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.
We had our eyes on three big games last night in the Eastern Conference playoff race, and the Blue Jackets got the result they needed in two of those affairs.
The Islanders took care of the Canadiens, 2-1, preventing the Habs from jumping the Jackets for the WC2 spot. Columbus has a game in hand with Montreal as each team holds 81 points.
Washington rolled Philadelphia, 5-2, to deny the Flyers points and keep them five back of the Blue Jackets and Canadiens. At this point, we're close to conceding Metro No. 1 to Washington, so any win they get down the stretch is good for the CBJ.
Unfortunately, the Sabres didn't put up much of a fight against the Penguins, falling 5-0 in Buffalo. The Blue Jackets have a game in hand on the Pens, but Pittsburgh has a six-point lead for the No. 3 spot in the Metro.
Here's where we stand on Friday, March 15.
| GP | GR | W | L | OT | PTS | ROW | STRK | L10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| METROPOLITAN | |||||||||
| WASHINGTON CAPITALS | 71 | 11 | 42 | 22 | 7 | 91 | 38 | W1 | 8–2–0 |
| NY ISLANDERS | 70 | 12 | 41 | 22 | 7 | 89 | 37 | W2 | 6–4–0 |
| PITTSBURGH PENGUINS | 71 | 11 | 39 | 23 | 9 | 87 | 38 | W3 | 7–1–2 |
| ATLANTIC | |||||||||
| x-TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING | 71 | 11 | 54 | 13 | 4 | 112 | 48 | W3 | 8–2–0 |
| BOSTON BRUINS | 71 | 11 | 42 | 20 | 9 | 93 | 40 | L3 | 7–2–1 |
| TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS | 70 | 12 | 42 | 23 | 5 | 89 | 42 | L2 | 6–3–1 |
| WILD CARD | |||||||||
| CAROLINA HURRICANES | 69 | 13 | 38 | 24 | 7 | 83 | 37 | W2 | 7–2–1 |
| COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS | 70 | 12 | 39 | 28 | 3 | 81 | 38 | W1 | 5–5–0 |
| MONTREAL CANADIENS | 71 | 11 | 37 | 27 | 7 | 81 | 35 | L1 | 4–6–0 |
| PHILADELPHIA FLYERS | 70 | 12 | 34 | 28 | 8 | 76 | 32 | L1 | 6–3–1 |
The Blue Jackets have a gigantic pair of points on the line again tonight, when they welcome the Carolina Hurricanes to town.
Thanks to a one point lead in ROW, a win would move Columbus from the WC2 to the WC1 spot in the Eastern Conference, which is important if you'd rather avoid the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round (as one should).
| Home | Away | Who to Cheer for |
|---|---|---|
| COLUMBUS (39–28–3, 81p) | CAROLINA (38–24–7, 83p) | The boys in blue. |
| TORONTO (42–23–5, 89p) | PHILADELPHIA (34–28–8, 76p) | Leafs. Gotta keep Philadelphia out of the WC picture. |
Philadelphia, fresh off that pasting from the Caps, has a tough immediate road trip to Toronto tonight. The Blue Jackets need a Leafs win in regulation to deny the Flyers points, keeping them out of what's for now a three-team race for two wildcard spots.
Today's stress ball: Columbus' own Jack Roslovic goes undercover at the local pond.
