As of right now, the Jackets remaining schedule has 11 games against teams currently in the playoffs, and 10 against teams out of the playoffs.

Playoff teams:
@ Vancouver March 1
@ Calgary March 4
vs Los Angeles March 11
@ Carolina March 12
vs Boston March 15
vs Detroit March 17
@ Phoenix March 24
vs Vancouver March 27
@ Washington March 31
vs Chicago April 1
@ Dallas April 5

Non-playoff teams:
@ Edmonton March 3
@ St Louis March 7
vs St Louis March 9
@ Minnesota March 19
vs New Jersey March 20
@ Colorado March 22
vs Florida March 29
vs St Louis April 3
@ Nashville April 8
vs Buffalo April 9

Tied 1-1 after 2. Scottie Upshall with his first in a Jackets uni.

Dallas beat Phoenix and Calgary beat St Louis, so points would be really nice tonight. Still a chance that Nashville drops to Edmonton tonight though.

Klesla also scored for Phoenix LOL

chicago510;696834 wrote:Klesla also scored for Phoenix LOL

No FUCKING way whats next a Commodore hat trick?
Playin hard in Vancouver but Luongo is standing tall. I think Vancouver only has like 13 shots total.

FUCK. Raffi Torres scores on the Jackets in the 8th round of the shootout to beat the jackets. That hurt to watch.

Jackets are in danger, need to get things together the rest of this trip. Chicago is on fire.

chicago510;696834 wrote:Klesla also scored for Phoenix LOL

Hhmmmm...that knee sure did heal up real quick, now didn't it?

dave;696919 wrote:Jackets are in danger, need to get things together the rest of this trip. Chicago is on fire.

No doubt. The more I look the worse I feel about their chances. We need to win two out the next four (and hopefully get points in at least one out of the other two) just to keep pace. Not only that, but we need several teams ahead to stumble. A win over Edmonton puts us equal to 11th place in points, two straight wins would match us to Nashville's current position. Somehow winning three straight (Edmonton, Calgary, St Louis) would match us with Calgary's current position.

My best guesses are Phoenix, Minnesota, Nashville, and Anaheim to stumble, but that's asking a lot.

1 Vancouver 64 89
2 Detroit 63 84
3 San Jose 64 80
4 Phoenix 65 76
5 Calgary 65 75
6 Los Angeles 63 74
7 Dallas 63 74
8 Chicago 63 74
9 Nashville 64 73
10 Minnesota 63 72
11 Anaheim 63 71
12 Columbus 62 69

That said, with 20 games to go you start to get the feeling that the Jackets will need at least 26 points (95 overall) to sniff the playoffs (FYI, the last four cutoffs in the Western Conference have been 95, 91, 91, and 96 points).

That means something like 12-6-2 over the next five weeks. Going 2-1 over the next three means we still need 10-5-2 to have a shot. Hot streak, you are needed PRONTO. We pull off one of those Phoenix-type runs (8 straight) and we're sitting pretty. Even four in a row would make things much much better looking. But it has to happen sooner rather than later, time is running out.

LA, Chicago, Dallas are on pace for 96 points, so 95 sounds about right. At least 1 of them should slow down, just have to hope nobody else gets real hot too.

Jackets deserve a better fate. You can look at the Nash game the Sharks game from the last 2 weeks that are killers right now.
I'm still holding on to 6th place dreams.

gerb131;697081 wrote:Jackets deserve a better fate. You can look at the Nash game the Sharks game from the last 2 weeks that are killers right now.
I'm still holding on to 6th place dreams.

Yeah, that Nashville game was killer. 62 and 71 looks so much better in the standings than 62 and 69. If we drop the game to Edmonton I'm gonna get close to closing the book though ... sadly. That's one of those "must wins". My schedule breakdown the rest of the way, to get to 12-6-2. Bat .500 against the really good teams, and .700 against the worse ones:

Playoff teams: Need to go 5-4-1 in these 10 games:
@ Calgary March 4
vs Los Angeles March 11
@ Carolina March 12
vs Boston March 15
vs Detroit March 17
@ Phoenix March 24
vs Vancouver March 27
@ Washington March 31
vs Chicago April 1
@ Dallas April 5

Non-playoff teams: Need to go 7-2-1 in these 10 games:
@ Edmonton March 3
@ St Louis March 7
vs St Louis March 9
@ Minnesota March 19
vs New Jersey March 20
@ Colorado March 22
vs Florida March 29
vs St Louis April 3
@ Nashville April 8
vs Buffalo April 9

Going to be tough but they've been playing some great hockey the last few weeks. Mason will have to be the difference in each game. Games are going to be tight checking, limited oppurtunities type of games. I think we can reach the 94-97 point mark and get in there.
Edmonton is a must win, they have been playing better as of late but this is the kind of game we need to win 4-1 to get some good feelings back after 2 straight road heartbreakers.

gerb131;697106 wrote:Going to be tough but they've been playing some great hockey the last few weeks. Mason will have to be the difference in each game. Games are going to be tight checking, limited oppurtunities type of games. I think we can reach the 94-97 point mark and get in there.
Edmonton is a must win, they have been playing better as of late but this is the kind of game we need to win 4-1 to get some good feelings back after 2 straight road heartbreakers.

Agreed. Gotta win the Edmonton and St Louis games (2) to go at worst 3-1 over the next four. I would most definitely take 4-0 though

Fuggin hate Calgary they are Jacket dreamkillers.

In the Jackets last 20 they've gone 11-5-4 (26 points). A encore performance would do well

New guys played very well last night. I was happy with their performances.

The nightly wishlist:

Islanders over Minnesota in regulation. I feel like the Wild could be a team the Jackets can catch soon
Chicago/Calgary ends in regulation ... probably with the Flames winning, but Chicago actually wouldn't be bad.
Detroit over Anaheim in regulation. Need the Ducks to flounder down the stretch.

Detroit not doing us any favors losing in OT to the Ducks last night.

1 Vancouver 64 89
2 Detroit 64 85
3 San Jose 64 80
4 Chicago 64 76
5 Phoenix 65 76
6 Calgary 66 75
7 Los Angeles 63 74
8 Dallas 63 74
9 Anaheim 64 73
10 Nashville 64 73
11 Minnesota 64 72
12 Columbus 62 69

Tonight's that "must win" game. Even with the games in hand we have, we can ill afford to drop a game to last place Edmonton and stay at best 3 points back of the pack. Gotta keep close; a mini-run of two in a row versus the Oilers and Flames would be a Godsend and put us right equal with 9th place.

Ye olde nightly wishlist:

Rangers over Wild
Canucks over Preds
Kings/Coyotes regulation end ... I'll say with LA winning. Phoenix at 66 gp/76 points is within striking distance, and I think the 'yotes are poised to fall quickly.

Gotta win tonight, no doubt about it. A loss or even 1 point will not cut it.
I am having my doubts, as well as the team is playing, that they can make the leap into the playoffs. There are simply too many teams playing great hockey in the west right now.
I still have hopes, but a loss tonight, squashes any hope for the playoffs in my view.

RJ Umberger please make a penalty shot this year!!! Missed another early vs Edmonton.
1-0 Oil on a pp goal from Gagne. PUKE

2-0 Oilers. Looking like shit since we missed that penalty shot. Mason is to blame on that one.

Well, glad to see the team showed up in this must win.

Fuckin embarrassing.

They look like they have sand in the skates. Embarassing is a nice way of putting it. Maybe they will get it going in the 2nd.

3-0. Fuck this. It's fucking EDMONTON. Goddamn disgrace on the ice, sick of this shit.