Columbus Blue Jackets Playoff Implications: March 8th

COLUMBUS, OH - MARCH 3: Matt Duchene #95 of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Zach Werenski #8 of the Columbus Blue Jackets discuss the face off before a power play in the third period against the Winnipeg Jets on March 3, 2019 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Winnipeg defeated Columbus 5-2. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - MARCH 3: Matt Duchene #95 of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Zach Werenski #8 of the Columbus Blue Jackets discuss the face off before a power play in the third period against the Winnipeg Jets on March 3, 2019 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Winnipeg defeated Columbus 5-2. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Columbus Blue Jackets may have tonight off, however action around the league will be plentiful.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are going to need quite a bit of luck to go their way going forward thanks to their recent struggles. The Blue Jackets are currently sitting two points out of the playoffs with less than a month less in the regular season.

Tonight, there are two important games that Jackets fans show  keep an eye on. The Montreal Canadiens are taking on the Anaheim Ducks while the Carolina Hurricanes take on the Winnipeg Jets.

Montreal Canadiens at Anaheim Ducks

The Montreal Canadiens are coming off of a 5-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks last night, and Blue Jackets fans need to hope they don’t bounce back tonight against the struggling Anaheim Ducks. After tonight, the Blue Jackets will have two games in hand on the Canadiens which could be extremely beneficial if Montreal loses tonight.

It’s unlikely that Montreal falls to the Ducks, however at this point every point matters for the Columbus Blue Jackets so it’s good to hope they somehow do.

Carolina Hurricanes vs Winnipeg Jets

The Carolina Hurricanes have been on fire since the new year, and as a result they stormed from nearly the bottom of the Metropolitan to currently battling for the third spot in the division. Winnipeg meanwhile has been in a bit of a slump compared to their usual performances, except of course when they faced the Blue Jackets.

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The Hurricanes and Jets are both coming off a two day break, which could either be beneficial or detrimental to either of them. A win by the Hurricanes would put them into third in the Metropolitan, assuming it’s a win in regulation or overtime which would could put the Columbus Blue Jackets four points out of a playoff spot going into Saturday’s game against Pittsburgh.