The margin for error is now all gone, but the Blue Jackets remain in the race for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Montreal’s shootout loss to Chicago last night gave the Habs another point, but it wasn’t enough to fully extinguish the Jackets’ hopes. With three days to go in the regular season, Columbus’ path to the postseason is clear – the Blue Jackets must win in regulation tonight at Philadelphia and Thursday at home vs. the Islanders, while Montreal has to lose in regulation Wednesday vs. Carolina.
If those three things happen, the Blue Jackets are in. If they don’t, it’s over, but Columbus can at least be heartened that what once seemed almost impossible is now merely improbable.
And as much as CBJ fans were glued to their television sets last night to watch the Canadiens and Blackhawks, what can’t be forgotten is the Blue Jackets have worked themselves into this position. Columbus has won four games in a row, and defenseman Zach Werenski said he likes the way the Blue Jackets have played to get those results.
“We can only control what’s in front of us, and that’s the games and winning them,” Werenski said. “It’s just been a collective buy-in these last three, four games. We know it’s win or go home, and everyone’s been stepping up, playing the right way. It’s been a lot of fun, so hopefully we can just keep this thing going.”
It hasn’t looked like a fluke, either, as the Blue Jackets have won those four games by a combined score of 19-5. The inspiring performance of goaltender Jet Greaves, the NHL’s first star of the week after winning three games in four days, has been one of the key factors, while Kent Johnson leads the team with six points in that span and Adam Fantilli has scored five goals.
In all, 17 players have gotten on the score sheet in the last four games, 12 of them with multiple points, and the Blue Jackets have played some of their most consistent hockey of the season.
“Everybody knows we have to win, so we’re conducting ourselves like that,” head coach Dean Evason said. “We’re playing hard every night, trying to get two points every night to get to where we want to be, and that’s in the playoffs.”
Know The Foe: Philadelphia Flyers
Head coach: Brad Shaw (first season)
Team stats: Goals per game: 2.85 (23rd) | Scoring defense: 3.44 (28th) | PP: 14.8 percent (30th) | PK: 77.8 percent (20th)
The narrative: With the Flyers out of the playoffs for a fifth consecutive season, third-year head coach John Tortorella was relieved of his duties after 73 games, with his assistant Shaw taking over to conclude the campaign. The former CBJ head coach had the Flyers in the postseason race a year ago, but this season has been full of frustration as the team started 4-8-1, got back into the mix in mid-January but then won just six of its next 25 games to fall out of the race.
Team leaders: Travis Konecny leads the team in scoring for the fourth straight season, scoring 24 goals with 51 assists for 75 points. The wing is also a CBJ killer, posting 17 goals in 29 career games against the Blue Jackets and a 2-3-5 line this year in three games. Then there’s rookie sensation Matvei Michkov, who will be in the mix for the Calder Trophy with a 24-36-60 line that places him tied atop all NHL first-year players in goals and third in points. Tyson Foerster (24 goals) and Owen Tippett (20) also have topped the 20-goal mark.
Philadelphia has had three goalies start at least 10 games, with Samuel Ersson leading the way. The 25-year-old Swede is 22-16-5 on the season with a 3.14 GAA and .882 save percentage.
What’s new: The Flyers have posted a 5-1-1 record with Shaw at the helm, scoring 31 goals in those seven games to average 4.43 tallies per contest. Foerster (eight goals) as well as Mitchkov and Ryan Poehling (nine points apiece) have led the way, so this is a dangerous team down the stretch. Where the Flyers go coaching wise at the end of the season remains to be seen, but they are finishing strong.
Trending: Columbus won the last meeting between the teams 3-2 in a shootout Jan. 14 at Nationwide Arena, but the Flyers captured the first two games of the season series.
Former CBJ: There are no former CBJ players on the roster, but Tortorella and assistant Brad Shaw spent six seasons with the Blue Jackets and led the team to four playoff berths.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
