Key Road Trip in Florida for the Columbus Blue Jackets
"Unlike college football polls, this isn't a beauty contest or a popularity contest. Each win is worth two points -- whether it's an 8-2 shellacking of Detroit or a 4-3 'sloppy' OT win against Chicago."
Through 71 games, the Columbus Blue Jackets sit at 37-28-6, good for 80 points in the standings. This ties the mark set by the Blue Jackets last year for most points in a season. Overall, this is good place to be. The Blue Jackets remain in sixth place in the Western Conference, four points behind Chicago and three points ahead of Edmonton and Nashville. Now, this doesn't necessarily mean that Columbus is really all that close to Chicago in fifth place, because the Blackhawks have two games in hand, so that margin could be wider. In fact, the Blue Jackets and Blackhawks will not be all-even in terms of games played until Wednesday, April 8. That is what we will have a clear picture of where the teams stand. This, of course, is true as long as the Jackets keep winning. Who the Blue Jackets play in the playoffs in the first round is not nearly as important as making the playoffs. There are still four teams within conceivable striking distance of the eighth spot in the Western Conference.
Wednesday night's game against the Chicago Blackhawks was not the Blue Jackets’ finest hour; however, that OT was one of the finest two-minutes-and-change I've seen. I have to admit, that Antoine Vermette trade is looking better and better the more he plays. He has tallied three goals in the two games the Jackets have played against Chicago since he came aboard. Some will call that game a sloppy win, but unlike college football polls, this isn't a beauty contest or a popularity contest. Each win is worth two points -- whether it's an 8-2 shellacking of Detroit or a 4-3 "sloppy" OT win against Chicago.
Plus, Columbus still has to play Chicago twice -- in a home-and-home on April 5th and 8th.
Tomorrow, the Jackets begin a two-game road swing through Florida. A pair of wins over the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning in the next two games will do a lot to help the Blue Jackets’ cause. Those wins will not be easy in any sense of the word. True, Florida has lost four of its last five games, which has at least temporarily dropped the Panthers from the top eight in the East. However, that is all the more motivation for them to come out hard against what is one of the hottest teams in the NHL when the Blue Jackets come to town. As for Tampa Bay… well, there is no question that they are god-awful this year. I said the same thing about Toronto a few weeks ago, and they made me look like a putz when they beat the Jackets. So, again... there are no gimmes here, especially playing on the road.
You have to like the offensive spark that the Jackets have seen lately. We have seen solid contributions from guys like Rick Nash, Jason Williams, Kristian Huselius and Raffi Torres -- and as I mentioned above, Antoine Vermette has just been insane this past week. It is worth noting that four of the five guys that just mentioned are guys that Scott Howson has brought in since July, and that is a testament to the outstanding job Howson has done in putting this team together and turning it into a contender. And of course, there is not much I can say about Steve Mason has not been set already by just about everyone this season. If Mason doesn't deserve to win the Calder Trophy as the rookie of the year, I defy anyone to tell me who does. I'd be amazed if he wasn't a finalist for the Vezina (goaltender) and the Hart (MVP) trophies as well.
While I'm talking about the playoff push, I'm going to try something for the next few weeks. Obviously, the Blue Jackets need to do really well over these last 11 games to clinch a playoff spot. And obviously, nobody's perfect, so they might need some help -- meaning we are going to want some teams above us and below us to lose, in order to hold on to that spot or move up a notch or two.
So, I'd like to invite you to come visit us at www.ColumbusSports.com through the rest of the regular season, for a feature I'm going to call “Martin Obsesses About the NHL Playoff Standings, So You Don't Have To." The plan is to give you a daily rundown of the Western Conference playoff contenders -- above and below the Columbus Blue Jackets -- who are playing each day. I will also suggest who to root for and against; that way, if you're watching The Bottom Line on ESPN at home or in a bar or something, you can do and say things like, "Sweet! Nashville lost and we’re a little closer to clinching." For big hockey fans, this can be a fun way to follow along. For newer hockey fans that happen to be reading (thank you, by the way), it’s a chance to show off your sports knowledge a little in front of your friends.
And who knows... you may wind up obsessing about it as much as I will. Not that there's anything wrong or dysfunctional with that.
Go Jackets!
Martin Poston also discusses hockey topics from Columbus and beyond at www.tootoobites.blogspot.com.