There isn’t any higher story proper now in hockey—possibly in all of sports activities—than the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Who would have guessed midway by way of January that the perpetually downtrodden Blue Jackets, amidst horrific tragedy on the season’s eve and seemingly perpetual adversity throughout the marketing campaign, could be sitting in a playoff place?
Make that not simply sitting in a playoff place however gaining momentum.
Amidst the litany of unusual success tales within the NHL this season, the prosperity of the Blue Jackets is one everybody can rejoice.
Except you’re a curmudgeon of the best accord in want of visits by a sequence of ghosts, what the Blue Jackets are attaining should put a smile in your face.
Bear in mind the way it appeared earlier than the puck dropped on the 2024-25 season? The Blue Jackets, who’ve missed the Stanley Cup playoffs the previous 4 seasons, had been dealt an enormous blow when chic offensive pressure Johnny Gaudreau was killed, alongside along with his brother, Matthew, whereas using bikes close to their childhood house.
Not solely galvanized to do their finest for his or her fallen brother, whose dressing room stall stays, but additionally implored by Johnny’s widow, Meredith, to “Go play hockey,” the Blue Jackets have exceeded all expectations.
However Gaudreau’s demise shouldn’t be the one mountain they’ve been pressured to climb to push into the Jap Convention’s wild-card place. A horrendous rash of accidents has impacted Columbus all season.
But, because the Blue Jackets put together to play host to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, they’re forward of the pack in what’s shaping as much as be a detailed battle amongst greater than a half-dozen squads for that ticket to the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Right here’s the kicker. Not solely are the Blue Jackets profitable video games—they’re on a 9-2-1 run and gained 5 straight heading into Thursday’s affair—however they’re profitable with an thrilling type.
Defensively, Columbus is hardly a metal lure. Solely the Pittsburgh Penguins have allowed extra targets in opposition to per recreation. Nonetheless, the Blue Jackets are thrilling with an offensive aptitude no person noticed coming, particularly with out Gaudreau.
Offensively, they sit fifth within the league, averaging 3.6 targets per recreation. At house, no person comes near their 4.09 targets per outing. Need offense? This can be a workforce that has scored six or extra targets in 10 outings and blown plenty of eardrums with that canon.
Because of their up-tempo type, there are a number of gamers followers needs to be paying extra consideration to.
With 15 targets and 50 factors, defenseman Zach Werenski is their main scorer and is working neck-and-neck with Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche for the factors lead amongst blueliners. Werenski has the inexperienced gentle from coach Dean Evason to affix the assault and is rewarding that religion and the group with a breakout season.
In flip, a number of younger gamers are studying to gentle up the league. Kirill Marchenko, Kent Johnson, Cole Dillinger, Adam Fantilli, Dmitri Vronokov and the at present injured Yegor Chinakov are all 24 years outdated or youthful and racing round like wild horses.
Oh positive, there are causes for concern in Columbus. The dearth of protection tends to catch as much as golf equipment down the stretch. Looming simply as massive is the workforce’s home-away cut up. Whereas the Blue Jackets have a powerful 15-5-3 document at house, they’ve managed a paltry 6-12-3 mark away from Ohio.
For now, although, the entire sporting world needs to be pulling for the Blue Jackets to maintain on maintaining on, during the Stadium Collection outside recreation once they host the Detroit Purple Wings on March 1 and to the tip of the season.
It will be a heartwarming story if they may do it for Johnny.
