The Columbus Blue Jackets knocked off the Montreal Canadiens 5-2 and got some out of town help.
Five in a row for the Columbus Blue Jackets and it could not have come at a better time. A team that struggled through December, January, and February is now peaking right when they need to. 10 points in five games have helped this team keep pace with the other Eastern Conference teams chasing the playoffs and finally a win has actually helped them gain ground.
The home win against Montreal came on a night where the Florida Panthers finally lost. They did so at home to a surprising opponent, the Ottawa Senators. The Sens tried their best to fail the Jackets by giving up a 2-0 lead and a 3-2 lead to the Panthers. But Matt Duchene scored a late goal to give the Sens the win in regulation.
The Philadelphia Flyers were downed by the Vegas Golden Knights on home ice as well putting the final Metro spot in play. The Flyers gave up a goal with less than three minutes left in the game. The Flyers are now only two points up on the Jackets for the third spot in the Metro.
The New York Rangers also helped the union blue with a big 6-3 victory agains the Carolina Hurricanes. The Canes loss essentially eliminates them from the playoffs. They are now eight points back of the Jackets and seven points back from the final wild card spot.
The Devils had an off night but they are in the midst of a crazy road trip that no one envies. But I’m sure glad they are on it in March. They will face the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday and the Los Angeles Kings on Friday before moving on to three more tough road games.
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The 5-2 win to make a clean sweep of the four game home stand is exactly what the Columbus Blue Jackets needed. Three days before the next game for the CBJ including an off day today. The Jackets hope to keep it rolling in Philadelphia.