The Columbus Blue Jackets looked destined to miss out on the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season. Now, in about two months time, the Blue Jackets don't only look like locks to make the playoffs, but they could be a team no one wants to face in the Eastern Conference.
Plenty of credit can be given to head coach Rick Bowness, who joined the team on Jan. 12 after the team fired Dean Evason. The Blue Jackets were in last place in the entire conference. Fast forward to Tuesday night, the Blue Jackets defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 and in the process, moved up to second place in the Metropolitan Division.
This is a team that had just 45 points in 45 games when entering Columbus. Since then, the Blue Jackets picked up 42 points in just 26 games. If that doesn't increase Bowness' chances at winning the Jack Adams Award for the coach of the year, then we don't know what will.
Rick Bowness should be a favorite to win Jack Adams Award for turning around Blue Jackets
It should be stated that the Jack Adams favorite, and understandably so, is Lindy Ruff for helping lead the Buffalo Sabres to their first playoff berth since 2011. But given the circumstances of what Bowness took over, he should be getting some serious consideration as well.
There have been instances in the past where a team that's in last place a couple of months in the season can win it all. Look no further than the 2018-19 St. Louis Blues. That's not saying the Blue Jackets will win the Stanley Cup, but it goes to show that any team can turn things around with the right coaching. With Evason, they couldn't reach their potential, despite the talent on their team.
They brought in Bowness, who had retired as head coach of the Winnipeg Jets after last season. Since taking over, the Blue Jackets have just seven losses, with only three being in regulation.
Let's not forget that the Blue Jackets are one of the hottest teams since the NHL returned from the Olympic break in late February. In 15 games, the Blue Jackets went 9-2-4 for a total of 22 points. That stretch certainly helped the Blue Jackets to climb from outside of a playoff spot into second place in the Metro.
The Blue Jackets can continue to keep up the pace in this final stretch of the season. In their final 11 games, they face fellow Eastern Conference playoff contenders like the Montreal Canadiens (twice), Carolina Hurricanes (twice), Boston Bruins (twice), Buffalo Sabres, and Detroit Red Wings. There's not much room for the Blue Jackets to slip up, as they are just two points from potentially falling out of a playoff spot. That's how tightly contested it is in the Eastern Conference.
If the Blue Jackets clinch their first playoff spot since 2020, Bowness should be considered a finalist for the Jack Adams trophy at minimum.