Category Archives: columbus blue jackets

NHL Talk: Prospal’s Winner, Anisimov Injury & the McChicken

Two hockey guys talking hockey.

Joe Pasquali and Eddie Theisen are two die-hard NHL fans. They both watch every hockey game, every night (almost).

The guys talk about if Boston is the best team in the East, Anisimov’s freak injury, if the Buffalo Sabres fanbase smokes a lof of weed and McChicken currency

As a fan of the Columbus Blue Jackets, I’m glad they finally beat the Red Wings. It took a superhuman goal by Vinny Prospal, but I’ll take it…this might be the last one for awhile.

By the way, neither of these guys have a girlfriend.

This is their email conversation the following morning. Continue reading →

Columbus Blue Jackets "Harlem Shake" Video

I’m a big fan of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets. Their digital marketing team is very creative. They released a “Gangnam Style” parody video this fall and they are back with their own “Harlem Shake” video. I commend them for having fun, which many other major sports teams have trouble doing.

NHL Talk: Hockey Fights, Gangnam Style & Milan Hejduk

Two hockey guys talking hockey.

As the snow keeps piling up, the hockey games start to gain steam. The NFL season ended yesterday, but the NHL is just getting started. The Commissioner should take advantage of this time of year in-between the Super Bowl and MLB’s spring training, but he’s a joke…we all know this by now.

Joe Pasquali and Eddie Theisen are two diehard NHL fans. They both watch every hockey game every night (almost). Neither have a girlfriend. I doubt these guys even realized the Super Bowl occurred yesterday.

This is their email conversation the following morning. Continue reading →

NHL Talk: Ryan Miller, NKOTB & the Blue Jackets

Two hockey guys talking hockey.

I believe there was as much ice on my car this morning than a Zamboni could produce. I don’t own a pair of hockey skates, so I had to go old school and use an ice scraper.

Joe Pasquali and Eddie Theisen are two diehard NHL fans. They both watch every hockey game every night (almost). Neither have a girlfriend. This is their email conversation the following morning.

If you’re a fan of the Columbus Blue Jackets, please disregard most of this conversation…we’ve suffered enough. #BringBackHitch

Final scores from 1/31/13

Buffalo 7, Boston 4
Toronto 3, Washington 2
New York Islanders 5, New Jersey 4 F/OT
Pittsburgh 3, New York Rangers 0
St. Louis 4, Columbus 1
Florida 6, Winnipeg 3
Colorado 6, Calgary 3
Los Angeles 2, Nashville 1 F/SO
San Jose 3, Edmonton 2 F/SO

About last night…

Pasquali: January ended with a bang in the NHL world. We had a great night of games, though there has to be some goalies waking up with hurt feelings this morning.

Theisen: I think it’s safe to say you mean Tuukka Rask is pretty butt hurt from Thomas Vanek last night

Pasquali: Vanek went nuts last night! The third goal he had was the best. Last night you called him a Bruin killer, and he lived up to the title.

Thomas Vanek’s hat trick vs. Boston Bruins 1/31/13

Theisen: An overlooked player in that game, even though he gave up 4, was Ryan Miller. He made some huge saves in that game when it mattered

Pasquali: Yeah, Miller was Miller once again for Buffalo. Big and timely saves, especially in the third when Boston was throwing everything at him.

Besides Rask being “butt hurt”, we saw 6 other teams give up at least 4 goals last night. Lots of lamps getting lit.

Theisen: Well, we definitely know that none of them are by Phil Kessel. Even missed an empty net against the Caps with 10 seconds left.

Pasquali: In his defense Kessel got robbed a few times, but yeah he couldn’t find the net last night. Toronto thoroughly dominated that game, giving them their first home win of the year. If it wasn’t for Neuvirth stopping 37 shots, Capitals would have got blown out.

Theisen: The Maple Leafs did deserve the win, had twice as many scoring opportunities and way more quality chances. James Van Riemsdyk started the season out very dismal for the Leafs, but ever since head coach Randy Carlyle called him out for not playing hard enough, he’s put up 4 goals. He has even has earned unit 1 power play time as their man in front of the net.

Pasquali: If you put together the USA Olympic team to play a game tomorrow, is James van Riemsdyk on your squad?

Theisen: I would have to say it’s a coin toss, he could be on the USA’s fourth line, but I’d still give Kessel the nod right now even though he’s in a slump. I guess if Ryan Callahan was still injured there may be a spot for JVR on the roster. Very doubtful he’ll be on the USA squad in 2014 though.

Pasquali: JVR can flat out fly. When he is on he is really fun to watch. Oh, congrats on your upset pick. Preds get their first shootout win of the season; they were 0-3 before last night in the “skills competition”. Shootout had some great goals, but the game was a snooze fest.

Theisen: Yeah, after each team tallied a goal in the first, the game slowed down considerably and there weren’t a lot of great scoring chances either. Then again, you do have last year’s Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Quick and 2nd year in a row Vezina runner-up Pekka Rinne in net. It is hard to say the Preds were an “under dog” pick though with 3 OT losses. They could easily but at the top of the West with some better fortune.

Pasquali: Good pick nonetheless. My Blue Jackets pick sure looked stupid. Freaking Columbus…

Theisen: I though the Jackets had a comeback in them when the Blues put up 3 in the first… but that may have just been me.

Pasquali: You and the hundreds in attendance at Nationwide. Bobrovsky got pulled after letting in a few soft ones, and Mason came in to shut it down. Credit to the Bluejackets, they played hard all game. So… that’s something.

Theisen: In my opinion, Jared Boll was the best Blue Jacket on the ice last night for them. Everyone else seemed uninspired and lethargic…I would be too with 337 people in the crowd every night.

Pasquali: Haha, okay we really need to stop with the Jackets hate. Bobby, the runner of our blog, is a CBJ fan. Yes, a real one.

(*editor’s note* – Yep!)

Theisen: I know three Blue Jackets fans, which seems like three too many.

Pasquali: Two teams ended long road trips with much needed wins last night. Colorado had a big third period to coast past Calgary, and the Islanders topped the Devils in what I think was the second best game of the night (to BUF/BOS).

Theisen: Colorado seemed to find their groove last night after starting out a bit rough against Calgary, even without All-Star captain Gabriel Landeskog. The Devils and Islanders put up a shootout out of nowhere. The game was completely back and forth and just came down to the Islanders Power Play when Brad Boyes scored on a scramble in front of the net. I still don’t expect the Isles to do much this year.

Pasquali: But you got to admit the Islanders are actually fun to watch. We haven’t been able to say that since….

Theisen: Since 1983?

Pasquali: Yeah, sounds about right. What was your favorite goal of the night?

Theisen: I’d have to say there are two that tie in my opinion and they were both from the Bruins vs. Sabres game. Brad Marchand’s dangle in the second to take the lead was maybe the best goal of the year, and also Thomas Vanek’s silencer late in the 3rd was “Very Dirty”. A close runner-up was Calgary’s Jiri Hudler with a great tic-tac-toe goal from Cervenka and Stajan in the second period of their game.

Brad Marchand Undress Tyler Myers and Scores 1/31/13

Pasquali: All great picks. But I have to go with Huberdeau goal in the Panthers game. That AMAZZZING Panthers game. It was crazy.

Theisen: Yeah, I mean you had to think Huberdeau purposely fell and then let the puck bank about 3 times off Winnipeg players and in. Some Jedi mind tricks.

Pasquali: OK, maybe it was luck. But that goal was SUCH a Florida Panther’s goal. Chaos, luck, and then mild excitement.

Theisen: The rats had fun at BankAtlantic Center, I know that much.

Pasquali: By the way, in trying to find the Huberdeau goal online, I found this other Huberdeau video of him wearing a dumbass hat. Best part, is this video on YouTube had 0 views. Zero. I was the first person to view it. It’s been up for like 2 weeks, how is that possible?

Jonathan Huberdeau Loves His Stupid Hat

Theisen: Because it’s the Florida Panthers haha.

Pasquali: I mean the guy who posted that video had to at least have watched it. Or Huberdeau’s mom or something.

Theisen: Haha you’d think.

Pasquali: OK, we have to talk about the Florida Panther’s broadcast team of Steve Goldstein and Bill Lindsay… What the hell?

Theisen: Oh, you mean that flipping the puck into the crowd from the other team’s blue line isn’t delay of game?

Pasquali: He was so excited for a possible Panther’s power play he forgot the rules of the game.. That or his mind is on NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK WITH BOYZ 2 MEN AND 98 DEGREES COMING TO THE BANKATLANTIC CENTER OMGZ.

The 90’s exploded in this picture, but where’s Eric Lindros?

Theisen: Like I said last night, I think everyone in attendance was just camping out for the concert and had no idea that a hockey game was taking place.

Pasquali: Penguins went into New York and got a surprise win. Tomas Vokoun had a great night and got the shutout. Both teams really needed the win, but the Rangers just looked flat.

Theisen: Yeah, with the exception of Rick Nash, the Rangers didn’t look hungry enough against an elite team in the East and Atlantic rival. The Penguins now have to seriously start looking at Vokoun for more starts. Fleury has been a little shaky this year (what else is new) and I could see Vokoun earning more starts with that performance last night.

Pasquali: He was really solid, and has been his whole career. The Pittsburgh goalie situation will be an interesting storyline over the coming weeks.

Theisen: Looks like us talking up San Jose yesterday had no impact on them getting steamrolled, Joe. Still undefeated and still making a case for best team in the West… do they pass the Blackhawks now in your opinion?

Pasquali: I guess they have to; they don’t have anything in the L column. Both goalies were good in regulation (Niemi and Bubnyk) but Niemi stepped up in the shootout and blanked both shooters he faced. Also, Handzus has become one of the best shootout artists in the game. Dude is 18-34 for his career and 7-12 as a Shark.

Shootout – Edmonton Oilers vs. San Jose Sharks (January 31st, 2013)

Theisen: He is one of the more underrated shootout men in the league, along with Jussi Jokinen. The Oilers are looking like they could be a playoff team this year, even with all this young talent. You think they’ll crack the top eight in the West?

Pasquali: Tough call, I think they have a great shot. I would put them right around the 8-10 spot as we go through the season. Right now they are on top of Northwest Division! But, you’d have to think Minnesota or Vancouver will win the NW in the end. I hope Edmonton sticks around. Great fans.

Theisen: I’d have to say Vancouver takes the Northwest and Minnesota being a close second at the end of the year. Not sure if Edmonton has it in them this year. Goaltending may be an issue down the stretch.

Pasquali: Well, we got seven games to enjoy tonight. The two games I am most looking forward to are both in the Western Conference. Can Detroit bounce back from the 6-0 drubbing the Blues gave them on opening night? And Chicago going to Vancouver should be fast, fun, and violent.

Theisen: The best game of the night is by far the Blackhawks vs. Canucks. The second best game I’d have to go with the Wild vs. the Ducks. See if Anaheim is for real this year by beating another elite roster in the West.

Pasquali: If you were a Winnipeg player and you were on your Florida road trip, how could you get back on a plane and fly back to Canada? Knowing that New Kids on the Block are coming soon.

Theisen: I don’t know, how do you put a price on seeing Mark Wahlberg’s brother?

Joe’s Predictions (3-6 so far)

Flyers over Capitals
Lightning over Jets
Wings over Blues
Coyotes over Stars
Senators over Hurricanes
Hawks over Canucks
Ducks over Wild

Eddie’s Predictions (4-5 so far)

Flyers over Capitals
Lightning over Jets
Blues over Wings
Stars over Coyotes
Senators over Hurricanes
Canucks over Hawks
Ducks over Wild

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

NHL Talk: Yakupov’s OT Goal, Jackie Moon & Logan Couture

Two hockey guys talking hockey

It’s hard to have a site called America’s White Boy without covering a sport where most players look like an average person in street clothes.

If this goes well, I may need to start a sister site, Canada’s White Boy. I would need a maple syrup sponsor or a lifetime supply of Tim Horton’s “Timbits”…so it probably won’t happen.

Joe Pasquali and Eddie Theisen are two diehard NHL fans. They both watch every hockey game every night (almost). Neither have a girlfriend. This is their email conversation the following morning. Continue reading →

Blue Jackets Draft Ryan Murray #2 Overall, No Rick Nash Trade

The NHL Draft began last night with the usual suspects owning the top picks. The Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders, and Columbus Blue Jackets have found themselves drafting in the top 5 too many times. They have whiffed on many picks over the last decade, with Columbus having the worst drafting record in the entire NHL.

Going into the draft, everybody knew that Columbus would be drafting a defenseman and a Rick Nash trade would be imminent. The CBJ drafted defenseman Ryan Murray, but has yet to pull the trigger on a Nash trade.

I will give you the lowdown on Ryan Murray and when/where will Rick Nash be traded.

Columbus drafted Ryan Murray, who played for the Everett Silvertips of the WHL, over a group of defensemen that includes Griffin Reinhart, Moran Reilly, and Hampus Lindholm.

Murray is only 18 years old, but has great leadership skills. He played for Canada in the recent World Championships. A couple defensemen drafted after Murray have a better two-way game at this point, but the leadership ability is coveted by a team who will be searching for a leader once they trade Nash.

Here is a video of NHL Network’s scouting analysis on Ryan Murray…

Nash could be traded this weekend, but you shouldn’t hold your breath. Over the last two years, I think every team in the NHL has been rumored to be trading for him. The San Jose Sharks is the current rumored team to be close to trading for Nash. The package Columbus would receive in return would include center Joe Pavelski and other compensation to sweeten the deal. This trade would fill a need on the Blue Jackets, but I say that sarcastically because they have a need at every position.

In the long run, it is hard to see Columbus coming out as a winner in any trade that would include Nash. There is no doubt when he gets traded to a better team, insane numbers will fill up the box score next to his name. Nash has always looked great in Olympic competition and in every All-Star game he played.

No matter where Nash winds up, he will get a standing ovation when he returns to Columbus to play against his former team.

The only trade the Blue Jackets made last night was with the Philadelphia Flyers. They traded three draft picks for goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. They needed help at goalie since Steve Mason can be a basket case in the net. Mathieu Garon had success splitting time with Mason a few years ago and GM Scott Howson is hoping that competition will bring out the best in Mason.

Let’s just hope this trade will turn out better than their trade with the Flyers last off-season. The ‘Jakub Voracek + others for Jeff Carter’ trade may go down as one of the worst trades this decade. Carter whined his way out of Columbus and the Blue Jackets traded him to the Los Angeles Kings for 20 cents on the dollar. Oh, by the way, the Kings won the Stanley Cup this year.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Could Columbus, Ohio Support an NBA Team?

The mayor of Columbus, Ohio, Michael B. Coleman, thinks that his city is ready for an NBA team. He sent a letter to the NBA Commissioner, David Stern, and wanted him to know that “Columbus should be on the league’s radar.” The city just finalized the public purchase of Nationwide Arena, which is the home of Columbus Blue Jackets, an NHL team. The Columbus Dispatch reported the letter today and adds some strong reasons why the city could support three professional teams, if you count the Columbus Crew, an MLS team.

Do you think Columbus could support an NBA team? Is it even the best option in its own state? We’ll dive deeper and look at teams that are in financial trouble and need to move. Continue reading →

Mason Puts Blue Jackets In Tough Situation

It’s hard to look at that picture of Steve Mason with the Calder Memorial trophy and not scream out “What happened?!” He has been one of the most inconsistent goaltenders in the NHL since his rookie season. Head coaches have let him start games, but they have a quick hook on the young man. He has the ability to register a shutout every time he’s on the ice, but he’s also prone to letting pucks get in the net in triplet. What can the Blue Jackets do to help Mason bounce back? The team must figure out if they want win now or build toward the future.

It’s fair to say that Mason has been inconsistent, it’s not an opinion it’s fact. Fans and critics must remember that he has had three head coaches the last two seasons (Ken Hitchcock, Claude Noel, and now Scott Arniel). They have tried many approaches to help the young goalie out. Hitchcock implemented the “ride the hot goalie” method, but at times Mathieu Garon was in net multiple games in a row and Mason sat on the bench collecting dust.

When Hitchcock was fired, Noel took over and modified Hitch’s technique and let Mason go out there and he played very well down the stretch. He built up the anticipation that he will have a good season between the pipes. Arniel decided that he wants to see both goaltenders see action, but so far it’s been a fairly even split. He has pulled Mason out of games quite a bit, but that isn’t new to him, he leads the NHL in that statistic over the last two seasons.

Because Mason’s rookie season was such a success, people forget that he’s only 22 years old. His rookie campaign might have been an anomaly, it definitely isn’t the norm for a rookie to come in and do so well. His 2.29 GAA and 10 shutouts were not expected so soon. Last year, he finished the year with a 3.05 GAA with 5 shutouts and a record of 20-26-9. The team could live with those numbers from a young goalie, but it was the inconsistency that frustrated the team and fans.

After the 6-3 loss in Edmonton Thursday night, Arniel said that Mason was ‘in his own head.” The head coach is starting to sound like a broken record when he comes to him. What can the Blue Jackets do? They are sitting near the 8th spot in a tough Western Conference. The team must decide if this is the year to push their young goalie or maybe it’s time to let him regain his form in Springfield, their AHL minor-league affiliate. The team did send down another top-prospect, Nikita Filatov, just last week. It might be time to give Garon the starting job full-time and call up minor-league goalie, David LeNeveu. LeNeveu is 31-years old, spent nearly his entire career in the minors, with a cup of coffee with the Phoenix Coyotes in 2005-06 and 2006-07. He may not have the ability to dominate, like Mason shows flashes of, but he could keep the pipes warm while Mason gets his form back.

Mason is a fan favorite and the fans of Columbus are hungry for a winning team. This is the tenth year of the club and GM Scott Howson definitely wants to see the team reach the post-season for only its second-time in its history. Making a move like this would take a lot of faith in the process and that Mason wouldn’t completely check-out. He already appears to be a bit fragile mentally. Fans are hoping that Mason can turn it around over the next few games, if he gets a chance to start. Their next game is at home against the Dallas Stars. Garon will likely get the start and will be looking to improve on his 7-3-2 record.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Blue Jackets Need To Improve Power Play

It is no surprise that the Columbus Blue Jackets are last in the Western Conference in power play percentage, they are near the bottom every year. Tonight they play in Vancouver against the Canucks who have one of the league’s best power plays. They have scored on 25% of their chances and amassed 28 goals on the power play this season. The Blue Jackets have scored on 14 goals with the advantage, but only register a 11.7% rate. Something needs to improve if they plan on getting two points tonight in Vancouver.

The Vancouver Canucks (16-8-4) and the Columbus Blue Jackets (16-11-2) are two teams heading in opposite directions. The Blue Jackets have been reeling the last ten games (3-5-2) and the Canucks are moving up the Western Conference standings the last ten (6-3-1). Hendrik Sedin has been killing teams on the power play with half of his 16 goals on the season coming on advantage. Daniel Sedin has played well lately with 12 points in his last eight games. Their defense has been stopping shots from even getting to Roberto Luongo, so the Blue Jackets could have trouble getting shots on goal tonight. The Canucks were 3-1 against the Blue Jackets last season.

The good news for Columbus is that Kristian Huselius will be back on the ice tonight. He has been out and the Blue Jackets could use his leadership and offensive ability tonight. Rick Nash has been hot with 4 goals and 7 points in his last four games. They will need more than just him contributing tonight if they want to earn a win in regulation.

Mathieu Garon will face Roberto Luongo in the net tonight. Garon has not have much luck in Vancouver with 2-5 record and 3.68 GAA. Steve Mason has been worse with a 2-2 record and 4.64 GAA, so coach Scott Arniel might want to keep Garon out there.

The game starts at 10pm EST tonight and should be fun to watch. If the Blue Jackets can lasso the Sedin brothers and push the puck across the blue-line, they could stay in this contest. If Vancouver gets out to an early lead, Columbus will have trouble if the Canucks go into a defensive mode.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

An Attempt To Embrace My New Hometown

I moved to Columbus, Ohio from Fort Wayne, Indiana nearly four years, so I guess this isn’t a “new” place for me anymore. I’m considering changes to the site, small ones actually, you may not even notice. I just wanted to explain why this change may happen and what you may see on the site in the near future. For my friends back in Indiana, don’t worry, I still love Larry Bird and can’t watch the end of “Hoosiers” or “Rudy” without crying.

I started this site over 2 1/2 years ago as a platform to keep my writing skills fresh and dive into a new genre. I have always been a huge sports fan and combine that with my snarky and cynical attitude, I guess starting a sports blog was right up my alley. My past writing experience was just in college in Journalism and English classes and I spent nearly seven years as a music journalist. “America’s White Boy” didn’t turn into a site that focused strictly on sports content, I add a lot of music posts on here. I know both worlds of sports and music, so why not give them both to my readers. 2 1/2 years ago, I didn’t know where I would be from year to year, I was still trying to settle down in a city where I felt comfortable. I believe that I have found that place here in Columbus…at least for the foreseeable future.

The change to the site will be that I am going to be adding much more local Ohio content and national music acts to the site. The change won’t be extreme and it isn’t a transition that will eventually make this into a site like Waiting For Next Year or Cleveland Frowns. I am a fan of the Columbus Blue Jackets and I follow Ohio State sports, so expect a lot of that to be added. Don’t worry about me, I still love the Chicago Cubs, Indiana Pacers, and Indianapolis Colts, you can’t take those loves away from me. Since I know a lot about the teams I am a fan of, and clearly have passionate things to say about them, that content will still be here.

I have researched my traffic numbers and my site does have better numbers in the Midwest and East Coast than any other part of the country. I should take this time and say something mean about the West Coast, like the Lakers are soft or that USC cheats, but I’ll let your imagination do that.

Well, today is the start of the NFL season, so expect a possible Cleveland Browns or Cincinnati Bengals post at some point today. If I post anything positive about Jake Delhomme, please call my mother, because there is no way I would ever do that unless these Ohio savages kidnap and torture me.

I heart my new hometown.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Help A Blogger Out!

Hey guys, as many of your know, I write for a Columbus Blue Jackets team site for Fanball. I will soon be under review to get media credentials to cover the games live. I would love to boost my traffic numbers up, so if you guys could please visit a few links here and check out the site, I would helps me out a lot. Thanks guys, you are the best.

Blue Jackets Studs & Duds Of The Month

Blue Jackets Hold Off Capitals

Blue Jackets Face Three Games Of Doom

Mike Commodore Doesn’t Deserve A $1 Dog

Can Nikita Filatov Earn More Minutes?

Thanks guys!

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Gone To Indiana

I’m going to be gone for the next two days visiting family and friends in the land of Peyton Manning and Larry Bird. As I am gone, go to the “Friends Of The White Boy” section and visit some of my friend’s blogs. They do very good work and they will appreciate the business. I want to leave you with a question, who was a better receiver for the Indianapolis Colts, Clarence Verdin or Troy Walters? Please discuss and let me know your answer when I get back.

Stingers On Ice
Pacers Place

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.