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COLUMBUS Detroit Red Wings T-Shirts Authentic , Ohio (AP) In a season of broken records and firsts for the Columbus Blue Jackets, one of the most important eluded them again: winning a playoff series.The Blue Jackets’ promising season fizzled out in Game 6 of their opening-round series against the Washington Capitals. They were stunning at times – like in the first two games, both won in OT – but glaringly not good enough the rest of the way. Columbus’ power play went to sleep, and the Capitals took four in a row, capping it with a 6-3 victory Monday night.Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made some acrobatic saves throughout the series, but he also allowed a goal or two he should have knocked down.”We did not make big plays,” coach John Tortorella said. ”At times, we didn’t get a big save. That goes right on through the team. I’m not just saying (Bobrovsky), but the whole team. That’s why you’re out in six. It’s tough in the playoffs. We have a number of things we need to get better at Detroit Red Wings Hoodies Authentic , as individuals and as a team.”There are reasons to be optimistic about the future of this young team. It battled through slumps and myriad injuries to key players, climbing back in the Metropolitan Division race with a 10-game winning streak. It played its grittiest hockey in February and March and emerged as a wild card from a mix of teams that all came on strong to finish.”I’m so proud to lead this team, but I just want to see something good happen for our team,” said captain Nick Foligno, who scored two goals on Monday. ”I want us to realize the potential we have in here, and I want it to happen now.”RECORDS AND FIRSTSColumbus traded last offseason for forward Artemi Panarin, who became the star the team had hoped he would be. He broke Rick Nash’s franchise record for points with 82 (27 goals, 55 assists).He was great in the first three games of the playoffs but went quiet as Washington figured out how to pressure him.The Blue Jackets sorely need another guy performing at Panarin’s level. That could turn out to be Pierre Luc-Dubois, who broke franchise rookie records this season for goals and points (20-28-48). He centered the top line next to Panarin Detroit Red Wings Hats Authentic , and Tortorella said the playoffs contributed to his growth.”At 19 years old, pushed into the forefront as far as being our No. 1 center and coming into this series against a team that’s pretty deep in the middle, he handled himself very well,” Tortorella said. ”Were there some minutes he struggled? Yeah, but he’s 19. It’s just a great process for him to go through early in his career.”SPARKLING BLUE LINEThe first-line defensive duo of Zach Werenski and Seth Jones again was one of the best in the NHL. Both set franchise scoring records for defensemen with 16 goals apiece. Werenski is just 20, and Jones is 23. That line should be strong for years to come.QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS, QUESTIONSAfter losing in the first round of each of four playoffs in its 17-season history, Columbus remains the only currently existing NHL franchise to never have won a playoff series.What can get the Blue Jackets over the hump?Another elite sniper to complement Panarin?A much better season from forward Cam Atkinson? The former All-Star was the team’s leading scorer last season but missed 17 games because of injury this time and never found his mojo. Other usually reliable forwards – including Foligno Custom Detroit Red Wings Jerseys , Brandon Dubinsky and Boone Jenner – also were unspectacular.Will the Blue Jackets pay up to keep Bobrovsky and Panarin? Both Russians have contracts that run through next season but are eligible for extensions in July. Panarin, who made $6 million against the cap this season, will be able to command a big raise.— John Ziegler Jr.’s tumultuous 15 years as NHL president began with the league ushering in the Wayne Gretzky era and ended with labor unrest and a players strike in 1992.The NHL on Friday confirmed Ziegler’s death, although the cause was not immediately known. He was 84 and living in Florida.“His positive imprint on the game of hockey cannot ever be overstated,” Chicago Blackhawks chairman Rocky Wirtz said. “While he will be missed, his legacy and contributions to our sport will carry on forever.”Ziegler was the first American to run the league and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1987.He was credited for helping the NHL become an international league by increasing the number of European players and opening the door for Russians to compete in North America.Ziegler was the NHL’s fourth president, succeeding Clarence Campbell in 1977. Two years later, he played a key role in brokering a merger with the World Hockey Association in which the NHL added four teams from the upstart league — the Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets www.officialoilers.com , Quebec Nordiques and Hartford Whalers.While the Jets, Nordiques and Whalers eventually relocated, the Gretzky-led Oilers quickly succeeded, winning four Stanley Cups between 1984 and 1988. The Oilers posted a picture of Ziegler handing the Stanley Cup to a beaming Gretzky on the team’s Twitter feed.The NHL eventually grew to 24 teams under Ziegler by expanding into San Jose in 1991. In 1978, the NHL had dropped to 17 franchises when the Cleveland Barons ceased operations after merging with the Minnesota North Stars.Just as important, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman credited Ziegler for attracting talent from across the Atlantic. The share of NHL players not born in North America grew from 2 percent to 11 percent on Ziegler’s watch, Bettman said.It was a period that introduced the NHL to its first wave of Russian-born stars such as Viacheslav Fetisov, Igor Larionov, Alexander Mogilny and Pavel Bure.Contentious labor talks between the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association over playoff bonuses Edmonton Oilers T-Shirts Authentic , free agency and pension funds led to the players voting to strike in the final weeks of the 1991-92 season. The strike lasted 10 days.League owners unhappy with the labor agreement ousted Ziegler two months later. He was replaced on an interim basis by Gil Stein. The NHL hired Bettman the following year and appointed him the league’s first commissioner.“John provided invaluable counsel during my early days as commissioner and was always generous with his time,” Bettman said.Ziegler was from Grosse Pointe, Michigan, and broke into the NHL serving as legal counsel for the Red Wings and their arena Olympia Stadium in 1960. He worked his way up the ranks to eventually represent the Red Wings on the NHL’s board of governors.During Ziegler’s time as league president the Red Wings were sold to the late Mike Ilitch, whose family still owns the team.“We are extremely grateful for the guidance and support John provided as president of the NHL when our family purchased the Red Wings in 1982,” Red Wings governor Christopher Ilitch said. “John left an immeasurable mark on both the Red Wings organization and the sport of hockey worldwide.”After leaving the NHL, Ziegler worked at a Detroit law firm and served as an alternate governor for the Chicago Blackhawks.