Blue Jackets dominate Maple Leafs on Tuesday night, is this team actually good?

The Blue Jackets needed a bounce-back game after laying an egg on home ice Saturday against the Minnesota Wild. We got the bounce and then some last night, as the Jackets dominated the Toronto Maple Leafs en route to a 6-2 victory. It left me wondering: is this team actually good?

Sometimes, you don't have to have the very best roster to be the better team. That was definitely the case last night, as a battle (and travel) weary Toronto team came into Columbus rolling high after an emotional win against Tampa Bay the night before. In fact, we thought this game might go in the Jackets' favor for that reason:

Still, those Maple Leafs have one of the best rosters in the entire NHL, particularly up front. Even if they were tired, an off night from this team can still be deadly. But the Jackets came out determined last night and played 60 strong minutes again. Through six games, I think they've only had a few bad periods. In spite of the injuries and lack of depth, I think it's entirely possible that this team is better than we thought they would be.

The Jackets have scored 24 goals in six games...

In six games to start the year, the Blue Jackets have alternated wins and losses for an even 3-3-0 record. We expected them to be better this year, but what we did not expect was for this team to set its franchise high with 24 goals through the first six games. They're averaging 4 goals per game, in spite of the fact that they are missing so much talent from the lineup.

It all starts and ends with the team game here. Dean Evason may not have been the obvious choice for head coach over the summer, but he has certainly proven to be the correct one. The Jackets are bringing more effort, playing more organized, and aren't getting beaten down by the odd mistakes. To a man, this team is competing harder and playing with more confidence. Just look at the way they're scoring, and who is scoring:

Tuesday, they scored six goals for the third time already this season. That's something they didn't do once until November 22 last year. Thus far, they have 5 players averaging a point per game, with 12 different players already collecting goals in the first 6 games. Offensively, this is a different team.

It's not all perfect, but at least it's fun...

This is an improved team defensively, as well - the problem is that they are still hemorrhaging goals, with 20 against in those six games. They've averaged 4 goals per game so far, but I don't see them outscoring their mistakes all season long. No matter how much effort this team gives, they don't truly have a team that can score this consistently for a full season. Especially not with so many guys on IR.

So, as fun as the first six games have been, I am still worried about this team. Are they good? Yeah, I think they are. At least, from a perspective of being more competitive than they have been for the past couple of years. Am I ready to start banking money for playoff tickets? Hardly.

Let's just enjoy the ride, for now.