Thanks, Blackhawks!!!

By: Jeff Little • April 4th, 2009

Thanks go out to the Chicago Blackhawks, who bested Nashville tonight, 3 – 1, clinching a playoff spot for Chicago, who moves up to 4th in the West with 95 points. Calgary and Vancouver are battling for the Northwest Division title, but the loser of that battle now sits in 5th, and would lose the home ice advantage to the Blackhawks.

Several impacts of this game on the CBJ:

  • Nashville will be an angry, desperate team tomorrow. However, after a tough one tonight they will hopefully be a little tired, while the CBJ spent today in Nashville.
  • A CBJ win over Nashville tomorrow will eliminate Edmonton from passing the Jackets, and will also eliminate Nashville from passing us. Nashville would have the theoretical ability to tie us with 90 points, but would lose on the second tiebreaker.
  • A win over Nashville means that we would be in a position to clinch a playoff spot on Sunday with a win over Chicago, or a loss by Minnesota @ Detroit, or an OTL by both us and Minnesota.

The key tomorrow for the Jackets is to come out hard, withstand the early rush by Nashville, and use our defense and puck possession to wear down the Predators. A nice crowd of JacketBackers already down there, and noting that the Nashville folks aren’t terrible enthused about the Predators. Go figure . . .

Go Jackets!

About

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A native of the SF Bay Area, my first exposure to hockey was the SF/Oakland/California Golden Seals, including Charlie Finley and the white skates. Fast forward to the late 1980's when Gretzky and the Kings came up to the Bay Area for an exhibition game at the Oakland Coliseum Arena, for which we had glass seats. I was at the first San Jose Sharks game in the Cow Palace, and followed them for their first few pathetic years, before moving to Columbus in 1994. I attended the first pro-NHL rally downtown, and have been a season ticket holder since Day 1, wife & I are active in the Jacket Backers, and son is an avid fan as well. I cover the Jackets for Inside Hockey, and contribute regularly to a variety of hockey sites. I maintain contact with the Jackets organization, and like to dig into stories, bringing a fresh, and sometimes irreverent perspective to hockey.

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There Are 2 Responses So Far. »

  1. Comment by Anonymous on 4 April 2009:

    Your 3rd point is somewhat correct. IF we win tonight against Vader, the only way the Wild can pass us is the Wild MUST WIN OUT and for us to LOSE, IN REGUlATION, ALL our remaining games. One OT loss by us is enough to eliminate the Wild from catching us, assuming we win tonight.

  2. Comment by JAL on 4 April 2009:

    Yep — dead on correct. Tonight would not be a clinch, but the fat lady would have one foot on stage and, if not singing, would be humming loudly!!!

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