Columbus Blue Jackets: Ranking Possible Playoff Opponents

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The Columbus Blue Jackets are all but a lock for their first back-to-back playoff appearance in franchise history. Who do they matchup best against?

By picking up a point in Vancouver, the Columbus Blue Jackets are all but locked into a playoff spot. They are any combination of picking up three points or the Panthers missing three points away from locking up a spot.

With that said, there is a ton of jockeying for playoff spots left in the final week of the season. The Jackets can finish anywhere from second in the Metro to the final wild card spot. There are five realistic teams the Columbus Blue Jackets will matchup against in the playoffs.

With the preseason expectation that this team win a playoff round, lets look at who the Jackets could face in the first round from most to least desirable.

#2 Columbus Blue Jackets vs #3 Philadelphia Flyers

COLUMBUS, OH – FEBRUARY 16: Ivan Provorov /

This is the most ideal scenario for the Columbus Blue Jackets and also the least likely. The Flyers and Jackets would both need to pass the Pittsburgh Penguins in order for this to happen and with only three games left in the season, there is little time to move.

This matchup would not only give the CBJ home ice, but also a massive advantage in net. They Flyers have had issues between the pipes all year with injuries and subpar play. Although they acquired Petr Mrazek, they still have not found any consistency in net. Even with Sergei Bobrovsky‘s playoff struggles, the Jackets would have a huge leg up on the Flyers at the most important position on the ice.

With a 2-1-1 record against the Flyers, the Jackets have had good success against the Flyers. Both losses came by only one goal with the score being 2-1 in both. The Jackets have been much better in one goal games down the stretch and could easily flip those results in the playoffs.

Home ice would be great for the Jackets as well. They are an impressive 25-12-2 at Nationwide this season. An extra game if needed in Columbus could be the difference in completing the franchises first ever playoff series win.

#1 Washington Capitals vs WC Columbus Blue Jackets

WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 09: Matt Calvert /

This matchup is statistically the second most likely to happen at this point in the season. The Washington Capitals are all but locked into the top spot in the Metro for the one thousandth consecutive season. Or at least it seems like that.

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The Jackets could either be passed by the New Jersey Devils or Philadelphia Flyers, and this somewhat advantageous matchup could happen.

The Jackets are only 1-3-0 against the Capitals this season but the squad from Washington is dealing with some confidence issues in net. Braden Holtby is struggling mightily down the stretch. Backup Philipp Grubauer has started eight of the last 12 games for the Caps leaving a huge question swirling around whether Holtby or Grubauer will start the series. If Holtby lets in a few easy goals early in game one, will they pull him? Will Grubauer and Holtby rotate?

These uncertainties around the goaltending position this time of year are never good and can shake a team.

This matchup would give the Jackets to get out to a hot start and bury a Cup favorite early. I like the looks of playing Washington in round one.

#2 Columbus Blue Jackets vs #3 Pittsburgh Penguins

COLUMBUS, OH – FEBRUARY 18: Cam Atkinson /

The likely matchup. This one though, starting and ending in Central Ohio. The Columbus Blue Jackets holding home ice advantage against the Pittsburgh Penguins will be the likely series, especially if the Jackets can defeat the Pens Thursday at home.

The rivalry will be taken to another level if this series happens and the Jackets have a good chance to finally dethrone the Pens. They have better goaltending and a better defensive corps. They also have a blossoming center in Pierre-Luc Dubois who has shown he can hold his own against top flight centers like Connor McDavid.

This will all come down to the mental strength of the Jackets. The Pens seem to be in their head but with home ice advantage this series should be a coin toss.

This is the series most of us, myself included, want to see. It won’t be the greatest chance to move on but would be the best opening series and certainly the sweetest if the CBJ win.

#1 Boston/Tampa Bay vs WC2 Blue Jackets

BOSTON – MARCH 19: The net ends up on top of the Bruins’ David Krejci as he and the Blue Jackets’ Ian Cole, left, battle in the second period. The Boston Bruins host the Columbus Blue Jackets in a regular season NHL hockey game at TD Garden in Boston on March 19, 2018. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) /

This wouldn’t be good.

First off the Blue Jackets would have to be play pretty poorly in their last three games to drop down to the last wild card spot. Going into the playoffs with no momentum is a bad plan no matter who you play.

But if you end up playing the top team from the Atlantic, you better be playing your best hockey. The Bruins are on fire of late and even though they just lost Brandon Carlo, the team is getting Chara and Charlie MacAvoy healthy at the right time. The top line of David Pasternak, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand are arguably the best line in hockey.

And if they aren’t then Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos and J.T. Miller probably are. The Lightning have scoring depth oozing from all corners of their roster and a deadly defense corps to supplement the scoring.

Both teams would present matchup nightmares for the Columbus Blue Jackets and both could counter in net.

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Also, selfishly, Boston and Tampa are not nearly as easy for me to drive to as Pittsburgh, Philadelphia or D.C are and I plan on going to a road game in the playoffs.

All teams present challenges, its the playoffs after all. But for the Columbus Blue Jackets to win a playoff series for the first time in franchise history, they should avoid that second wild card slot and shoot for home ice advantage.

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