Columbus Blue Jackets Showing Signs of Life as Critical Stretch Begins
Don’t look now, but the Columbus Blue Jackets might just be waking up - and not a moment too soon.
With the season entering a make-or-break stretch, Columbus has rattled off three straight wins and finally climbed out of the basement of the Eastern Conference standings. Tuesday’s 5-3 win over the Calgary Flames marked the first time the Jackets haven’t been in last place since December 1. And they followed it up on Thursday with a convincing 4-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks - powered by a perfect night on the power play and a 30-save performance from Elvis Merzlikins, who earned First Star honors.
At the center of this turnaround? New head coach Rick Bowness, who’s off to a perfect 2-0-0 start behind the bench.
The team seems to be responding to his voice - and more importantly, to each other. There’s structure, there’s energy, and for the first time in a while, there’s belief.
But the real test is coming fast.
Columbus heads to Pittsburgh on Saturday for a divisional clash that’s been anything but predictable this season. All three meetings between the Jackets and Penguins have gone to overtime, with Pittsburgh taking the last two in dramatic fashion.
On Nov. 28, Columbus gave up a 3-1 third-period lead at home and lost 4-3 in OT.
Then on Jan. 4, the Jackets saw a 4-1 advantage disappear - capped by Sidney Crosby tying it with 14 seconds left and winning it in overtime, 5-4.
That’s the kind of heartbreak that can define a season - but now, Columbus has a chance to flip the script.
The Penguins snapped a three-game skid with a 6-3 win over the Flyers on Thursday, and they sit five points ahead of Columbus in the Metropolitan Division standings. That five-point gap is the difference between seventh and third place in the division. In a year where the middle of the Metro is tightly packed, every point matters - and Saturday’s game could swing momentum in a big way.
The Jackets are also seven points back of the second wild card spot in the East, currently held by the Boston Bruins. But the race is wide open.
Columbus is tied with the Ottawa Senators, just one point behind the Devils, two behind the Panthers, three behind the Flyers, and five back of both the Capitals and Maple Leafs. It’s a logjam - and Columbus is right in the thick of it.
That makes the upcoming homestand arguably the most important stretch of the season.
Starting Tuesday, Columbus begins a five-game run at Nationwide Arena - the longest homestand of the year - and seven of their next eight games are at home. They’ll open against the Senators on Jan. 20, wrapping up the season series (currently tied 1-1). Then it’s a gauntlet: the Dallas Stars on Jan. 22, the Tampa Bay Lightning on Jan. 24, the Los Angeles Kings on Jan. 26, and the Flyers on Jan. 28 in a nationally televised TNT matchup.
Here’s the good news: the Jackets have already beaten all four of those teams this season. They took down Dallas 5-1 on the road back in October, edged Tampa 3-2 at home, and handled the Kings 3-1 just before the holidays. That’s not just history - it’s proof this team can hang with playoff-caliber competition.
After the homestand, Columbus hits the road again - but the schedule doesn’t let up. They’ll visit the Blackhawks on Jan. 30, a team getting a boost with Connor Bedard returning to the lineup. Then it’s the Blues on Jan. 31, the Devils on Feb. 3, and a home rematch with Chicago on Feb. 4, just before the Olympic break.
By the time players pack their bags for Italy, we’ll have a much clearer picture of where this Blue Jackets team stands - and whether this recent surge is the start of something real, or just a flash of potential.
One thing’s for sure: the opportunity is there. Now it’s up to Columbus to grab it.