Columbus Blue Jackets Playoff Chances Increase with Shattenkirk Injury
In the tight Metro Division, getting in to the playoffs may just come down to health an puck luck for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
You’ve heard it before. The Metropolitan Division is tough. It’s going to be a challenge for the Columbus Blue Jackets, or any Metro team, to make the playoffs with how tight the standings are.
Who gets into the postseason is going to come down to a thin margin. The final four spots may be separated by just a point and unfortunately a key injury may have just cost a team that critical point.
Unfortunately, for the New York Rangers, that injury may have just happened as Kevin Shattenkirk will be out indefinitely with a torn meniscus. The top defenseman for the Rangers has undergone surgery. He is hoping to return “down the stretch” but it is not known if that is a realistic possibility for the 28-year-old.
Shattenkirk had 23 points in 46 games through the campaign and was averaging 20 minutes of ice time per game. The Rangers will rely on the service of Anthony DeAngelo to help on the blue line without Shattenkirk. The 22-year-old will make start in only his 50th NHL game when the Blueshirts play next.
How much of a loss is Shattenkirk?
According to reports, Shattenkirk sustained the torn meniscus in the preseason and has been playing on one leg the entire season. His production has not been where the team expected him to be and this explains why.
Shattenkirk was still a big minute eater and a better defender than most of the other options the Rangers had. Although there won’t be a huge drop off for the Rangers, any little advantage Metro teams like the Columbus Blue Jackets can get will be huge.
The Rangers currently sit in the last wild card slot in the East with 53 points. They are just two points behind the Jackets.
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The CBJ only play the Rangers one more time this season but without Shattenkirk they will have a hard time accumulating points at the necessary pace to keep up with the rest of the division.