Three things we learned in the Blue Jackets win over the Blackhawks last night

The Blue Jackets are doing everything they can to get back into the playoff race this season. Last night, they won their 7th game in a row, sending them into a 3-week Olympic break on a high note.

I think the best way to describe last night's win is simply that they took care of business. The Chicago Blackhawks are the 27th-place team in the NHL, so it shouldn't matter if you played the night before. Good teams win this kind of game.

This was a game at home, against one of the worst teams in the league. The expectation should be a victory. Last night, the Blue Jackets emphatically declared victory over the Hawks.

Zach Werenski got the scoring started less than 5 minutes into the game. There isn't much to praise on this goal because a lot of it is dumb luck. But, he took the ice given to him and threw the puck into net-front traffic. Good things happen when you do that.

The second goal of the night was much nicer. Mason Marchment went into the corner with Blackhawks forward Ryan Donato. The two tangled up, with Donato taking a hard spill into the boards.

He got up seeking retribution, skating himself out of position to level Marchment and then head to the bench for a line change. Ivan Provorov saw the opportunity that created, and snuck in for a wide open backdoor look. He made no mistake, roofing the puck over Spencer Knight to make it 2-0 Jackets.

The Jackets would make it 3-0 at 5:17 of the second period. Charlie Coyle intercepted a terrible breakout pass from the Blackhawks, then made a great pass to Danton Heinen. Fresh out of the box, Heinen scored from a similar angle-and with a similar shot-to the Provorov goal.

Sean Monahan would get the early empty net goal in the third period, putting the game away with just under 4:30 remaining; giving the Jackets a 4-0 win in their last game before the break.

Three things we learned

1. It doesn't matter who is in goal.

The Blue Jackets are playing much better team defense right now. As a result, they picked up shutouts in back-to-back games, with two different goaltenders.

Not only are they facing fewer shots; the shots are much lower quality than they were a few weeks ago. Elvis Merzlikins made 24 saves against the Devils on Tuesday night. Jet Greaves made 21 saves last night.

That's light work for an NHL goaltender, especially when your team is doing a better job boxing out in front of the net. We aren't seeing those second and third chances, or the open looks right down Broadway.

The Jackets were last scored on at 13:35 of the second period, on Saturday night in St Louis. Since then, they have outscored the opposition 9-0.

We have said all along that there is plenty of talent here to put games away. We are seeing that in action. Finally, this team has a defensive zone gameplan that is easy enough to understand, and effective enough to win games.

2. There is still a lot of work to do.

I thought the Jackets let the second half of this game get away from them, a little bit. Particularly in the third period, I noticed them trying to do too much.

The passes got a little bit riskier. The breakouts got a little sloppy. And, their goaltender had to bail them out a couple of times.

This just goes to show us that, no matter how good you are through the first half of a game, you have to stick to the gameplan. Regardless the score.

Luckily, they were able to get those saves, and everything held together for them. But, as the games get harder and the opponents get better, they are going to have to stick within their game for a full 60 minutes.

I expect Rick Bowness to make this a point of emphasis once the team gets back from their Olympic break.

3. Big boy hockey works.

The best way to put this is in simple terms: this team is playing like a playoff hockey team. I thought that really stood out last night.

They won the physical battle against a team that, let's be honest, they should win the physical battle against.

It's not about going out and running through guys. It's about winning board battles, taking away the net-front in your own end, winning the net-front at the other end.

It's about blocking shots, sticking up for each other after the whistle, and playing as a unit, no matter who is on the ice. The third goal and the empty net goal were examples of worrying about the defensive play first, then making them pay for their mistakes.

This is a successful formula. It's one that wins in the playoffs. It is why Don Waddell has sculpted this team the way he has. Big bodied veterans, with everyone having a role and sticking to it.

I'm excited to see if they can keep up this momentum coming out of the break. The Jackets pulled to within two points of the New York Islanders for third place in the Metropolitan Division last night. They are also just three points behind the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.

The final 26 games of the season are going to be very fun to watch. Let's go Jackets!