COMING OUT PARTY!

This year's crop of rookies in the National Hockey League is impressive. Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Sam Gagner, Bryan Little and Tyler Kennedy have made significant contributions to not only their respective teams, but also the fanbases.

Often overlooked (due to the market) is Blue Jackets defenseman Kris Russell. With the Medicine Hat Tigers, he was considered one of the most exciting players in the Western Hockey League and now is steadily coming around and playing increasingly well of late.

At 5'10", 170 pounds, Russell is a far cry from the prototypical size of an NHL blueliner. Does he care? Nope, and his play suggests even more minutes are coming.

Regarded as a future power play quarterback and puck-mover, Russell is being slowly worked into all facets of play by head coach Ken Hitchcock. Many were skeptical as to how Russell (being so offensively gifted) would fit into Hitchcock's defensively responsible, checking system.

So far, he is doing just fine. He is averaging just under 16:00 TOI per game, nearly equal to that of veterans Jason Chimera, Duvie Westcott and Manny Malhotra. He earns 3:46 of power play time per game- more than David Vyborny, Michael Peca, Jiri Novotny and Rostislav Klesla.

Russell is gaining experience in 5-on-5 situations, playing most nights against the opposing team's second and third lines. His glaring strength is his positioning. The stick is almost always in the passing lanes, and he uses his body as if he were 200 pounds. With each game under his belt, he is getting more confidence to jump into the rush, something that the coaches and fans are clamoring for. When Kris Russell gets in on the rush, it's electric stuff.

Granted, he's yet to score a goal. But the kid has had numerous chances to get #1. Most have the feeling that once the first one goes in, it'll break the seal. Thus far, he is 3rd among the defense corps in shots on goal with 48.

However, when you watch this kid play, you can't help but marvel at his ability to recover. Like many young players, he has his fumbles and turnovers. Yet it's his remarkable speed coming back that makes him the first stick in the passing zones. He's been learning from Michael Peca the art of backchecking, and it seems to be growing on him. He has committed the 3rd least number of penalties on the team, with a stingy 4 PIM in 29 games.

Some fans have plead for management to let Russell play in Syracuse for a while, but it just won't happen. He is simply too skilled to keep out of the lineup. The Jackets are a faster, more intelligent transition team when he's on the ice. You can't say that for many 20-year olds in the NHL.

Kris Russell will eventually score his first goal, get his first multi-point game and his first star of the game award.

All that is speculative talk, because right now, this little guy is making big strides toward a fantastic career in the National Hockey League.

NEW PLAN, NEW RESULTS

Six years of losing and embarrassment can do a number on the confidence of young players, let alone the fans.

Having never been charged with being consistent or organized, the Columbus Blue Jackets fired head coach Gerard Gallant on November 13, 2006. The old cliche "it's easier to fire one coach than the whole team" didn't even need applied- the fans knew what was wrong, and so did the ownership.

Former president and general manager Doug MacLean stuck by his childhood friend (Gallant), insisting that "we're close," "the effort is there, but the results aren't coming," and the punch line to the joke: "I know we have the proper staff in place here to win."

Call a rose a rose, but Gerard Gallant is not an NHL head coach. Never will be. As for MacLean, that's a different barrel of monkeys.

Much was written in the media about how it pained MacLean to fire Gallant, saying he blamed himself for the way things panned out and even went as far to as to say that Gary Agnew is the next big thing in NHL coachng.

Call a tulip a tulip, but Gary Agnew is not an NHL head coach. Great guy, yes. But he can barely boost his power play above 14 percent.

The ultimatum was put on MacLean to hire a winner, and although in his mind Gary Agnew was a winner, the McConnells weren't buying anything from that taco stand. During the brief reign of Agnew, the Jackets were 0-4.

Under Gallant, the Blue Jackets exhibited no structure, and confidence as frail as a toothpick. One loss amounted to a five-game losing streak by the time they even knew what hit them. Winning streaks (as seldom as they came) lasted until Rick Nash convinced himself he could break the Minnesota trap by himself. Many nights, the players didn't even know why they had lost.

For years, the Blue Jackets chased the game. They had no intention of developing flow-- they took what was offered. As much fun was taken from watching Nikolai Zherdev blitz around the rink nightly, he did it alone. No one wanted to share the puck, no one wanted to use their linemates effectively and cerainly no one thought of checking to create offense.

Enter Ken Hitchcock. Proven winner (see the ring on his hand), well-respected, and master of structure. Blue Jackets' fans saw the ire on MacLean's face as he announced the hiring of Hitchcock, even stating "we lost a good man in Gerard."

Hitchcock's first goal was to build a team, a system that preaches accountability and working together. Learning Hitchcock's system must have been like reading a Japanese cookbook to the players, but they managed to adapt.

That's the beauty of organization-- it's contagious.

This year's Columbus Blue Jackets are finally starting to form an identity. Repeatedly, we hear the coach state that "this team isn't good enough to win on skill alone." How true that is.

Aside from Nash and Zherdev, the Jackets are loaded with career grinders. Not only are they grinders, but lifelong underachievers. New GM Scott Howson has certainly continued on that building path, signing C Jiri Novotny (former first-round pick of the Sabres) and D Jan Hejda (29-year old who has bounced from Europe to the NHL) this offseason.

While many fans groaned at the lack of spending, these two players have been significant additions and contributors to the team. Hejda is playing major minutes with Adam Foote, relied on to shut down the opposition's best players. Novotny has been a fixture on the penalty kill, and played on the top line occasionally before being sidelined with a concussion.

Their style of play won't bring you out of the chair every night. But the results have been encouraging. They work hard on a nightly basis, win or lose.

Getting pucks behind the defense and digging in the corners has been the trademark of the Blue Jackets so far. They owned the league's top-ranked penalty kill for most of the season, now sitting at #3. No denying that it's a defensive-minded system, but the solid play of the defense has led to less pressure on the other end.

The forwards are living off turnovers. "Checking the puck back," one of Hitchcock's favorite phrases, is the gameplan. Check the puck carrier, force a bad decision and get the puck to your forwards.

In his system, everyone checks. When they do it consistently, they win.

LONG HIATUS...SAME OLD STORY

The past couple of weeks have been sort of like a revolving door to the Blue Jackets: what goes around eventually comes right back at you, and, well.....yeah.

A disappointing loss at home to the struggling Florida Panthers set the panic signal off, and fans clenched the armchair praying for an immediate return of Michael Peca. Pascal Leclaire had his most uninspiring outing to date, and the offense managed two goals against one of the league's worst defensive clubs. The penalty killing suffered against the Panthers, and on the flip side, the power play has been abismal of late as well.

The after-Thanksgiving matinee took place in St. Paul, with the Jackets looking for a little redemption on a deflating loss to the Wild in the season's second game. It also marked the return of Michael Peca, and his presence was felt throughout the lineup. He tallied an early power play goal and set up Rick Nash for a third-period goal that put the dagger in the Wild, sealing up a 4-0 victory and shutout number six for Leclaire, who was also impressive in the win.

Saturday night brought perhaps the season's most exciting game, the second showdown with the Detroit Red Wings in six days. The Jackers were dejected after the Wings skated off with a 5-4 shootout win on Sunday in Nationwide, and coach Ken Hitchcock made adjustments in practice to slow down the Detroit transition game. He made sure that the Jackets forwards got the puck deep on the forecheck, making the Wings defenders turn and make quick plays. Doing so created turnovers and a marked change in the scoring chances department.

After a quick 2-0 start by the Jackets on goals from Manny Malhotra (4) and Nikolai Zherdev (7), the Red Wings awoke from their first period slumber. Careless penalties taken by Columbus produced repeated power plays, and eventually Tomas Holmstrom poked in a loose puck at 10:44. Then, it was a brand new game.

So new that five seconds later, Pavel Datsyuk stripped Zherdev cleaner than a mother whose child just soiled his Pampers. At 10:49, we had a tie game.

The third period traded scoring chances after the Jackets whiffed on a late 5-on-3 in the second period. Detroit got their own two-man advantage late in the third, but Leclaire and the penalty killers stymied any chances produced by the Wings. It was off to the OT.

Aside from a sick point-blank save by Leclaire on Datsyuk, the overtime was largely in favor of the Jackets. A man-advantage with just over three minutes remaining went for nought, and only two of eight shots from the point (looking at you, Ron Hainsey) hit the net.

Peca, Nash and Zherdev scored for the Jackets in the shootout. No, this is not a recording.

Peca, Nash and Zherdev scored in the shootout. Surprisingly, the only source of offense lately for Columbus. Leclaire should've conceded the goal tot Datsyuk, who's virtually unstoppable, but he held his ground on Henrik Zetterberg's attempt, setting the stage for Zherdev to close the deal. And he did.

Monday's game in Edmonton was a loud fart heard throughout Albera. And it was let off by the Jackets offense yet again. Ron Hainsey's power play goal was the only tally of the game, and the Jackets wasted a penalty shot by Rick Nash as well as a late 5-on-3 to tie the game. No dice.

On to Vancouver and the Roberto Luongo circus....and the Jackets came away as the cheap sideshow. Adam Foote scored for Columbus (not a typo) and poor defensive zone play ended up in the clinching goal by Lukas Krajicek, a defenseman who was somehow allowed deep in the zone and eventually in the face of Freddy Norrena. Another stinker, another loss. Moving on.

Saturday's game in Calgary afforded the Jackets a chance to salvage the three-game Western Canadian trip that so often has been their achilles heel. They jumped out to a quick 2-0 start on the back of goals by Nik Zherdev and Curtis Glencross, and the Flames were booed off the ice. You had to know they would respond, and they did.

A power play goal by Daymond Langkow and a late tally by Jarome Iginla knotted the game at 2-2, and though the Jackets never trailed, they were reeling going into the break.

Kris Beech got an assist from Calgary forward Alex Tanguay in the third, a power play goal that gave Columbus a 3-2 lead. Neverthless, Adam Foote kindly assisted Calgary right back the other way, deflecting a shot from Robyn Regehr past Norrena for another tie.

In overtime, the unlikely hero was Curtis Glencross, who came straight off the bench and into the offensive zone off a dump-in from Kris Russell. Kris Beech, a late addition to the lineup due to Malhotra's knee injury, tossed the puck in the slot and Glencross chipped it by Miikka Kiprusoff to send the Jackets home with a little something to build on.

THE REVOLVING DOOR RETURNS

After a little added shootout confidence against Detroit, Monday's national broadcast on Versus turned out to be a balloon-buster.

Any flow or feel to the game was eradicated by sloppy play and tired legs, and the Jackets pulled out all stops to maintain a 1-0 lead for most of the game.

Pascal Leclaire was heroic in his first game back from a hamstring tweak, and his 33 saves should have been more than enough to lock up two points for the locals. The 25-year old could've been arrested multiple times on absolute larceny (just ask Mike Ribiero, Steve Ott and Brenden Morrow).

Same old story, as mentioned above. The top line provided the initial spark, and those required to step up just had a seat.

Nash-Peca-Zherdev, the only spark to a scoring fire of late, registered 12 shots on goal and two points. The rest of the team?

14 shots on goal.....0 points. Wonderful, eh?

The Stars, completing a six-game roadie, must have been salivating when the horn sounded the end overtime. These guys love shootouts more than Kirstie Alley loves the next diet craze.

Peca missed on the stick side, and Sergei Zubov lost control to end the first round. Zherdev flicked his magic shootout wand, beating Marty Turco for the second time in the game right through the stuffings.

Shootout wizard Jussi Jokinen must be running out of moves to use, because I'm pretty sure you can't come to a stop during the shootout. Moot point...he hit the pipe and all Rick Nash has to do is deke Turco's pads off and it's over.

Nash deked, all right. He deked himself out and lost control, opening the door for Mike Modano to keep the Stars breathing. Cool as an Iced Capp, he skated in and went top-shelf on Leclaire, and we move on.

Curtis Glencross, ladies and gentlemen. He pulls out the Jason Chimera head-fake and roofs it over Turco, and the home side is back in front. Enter Mike Ribeiro.

A couple dekes and a head-first barrage into Leclaire's crease and it's tied again. Gilbert Brule up for Columbus, and Turco gave the kid a little "hello" as he charged out and dove in front of any attempt Brule would make to shelf another.

So, all of a sudden, the Stars have the Jackets pinned with the death grip applied. Niklas Hagman, the definition of "overachiever" has a chance to end the game. He skates in deliberately, pulls up and shifts to the backhand and puts it through Leclaire's legs with ease.

Game. Set. Match.

One point that could've been two with any help from the other three units. Nada. Zilch. Nein.

The shootout loss marks five shootout losses for Columbus this season, and time will tell how valuable those five lost points will prove to be.