VAN 4 – CBJ 3 OT
The Jackets squandered leads of 2-0 and 3-2 to lose to the Vancouver Canucks for the 3rd time this season. For large stretches the Canucks dominated play but the Jackets were able to keep hold of the lead until Grant Clitsome committed one of the worst turnovers of the season allowing the Canucks to tie the game just over 5 before the final horn.
We all know the rest, but lets hit on a few troubling trends I noticed (again) last night:
- Steve Mason continues to make questionable decisions with the puck: There were at least 2 occasions where Mason had no business playing the puck, yet he tried to. Mason either doesn’t learn from his mistakes or refuses to trust his defense. It has become a bit of an epidemic especially against the Canucks it seems. On two of the 4 Vancouver goals, Mason was also WAY out of position. He would over-play the puck, and end up facing a shot in awkward position and not set himself up for the best chance of successfully stopping the shot.
- Rick Nash is still streaky: There was one specific instance when I remember seeing the captain somewhat asserting himself, but that’s it. For those saying “he just played 7 extra games” or “give him a break he just helped Canada win gold” etc., look at the play of Rick Nash versus that of Ryan Kesler. There is no questioning the skill level of Rick Nash, but there is a certain noticeable lack of motivation and grit on a consistent basis. It is frustrating to no end to see the captain not always setting the example not only of energy but also of skill and desire on display.
The trade deadline has passed, and many things have changed, look for a post on that soon…
