It's game day in Columbus, as the Blue Jackets will host the Philadelphia Flyers tonight at Nationwide. I would call this a key Metropolitan Division matchup, but really, this might be one of the games that decides which team finishes at the bottom of the standings this year.
The Jackets come into this one having lost three games in a row, scoring only four goals in the process. Their offense has completely dried up, they aren't defending well, and their goaltending has not been good enough. Did I touch all of the bases?
They face a Flyers team that is somehow in worse shape. They have won just 3 of their last 10 games, leaving them with the lowest points percentage (.381%) in the Eastern Conference. Their fans are screaming for the head coach to be fired. Some are even calling for the GM to lose his job.
As much as I would love to hype this matchup and talk about how important these two points are, at this moment, lets just call this game what it is: a battle between two creampuffs. Neither of these teams is happy with the way they're playing, so this one will go one of two ways.
First, and probably most likely: this one will be another snoozer. Both teams have head coaches that want tight checking hockey, so we can probably expect a 2-1 or 3-2 type of game. The second option would be more fun: both of these teams just throwing everything at each other and all hell breaking loose.
Either way, we'll be tuning in, because we're Blue Jackets fans and frankly, we're used to disappointment. Lets take a look at our three keys to, uh, success, tonight at Nationwide.
Wake up the dormant offense.
The Blue Jackets are 30th in the NHL in goal scoring. Really, we shouldn't be surprised. As our newest discussion series points out, this team is built to reflect its general manager. Timid, slow, and boring.
Good news: the Flyers are 31st, so they probably have the exact same key to the game from their side of things. Their leading goal scorer has publicly asked for a change of scenery, so at least the Jackets aren't going down alone. Sigh.
That means you, "top guys".
Consistently this year, the Blue Jackets have gotten offense from just three players. Kent Johnson (17pts), Zach Werenski (14), and Charlie Coyle (13). Nobody else has more than 9 points, including Valeri Nichushkin, Adam Fantilli, Matthew Knies, and so on.
These guys need to put away whatever is dragging them down and play free tonight. This isn't a game where they need to grind the opponent into a 2-1 game. Go out and score some goals. At the very least, give the crowd a little glimmer of hope that you might still be able to do it.
Pride? Passion? Are we even awake?
This is probably the thing that bothers me the most about this team. The 5th Line has long rooted for the Blue Jackets even in the leanest of times. In many of those circumstances, it's because this team has played a proud game, even when they lacked the talent to get it done.
The frustrating thing about this group is that they just go quietly into the night. It's easy for the opposition to come into Nationwide Arena and win hockey games. They don't get challenged physically, and they obviously don't get challenged in the scoring department either.
Throw a big hit. Drive someone into the ice. Hell, punch someone in the face. We don't care. We just want to see our team show the same passion that the home crowd has shown for the last quarter century. Give us a reason to keep supporting you. After all, many have already started checking out...
Tampa Bay takes the win, 3-1.
— Union and Blue (@UnionAndBlue) November 13, 2026
Here's where I would be concerned as an owner or decision maker for this team: this crowd was apathetic. Not much cheering. Not really a lot of booing. The 5th Line has seen enough. #CBJ
Puck drop for this one is scheduled for 7:00 Eastern time. This is the second of four matchups between these teams this season. The Blue Jackets won the first one in Philly, 4-3 in overtime back on 10/27-a game we called frustrating. Sigh.
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