets, who halted a seven-game skid and moved past St. Louis into fourth place in the Central Division.
"It's big for our team," Columbus coach Gerard Gallant. "We're a lot like St. Louis. We're struggling."
Columbus, which scored just nine goals during its losing streak, followed up its win over St. Louis with a 3-2 shootout victory over the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday. Jaroslav Balastik scored the game-winner for the Blue Jackets, who have won two in a row after losing 11 of their previous 12.
Sergei Fedorov had an assist and became the first Russian-born NHLer to play in 1,000 career games. Acquired two weeks ago in a trade with Anaheim, the six-time All-Star center - who turns 36 on Dec. 13 - is the 205th player to reach that milestone.
"I'm just happy for this locker room, to overcome the obstacles they've dealt with," Fedorov said.
STANDINGS (through Nov. 30): Blue Jackets - 14 points, 4th place, 24 PB, Central Division. Blues - 11 points, 5th place, 27 PB, Central Division.
TEAM LEADERS: Blue Jackets - David Vyborny, 6 goals and 16 points; Manny Malhotra, 13 assists; Jody Shelley, 46 PIM. Blues - Dean McAmmond, 9 goals; Petr Cajanek, 16 assists and 18 points; Jamal Mayers, 41 PIM.
SPECIAL TEAMS (through Nov. 30): Blue Jackets - Power play: 10 percent (14 for 140), 30th in NHL. Penalty killing: 81.8 percent (140 for 171), 19th. Blues - Power play: 14 percent (21 for 150), 26th (tied). Penalty killing: 80.8 percent (114 for 141), 22nd.
GOALTENDERS: Blue Jackets - Martin Prusek (3-3-0, 0, 3.22); Pascal Leclaire (1-4-0, 0 SO, 3.93 GAA). Blues - Patrick Lalime (2-9-3, 0, 4.00); Curtis Sanford (2-4-0, 1, 3.21).
SEASON SERIES: Blue Jackets, 2-1.
LAST MEETING: Nov. 26; Blue Jackets, 4-3. At St. Louis, Malhotra had a goal and two assists and Luke Richardson and Martin Brule also scored for the Blue Jackets.
ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Blue Jackets - 3-10-0 on the road; Blues - 2-9-1 at home.

http://www.nhl.com/scores/previews/383_2_preview.html


the dispatch has prusek penciled in to start...pascal looked amazing last night i would go with him personally.

i was shocked they went with lewty last night for the first shot. no vyborny suprised me to, gallant was apparently saving him and zherdev for sudden death shots.

a few other notes: currently the jackets have 11 roster slots for kids 23 or younger.

[jimotis4heisman]

<TR><TD id=main>Blue Jackets Make Several Roster Moves

Brule and Malhotra Placed on IR; Denis Activated



The Columbus Blue Jackets recalled forwards Joe Motzko and Geoff Platt from the Syracuse Crunch, their American Hockey League affiliate, and activated goaltender Marc Denis off Injured Reserve, club President and General Manager Doug MacLean announced today.The club also placed rookie center Gilbert Brule (pronounced jihl-BAIR broo-LAY) and center Manny Malhotra on Injured Reserve and assigned defenseman Aaron Johnson to Syracuse. Brule suffered a broken leg in last night's 3-2 shootout win at Minnesota and is expected to miss four to six weeks, while Malhotra is suffering from back spasms.

Motzko, 25, has registered 3-9-12 and 12 penalty minutes in 15 games with Syracuse this season and has 48-71-119 and 122 penalty minutes in 164 career AHL games with the Crunch. Last season, he ranked second on the club in goals and points with 28-38-66 and 72 penalty minutes in 79 games. He made his NHL debut with the Blue Jackets on Feb. 2, 2004 at Phoenix and did not register a point in two games with the club that season.

Originally signed by Columbus as a free agent on May 15, 2003, Motzko played four seasons at St. Cloud State University and collected 52-90-142 and 201 penalty minutes in 154 games from 1999-03. He tallied a career-high 17-25-42 and 59 penalty minutes in 38 games as a senior in 2002-03, leading the Huskies to their fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Platt, 20, is playing in his first professional season with Syracuse and has tallied 14-9-23 and eight penalty minutes in 19 games. He leads the club in goals, points, power play goals (8) and shorthanded goals (2-tied). He also ranks third in the AHL in goals (tied) and power play goals, ranks 11th in points and is among the league's rookie leaders in goals (1st-tied) and points (3rd-tied).

A native of Mississauga, Ontario, Platt spent the past four years playing in the Ontario Hockey League where he registered 106-86-192 and 268 penalty minutes in 248 career games. In 2004-05, he notched 45-34-79 and 84 penalty minutes in 68 games with Erie. Platt ranked second in the OHL in goals and power play goals (20) and was 12th in points.

The Blue Jackets return to action tonight at the St. Louis Blues. Game time is set for 8 p.m. ET, with FSN Ohio's Ice Breaker pregame show starting at 7:30 p.m. The game will also be broadcast live on the Blue Jackets Radio Network and flagship stations WBNS-AM Sports Radio 1460 the Fan and WWCD-FM, CD101. Following tonight's game, Columbus is idle until Thursday, December 8 when the club hosts the New York Islanders.
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nash skated for his first time since suffering from his injury.

[CrabMan]

Brule, out 6-8 weeks with a fractured leg, joins Foote (groin), Klesla (fractured hand), Nash (knee), Malhotra (back) and Picard (concussion) on IR. Incredible that 4 or the teams 1st round picks are on the IR at the same time. A tough season keeps getting worse.

[jimotis4heisman]

vyborny left todays game with an undisclosed knee injury and has yet be seen on the bench

[jimotis4heisman]

vyborny is out 4-6 with mcl injury (his streak of 187 i blieve consecutive games played will end next thursday vs the ny islanders)

[CrabMan]

If it weren't for bad luck...

[jimotis4heisman]

vyborny's second mri came back negative. it is a mild mcl injury. listed as day to day now. the next game isnt till thursday so he may be able to go then. time will tell

http://bluejackets.com/news/press/arts/2731.0.html

Blue Jackets Assign Seven Players To Syracuse

Columbus Has a Non-Olympic Franchise-High Six-Day Layoff Between Games



The Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned seven players to the Syracuse Crunch, club President and General Manager Doug MacLean announced today. Forwards Dan Fritsche, Steven Goertzen, Nikolai Zherdev, Geoff Platt and Joe Motzko, along with defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen and goaltender Pascal Leclaire will be joining the club's American Hockey League affiliate, which plays at Hershey on Saturday and Philadelphia on Sunday.

[jimotis4heisman]

pascal continued his hot play in philly tonight for AHL syracuse crunch. 42 saves in a 4-2 win, and a helper :smile:

zherdev scored on a rocket shot and platt scored on a breakaway. fritsche had a helper.

[jimotis4heisman]

all from bluejackets.com

Blue Jackets Recall Forwards Dan Fritsche, Geoff Platt and Nikolai Zherdev From Syracuse

Trio Combined To Post 2-1-3 in Two Games With Syracuse



The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled forwards Dan Fritsche, Nikolai Zherdev and Geoff Platt from the Syracuse Crunch, their American Hockey League affiliate, club President and General Manager Doug MacLean announced today.
All three players were assigned to the Crunch on December 2 and helped Syracuse post a pair of wins over the weekend. Zherdev and Platt each scored a goal and Fritsche picked up 0-1-1 in two games. Zherdev netted the game-winning goal in a 4-2 win at Philadelphia on Sunday and added a shootout goal in a 5-4 win at Hershey on Saturday.

The Blue Jackets return to action on Thursday against the New York Islanders. Game time at Nationwide Arena is 7 p.m., with FSN Ohio's Ice Breaker pregame show starting at 6:30 p.m. The game will also be broadcast live on the Blue Jackets Radio Network and flagship stations WBNS-AM Sports Radio 1460 the Fan and WWCD-FM, CD101.

Stinger, Chimera, Klesla and Shelley Have Busy Saturdays

Stinger joins Shelley as they Read to Children at a local library; Chimera as they Skate at the Zoo; and Klesla at the OSU Hockey Game



Stinger, Jason Chimera and Jody Shelley had busy Saturdays, making appearances all over Columbus on Dec. 3. Stinger and Jody Shelley were busy from 12-3 p.m., reading to children at the Gahanna Branch Library as part of the Blue Jackets Book Jackets program. Stinger then hitched a ride aboard the Blue Jackets Fanboni, and headed to the Columbus Zoo where he enjoyed an evening of skating with pal Jason Chimera.

Of course Stiner's evening was not over, as he met up with Rostislav Klesla, as the duo made an appearance at the OSU-Alabama-Huntsville hockey game on Saturday night.
The Blue Jackets Book Jackets is an incentive-based program that was created to encourage students in grades K-8 to spend their free time exercising their minds by reading. The goal is for students to spend a minimum of 800 minutes reading over a six-week period with Blue Jackets gifts and exclusive opportunities granted as a reward for all who complete the requirements.

Since introducing the Blue Jackets Book Jackets program in 2001, more than 7,500 Central Ohio students have read a cumulative 13 million minutes.

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width=150 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=caption>
</TD></TR><TR><TD>Shelley Book Jackets
Photo by Columbus Blue Jackets</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Meanwhile, Chimera and Stinger skated from about 5-6 p.m. and signed autographs from 6-7 p. m. at the Columbus Zoo's Wildlights. Other details about Wildlights:

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width=150 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=caption>
</TD></TR><TR><TD>Chimera Zoo
Photo by Columbus Blue Jackets</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Ice Skating: Twirl on the ice while enjoying the holiday scenery. Ice-skating is free with zoo admission skate rental is $3 a pair Skate rental closes ½ hour prior to zoo closing Located next to Sokoni Gift Shop Closed the evenings of Nov. 24, Dec. 24 & 25
Santa Claus: Visit with Santa and have your photo taken with the jolly old elf. Pictures can be taken with Santa for only $11 or 3 for $25 Located on the Water's Edge Stage Through Dec. 23 only
Mrs. Claus' Kitchen: Decorate a holiday cookie with specially colored icing for $1.50 Milk and Hot Chocolate are also available for an additional charge. Through Dec. 23 only.
Reindeer: See the reindeer taking a break from their hard work in the North America My Barn exhibit.
Carolers: Local school choirs and carolers will display their talent for visitors select evenings from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Entrance Plaza.
Carousel: Take an enchanting ride on a fully restored 1914 Mangels Illions carousel, located on Main Street near the Manatee Coast. Cost is $1.
Discovery Reef: Come in contact with the ocean's wildlife at the exciting hands-on Touchpool exhibit in the Discovery Reef Thursday through Sunday evenings. There will also be Diving Demonstrations Thursday through Sunday evenings at 7 p.m.

Down On The Farm: The Weekly Report from Syracuse

Crunch Extend Winning Streak with Road Wins



2005-06 RECORD: 12-8-1-0, 25 points (7-2-0-0 home, 5-6-1-0 road), fourth place, North Division
HIS WEEK'S GAMES

Friday, Dec. 9 @ Hamilton (8-16-0-2), 18 points, seventh place, North Division

Radio: SportsRadio 620 WHEN, Internet: B2 Networks (www.syracusecrunch.com)

Saturday, Dec. 10 vs. Toronto (10-12-0-0), 20 points, fifth place, North Division

Radio: SportsRadio 620 WHEN, Internet: B2 Networks (www.syracusecrunch.com)

*Radio station subject to change.

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS

Saturday, Dec. 3: Crunch 5, HERSHEY 4 SO

Sunday, Dec. 4: Crunch 4, PHILADELPHIA 2

HOME TEAM IN CAPS

CRUNCH CONTINUE TO GATHER POINTS: Syracuse's 5-4 shootout victory over Hershey on Saturday night and 4-2 win over Philadelphia on Sunday night extended the team's winning streak to a season-high four games. In addition, the Crunch have now recorded a point in nine of their last 10 games (8-1-1-0, 17 pts), after dropping five straight games prior.

FIRST SHOOTOUT A SUCCESS: Last season Syracuse appeared in 14 shootouts behind only Edmonton and Utah with 15 and tied with St. John's (14). On Saturday, Dec. 3 at Hershey, the team made its first shootout appearance of the 2005-06 season, with goaltender Andrew Penner in net. Penner turned aside 36 of Hershey's 40 shots, including five of six shootout attempts. Right wing Joe Motzko shot first for the Crunch, followed by left wing Joakim Lindstrom, right wing Nikolai Zherdev, center Geoff Platt and center Mark Hartigan. Zherdev converted to force the shootout into the sixth round, where Lindstrom scored the winning goal for Syracuse.

SUGDEN REACHES 600 MARK: Right wing Brandon Sugden (602) surpassed the 600 penalty minute mark on Sunday, Dec. 4 @ Philadelphia. Sugden is only the third Crunch player to do so. Jeremy Reich is first on the all-time penalty minutes list with 820, followed by John Badduke with 649.

CRUNCH MAKE ROSTER MOVES: The Syracuse Crunch announced today that the Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled centers Dan Fritsche and Geoff Platt and right wing Nikolai Zherdev. The team also announced that they have recalled center Brett Nowak from Dayton (ECHL).

Fritsche, 20, appeared in two games with Syracuse this season, posting one assist and two penalty minutes. In 22 games with Columbus this season, Fritsche has tallied two goals, one assist and two penalty minutes. Fritsche recorded two goals in four games with Syracuse during the 2003-04 season. In 44 career NHL games with Columbus, he has registered 3 goals, 1 assist and 14 penalty minutes. A native of Parma, Ohio, Fritsche was selected by Columbus in the second round, 46th overall, in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

Zherdev, 21, appeared in two games with Syracuse this season, recording one goal. In 25 games with Columbus this season, Zherdev has recorded 4 goals, 7 assists and 20 penalty minutes. In 82 career NHL games, all with Columbus, Zherdev has tallied 17 goals, 28 assists and 74 penalty minutes. Last season Zherdev played for CSKA Moscow (Russia), appearing in 51 games registering 19 goals, 21 assists and 62 penalty minutes. A native of Kiev, Ukraine, Zherdev was selected by Columbus in the first round, 4th overall, in the 2003 Entry Draft.

Platt, 20, has appeared in 21 games this season with Syracuse, tallying a team-high 24 points and 15 goals. In the American Hockey League, Platt is third with eight power play goals, fourth in goals scored, seventh with two short-handed goals and fourteenth in points. He is third among rookies in scoring. Platt made his NHL debut on Thursday, December 1 against St. Louis, registering two penalty minutes. A native of Mississauga, Ontario, Platt signed an NHL contract with Columbus on November 23, 2005.

Nowak, 24, has appeared in four games with Dayton this season, recording two goals, three assists and four penalty minutes. In 13 games with Syracuse this season, Nowak has recorded 1 goal, 3 assists and 15 penalty minutes. A native of New Haven Connecticut, Nowak was signed to an AHL contract with Syracuse this off season.

ODD FACT: With their win over Philadelphia on Sunday, Dec. 4, Syracuse improved their record to 7-1-1-0 when allowing the game's first goal. However, the Crunch are 5-7-0-0 when scoring first.

THIS WEEK'S OPPONENTS:

HAMILTON (MONTREAL CANADIENS AND EDMONTON OILERS): Syracuse concludes a three-game road trip on Friday, Dec. 9 at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton for the third of eight regular season games against the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs defeated Syracuse 7-6 in their last meeting at the War Memorial at Oncenter on Friday, Oct. 28. Center Geoff Platt leads all Crunch players in head-to-head scoring with five points (2g, 3a). Left wing Jean-Francois Jacques leads the Bulldogs with four points (3g, 1a) in head-to-head scoring. Goaltender Mike Ayers posted the win for Syracuse (28 saves), while Andrew Penner was credited with the loss (30 saves). Olivier Michaud (1-0-0, 25 saves) and Ty Conklin (0-1-0, 25 saves), split time in net for Hamilton. Lifetime, the Crunch are 25-30-11 against the Bulldogs.

TORONTO (TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS): The Crunch return home on Saturday, Dec. 10 to host Toronto for the fourth of eight regular season meetings. Syracuse defeated Toronto 3-2 in their last meeting on Nov. 26 at the War Memorial at Oncenter. Center Mark Hartigan leads all Crunch players in head-to-head scoring with five points (1g, 4a). Center John Pohl leads the Marlies in head-to-head scoring with five points (4g, 1a). Goaltender Andrew Penner recorded 25 saves in his win for Syracuse. Martin Prusek has appeared in two games for Syracuse, posting a 1-1-0 record and 62 total saves. Goaltender Jean-Sebastien Aubin has appeared in two games for Toronto, posting a 1-1-0 record and 64 total saves. Lifetime, the Crunch are 2-1-0 against the Marlies.

CRUNCHABLES: Center Mark Hartigan had his team-high six-game point streak snapped on Sunday, Dec. 4 @ Philadelphia (11/11-12/3 - 1g, 8a)... Right wing Joe Motzko is on a five-game point streak (2g, 4a)... Left wing Joakim Lindstrom's goal in the first period on Saturday, Dec. 3 @ Hershey was his first even-strength goal this season. His penalty shot in the second was credited as a short-handed tally due the Crunch being down a man when the shot was awarded... Center Dan Fritsche recorded his first Crunch assist of the season, while right wing Nikolai Zherdev recorded his first AHL goal on Sunday, Dec. 4 @ Philadelphia... Goaltender Pascal Leclaire registered his second assist of the season on Sunday... Center Andrew Murray broke an eight-game goal drought with his goal Sunday.

Weekly Report: Blue Jackets Play First Three of Five Straight vs. Eastern Conference

Club To Honor Sergei Fedorov's 1000th game prior to Thursday's Game



COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (7-19-0, 14 pts./4th Central Division)
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE

DATE OPPONENT - ARENA TIME TV/RADIO

Thu., Dec. 8 vs. New York Islanders, Nationwide Arena 7 p.m.

FSN/WBNS-AM, WWCD-FM

Fri., Dec. 9 at Atlanta Thrashers, Philips Arena 7 p.m.

FSN/WBNS-AM, WWCD-FM

Sun., Dec. 11 vs. New Jersey Devils, Nationwide Arena 5 p.m.

FSN/WBNS-AM, WWCD-FM

FSN-Fox Sports Net, WBNS-AM (1460), WWCD-FM (101.1); Times are Eastern

THIS WEEK'S PRACTICE SCHEDULE: Blue Jackets practices typically last 60 to 90 minutes with media availability following. The schedule for Dec. 6-12 (Tue.-Mon.) is as follows: Tue. - 10:30 a.m. (Dispatch Ice Haus)... Wed. - 10:30 a.m. (Dispatch Ice Haus)... Thu. - 10:30 a.m. (Nationwide Arena)... Fri. - 11:30 a.m. (Philips Arena, Atlanta)... Sat. - 11 a.m. (Nationwide Arena)... Sun. - TBA... Mon. - 11 a.m. (Dispatch Ice Haus). Practice times are local and subject to change. Only practices at the Dispatch Ice Haus are open to the public.

ROSTER REPORT: Dec.5 - Recalled C Dan Fritsche, C Geoff Platt and RW Nikolai Zherdev from Syracuse Crunch (AHL)... Dec. 2- Assigned C Dan Fritsche, C Geoff Platt, RW Nikolai Zherdev, RW Steven Goertzen, RW Joe Motzko, D Ole-Kristian Tollefsen and G Pascal Leclaire to Syracuse (AHL)... Dec. 1 - Recalled C Geoff Platt and RW Joe Motzko from Syracuse (AHL)... Assigned D Aaron Johnson to Syracuse (AHL)... Activated G Marc Denis off Injured Reserve... Placed C Manny Malhotra (back spasms) and C Gilbert Brule (broken leg) on Injured Reserve... Nov. 29 - Claimed D Ron Hainsey off waivers from Montreal Canadiens... Placed D Adam Foote (groin strain) on Injured Reserve.

INJURY REPORT: RW David Vyborny (knee sprain, Dec. 1 at St. Louis) is day-to-day... C Manny Malhotra (back spasms) is day-to-day... C Gilbert Brule (broken leg, Nov. 30 at Minnesota) is out four to six weeks... LW Alexandre Picard (mild concussion, Nov. 20 at Phoenix) is day-to-day... D Adam Foote (groin strain, Nov. 23 vs. Nashville) is day-to-day... D Rostislav Klesla (broken hand, Nov. 9 vs. St. Louis) is expected to miss approximately six weeks... LW Rick Nash (knee sprain, Nov. 3 at Calgary) is expected to miss four to six weeks.

THIS WEEK'S OPPONENTS: New York Islanders - 13-12-1, 27 pts. (4th, Atlantic Division)... Only meeting this season... Jackets are 5-0-1 in the all-time series, including 3-0-1 at home... Jackets won last meeting 2-1 at home on Nov. 22, 2003... Head Coach: Steve Stirling... Players to Watch - C Alexei Yashin (12-16-28, 3 PPG in 26 games)... RW Miroslav Satan (13-8-21, 7 PPG in 26 games)... G Rick DiPietro (9-9-1, 3.20 GAA, .901 SV% in 21 games)... Atlanta Thrashers - 10-14-3, 23 pts. (3rd, Southeast Division)... Only meeting this season... Jackets are 3-4-0 in the all-time series, including 1-2-0 on the road... Columbus snapped three-game losing streak in the series with a 4-2 win at home on Nov. 7, 2003... Head Coach: Bob Hartley... Players to Watch - C Marc Savard (11-26-37, 5 PPG in 27 games)... LW Ilya Kovalchuk (17-18-35, 10 PPG in 24 games)... G Michael Garnett (3-5-1, 3.99 GAA, .865 SV% in 12 games)... New Jersey Devils - 13-10-2, 28 pts. (3rd, Atlantic Division)... Only meeting this season... Columbus is 2-3-1 all-time, including 2-2-0 at home... Devils won last meeting 4-3 in Columbus on Jan. 27, 2004... Head Coach: Larry Robinson... Players to Watch - RW Brian Gionta (16-12-28, 9 PPG in 25 games)... RW Alexander Mogilny (9-10-19 in 20 games)... G Martin Brodeur (11-8-0, 3.06 GAA, .896 SV% in 19 games).

WEEK IN REVIEW: Nov. 30 - Blue Jackets 3, at Minnesota 2 (SO): Pascal Leclaire made 32 saves and stopped all three shootout attempts to earn his first career NHL win. First period goals by Trevor Letowski and Duvie Westcott staked Columbus to a 2-0 lead before the Wild's Mikko Koivu cut the lead to 2-1 in the second period. Randy Robitaille's goal at 13:27 of the third forced the shootout, where Jaroslav Balastik's shootout goal in round three won it for Columbus... Dec. 1 - at St. Louis 4, Blue Jackets 1: The Blues broke open a tight game with two third period goals to spoil a outstanding performance by Pascal Leclaire, who made 40 saves in net for Columbus. St. Louis converted 3-of-11 power play chances compared to the Jackets' 1-of-8 and Keith Tkachuk led the Blues with 1-2-3. Jaroslav Balastik scored his first NHL goal for the Jackets who were outshot 44 to 26 in the game. Patrick Lalime made 25 saves to earn the win in net.

FEDOROV PLAYS IN 1,000TH GAME; TO BE HONORED THURSDAY NIGHT: C Sergei Fedorov played in the 1,000th game of his NHL career at Minnesota on Nov. 30 to become the first Russian-born, 13th European and 205th player to reach the plateau. He picked up an assist vs. the Wild and has registered 431-592-1,023 and 637 penalty minutes in 1,001 career games. The Blue Jackets will honor Fedorov prior to Thursday's game at Nationwide Arena against the New York Islanders.

ROOKIE LECLAIRE STANDS TALL IN NET, POSTS FIRST NHL WIN: Rookie G Pascal Leclaire started both games in net for Columbus last week, posting a 1-1-0 record with a 2.88 goals-against average and .923 save percentage as he stopped 72-of-78 shots faced. He made 32 saves and stopped 3-of-3 in the shootout to earn his first NHL win at Minnesota on Nov. 30. He made a career-high 40 saves in a 4-1 win at St. Louis the following night. After being assigned to Syracuse on Dec. 2, he wrapped up the week with a 42-save performance for the Crunch in a 4-2 win over Philadelphia on Dec. 4.

BLUE JACKETS TO VISIT CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL ON TUESDAY: Blue Jackets players and coaches will be spreading some holiday cheer to patients at Columbus Children's Hospital on Tuesday afternoon as the team makes its annual holiday visit from 3 to 4 p.m. Coaches Gerard Gallant, Dean Blais and Gord Murphy will be joined by players and team mascot, Stinger, for the occasion.

BLUE JACKETS, DICK'S SPORTING GOODS TEAM UP FOR "SHOP WITH A JOCK": The Blue Jackets, Dick's Sporting Goods and Easter Seals of Columbus are teaming up this holiday season to provide a once in a lifetime shopping experience for 20 Columbus-area children. Blue Jackets players Trevor Letowski, Jody Shelley, Marc Denis and Duvie Westcott will take these children shopping on Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Dick's Sporting Goods located in the Easton Market.

TOYS FOR TOTS THURSDAY NIGHT: The Blue Jackets are teaming up with the Marines, including Columbus-based Lima Company, for the 2005 Toys for Tots Toy Drive. Blue Jackets fans have one final chance to help by bringing a new, unwrapped toy to Nationwide Arena this Thursday prior to the Blue Jackets-New York Islanders game.

TEAM POST-GAME AUTOGRAPH SESSION SET FOR SUNDAY: Fans can meet their favorite Blue Jackets following Sunday's game vs. the New Jersey Devils as the team's annual post-game autograph session will begin approximately 45 minutes following the game's conclusion. The autograph session will be held throughout the arena and will last one hour. Game time on Sunday is 5 p.m.

JACKETS ON THE RADIO: The Doug MacLean Show airs on WBNS Sports Radio 1460 The Fan on Wednesdays from 3 -4 p.m. with the Blue Jackets President and General Manager and WBNS Radio's Bruce Hooley. Between the Pipes with the Blue Jackets can also be heard on the Blue Jackets Radio Network and flagship station Sports Radio 1460 the Fan on Sundays from 10 to 11 a.m. with hosts Mark Wyant and members of the Blue Jackets broadcast team.

TICKET INFORMATION: Individual game and group tickets for Blue Jackets games at Nationwide Arena are on sale now at the Nationwide Arena Ticket Office, the Chiller Easton, the Chiller Dublin and Chiller North, all Ticketmaster Ticket Centers, by phone at (614) 431-3600 or via the internet at www.BlueJackets.com and ticketmaster.com. For information on season tickets or group tickets, call (614) 246-PUCK or (800) NHL-COLS.

estimate return dates are dec 18th for klesla and dec 20th for nasher per the dispatch today.

[jimotis4heisman]

http://dispatch.com/bluejackets/blue...206-E4-01.html

Foote expected to be named captain
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Michael Arace
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
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The Blue Jackets will name their captain today, coach Gerard Gallant said, and all indications are that defenseman Adam Foote will get the "C."
If Foote gets the nod, he’ll become the team’s fourth captain, after Lyle Odelein, Ray Whitney and Luke Richardson.
Richardson surrendered the captaincy on Nov. 26, a day after he was a healthy scratch. Richardson hasn’t divulged his reasons, although he told Gallant that he thought it was the right time to step aside.
Foote, Trevor Letowski, Sergei Fedorov and David Vyborny have served as assistant captains this season.
Foote healing

Foote has been out because of a groin injury since Nov. 23.
He managed to get through an entire practice yesterday without incident. He is expected to play the next game Thursday night, against the New York Islanders in Nationwide Arena.
"It felt good," Foote said. "I was able to do everything except turn and chase. You know, the quick start. I’ll try that (today)."
Forwards Manny Malhotra (back) and Vyborny (knee) did not practice. But they’re scheduled to practice today and Gallant considers them probable for Thursday night.
At first, it was thought that Vyborny might miss a month. He has missed one game.
"We were worried right after the game was over (last Wednesday in Minnesota), but he has responded real quick to treatment," Gallant said.
Down on the farm

Forwards Nikolai Zherdev and Dan Fritsche, sent down to play a couple of games for Syracuse during the weekend, were recalled with center Geoff Platt.
Zherdev had a shootout goal Saturday night in Hershey and scored a goal Sunday night in Philadelphia in helping the Crunch to two victories.
Goaltender Pascal Leclaire was the star in Philly, where he turned away 42 of 44 shots in a 4-2 victory. He also had an assist. Although Leclaire wasn’t recalled, there remains a chance he’ll get the call later in the week.
The Crunch is 8-1-1 in its last 10 games.
Disa and data

The Blue Jackets had 10 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders at practice. . . . Fedorov, after a weekend collecting his things in Anaheim, was back on the ice. He skated between Zherdev and Jaroslav Balastik, who has scored the team’s last two goals. . . . During their six-day layoff, coaches and players are going over systems that have been in place since training camp. Some film work is involved. "We’ve got a lot of new faces and we just want to reinforce some things," Gallant said. "When we’ve run our systems well, we’ve played well. We’re showing the guys a lot of positive clips on this."

marace@dispatch.com

BLUE JACKETS
Platt’s rapid rise to NHL is story of hunger, heart, determination
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Michael Arace
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
<!--PHOTOS--><TABLE class=phototableright align=right border=0><!-- begin large ad code --><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>TOM GANNAM | ASSOCIATED PRESS </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Geoff Platt ran into some resistance in his NHL debut, but he already had beaten long odds. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Sergei Fedorov came from the other side of the world, defected from Russia, to get to the NHL. Next to his locker in the Blue Jackets’ dressing room sits Geoff Platt, who came from off the map.
Four months ago, Platt was penciled in as a center for the Dayton Bombers of the East Coast Hockey League. Last week, he made his NHL debut. That’s like the DeSales quarterback getting a start for the Browns.
"I’m not sure how it all happened," Platt said. "I guess it’s a case of a guy getting rewarded."
That’s a pretty good guess. Platt, 20, has truly earned his chance.
Platt went undrafted in 2003. The knock on him was his size. At 5 feet 9 (and 171 pounds), he has long known that his play would be the primary feature of his resume. No one was going to take a flyer on him because he was muscular.
"This is the size I was determined to be," Platt said. "Once I finished junior, my career was on the line. Every night I’ve got to go out there and earn my keep."
As a 19-year-old, in his last junior season, Platt had 45 goals and 79 points in 68 games with the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League. The best he could do was an offer from Dayton. Once there, Bombers coach Don MacAdam lobbied hard to get him tossed onto the roster for Blue Jackets rookie camp in September.
"He was the final invite," said Jim Clark, the Jackets’ assistant general manager and director of minor-league operations. "All he did was score seven goals in four games. He was as good as anyone in the rookie camp. That earned him a looksee at NHL camp."
Platt got a look — and an American Hockey League contract with the Crunch. Once he got to Syracuse, all he did was score 12 goals in 12 games. That earned him a two-way NHL contract.
Even the contract wasn’t easy. By most accounts, Platt’s agent handles mostly football and baseball contracts. His first pitch was for a one-year deal. According to the NHL collective bargaining agreement, all entry-level contracts must be three-year deals.
Once everyone was on the same page, Platt had a contract worth the annual minimum $450,000 at the major-league level and $75,000 at the minorleague level. He also got a small signing bonus.
"The money didn’t even matter," Platt said. "I just wanted a contract that would give me the quickest way to prove myself."
Platt has 15 goals and 24 points in 21 games with the Crunch. He ranks third in the AHL in power-play goals (eight), fourth in goals and 14 th in points.
After David Vyborny got hurt, Platt made his NHL debut against the Blues last Thursday in St. Louis. He was sent back down, scored a goal during the weekend — and, in a mild surprise, was recalled again yesterday. Here, kid, sit next to Sergei.
The Blue Jackets like the way Platt buzzes around the puck. They also like his major-league shot, which he gets away in a blink.
"You see him on the ice," coach Gerard Gallant said. "Some guys, you don’t notice all the time. But this kid, you see him every shift."
If Platt is dizzy over his quick rise to notice, he’s not letting on.
"You get the taste, and now you want the whole meal," he said. "You can’t just get the appetizer. Now you’re looking for the main course and the dessert, too."

marace@dispatch.com

ps is anyone still reading this with any regularity??

[AKAKBUCK]

ps is anyone still reading this with any regularity??

You've got 200+ views on 20 odd posts... so at least 5 or 6 people.

[jimotis4heisman]

ill continue then
http://bluejackets.com/news/press/arts/2741.0.html

Blue Jackets Name Veteran Defenseman Adam Foote Team Captain

Newly acquired Sergei Fedorov joins Rick Nash and David Vyborny as club's alternate captains



COLUMBUS, OHIO - The Columbus Blue Jackets announced today that defenseman Adam Foote will serve as the fourth captain in franchise history and that newly acquired center Sergei Fedorov will join left wing Rick Nash and right wing David Vyborny as alternate captains on a rotating basis.
Foote is playing in his 14th NHL season and first with the Blue Jackets. He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Colorado Avalanche (1996 and 2001) and won a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2002 Olympic Games. He has registered 58-181-239 and 1,170 penalty minutes in 821 career NHL games, including 3-2-5 and 30 penalty minutes in 22 games with Columbus.
A native of Toronto, Ontario, Foote spent his first 13 seasons with the the Colorado/Quebec organization and is the Avalanche's all-time leader in playoff games played with 154. He has also represented Team Canada at the 1998 Olympic Games and at the 1996 and 2004 World Cup of Hockey, where he captured silver and gold medals, respectively.
A 15-year NHL veteran, Fedorov is a six-time All-Star, three-time Stanley Cup champion, two-time winner of the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the NHL's top defensive forward and was the 1994 Hart Memorial Trophy (most valuable player) and Lester B. Pearson Award (outstanding player as voted by NHLPA members) winner. On November 30 at Minnesota, he became the first Russian-born player to appear in 1,000 NHL games and has registered 431-592-1,023 and 637 penalty minutes in 1,001 career games with Detroit, Anaheim and Columbus.
Fedorov has tallied 50-113-163 and 113 penalty minutes in 162 career Stanley Cup Playoff games, ranking first among all players in assists and second in points (Joe Sakic, 169) in playoff scoring since 1990-91. He was an integral part of Detroit Red Wings teams that captured Stanley Cup championships in 1997, 1998 and 2002. He is also a veteran of two Olympic Games, helping Russia win the bronze medal in 2002 and silver medal in 1998.
The Blue Jackets return to action on Thursday against the New York Islanders. Game time at Nationwide Arena is 7 p.m., with FSN Ohio's Ice Breaker pregame show starting at 6:30 p.m. The game will also be broadcast live on the Blue Jackets Radio Network and flagship stations WBNS-AM Sports Radio 1460 the Fan and WWCD-FM, CD101.

guess that solves the how will fedorov and his "leadership" will be seen.

[jimotis4heisman]

http://bluejackets.com/news/press/arts/2742.0.html

long story short, pascal leclaire has been recalled from syracuse.

imo it took so long mostly for $ reasons. each day you are down, game or not you are paid AHL salary (about per year 75,000) vs. days with the big club (his NHL salary is around 900,000, his contract was resturcted this year and terms where not disclosed)