The Blue Jackets first stole half their name from the NHL team in St. Louis. Now they've stolen most of their alternate jersey. If you haven't seen it, the Blue Jackets now have a dark blue sweater with laces on the neck and a round logo on the front. The logo is of a fairly phallic cannon with big wheels on the sides. At home games they have a special mascot that looks like a giant walking gray dildo. I wish I was making this shit up.
The Jackets have kind of been reeling lately. Sure they 3-2 at home Monday night in a shootout over Dallas. But before that they had lost five games in a row by a combined score of 22-8. That included Detroit sweeping a home-and-home series during the five-game skid.
You have to wonder the mood of the Blues heading into this game. The last time they met the Blue Jackets, Oshie broke his leg and the team got fucking killed in Columbus 8-1. It was the first blowout loss of the season. They were beaten down, demoralized and humiliated. Then there was the whole R.J. Umberger trying to keep the Blues from playing a little circle soccer game in the hallway. I get a player trying to intimidate the opposition before the game. You can talk tough, maybe fuck with them during pre-game warm-ups. Talk shit before the faceoff, drop the gloves right after. All that's fine. But for a jackass to give a shit about a bunch of guys in shorts and t-shirts kicking a soccer ball around is bicurious at best. I had no idea Umberger was from Belgium or the Canary Islands or some small European country where soccer is king.
Blues will miss Andy McDonald. Still no sign of David Perron. Rick Nash probably slept better last night knowing there's no T.J. Oshie hunting him. The Blues will need to play a tough, gritty, mean, nasty, physical, punishing game to get a win tonight. Cam Janssen has to be ready. Could be an interesting game.
This is your game day thread. Get to work, slackers.