From Contenders to Collapse: Blue Jackets Fading Fast When It Matters Most

Not officially. Six games are remaining, and the Blue Jackets are just on the outside of the playoff picture.

Jumped by the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings after Thursday's 5-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus is tied with 88 points with the Senators for the second Eastern Conference wild card spot and the Detroit Red Wings. But in a 1-5-1 slump at the worst time of the season, the 2025-26 Columbus Blue Jackets are circling the drain. The Philadelphia Flyers (86 points) and Washington Capitals (85 points) are right behind Columbus.

It wasn’t that long ago when the Blue Jackets thumped the Seattle Kraken 5-2 on Mar. 21, making it four straight wins and points in 12 straight. That was 13 days ago. Three days later, they were second in the Metropolitan Division.

Yet, there were signs of cracks in the foundation.

Despite an 8-0-4 stretch, Columbus was having difficulty putting games away, unlike their play before the Olympic break under head coach Rick Bowness. Blown leads to the New York Islanders on Feb. 28, nearly gagging away a four-goal third-period lead over the New York Rangers on Mar. 2, and blowing leads over the Utah Mammoth on Mar. 7 and Mar. 9 against the Los Angeles Kings and coming up short both times in overtime. They also let a narrow 1-0 third-period lead fall into a 2-1 overtime loss to the Florida Panthers on Mar. 12.

Hard to believe, they manhandled the Carolina Hurricanes 5-1 on Mar. 17, beat the Rangers 6-3, and disposed of the Kraken to make you think the team was rediscovering its groove.

Then the Jackets went through a stretch where they couldn't find goals after a 1-0 loss at the New York Islanders on Mar. 22, a 2-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Mar. 26, a blown third period and 3-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Mar. 28, and another blown game the next night in which they let a 3-0 first-period lead fully evaporate in the final seconds of the third period and result in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Boson Bruins on Mar. 29.

By that point, injuries started piling up, as the Blue Jackets have seemingly been losing a player a night.

Starting with Damon Severson a week ago in Montreal, then Dmitri Voronkov against the Sharks, then Olivier against the Bruins, Mason Marchment against the 'Canes, and then Isac Lundestrom, already day-to-day, blocked a shot and was in pain against the 'Canes in the second of the home-and-home on April 2.

What do we make of the team now?

The season is not over, but mired in their worst slump in nearly three months at the worst time of the season, it's hard to imagine how many more wins this team can realistically scratch together over the final six games.

For a team that's battled a heaping amount of injuries and man-games lost in prior seasons, this year has been a relatively healthy one for the team. So, it's a cruel irony that it’s a copious number of injuries mounting now in the final stretch.

As the team tries to make good on a 19-7-5 mark since Bowness took over, they're a Jackets team that's been forced to play playoff hockey for nearly three months to climb out of last place in the Eastern Conference, but is now on fumes in a fight to the finish line.

At 88 points, the playoffs are still in arm's reach for Columbus, even with the slump and all the adversity facing the team. If they were in the Pacific Division, they'd be in first place.

As buried in the conference as the Blue Jackets were in the Dean Evason days earlier this season, it's a miracle the team was able to go on the run they did and get as high as second place in the Metropolitan Division just a little under two weeks ago. To just miss now makes the run nothing more than fool's gold.

If the Blue Jackets were to somehow make the playoffs, it's hard to imagine the team being able to go on a deep run if injuries and fatigue are catching them at the wrong time. But playoffs were the goal from the outset. And as there was hope before the season that the team would be a playoff team or at least be in the mix, to fall short now would be the epitome of failure after all it took to climb the mountain and still not make it.

The final slate of games won’t get any easier for Columbus. Next up are the Winnipeg Jets and the Red Wings, each fighting for their playoff lives; the Buffalo Sabres, who are fighting for first in the Eastern Conference; the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins, both locked into playoff spots, and the Capitals, right behind Columbus.

Even in the Jackets' attempt to climb back into Thursday's game against the Hurricanes, cutting the deficit to two with a goal by Denton Mateychuk, Carolina scored 13 seconds later to regain its three-goal lead. That’s just how it’s going. Columbus ended up with 10 shots on goal total for the game, tying the franchise low for shots on goal in a game.

If Columbus missed the playoffs, but played even keel throughout the season, things might be viewed differently, but still disappointing. To go on the run they did, and possibly still miss it because of a slump at the worst possible time? That's a tough pill to swallow. It really makes you think about the makeup of the team.

The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline had it right in last Monday’s column when he said:

Maybe, just maybe, the Blue Jackets are so mentally fragile as a group that the pressure of success is simply too much for them, collectively, to handle.

Bowness is right when he said players have to learn how to play this time of year.

#CBJ head coach Rick Bowness has made a point to preach to his players about how hard it is to win this time of year. Reiterated that postgame tonight: "I thought we got very selfish with the puck, Some of these guys, they have a lot to learn about how to play in this league at

— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) March 30, 2026

We’ve seen how ruthless teams across the NHL have been when it comes to prioritizing winning and making necessary changes. The Vegas Golden Knights fired head coach Bruce Cassidy three seasons removed from winning the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.

More from Rick Bowness: "If we want to make a serious effort to get in, it's gonna take a whole lot more than some of those guys gave us tonight. They can say all they want -- 'We want to get in, we want to get in.' I'd shut up and let my play do my talking for me." #CBJ https://t.co/QnwxlQSK00

— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) April 3, 2026

Columbus only has a few players I would deem as quote-unquote untouchable players on the current roster. Will president and general manager Don Waddell make the hard decisions that will be required this off-season?

How much longer will the club decide to go with Elvis Merzlikins as part of the goaltending tandem? Merzlikins is 64th among goalies in goals saved above expected (-3.3) per MoneyPuck. Boone Jenner is up for a new contract. Even if he returns, is he returning as captain? Charlie Coyle could miss the playoffs for the first time in his 16-year career. Will he stay?

It’s been 25 years of largely uninspired Blue Jackets hockey. The bar is an epic four-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Clock is ticking. It’s time to rally.