The task for the Blue Jackets yesterday was far from simple, but they got the job done. Facing the last place team in the Eastern Conference, they not only needed a win; they needed some help elsewhere. They got both, and as a result, they wake up this morning in a playoff spot.
In our preview ahead of last night's game against the New York Rangers, we talked about the potential pitfalls of playing against that team. There is still a lot of competitive talent on that club, and they are backed by an elite goaltender.
The first period did nothing to ease our fears. After the Rangers jumped out to a 1-0 lead thanks to a shorthanded goal from Vincent Trocheck; Igor Shesterkin started to take the game over. He stopped the first 13 shots he faced in this game before the Jackets were finally able to get on the board.
Thankfully, they were able to take this game completely over, and despite letting the Rangers claw back into it, they forged ahead and got two massive points in the standings. Here are three things we learned.
1. They were not going to lose this game.
Confidence is a crazy thing in sports. Last night, you could feel the confidence from this Blue Jackets team, whether you were in Nationwide Arena, or tuning in from elsewhere.
It seemed to me that no matter what the Rangers did, the Jackets had an answer. When they needed a goal, they found a goal. When they needed a shift in the offensive zone, they got it. When they needed a save or a blocked shot, someone stepped up.
All of that circles back to playing with confidence. Every player on this team has a role, and every one of them understands their role and plays up to it. The entire philosophy has changed under Rick Bowness, and the result is incredible.
On too many occasions over the last couple of seasons, we would see this team play down to their opponent. Not last night. Last night, they had a killer instinct that you could sense right from the opening puck drop. They were never going to lose this game.
How many times have we been able to say that in this team's entire existence?
2. Different night, different line gets the job done.
On Tuesday, the Blue Jackets downed the Carolina Hurricanes by a 5-1 final because the team's checking line dominated the game. Last night, the Blue Jackets won the game because their fourth line made the difference.
Isac Lundestrom got the scoring going with an excellent shot, beating Shesterkin over the glove in the first period. Boone Jenner would add a goal in the second, that put the team ahead 3-2.
But it wasn't just about scoring. I thought the fourth line was fantastic all night, effectively staying above the puck and forechecking the Rangers into submission. It seems that Rick Bowness has found his winning combo by putting Danton Heinen with Lundestrom and Jenner. It just works.
This is how champions are built. Yes, I said champions. Every line has to contribute something, and on any given night, you might need a different one to step up and win the game for you. When you get more than one line doing that throughout the season, that's a great sign.
3. The stars finally aligned.
If you are anything like me, you were wondering what this team needed to do to get over the playoff hump. It seems like every time they win, everyone around them wins or finds a way to collect points. On the flip side, all of these bubble teams seem to lose together, as well.
But last night, the Jackets finally got a little bit of help on the out of town scoreboard. Brady Tkachuk scored the game winning goal for the Ottawa Senators with 13 seconds left, leading them to a regulation win over the New York Islanders.
Last night's Blue Jackets win, combined with that loss by the Islanders, propelled the Jackets into third place in the Metropolitan Division. If the season ended right now, they would face the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the playoffs.
I don't know about you, but I really like that matchup from a CBJ perspective. This team is on a ridiculous run, with a 17-2-4 record under their new head coach. They are playing playoff style hockey.
Nobody wants to face that in the first round of the playoffs. Let's hope they can keep it up and find their way in when the final horn sounds on the regular season.