The Blue Jackets have run into a dead end. After playing their way into second place in the Metropolitan Division, they have subsequently fallen into a losing streak that has, quite honestly, been unbearable to watch.
In their last 5 games, the team has picked up just 3 points in the standings. They have one win in that time, with the other point coming in what might have been the worst loss of the season, last night at home against the Boston Bruins.
As a result, they have lost the ability to control their own destiny. They are currently in the second wild card spot with a record of 38-24-12 (88 points), just two points ahead of a three-way tie behind them.
Two out of those three teams (Philadelphia, Ottawa, and Detroit) own the first tie breaker over the Blue Jackets, which is regulation wins. The Jackets have just 27 of them. Ottawa has 32, and Detroit has 28.
And, all three have one fewer game played. So, with this current stretch of brutal efforts, the Jackets are relying on three teams to lose games, just to stay clear of the cut line. No longer are we dreaming of potential home ice in the playoffs. Right now, their playoff hopes are on life support.
To get into the postseason, this team probably needs to win 6 of their last 8 games. That will get them to 100 points. They can't rely on the tie breaker. They also can't rely on every team around them losing. They have to grab the reins and get back to playing the way they were two weeks ago.
The road is not easy.
Their schedule down the stretch will do them no favors. This week, they face a home-and-home against the first place Carolina Hurricanes. That team is going to be in a bad mood, after losing two of their last three games-both against Montreal.
After that, the Jackets get one home game against the Winnipeg Jets, who are still trying to hold on and win a playoff spot of their own. Then, they head back out on the road for three games through the Atlantic Division.
Those games? At Detroit, Buffalo, and Montreal. I don't have to say anything else to emphasize just how difficult that road trip is going to be.
Finally, they return home for another matchup against the Boston Bruins, then the season finale against the Washington Capitals, in what might be the final game of Alex Ovechkin's career.
Folks, there are no easy victories in that run of 8 games. The Jackets have left themselves a truly monumental task, that could have been made much easier by simply holding onto a few third period leads this season.
If this team misses the playoffs, this year will almost definitely go down as one of the most painful in franchise history. It feels like they need a miracle to keep that from happening.