Columbus Blue Jackets in Drivers Seat to get to Playoffs

The Columbus Blue Jackets are in the drivers seat to get the franchises first back-to-back playoff appearances.

Things were starting to slip away from the Columbus Blue Jackets following the loss to Anaheim last week. The Florida Panthers were charging up the standings and still have games in hand. The New Jersey Devils were up in the standings by six points and the Jackets have lost two heartbreakers in a row.

But following a win in San Jose and at home agains the Vegas Golden Knights the Jackets are back in the drivers seat. They are in the final wild card spot and only three points out of the first wild card position. Yes, the Panthers have three games in hand but they face a challenging schedule down the road.

They play the Bruins four more times before the end of the season. They also have a tough trip to Toronto and they play the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide in what is the biggest game of the season left for both teams.

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And speaking of challenging schedule, the Devils are about to go through the gauntlet. They start a stretch of eight straight games against playoff teams including six in a row on the road. The Devils are not playing great hockey as of late either. They are 1-3 in their last four games.

All this lines up well for the Columbus Blue Jackets who are starting to play good hockey at the right time. They continue their four game home stand tonight against the Colorado Avalanche tonight. They will look to extend their winning streak to three games tonight and continue their rise in the standings.

The final month of the season lines up well for the CBJ who face just one challenging road trip. A trip to western Canada will not be as challenging as any of the other wild card contenders face though and the Jackets will not face a playoff team in that time.

Tonight is another great opportunity for two home points. The Avs are coming off back-to-back losses. The Devils face a tough Winnipeg Jets team and the Panthers host the Canadiens tonight. The Jackets are in the drivers seat for this playoff push. Time to capitalize.