Before the season started, our biggest hope for the Blue Jackets this year was to see them playing meaningful games late in the schedule. Tonight is game #64, and it has a lot more meaning than we might have expected.
The Jackets travel to New Jersey to take on the Devils in what will be a pivotal Metropolitan Division matchup. With a 31-24-8 record (70 points), they sit just four points behind the Devils (34-25-6, 74 points) for third place in the division - with two fewer games played.
This means that a win tonight would put the Blue Jackets two points out of third place in the division, with two games in hand. Coming into the season, I think our general hope was that we would see this team get within 10-15 points of a playoff spot. Instead, tonight, they have the opportunity to become the third best team in the division by points percentage.
The last time they played a game this meaningful was in the August 2020 playoff bubble. After defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs in the play-in round, they met the eventual Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning, where they were clearly outmatched in a quick 5 game series.
Suffice to say, it's been a while since we have seen truly meaningful hockey in Columbus. The Blue Jackets entered their rebuild the very next season; trading away core veterans such as Nick Foligno and David Savard; and disgruntled center Pierre-Luc Dubois in the famed Patrik Laine deal.
John Tortorella's departure thrust this franchise into 4 years of futility, along with a near complete turnover of the roster. Only three players remain with the organization from their last playoff series: Zach Werenski, Boone Jenner, and Elvis Merzlikins. Tonight, it's their opportunity to help guide this team towards a new level.
The Jackets should be fired up for this one. Keeping it in check is key.
We have seen an entirely different team since an early season losing streak was halted at six games. Since November 12th, the Blue Jackets are 26-16-6, a stretch of 48 games that has accounted for 58 points in the standings. Extrapolate that out over a full season, and you get a 99-point pace. In most given seasons, that's good enough for a top-three spot in the division.
This year, the team has found a way to weather adversity. Whether it's been shocking moments in games (the two shorthanded goals against vs the Rangers on Sunday stands out here), injuries, or even the unthinkable happening just before the season; this group has persevered above all odds.
Tonight, they'll face a different challenge: managing their energy early on in meaningful a road game. They were able to do so against a shell-shocked New York Rangers team on Sunday, but it's worth noting that they were playing their second game in 24 hours. The Devils are coming off of a day of rest, just like the Jackets.
Unfortunately for New Jersey, they'll be without star forward Jack Hughes, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury a couple of weeks ago. This means that both teams will be without their top line centers in this matchup, robbing us all of a true gauge between these two young teams.
Still, I think we will learn a lot about this Blue Jackets group tonight. They have the chance to play the role of the upstart team on the rise, with a chance to put a lot of pressure on a wounded Devils team. It's certainly not a do or die evening, but whatever the outcome is, will weigh heavily on the Eastern Conference playoff situation.