In August, we wrote a theoretical piece about how the Columbus Blue Jackets would need to fare in the standings to make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.
What a difference a year makes.
A season ago, the Blue Jackets welcomed a new year after recording a perfect 14-0-0 record. Fast forward to this year, and we're talking abot a disappointing December that saw them go 6-7-2, a stretch that featured three different five-goal losses.
At our first checkpoint, (American) Thanksgiving, the Blue Jackets were at 29 points, four ahead of our suggested point total at that date to get to 95 points (a fair indicator for points required to make the playoffs). The tone was a bit different then, as the Jackets were third in the NHL in points, the team was relatively healthy, and Sergei Bobrovsky had just come off a ridiculous stint in which he went 5-1-0 with a .967 save percentage.
As of today's checkpoint, the team is right on pace to hit 95 points, with 47 points in the first 40 games.
They're fallen to tied for 11th in the NHL in points, and have a rash of injuries to key players, including Alexander Wennberg, Cam Atkinson. Ryan Murray, and Brandon Dubinsky. Bobrovsky just wrapped up a December that saw him post a 4-6-2 record and a .891 save percentage.
The bad news: Bobrovsky appears to be human, after all, and the team is still decimated by injuries, especially at the center position.
The good news: the Blue Jackets are still in a playoff spot, sitting at third in the Metro heading into 2018.
But that's not the only good news.
The schedule is incredibly favorable in January as the Jackets look to recover back to full health. With just 10 games in January (against relatively weak competition), the team should have a good opportunity to trend in the right direction as they head into the meat of their schedule.
In the nine games between now and the NHL All-Star break, the club should have 59 points, 12 more than they have now. Plan to get there? 5-2-2. It won't be easy, to be sure, but with a more manageable schedule, it's certainly not out of the question.
The Blue Jackets passed their first checkpoint with ease, then stumbled through December. January gives them a chance to get healthy and cement themselves as a playoff team.
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