What has to happen for the Blue Jackets to catch a break?
The shorthanded Jackets have lost nine in a row (0-7-2), tied for the longest win streak in franchise history, and the last two setbacks in Tampa Bay were marked by stretches of good play and bad breaks on two big goals.
In Thursday s series opener, goalie Elvis Merzlikins was hit in the helmet by a high stick moments before the Lightning scored the game-winning goal, leading to a protest from the CBJ netminder but a goal that stood because it couldn t be challenged.
Then in Sunday s finale, another bad break allowed the Lightning to score a key goal in the third period. Goalie Joonas Korpisalo suffered a lower-body injury with the team on the penalty kill and tried to fight through it, but he couldn t move over on a cross-ice pass, allowing Lightning rookie Alex Barre-Boulet to score his first career goal to tie the score at 3 in what would become a 4-3 overtime setback.
Elvis Merzlikins comments after the Blue Jackets loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday night underscored just how tough it is for the team right now as it plays out the 2021 season.
Columbus is 0-7-1 in its last eight games, one short of tying a franchise record for the longest winless streak, a mark that has been set three times, last in October/November 2014. I am tired of losing the game, Merzlikins said among other heartfelt comments. I know we are trying, but this is getting embarrassing. It is what it is. I am trying to be honest with you guys. It s painful.
For the Blue Jackets, the reality is this isn t all that fun at the moment.
In the NHL, the most fun a player can have is when a team is winning games, lots of them, and that s the opposite of how things are going for the Blue Jackets. Columbus has won just two of its last 15 games, including an 0-5-1 mark in the last six, and the team is now tied with Detroit for last place in the Central Division.
Obviously, the Blue Jackets have been gutted by trades (Nick Foligno, David Savard, Riley Nash) and injuries (Zach Werenski, Boone Jenner, Gustav Nyquist, Emil Bemstrom) in recent weeks, which makes it hard to compete at the moment. At the same time, no number of excuses makes it easier on a professional athlete to handle the kind of stretch the Jackets are in right now.
Olmsted Falls City Council approves new computer vendor to provide data security [cleveland.com]
OLMSTED FALLS, Ohio When it comes to data security and computer operations, it doesn’t matter if you’re talking about a big-time corporation or a quaint community. The needs are the same.
That’s exactly why the Olmsted Falls City Council recently approved a new three-year contract with Blue Technologies Smart Solutions, LLC.
“The computer system has not only been neglected for years, but it also hasn’t been upgraded,” Olmsted Falls City Council President Paul Stibich. “The police chief informed us that there are certain security risks involved in it. So we’re upgrading a lot of the software and some of the hardware, as well as improving the security of the system.