The Blue Jackets have explosive young talent, veteran leadership, a good coach, and a loyal fan base, but they just keep losing. Is there any hope they make the playoffs this year after such a terrible start? The recent five game win streak barely dented the standings…
It doesn’t look good, but here are some things to consider.
1. It is a LONG season. 82 games. We are less than half way through that total.
2. The Jackets had a bad start, but there were a couple of good reasons. Injuries to Fedorov, Zherdov, and Foote did not help you get off to a good start. A slow start by Rick Nash did not help, either. Now you’ve got most of these guys back, and Nash is playing much better.
3. Lots of changes have happened to your team since last year. New players like Carter and Modin need time to adjust to a new team. Now you’ve got a new, and MUCH improved coach as well. As they adjust to each other, they should play better.
4. You are only nine points out of a playoff spot right now. That’s less than 5 games. The team needs to keep playing well, and they ESPECIALLY need to beat teams like Minnesota, Chicago, and other teams that are right above them.
5. Goaltending! Goaltending! Goaltending! You are not going anywhere without this. Pascal Leclaire, for whatever reason, did not step it up this year. Norrena has been inconsistent, but has shown signs of brilliance. If one of these two guys can step it up and play to their full potential, that will help a lot.
Bottom line is that it does not look good. I would not put money on the Jackets making it. They can play better, but they cannot necessarily stop the teams above them from playing better. That said, it is far from impossible. If the pieces come together they can take a run at it. It is not too late by a long shot. I would never put anything past Ken Hitchcock. The recent 5 game win streak may not have made much of a dent, but it was a step in the right direction. Think where you’d be without it!