Jackets to Face Red Wings in Playoffs
April 15, 2009 by J. Justin Boggs
David versus Goliath may only scratch the surface of this year’s two versus seven matchup in the best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinals. The defending Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings will tilt with first time playoff participants Columbus Blue Jackets beginning Thursday in Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. Columbus’ first home game will be 7 p.m. Tuesday.
The Blue Jackets just needed one point in their final two games to avoid the first round matchup with Detroit, however losses to St. Louis and Minnesota cost Columbus the six seed in the Western Conference.
Despite Detroit being the more vaunted franchise, Columbus found success against the Red Wings splitting the season series at three wins apiece. Blue Jackets forward and captain Rick Nash notched two hat tricks against Detroit. One of those hat tricks was in an 8-2 win in Detroit on March 7.
Nash is one of many players who have not been to the playoffs, however the Blue Jackets are not short on playoff participants. Coach Ken Hitchcock has been to the playoff numerous times, including one Stanley Cup Finals victory.
“It is played with a sense of urgency on a shift by shirt basis,” Hitchcock said of the playoffs. “Played with a sense of desperation.”
Fredrik Modin won a Stanley Cup in 2004 and defenseman Mike Commodore won a Stanley Cup in 2006 when his Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Edmonton Oilers. On that Edmonton team was forwards Michael Peca and Raffi Torres. More recently, forwards R.J. Umberger and Antoine Vermette participated in last year’s playoffs.
“I know what is stake here and why (general manager Scott Howson) brought me here,” Umberger said.
Umberger’s advice for his teammates who have not participated in the playoffs before is: “You have to enjoy it, you don’t know when you will be back. Even if you’re a first year player, it might be five, six, seven years or never before you’re back. You have to go out there and treat every moment special and play as hard you can. It is a new animal out there, it is a different game. If you have to raise your level of competing and give it everything you got.”
Ending the season on a sour note
With the two losses, that certainly takes away any momentium the Blue Jackets could have had going into the playoffs. Columbus will add some depth going into the Detroit series with Kristian Huselius and Modin rejoining the lineup after recovering from injuries.
“Honestly, who cares,” Commodore said about dropping from sixth to seventh in the Western Conference. “You finish sixth, you finish seventh, you finish eighth, you don’t have home ice anyways. If you want to go far and do something in the playoffs, you have to go through the top seeds anyways.”
“It would have been nice to win the two games and get the point, but it is what it is,” Nash said. “The season is over, have to worry about the playoffs. It is a new season.”