The Chase: Fresh Off a Heartbreaking Loss in New York, the Blue Jackets Welcome the Bruins to Town

By 1OB Staff on March 12, 2019 at 7:45 am
Tonight would be a good night for Oliver Bjorkstrand to find the net.
0 Comments

The Chase is your morning primer on where the Blue Jackets stand in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs race. What happened, what's next, and who to cheer for.

Welp.

The Blue Jackets took a big one on the chin last night in New York. In falling to the Islanders, 2-0, the Jackets fell to 3–8 since the Feb. 25 trade deadline, having been shutout in half of their last six games.

Columbus outshot the Islanders 31-20 and dominated stretches for most of the second and third periods, but could not solve New York goaltender Thomas Greiss aside from the three posts the Jackets hit on the night.

And yet the Blue Jackets remain in wild card position, holding down the WC2 spot, with 13 games remaining.

  GP GR W L OT PTS ROW STRK L10
METROPOLITAN
WASHINGTON CAPITALS 69 13 41 21 7 89 37 W7 9–1–0
NY ISLANDERS 69 13 40 22 7 87 36 W1 5–4–1
CAROLINA HURRICANES 69 13 38 24 7 83 37 W2 7–2–1
ATLANTIC
x-TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING 70 12 53 13 4 110 47 W2 8–2–0
BOSTON BRUINS 69 13 42 18 9 93 40 L1 8–1–1
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS 69 13 42 22 5 89 42 L1 6–3–1
WILD CARD
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 69 13 37 23 9 83 36 W1 6–2–2
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS 69 13 38 28 3 79 37 L1 5–5–0
MONTREAL CANADIENS 69 13 36 26 7 79 34 L2 5–5–0
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS 69 13 34 27 8 76 32 W2 6–3–1

With Carolina topping the Avs, 3-0, and the Flyers edging Ottawa in overtime, 3-2, last night, matters are coalescing into a five-team race for two Eastern Conference wild card positions.

The Canes and Penguins have 83 points, while the Jackets are four back at 79. Montreal also has 79 points, but are behind Columbus due to the ROW tiebreaker. The Flyers, surging in the last month, are just three points back of the Blue Jackets and Canadiens.

In a universe in which the 2019 Tampa Bay Lightning exist, you really, really want to try to avoid that second wild card spot.

We're back at it tonight, with several games pivotal to the playoff race in the east, including another tough outing for the Jackets.

Home Away Who to Cheer for
COLUMBUS (38–28–3, 79p) BOSTON (42–18–9, 93p) The boys in blue.
PITTSBURGH (37–23–9, 83p) WASHINGTON (41–21–7, 89p) Caps.
MONTREAL (36–26–7, 79p) DETROIT (24–35–10, 58p) We're clutching an octopus if that tells you anything.

The Blue Jackets need points, plain and simple.

Then, Washington needs to dump the Pens at home, and the Red Wings have to get it done in Montreal.


Today's stress ball: Ever see a shorthanded three-on-one? 

0 Comments