Columbus Blue Jackets Chase for the Presidents’ Cup
The Columbus Blue Jackets are the hottest team in the Eastern Conference going 7-2-1 in their last 10 games. Forget the talks of the first wild card, the Jackets have a legitimate chance at winning the Presidents’ Trophy.
For a while, the consensus was that the Washington Capitals have their second consecutive Presidents’ Trophy locked up. The Caps have sat atop the Eastern Conference since mid January when they overtook the Columbus Blue Jackets for first in the Metro and have been playing very well since.
Their spot at the top sits on not as study as a foundation as the rest of the hockey world thinks though. The Caps face a tough schedule and a hot Blue Jackets team on their heels that has a much easier road.
Related Story: CBJ Continue Great Post Bye Week Play
The Jackets have a great opportunity to take the top spot in the conference from the Capitals over the final 17 games in the season. Forget purposely falling to the first wild card to face they weaker Atlantic Division in the playoffs. Go for the top spot.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Schedule Problems for the Capitals
Both the Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals have 17 games remaining but the Caps have a much tougher 17. Although they both have 10 road games remaining, the Capitals road games are much tougher.
The Capitals till have to make two trips west of the Mississippi River. They soon will start their California road trip playing three games in four nights. They have to play San Jose and Anaheim, both playoff teams. Their toughest game might be against the Los Angeles Kings though, who are fighting for their playoff lives.
Late in March the Caps will start a five game road trip that includes a trip out west to face Minnesota, Arizona, Colorado, Columbus, and Toronto. While the Coyotes and Avs are the worst teams in the league, the trip is bookended by three great teams all playing well. Coming away from that stretch of five games the Caps would be happy with six points.
On top of these tough road trips there are games wedged in their against great teams like the Rangers and Flames. In total, Washington will have three games against teams either not in the playoff race. Although they have been great thus far, their daunting schedule leaves the door cracked open for the Jackets to make up ground.
Blue Jackets Scheduling Benefits
The Columbus Blue Jackets on the other hand face much easier schedule down the stretch. The CBJ 10 road games are much easier trips with a flight to Carolina the farthest the team will be from Columbus. Plus the team will only be away from home for two games in a row at most.
Unlike the packed schedule of playoff contenders the Caps will face, the Jackets will play nine games against teams out of the playoff race. They still have tough games at Pittsburgh and at Chicago, but sprinkled in are games against the Sabres and Devils. The short road trips and games against the bottom feeders lines up well for the Jackets.
The race for the top spot will ultimately come down to the two remaining games between the Caps and CBJ on March 23rd in D.C. and April 2nd at Nationwide Arena. If the Jackets sweep the series, the Presidents’ Cup will be coming back to Columbus for the first time.
The Jackets play certainly reflects that they are thinking about the #1 seed. With the hot play of the team following the bye week, fans too should be thinking about the Presidents’ Cup sitting in Nationwide Arena next year.