Columbus Blue Jackets get hit with harsh reality of 2021

Everything was aligned for the Columbus Blue Jackets to tackle the new month of March and start bouncing back in the Central Division this past weekend. They were heading into Saturday’s game against the Dallas Stars with a two-game win streak and were looking as if things were finally starting to fall into place.

Unfortunately, the harsh reality of 2021 hit the Blue Jackets as they were blanked out 5-0 thanks to a Stars team that easily ended up performing better. They played smarter, were coached better, and ultimately executed when it mattered most. The Blue Jackets played such a lackluster game, it felt as if they didn’t even have a pulse throughout the entire matchup.

Whether it was just a bad game or the players just not finding their rhythm, this was a glaring example of what the 2021 season is starting to feel like. The Blue Jackets aren’t a good team and even though here and there they have shown signs of brilliance, they get slammed back to reality when they put up these dud performances.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have a long way to go in 2021

In the grand scheme of things, the Blue Jackets played one of their worst games so far in this shortened 56-game season. Even their star player, winger Patrik Laine, couldn’t even get things going at all, is a glaring sign of continued bad things to come this season.

When a team’s best player hasn’t done anything big worth mentioning in almost two weeks, something has to give. Whether head coach John Tortorella has to bench Laine once again or change things up with his lineups, it’s time something changed. Considering Tortorella has been using the exact same lineup for the past week, now is the time to mix it up a bit to see if something better clicks with their first, second, and third lines.

As the Blue Jackets prepare for a four-game homestand against the Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars respectively, hopefully, Tortorella can give fans attending something worth cheering for. Of course, there is still a lot of hockey left to be played this season but time is of the essence.

Hopefully, the Blue Jackets can put this devastating loss behind them and play at a competitive level at home with the new week ahead. Saturday’s game was abysmal and something that should hopefully motivate Tortorella and company to make a statement over these next few home games.