Columbus Blue Jackets: 3 keys to making the playoffs
The Columbus Blue Jackets are narrowly holding on to the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Here are three keys for them to make it to the playoffs.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are one of the most fascinating stories in the NHL. In a season in which they lost all their superstars and seemed destined for a rebuild, everyone has come together and pushed this team to levels no one saw coming.
However, February has been a horrible month for them. Injuries to key players like Cam Atkinson, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Seth Jones have taken a massive toll on the team and it led to an eight-game losing streak.
If it wasn’t for the pity point, they would have fallen completely out of the race. They are currently in the final wild-card spot in the East and in an extremely tight playoff race. Here are three keys if they want to make it to the playoffs for the fourth season in a row.
3. Do better against divisional rivals
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The Blue Jackets have played 21 games against rivals in the Metropolitan Division and have a 10-6-5 record on the season. While that isn’t bad, in their last four games against Metro opponents, they have gone 0-2-2. They lost to the Philadelphia Flyers in regulation and overtime, the New Jersey Devils in the shootout and the New York Rangers in regulation.
Beating divisional teams is so crucial in the playoff race because if you win in regulation, it’s the equivalent to four points in the standings. Giving up points against teams that aren’t even in the race is not good enough. The Blue Jackets have six more games against their division and they will need to win as many as they can in order to stay in the race.
2. Joonas Korpisalo needs to return
After missing almost two months with a torn meniscus, Joonas Korpisalo has returned to action. With Elvis Merzlinkins out with an unknown injury, his role on the team has reached a critical level. Before his injury, Korpisalo was in the Vezina conversation and was the biggest reason for the Blue Jackets’ success. If Columbus wants to remain in the playoff race, they’re going to need Korpisalo to return to his old form.
Especially since the Blue Jackets struggle to score (2.6 goals per game), they’re going to need their goaltender and defense to bail them out. Korpisalo has played in two games since returning but has yet to play a full game. His first appearance was in relief against the Ottawa Senators and his second was not good as he allowed 4 goals on 15 shots and was pulled halfway through. With the mountain of injuries this team has suffered to key players, Korpisalo needs to put this team on his back if they want a chance.
1. They must find scoring
This team struggles in almost every single offensive category and it could be their downfall. The team is 27th in the league in goals per game (2.6), 26th on the power play (16%), and are 21st in goal differential (-2). Especially with injuries to their star defenseman Seth Jones and their goalie situation a mess right now, this team needs to find goals.
The only player with more than twenty goals is Oliver Bjorkstrand (21) and he’s out with an injury as well. All eyes are on players like Pierre-Luc Dubois and Gustav Nyquist to help bail this team out.
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Columbus is third in the league in most shots on goal but their team’s percentage of shot success is 7.9 which is way under the league’s average of 9.5. This team needs to get more players in front of the net to disrupt the goalie’s vision and get traffic in front. They are shooting, but unless they can get dangerous chances, it won’t make a difference.