Game 1, Love it!

Finally, hockey season is underway.

The Columbus Blue Jackets opened their season against the Minnesota Wild. It was an amazing game. The Jackets were tentative at first, but eventually got their act together and got the win.

This season, I've decided to do something a bit different with my post game thoughts. Let me know what you think.

The Hot:

• Umberger getting the short-handed goal. Not to mention the first goal of the season for the Blue Jackets.
• Steve Mason picking right up where he left off.
• Hitchcock is still getting great cheers from the fans, I love that man.
• Rusty Klesla getting a goal on the day he signed an extension. (More on this later)
• Voracek is huge. It was my first time seeing this kid since last season, wow.
• Roy looked good as a replacement for an injured Commie...let's hope he's back tomorrow though.
• The music at Nationwide has improved. A lot.
• I like the drummers...the Boom Jackets or whatever they're called.
• Pahlsson in a Blue Jackets sweater...I love it.
• Niklas Backstrom had a great game...I personally think he deserved to be a star of the game.

The Cold:

• Filatov had flashes of brilliance, and then flashes of...well just not so good. He was in the box when the Wild scored on the power play.
• The power play. I made the mistake of saying it couldn't get much worse...we had a few chances last night, but I think we were trying to be too fancy.
• Tyutin looked nervous, and made some mistakes last night.
• The cannon and the music needs to be louder, I need a bigger boom for my cannon.

Also, Coach Richards for the Wild had a few thoughts on his first NHL game experience:

“It was a good crowd but to be honest with you, it felt like I was coaching in Albany, and in Albany there are not a lot of people there. For me it was just another game.”

Really? I could have gone my entire life without knowing what he thinks about our atmosphere. The fans were loud, we were standing, and we supported OUR team.

At the end of the night we got the two points and that is what matters most. But, tomorrow night we have an angry Vancouver Canucks team who has lost two games to start the season. It's not going to be an easy game but I think the Jackets are up for the challenge.

x-posted to Bethany's Hockey Rants on KK