3 Takeaways From the Blue Jackets’ Massive 7-2 Win Over the Avalanche

The Columbus Blue Jackets have been struggling to find the back of the net the past few games, especially on their latest road trip, where they went 1-2-0 and scored only seven total goals in that three-game stretch.

Last night, however, that script got flipped on its head entirely. The Blue Jackets scored a season-high seven goals, controlled the game from the initial puck drop, and never gave it up. They looked to be the fresher team and did what they needed to do to get two huge home points against one of the league’s hottest teams in the Colorado Avalanche.

Every phase of the game the Blue Jackets controlled, and for the first time all season the special teams units looked really good against quality competition. This game was a really good push for a team that needed to get back on track and see the puck go in the net in a big way.

Here are my three takeaways from the Blue Jackets’ big win over the Avalanche.

Blue Jackets’ Third Line Is Dominant

The third line for Columbus caught the matchup with Nathan MacKinnon and his line the entire night, and they won the matchup in a huge way. The Blue Jackets’ third line of Charlie Coyle, Cole Sillinger, and Mathieu Olivier consistently was matched up against the top line in Colorado, and outside of a few great plays by MacKinnon, the Blue Jackets won.

Coyle talked about how much it can help knowing the high skill level you are going to play against all night and how that got his line ready to play.

“Anytime you get the task of playing against a top line with some pretty good players, it’s just easier to get into the game mentally. You know you have a job, and it just kind of enables you to play the right way to make it hard on them,” said Coyle.

They have consistently taken the task of being the forechecking line against an opponent’s top skill line and have been up to the task. A big part of that is due in part to their chemistry as a line, playing together for a majority of last season, and starting the season together again gives them an added element of confidence knowing where guys should be on the ice.

“Any time we see our names together, it just kind of gives us individually, but as a line, confidence, because we played together a lot last year. So, you don’t have to work a lot of things out; you just kind of know what to expect from one another and how we play. You kind of just get in that rhythm and that zone right away,” said Coyle.

The confidence is obvious, and they were taking chances out there knowing each of their linemates had their backs if they did make a mistake. One of the biggest reasons the score was what it was last night was because of that forward line. They owned that game for the Blue Jackets.

Provorov Gives the Defensive Corps an Identity

It has been talked about all season thus far about how you can’t really judge this Blue Jackets‘ defensive corps until they can get Ivan Provorov back. His game was certainly on display, and it showed up in a massive way last night, indicating why he is so valuable.

Shutting down breakaways, springing outlet passes, being a stable force to win puck battles deep in the defensive zone, and just being a rock for them to lean on. He has been everything the Blue Jackets have needed in his return to play this season, and because of that, they have looked tremendously better in the two games he has played.

Ivan Provorov has been on it tonight. He just drew a penalty on Nicolas Roy for tripping. #CBJ PP.

— Mark Scheig (@mark_scheig) November 4, 2026

He was everywhere last night and earned a lot of additional time on ice. He was a minutes eater last season for Columbus and was a huge reason why Zach Werenski was able to capture a Norris Trophy with his ability to stay fresh and play in more critical situations.

Provorov being back and adding a steady defensive presence next to Denton Mateychuk makes him look all the more otherworldly too. He has an argument for being one of the best players the Blue Jackets have deployed all season long, and he needed that trustworthy partner on the back end to let him push plays offensively and drive deep into the offensive zone.

Clearly this pairing trusts each other, and if the Blue Jackets can stay healthy, they have one of the best rounded-out top four defensemen in the NHL. That top four is what gave them so much life last season and one of the major reasons they were even in the playoff mix to begin with.

The next step will be unlocking the goal scoring of Werenski again. He has been close, and his play hasn’t diminished on the ice, even through a scoring drought, and he still makes a huge impact even just with assists. However, he wants to put the puck in the back of the net as well.

Blue Jackets Handled Business Against a Tired Team

Make no mistake, the Avalanche were red-hot, entering the game on Tuesday night. As hot as any team in the league, as they were winners of three straight, but the Blue Jackets needed this one more, and it showed.

They played with urgency we hadn’t seen all season, and they proved why they were not only the more hungry team but also the more rested team as well. They were skating circles around a very fast Avalanche roster and had flashes all over the ice. The biggest piece is that they didn’t shy away from the contact; they ran right through it.

Olivier consistently was all over the ice and very noticeable, but the biggest improvement of physicality we saw was Conor Garland, as he was seen throwing the body around all over the ice. The more consistent he can be with his physical game, the better it’ll line up for Columbus to play him in bigger moments.

NHL Game Score Impact Card for Columbus Blue Jackets on 2026-11-03: https://t.co/yg0lNyN6US

— HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) November 4, 2026

Coyle was obviously a huge impact player, and he took full advantage of his on-ice time. However, Valeri Nichushkin played probably his best game of the season last night as well, and luckily it came against his former team, in a game that probably meant a ton to him as well.

They physically imposed the Avalanche, and they swarmed the net consistently. Head coach Rick Bowness was pleased with his team’s performance from the game, as they did what he knew they could do.

“We needed some breaks. I watch games every night, and pucks are going in off skates, off sticks, and all these other teams and they eventually got to go in for us, and they went in tonight. We needed it,” said Bowness.

The effort was shown in a big way, and the scoreboard reflected it. The Blue Jackets never took their foot off the gas, and it showed in what turned out to be a statement win over a great team.

The Blue Jackets are back in action on Thursday night when they host the Dallas Stars in what will be a revenge game after the Blue Jackets struggled to light the lamp in Dallas. The puck drop is at 7:00pm at Nationwide Arena, before the Blue Jackets hop on a quick one-game road trip to Buffalo for a Friday game.