Throwdown Lowdown – Blues @ Blue Jackets, 03-09-11

Boll and Janssen ran around the merry-go-round AGAIN on Monday. Image via Zimbio

RIGHT OFF THE HOP: Enjoy Jeff’s new Blues Fight Card pieces.  He might not be as passionate about hockey fights as I am, but I can’t help but be proud of him for taking an idea revolving around fighting and just running with it.  Nice work, Jeff!  (And I do know from personal knowledge that Jeff DOES enjoy hockey fights and knows and appreciates their role in the sport of hockey, much like I do.)

After one of the most disappointing efforts of the year, the Blues came home with much more spirit and jump with a 5-4 shootout win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday.  And we saw not one but TWO fights in the first two minutes of action!  First it was Chris Stewart’s first fight as a member of the Blues, squaring off with and soundly pasting Derek Dorsett (video here).  Then, no more than a handful of seconds later, Cam Janssen and Jared Boll squared off in an epic fight for the ages – a marathon bout in which Janssen was given the decision (video here – getcha popcorn ready).  That brings the Blues to 64 total fighting majors on the season, sliding past the Boston Bruins into second place alone in the NHL at the moment.  Their fight record, with the two wins, now stands at 27-19-18.  (By the way, with two fight wins, wouldn’t that be “Bi-Winning?” by the Blues?  “Tri-Winning” for also getting the game victory?  Hey, at least I still have a job while Charlie Sheen doesn’t.  Still wish I had his money, though.)

Well, there’s not much to say in this space more than that we’ve covered it all before . . . y’know, like two days ago.  But anyway, since there are changes to the totals, we’ll spend a bit of time on the Columbus Blue Jackets and their fighting ability (read: they DO have fighting ability).  Monday’s two fights pulled the Jackets into eighth all alone with 46 fighting majors on the season.  Their record in those fights dipped a bit, but is still somewhat respectable at 12-17-17.  We have covered the Blue Jackets on four other occasions previously (November 10th, December 9th and January 22nd plus the above-linked report from Monday), and the two teams have fought against each other now eight times this season (see two video links above and six of them below).

We’ll start with the leaders, Boll (6’3”, 210lbs, 5-7-8, Third individually in the NHL with a draw to Janssen that really should have been a Janssen win and a unanimous win over BJ Crombeen as well as the above loss to Janssen) with 20 fights and Dorsett (5’11”, 187lbs, 4-8-3, Now tied for fourth WITH Crombeen individually in the NHL with a loss to Crombeen and a draw with Brad “F.” Winchester as well as the above loss to Stewart) with 15.  Following is Tom Sestito (6’5”, 228lbs, 3-0-1, traded to Philadelphia at the deadline) with four.  Chris Clark (6’0”, 196, 0-0-2 including a draw with Nathan Oystrick), Mike Commodore (6’5”, 245lbs, 0-1-1, currently with AHL Springfield) and Marc Methot (6’3”, 230lbs, 0-1-1 including a loss to Tyson Strachan) each have fought twice.  Derek Brassard (6’1”, 190lbs, Draw, On IR with a hand injury) has one fighting major this season.

I reiterate my wish for Ryan Reaves to get into a fight with Boll.  Can we get a time machine to assure that it DOES happen this time?  Please?!

Home-and-homes are kinda boring when meaningless, unless the other team’s trying to get you to hate them.  Guess what the Blue Jackets trying to do to me?!

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!

Information obtained via the incomparable Fried Chicken’s Hockey Fights