by Adam GretzFiled under: Blue Jackets, Western
It would be difficult at this point to make an argument against the Central Division as being the NHL's best. It currently boastis two of the past three Stanley Cup winners, the Western Conference Finalist in each of the past three seasons, a consistent playoff team in Nashville, and an up-and-coming St. Louis team that's lost just one game in regulation this season. The team that was picked by most to be at the bottom of the Division, Columbus, is also making some noise, winning eight of its first 12 games under first-year head coach Scott Arniel.With the overall depth of the division -- and the Western Conference as a whole -- it's obviously important to rack up as many points early in the season as possible. After all, the points in October count as much as the ones in March and April, especially with a daunting divisional schedule still to come.
"Absolutely, It's hard to win games come March and April," said R.J. Umberger, who is tied for the team lead with five goals entering play on Saturday. "Everybody is fighting for those last playoff spots, so it's good to get a good jump on the competition right now. There's no doubt our division is going to be a dog fight. Detroit is always going to be good. Chicago won the Cup last year, they're going to be good. St. Louis is up-and-coming, Nashville has done a job down there where they just continue to play solid hockey, so it's going to be a fight all year, no doubt about it. If we can keep winning early in the year here it will be very good for us."
They've been winning so far playing a more up-tempo style than in past years under former coach Ken Hitchcock, looking to move the puck up the ice as quickly as possible and establish time in the offensive zone. While Umberger said both coaches -- Hitchcock and Arniel -- are similar in their demand for hard work, Arniel has given them a bit of a longer leash when it comes creating offense.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2010/11/06/r-j-umberger-blue-jackets-off-to-fast-start-in-nhls-best-divi/
No comments:
Post a Comment